French Knots used in my Run-Off series

This is a terrible day in Colorado with wild fire engulfing parts of Colorado Springs and threating Boulder.  Other fires have covered over 100,000 acres and hundreds of structures.  It is hard , in the face of such terrifying destruction, to remember the new trees and plants that start over after natural disasters.  So, I will use the example and do my best to bounce back when I don't make art or stumble with technique or what ever.  I am very motivated right now and hope to keep working on many more pieces.

Last night Heather Thomas' series class met for the fifth time.  I brought my 3rd piece in my runoff series for critique.  I have a picture below. It is 8" x 10", fiber and paper with acrylics.  I used the French Knots I worked onto upholstery fabric the other evening.  I was able to overcome some problems I encountered in my 2nd piece; too much contrast and too harsh a line between  the fabric pieces and the flat canvas.  I used the cheesecloth in this piece to soften the edges of upholstery fabric allowing the piece to flow together better.  The monochromatic color scheme allowed the details to stand out instead of being overshadowed by the stong contrasts in color that I used in the second piece.

I loved the French knots!! I used clear tar gel on them to keep the pearl cotton from absorbing the paint and to stiffen and glaze them to project water covered structures in the runoff.  Next month is the last class but not the last of my series.

The SLOW movement - Hand Stitching

"Two Brits and a Sewing Machine" was the program at the "Front Range Contemporary Quilters" this past Monday evening. They spoke of 'The Slow Movement' as opposed to machine work.  I spent the evening hand stitching french knots for a piece I am doing for a series class.  The class is great!  My series is called "Thermal Runoff".  I am awed by the texture and colors in the thermal runoff from geysers and springs in Yellostone. I am using fiber and paper with acrylic mediums to create a series of pieces on stretched canvas. Tonight I was stitching french knots in various sizes on upholstery fabric with pearl cotton and several strands of varigated quilting thread.  It was so nice to do hand work again.  I am hopeful this texture will be perfect in this third piece in the series.

Printing with Coral Bell Leaves



Coral Belle Leaf after printing




My backyard garden is in shade and light sun.  Most of the perennials are done blooming by the end of June.  I use potted annuals in the courtyard to add splashes of color.  Some of my favorite plants are the coral bells.  I have the old fashioned red variety as well as some with more modest flowers and very fancy foliage. I chose to cut up some of the fabric I had used as tablecloths on two small tables for the wedding a week  ago.  The fabric was bright orange, a nice medium tight weave with a good depth of color.  I printed leaves and painted four pieces about 20x20 inches.  I choose a large coral bell leaf to make the prints.  It was a good size, sturdy and well veined with an interesting shape and edge.  It also had a strong stem to hold while positioning and removing the leaf from the fabric.  I used Lumiere and Neopaque paint by Jacquard.  It was the right consistency for printmaking.  As you can see from the picture, I tried several colors and played with the dampness of the cloth.  I also added Dye-na-flow in areas that I had dampened for a more varied background. This was a good experiment. The orange on orange piece can be embellished for more punch.  The burgundy print can be paired up with a nice medium dark fabric.  My mom likes the fabric with the green and blue paint and I like the more subtle prints that I sprayed with water so the dye and prints bled.  The line mark making I did in brown on this same piece also bled until it was a color puddle and no longer a line.  I like that too.



Liberal use of water spray




four samples created




close up



Backyard Wedding

We had a wedding in our backyard last Saturday.  Our daughter was married on a beautiful day with the temperature hovering around 95 degrees. Close family shared the occasion with much joy and laughter.  The garden was lovely and the potted flowers were just what we needed to brighten the courtyard.  We chased shade as the sun moved overhead and  many enjoyed the air conditioning inside during the refreshments.  Her colors were hot pink and bright orange, great colors for early summer. The bride carried Gerber Daisies in those colors as did her daughters.  The youngest carried a small bouquet and the older daughter wore flowers in her hair. The bride's son and the groom and his two sons wore daisy boutonnieres in orange or pink.

As the mother of the bride, I chose to wear the Korean Patchwork wrap that I created last year.  It was the perfect thing for the weather and the smart casual dress code.  I have been waiting for a chance to enjoy the wrap and I enjoyed the lightness of the fabric and chose a graduated pink top to wear under it.  I have several other wearable art pieces in mind.  I'll let you know more later.

Pojagi wrap by Margaret A. Parker 2011