Impromptu Art

Art from Flowers!

At the cottage a couple of weeks ago I started playing with some flowers sitting on the table. ( Flox and a expired Rose of Sharon)

My new studio space before order.

One bird has finally left the nest!
This room has become my paint room and storage for all my felting supplies. More photos soon.

Crayon melted on cotton, acrylic paint wash, foiled in gold, machine embroidery and hand stitching

A few weeks ago, I was totally inspired by Canadian Fibre artist Wendy Feldberg. I read about her art and techniques in the new e-mag In Stitches from Quilting Arts. This is the end result! I highly recommend the e-mag, it is so interactive! I emailed Wendy to tell her how excited I was about her art. She replied immediately!

Close up!




Another melted crayon piece, with roses.
I plan to make samall purses from these pieces.

This was a UFO. I painted the fabric with Setacolours, set down some machine quilted lines and heavily hand embroidered it on holiday. Then nothing, set in a pile of UFOs, until I discovered Leah Day's 365 days of Free motion quilting on line. Wow, I was very impressed. I decided to make a journal of drawn quilting designs of Leah's. Drawing the designs helps you to stitch them continuously later. I ordered Leah's quilting aids and was thrilled with the Magic Genie Bobbin Washers. Free motion quilting has never been easier. The washer keeps the lower bobbin thread from appearing on the top of your quilt. You can easily used a neutral thread in the bobbin and any colour on the top! Heaven. I decided to machine quilt the rest of my piece and it looks lovely!

Pebbles in the Stream

Until next time, and much sooner! Keep stitching!

Sandra's Open Studio

This is my young friend Sandra, a very talented Mixed media artist and president of the Milton Fine Arts Society. We are learning all about altered photos at her home studio. She holds open studio once a week at her Brookville home, outside of Milton.
My first altered photo of my niece, Emily, with Sandra's two daughters.

The studio!!

Another altered Photo of my art work using a bleach pen

Sandra's organized studio

I am continuing to go to the open studio each week. I have experimented with decorated and painted papers, collage and making an art Journal so far. I have made several trips to art stores to buy medium, brushes and lots of paint. I also like to buy old or discontinued books for pages to alter. It is lovely just to play while doing art!

Carol Weibe and Cracked Paper Quilts

Carol's Grand National Entry for 'Off the Wall'

Carol's second entry at the Grand National Quilt Show

On June 12Th, (yes, friends I am late again with my blogging!) the Oakville Stitchery Guild hosted Carol Weibe of Cracked Paper Quilts fame for a day long workshop at Joshua Creek Studio. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day that was not long enough for all the work we did.

Here Carol is demonstrating some new techniques to our members. ( Heather, Diane and Janet ) Carol will be doing a workshop with Maggie Grey's Workshop on the Web very soon.

This is my friend, Sandra's work, in progress. Sandra is a mixed media artist and is very talented!

This is Linda's little gem with some paint and collage applied. I've seen the finished work and I love it!

This is my masterpiece, a definite work in progress. Can you guess the theme? The newest and latest trend I read about. The owls are my own drawings. I have two cracks so far and I plan to re cut the shape to be more owl like before painting. I've added some dyed paper napkins for the next layer of colour to peek through since I took this photo.

Grand National Favourites

Sculpture by Gordana Breilh

Grand National Quilt Show

'Off the Wall"

Amazing hand drawn and painted fibre art by Jill Buckley!

Another Favourite

This one is about garbage!

Amazing detail!




My personal Favourite: Water

During, a day off from teaching, my friend and I visited the Homer Watson Museum to see the Grand National Quilt Show. It was amazing! Such truly unique fibre art. I've only listed my personal favourites here. I, again was rejected from this show. But I know I need to improve my fibre art projects for this show. And it didn't stop me from enjoying all this fibre art. Hopefully there will be a show next year, since there were no postings of next year's theme.

I loved this unique museum set in the lovely village of Doon. The house is the former home of Homer Watson, the famous painter. We were given a personal tour of Watson's paintings and artifacts by the curator. I asked about Homer's sister Phoebe, who is apparently the resident ghost! True, there have been encounters with Phoebe by visitors to the gallery.

It was a wonderful artist's date!

Sadness and the Oil Spill

Crystal Beach, in the Panhandle of Florida

Beautiful Beach in February

Lovely white sands



Wildlife

More beach

My sadness will be overwhelming if the beaches of the Florida Panhandle are deluged with oil from the reckless oil spill. Was there a plan for impending disaster? It looks like NOT! I feel for the people that live in this area for their loss of livelihood, loss of wildlife, loss of precious protected marshlands and the loss of the sandy white beaches. Such a senseless crime.

Stream of Dreams

The Computer lab

The last three weeks I have been teaching at Chris Hadfield Public School. I've been teaching computers to grades 1-3 and the occasional art lesson. It has been great fun! During my time there, the whole school was involved in the Stream of Dreams project with Halton Conservation. It started with the Eco Tote Bag Project at the Milton Mall. One of the Hadfield students, Sana won an Eco drawing contest and was awarded $1000 for the school. The Stream of Dreams was the chosen project and over a 1000 wooden fish were cut, sanded and painted by volunteers and students. The students learned about clean water and conservation of fresh water. I was fortunate to be able to paint a fish as well.

Outside the kindergarten doors at the front of the school


My Stream of Dreams fish!

Thank you!

Parking lot fence

This is truly an inspiring project. Thanks goes to Sana, her art teacher, Miss Walsh and the Conservation girls. The big reveal was accompanied by student poetry and art work. The whole school assembled outside to celebrate. A project like this is sure to make a lasting impression on these students!

Lilacs and another Birthday

When we arrived at the cottage this past long weekend we were thrilled to see our small lilac tree with an abundance of lilacs. They were beautiful!

The rain had lower the branches and created a cascade of blooms.

I celebrated my latest birthday with a dinner out with my hubby, my mom and my aunt. Mom is on the right.

This is the view of Lake Erie from the restaurant in Port Dover.


This is the back of David's a very fine restaurant with the best Key Lime Pie!

A very nice Victoria Day weekend!