Friday, August 14, 2009

Quilted post card


Here is my final quilted postcard. It is still a bit floppy, so I will mail it in an envelope. I appliqued some pink hearts and gave Angelina fibers a try for the shiny blue heart. The Angelina turned out very cool (color: Blue Calypso). I hand quilted lines across the post card and then machine zigzagged around the outside. Finally I zigzagged around the heart. To melt the Angelina fibers together I turned the iron on medium and placed the fibers between parchment papers and ironed. Then I folded the piece over and cut out a heart. Not perfect, but it turned out better than I imagined. So here it is.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Continuing the post card journey




So as promised I'm posting my quilted postcard in progress here. The fabric is white that I hand painted with . . . like I can remember. I think it was paints from Dye Na Flow sampler pack. I know I dropped paint on and sprayed with water to make it bleed. I used iron interfacing for one side, but it seems to light for me - the post card may still be flimsy. So I'm thinking I can add a little bit of batting I have - it's not to heavy, and I can cut it smaller than the 4x6 shape. That added to the interfacing I think will give the card more strength. I haven't gotten very far on this card yet, but I will post more tomorrow. Also posted here is an anniversary post cards to some dear friends who are missionaries and are back in the States for a furlough and possible change of direction. Years ago I met them when I was looking for a church small group that was located nearer to where I had moved. Most of the other group members were married with kids or planning to have them, and single me showed up on their doorstep. They welcomed me into their home with open arms and never made me feel out of place. It's been great to watch their family grow with new births and it is good to have them back in town. The red hearts on this card are from cardstock that I painted yellow, then crackle painted, then over painted with red.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Off and running - post card challenge


So here is the first postcard as promised. This one is a get well for a friend recovering from an accident. I'm not totally delighted with it, but it did get me working. And of course my friend could use the get well wishes - it's not all about me :). Now I did realize yesterday that I have signed up for a quilted postcard on the mixed media art yahoo group, so that will fit great into this self challenge, although I'm a little nervous about making it. But I will plan to post that one tomorrow in whatever stage of creation (or destruction???) it is in.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

banishing self pity - new project


It's been too long . . . but then it's hard to make art when you are wallowing in self-pity. The job search has definitely been bringing me down, but I got a reality check when visiting my family recently. My sister has a chronic degenerative respiratory condition, and is awaiting organ transplant. She lives on a lot of oxygen each day and has not worked for a few years. And while I'm boo - hooing she's off to volunteer organization meetings, book groups, dinners with friends, knit clubs, visiting shut ins for the church. Not that any of us should engage in comparing our lives to others; only resentment comes of that, but I'm alive, I'm here, I have friends, family, and art. Most of all, my sister reminded me, I have hope, even though I may not always feel it. So the week I spent visiting home was comforting, and inspiring. My dad and I saw the movie "Julie and Julia" before I left. Not that I am ready to take off on a Julia Child extravagansa of my own (the movie made me mostly laugh and feel really hungry). But I did think that having a goal of things to produce would make for more interesting or at least more frequent blogging - and some consistent art making. I am posting here some atcs I made before my visit, but I have a different idea for a challenge for myself. I found a stash of blank colored postcard sized cardstock, so I'm off on my 30 postcards in 30 days project. I plan to create a postcard every day, even if I feel a bit unispired. And then here's the thing: I'm gonna mail each one to a different person. I think the deadline to mail will force me to keep creating. Of course, when I was thinking this idea over I wondered if I know thirty separate people to whom I could mail something I created and not have them cross me off their address book. But I'm goin' for it. We'll see what happens. I'll post my first postcard tomorrow.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Happy Birthday yahoo AB group


Thanks to Corinne, who has generously agreed to host the page swap and put together color copied books for us! A swap deadline always gets my juices going. This page is a book page (three glued together actually for support). Painted with crimson fluid acrylics (Golden) and softened with titanium buff. The words are the things that the AB yahoo group has provided for me (though it's been a while since I participated in a swap): dreams fulfilled, inspiration, joy. The last word is drawn into some Texture magic paste. The very first swap I ever participated in through the site was a technique swap. It was wonderful to see the work of other artists - everytime a new book came to my P.O. box I would huddle in the car and open the box right away because I couldn't wait to get home. It was the best treat, flipping through the pages, oohing and ahhing and thinking what I could do with that month's technique. I treasure the book that I got out of that swap, and enjoy flipping back through it to see the work of the talented and creative contributors. That fist technique swap got me on the road to altered art, and I am always thankful!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

spring


spring comes to my soul


My, my, my, where have I been? Really, I'm asking. It feels like I have been under a cloud since my last post. Graduate class and work have kept me busy, but in truth there has been a critical cloud. Since March, I have been job hunting again, as I am doing a great job where I am, but am just the odd man out at this time. It has felt so unfair, so out of my control. I don't know where I am going to end up . . . I often feel unmoored. The upshot is I really haven't been creating art. I've often said difficult times in my life are like trying to put together a puzzle, but God is holding the box with the picture on it, and He's not sharing. Recently, I got really angry at that, even at God. My most recent graduate paper has been about the writings of Julian of Norwich, a late medieval anchoress who became known for her writings about God's love and the oft quoted "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." Today's readings at Mass were about God's love for us, which the sermon also recognized. During the sermon, I kept thinking of the opening line of one of Julian's manuscripts: "This is a revelation of love." It is indeed. As angry and frustrating as I get, God's love for me is sure. So I upload here ATC's that deal with the renewal of spring and JOY - because I know there will still be joy in my life. Here's to joy through art!