Category Archives: Earthly Fissures

More ways to study ones composition

IMG_4598.jpgHello,

The fall colors are still fascinating  me.  I just can’t seem to look enough.  And every day the view changes.

I have a few  other ways of looking at a work to see if the balance is good and the composition on is as strong as it can be.    One is to squint.  I do this a lot with out even thinking about it.  But is is good to pay attention.  The second is to use a reducing glass or if you do not have one – to use binoculars in a backward fashion.  By making the work smaller the eye can see all of the composition at once.    You can also take a digital photo to reduce the size for viewing too.      I  do anything that helps the brain to make a good composition.  Because who wants to waste their time working on something that is not the best one can do?

 

IMG_4613.jpgProgress Report:   Earthly Fissures    I am pleased with this work.  I took it along with four other works to my photographer,  John Dowling yesterday.  Having the proper lighting and such really does make a difference.    I feel that I achieved my goal of IMG_4617_thumb.jpg creating a dark crack without using black. To do so I used  the  dark green to create the darkest area. This rock had lots of cracks in it.  I used a lot of yarn and thread to convey this feeling.IMG_4615

 

15    This work is my entry for theIMG_4609.jpg  Diva’s 15 anniversary show.  The rule we all have to follow is : fifteen  must be some were in the work and the quilt must be 15” X 15” .  I made a block using the roman numeral for fifteen- XV and then built the quilt.  The only block were you can read it is in the lower right hand corner. IMG_4611  My personal challenge was to assemble it all by hand and quilt it that way too.  I have not done either of those things  in a long  time.  I also wanted to get a little practice in doing hand quilting before I started quilting  Ethel’s quilt.  Now I am ready- if I can only decide now what pattern I want the quilting to follow.

 

 

IMG_4605.jpgScarp Happy  I finished another one of these fun quilts.  I did make it to the Ronald McDonald House this week were I left off the previous one.  I looked at the shoe box that holds the extra blocks and it is still too full so I will make another soon using old blocks.

Taffy Pull  This close upIMG_4604_thumb.jpg shows the machine work I am almost finished with on this project.    Again I let the fabric tell me what to stitch.

 

 

 

IMG_4607.jpgButterflies for Ethel     This will be the third in the Butterfly Series.   The title of this work comes from the fact that I have used only Ethel’s fabric for the background  of this project.    She had a good eye for color and pattern.    I am now ready to cut the Butterflies themselves out of the ground cloth.    After I add paint I will apply them to this surface.

 

 

Swoop    IMG_4603.jpgI lost my last curvier cut piece when I was at Pat Pauly’s work shop.   After trying to find it I have finally accepted  the fact that it is gone.  So I thought I better get going on a new piece.  And I think I was doing a bit of avoidance too as I did not feel confident about starting the quilting on Ethel quilt.

IMG_4619New Rock      This is another avoidance start.   Judy is pushing me to stretch /frame my rock pieces.    So I decided to find a little section in the photo I used for  Earthly Fissures( it is framed in white near the top).     I cut a piece of wool big enough to stretch around a 18” X  24” canvas that I have and I will begin to try to create the area in blue.

 

New Work    IMG_4606.jpgThis work is really not very new.  I started it at QBL last summer.But it had become buried. When I unearthed it this week I decided to move forward on the completion.  It is small and I think it will go quickly.

 

 IMG_4608Label Block #24    And a another one  down when it come to this project.

Keep Creating

Carol

Reflection

 

Wall Nuts Hello,

I am still enjoying the  sights of fall.   These wall nuts still in their husks are reflective of the colors we are experiencing at the moment.    Reflection is another way to check out the composition of ones work.  I have  a long mirror that I sometimes pick up and look into to see if the work is balanced.  The image is in reverse and that helps me see if thing are off in one way or another.   It makes the emphasis different and that helps.IMG_4580.jpg

I have been busy supporting my fellow artists this week.  My great friend Barbara had an opening on Sunday at the Library.  It was/is a wonderful show of the work representing her whole creative career.    I really enjoyed it. IMG_4589.jpg Then when the FAB group meant, Sally showed off one of her pastels.  It is based on a photo she took on Nancy and myself getting into a canoe.That brought back fond memories for all of us.   I like the work as  well.

 

 

 

Progress Report:   Taffy Pull   The top is all together now and I am

IMG_4592.jpgready to start the quilting.   I sure hope the pressing helps level it out.  I am still struggling with the cutting of curves.  It is a technique that takes lots of repeat action to master.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_4593.jpgEarthly Fissures      I am still building up the surface of this work.  It is nearly completed.  I really enjoy stitching down the yarns and adding  lines of stitching to the surface.

 

 

 

Label Block   # 23 IMG_4596   One more completed.   The box full of labels does not seem to be at all diminished however.

Keep Creating

CarolIMG_4583.jpg

Looking

 

Hello,

I was struck this morning by how much I depend on the low light of morning to help me see my work.  When the light is soft before I turn on the studio lights, I can really see the  grays of  light med and dark in my working pieces without the distractions of color.    Now I  am not saying I always pay attention to this- but I do know that when I take note-   look at the balance , note the movement of the eye  – the work is stronger.

IMG_4566Progress Report: Earthly Fissures   This photo is of a rock formation in the Adorancks that I took a few weeks ago when I was up to visit Cris at the Pink House Gallery.   I have selected a small section of theEathly Fissures photo to be my jumping off point for this new work.  I am building up the layers for the look  I want now.  This process always takes longer then I expect. But I love the final process so much it is well work the time.

Scrtap HappyScrap Happy  I have now finished this work.  I just keep playing at this process.  This one is very cheerful even though there is gray and black in the quilt.

15  I am doing the hand quilting IMG_4569on this little project in preparation of work on Ethel’s quilt.

New Work   I started a new pieceIMG_4564 this week based on a collage I did over the week end.  I did six collages and then picked out this one to be my challenge/ starting place.   I am really exploring with this new process.  That is both fun and scary at the same time.

IMG_4563.jpgThe quilt top does seem to take on a mind of its own and the enlarging of a small” sketch/collage( 3”X 5”) and going to a different color combo changes things.  I am enjoying the challenge however and feel I am growing with the process.

Label Block 22    The beat goes on for this project. IMG_4567   Enjoy the fall colors.

Carol