Art work in Progress

While on vacation in Cedar Key, I decided to revisit my on line classes with Susan Sorrell ( Creative Chick) on Personal Symbols and Fertile Earth. I decided to use a painted fabric covered with a transparent fabric as my background. While here in Cedar Key, I explored around the cottage and drew little nature sketches. I also included garden statues and mementos. I used these to create my appliques of painted and transparent fabric. I decided to use the little bird ceramic as my focal point and a variety of shells and a sand dollar as my accents.
Photo 1: beginning to applique, back stitched the spirals in the background transparent fabric
Photo 2: Starting to use embroidery details
Photo 3: Inspiration Photo


I've been busy each day working on my Jane LaFasio online class: Sketching and Watercolour. I painted the little bird ceramic as well. Don't forget to check out The Sketchbook Challenge and Photos on Flickr. I've posted all my photos on my Flickr site, hope to see you there.
www.flickr.com/photos/donnafunnell

Fertile Earth Continued

A Super Looking Pooch on Vacation!

I've been reading a very good book called 'The Dog Rules: Damn Near Everything!'It is very humorous and I can totally identify with the author's experiences with his dog, a border collie called Jake.

Fertile Earth Lesson 4

Ginkgo Leaves


Clams from Cedar Key
Inspiration for Lesson 5

Close up of Ginkgo Leaves

This is my favourite lesson so far.

Fertile Earth lesson 3

Layers of Stitch

I am continuing to work on my fertile Earth lessons. I am completing Lesson 2 at this time. My next project will be my entry to the Threadworks Show for April. The theme is Trees but I think I have a unique idea in mind displaying my style! Stay tuned!

Creating on Vacation

Creative Cue ODD

I was inspired by odd socks of which we have many in our family. My son calls them socks without friends!

This week`s cue is TIE

I was inspired by different kinds of ties and decided to do a Zentangle of ties and knots in my sketchbook.

I continue to work on my class lessons for Fertile Earth. This is Lesson 4 still in progress. I am loving the look so far.

Close up of Ginkgo

Close up of stitching on Lesson 3

For lesson 3, I used Creative Chick`s photo of mushrooms and followed her stitching as well. I have now applied all the painted organza circles and I am adding the sequin waste as well. I love how Susan creates her layers in her stitcheries.

I spent today hunting for treasures at an antique flea market in Fort Walton Beach! I sleuthed out 2 vintage chiffon scarves, ribbon, a vintage hankie, dyed green cheesecloth, paper images of vintage photos and a 1950`s sewing pattern still in tact! All the fun is in the hunt and trying to spend as little money as possible. All this for $11 US!

New Technique for January 2010

I joined Susan Sorrell's Technique of the month Challenge. This is my new technique that was shared in my little fibre art group. I used a brown paper Bag to start with. I then added designs from a Australian Aboriginal art work I found on the Internet with oil pastel. I washed it with acrylic paint. I then added drips of wax candle or covered the surface with wax candle. The reverse side of the papers were painted with acrylic coloured gesso, to create a textured surface.



The ends results were ripped, hole punched and embellished with stitches. I really liked my sketchbook page more than the larger piece. The assemblage certainly was a challenge! I think I will use the papers in other projects. I had a fun day playing with my friends.

Fertile Earth

Fertile Earth Class with Susan Sorrell

Lesson 1 Fruits and Vegetables

Romaine Lettuce

Manipulated Photo of cut end of Romaine Lettuce


Solarized Photo

My background fabric and Romaine Lettuce

First Print with the leaf

Several prints using cut end and leaf of the romaine

Finished printed fabric

I used Jacquard and Setacolor paints. I sponged the paint on and made a relief print. I couldn't find my brayer to roll the paint out. Stay tuned for the manipulated photo to be applied to the fabric to create stitch! I'll use the black and white version.

Organic Embroidery Class Finished!

Lesson 4 ' Bubble Wrap' a microscopic photo with fabric appliques on painted fabric

This is the first on line class I have completed! That is every lesson. I highly recommend classes with Susan Sorrell of Creative Chick. I love the simplicity of the lessons and the portability! I got many new ideas of how to create my own embroideries. Thank you Susan!




Bubble Wrap




Lesson 5 'Buff and White Tails' aerial photo, stitched on paper and lutradur





Buff and White Tails

Lesson 6 'Iapetus' Saturn's Moon surface, stitched on painted fabric.

Iapetus

Now, to go back and finish a couple of on line classes. I have learned something new with every class finished or not! I hope you enjoy looking at my embroideries!

Quilter's Mis Bee Haven

Organic Embroidery, Lesson Three resting on painted face wipe. This is from an image I took in Florida of an interesting beach garden.





Lesson Five, with Susan Sorrell, a pastel drawing and collaged Japanese papers, ready to be stitched. The image is an aerial photo of the earth.





Last weekend my friend Sandra, (below) invited me to a free weekend at Quilters Miss Bee Haven in the small village of Raymond near Lake Rosseau. The sign says, ' Everyone loves Raymond', as you approach the farmhouse retreat nestled on 18 acres of land. Above, are all my new friends at the weekend retreat. ( left to right: Doug, Kim, Theresa, Sherri, Marg, Sandra and Francis. Sherri won the weekend and invited the rest of us. Whoo hooo!!! The accommodations were great, the food was scrumptious and the crafting was fun.






Here is Sandra working on her Scrapbook.

This is a view of Lake Rosseau from the Cross Roads restaurant where we had a glass of wine and tasty lunch on a sunny day before arriving at the retreat.

Just a thought! Let's Misbehave!

This is the front of the Farmhouse!

Our bedroom with an on suite. I called it the Three Bears room! I slept in Mama Bear's Bed.

Another photo of the girls, including me on the far right!

I enjoyed the conversations I had with my new friends. We laughed alot and took turns providing the meals which was such a treat! I worked on scrap booking a few pages in Oatie's baby album and I continued working on my Organic Embroidery Lessons. I had a great time. Thank you Sherri and Sandra. We are thinking we should have a reunion next year!

A Birthday, Beach Baby and Janet's Show!

This is my son James on his 28th Birthday at his favourite restaurant. The young lady is Katharine, Jamie's girlfriend. They are both teachers!




My grand neice, Madelyn is enjoying her first visit to the Beach at Turkey Point, Lake Erie. Such a cutie, at eight months old.




My neice Holly and Maddie. Holly is a teacher too!




Maddie! I hope she will like to stitch some day.



Lesson 4 of Organic Embroidery with Susan Sorrell. This is a microscopic photo from the internet of bubble wrap. Here are my appliques before stitching using painted fabrics.

Lesson 2, completed using a photo of seeds for inspiration.

Lesson 3, almost completed on a background of painted facial wipe. I used a photo I had of a beach garden for inspiration. I call it impressionist since it is not completely abstract.

My friend Janet recently had her opening at the Greenwood Gallery. Here she is in front of her stunning art works.

Finally, a word about the World of Threads Festival in Oakville during September. To learn more and see the venues go to www.worldofthreadsfestival.com I will be showing at the Joshua Creek Gallery, Abozzo Gallery and The In2Art Gallery. Exciting times!

Three Times a Charm

Lesson 2 With Creative Chick, Organic Embroidery

Again I am having a great time doing an on line class with Susan Sorrell. I love the freedom of working whenever I want and having all my materials right here. Often I make meals and paint backgrounds in the dining room at the same time. Proximity of my art space is important to how much I get done. Above is a photo of seeds I found in the neighbourhood manipulated on my HP 927 camera. Below is an original photo.




It is important to follow your lesson as you go along. I ended up doing it three times. I'll have three different art pieces based on the same photos.




This is effort number 2, the correct size but I stitched on the wrong side of the lutradur. All the sparkle and print is on the other side.




This is effort # 1, wrong size, too big at 8"x10". It will take forever and a day to stitch the inside patterns.

This is finally effort #3, correct size and the lutradur is the correct side up. I have had a lot of practise with the back stitch. I switched to pearl cotton which I had to rescue from Oatie dog, he was all tangled in it with the ball in his mouth and he wasn't giving it back. After the outlining I will be adding pattern to my shapes using a variety of stitches. Stay tuned for the finished projects! P.S. I finished Lesson 1!


Finished Cloth Doodle for Material Girl, Janet.

Cloth Doodle for Marda.

Cloth Doodle for Leslie!

Close Up of 'Nesting'. I hope you like it Leslie!

Finally, I was busy writing an artist's statement for my quilt that will be in the juried show, The Common Thread, in September during The World of Threads Festival. Thank goodness, my new Q' Arts Magazine had a very good article about writing these statements. Must get back to work! Toodles to Maggie, who always reads my blog!