Silly Creatures 1.0

Carla Sonheim's Silliness class is wonderful so far. She posted this informative tutorial on how she makes her whimsical creatures and I've been hooked on making my own. It's a fun process. I can't stop making them! Here are my "1.0" sillies.

Creating a Stitched Pagelet Painting--a Tutorial

I'm having so much fun painting on vintage book pages that I'm conspiring to nudge others to try it. So I've created a tutorial page with all the details on making a stitched pagelet (little page paintings). I adore old books;  as a librarian, as an english major, as an artist. I collect them and sort through them for the pages I love best, then bring them out into the light of day by using them in collage or as a layer behind a painting. The text on the page speaks through the art you create, murmering softly about its subject. I've collected cooking and baking books, but also appreciate vintage children's readers and old math and science books. Whatever your interest, find an old, unloved rummage sale book on your pet topic and let the author speak through your art. Think of it as a duet created from voices separated by years and geography. Since I am drawing challenged until I take one of Jane LaFazio's sketching classes, I'll show you my easy method for getting an image on the page and how I add color and stitch. If you're ready to make music of your own, follow along. You can adapt the supplies to what you have on hand. The only necessaries are an old book, some sort of paint and a sewing machine...the rest is up to you. Enjoy!

Pears stitched image

The process I'll be showing in the dvd and CPS will take us from a photo to a painting to a fabric piece ready for a quilt or a handbag or a pillow or whatever you dream up. Just so!

Stitched Image Sampler

I'll be doing a stitched image dvd/downloadable workshop for Interweave and a corresponding article for CPS (Cloth Paper Scissors for the uninitiated). Here are some images that I've put into a fabric stitched sampler book. We'll be working from a photo, creating a simple watercolor painting, then scanning and printing out on fabric. After that we'll add color with paints, foil and stitching. I promise that anyone can do it!

Playing With Color

Playing with Color.

Creative License Fugitives

Where to begin? Firstly, I am reading Danny Gregory's Creative License. This crazy man believes he can teach me to draw! Here you can see that I am still stuck in flat imageland, where I cannot draw a dimensional object. I am going to start doing exercises from his book to see if I can train my eye to SEE stuff! I love his book, it's sooooo inspirational. His blog is awesome too. Secondly, I ordered some new moleskine sketchbooks --they now have them with watercolor paper in them--heaven! Finally, I just discovered these colorful delights called Dr. Ph. Martin's Radiant Concentrated Watercolors and ordered too many colors. The thing is that they were made just for me because they could not be more saturated. The information says that the colors are "fugitive" when exposed to sunlight, so they are reserved for my journals. I don't want to have to hire a bounty hunter to track them down later! I am in love with them...more photos of that delicious stuff later.

Guess Who's Back?

I have made a TON of art the last few months, but none of it can I share. Look for something resembling a BOOK next fall. Whew! For now, just so's ya know I'm still alive and kicking, here's a smidge from some spiral notebooks I'm filling. Here I took a color and black and white copy of the same photo and glued them to a page, then began doodling around them.

Sweet Tooth

Gee, I wonder if I have a sweet tooth! As my sister always says "you're sweet and I'm savory." I have never drawn a bag of potato chips, but it could happen.

Been Sketching Again

For the first time ever I tried Arches 100% cotton watercolor paper. OMG. Why did no one ever explain to me how wonderful this stuff is? I used one of those handy 40% off Michaels coupons so it felt more affordable. But wow--this is marvy. I don't think I can go back. I paired that with some new M. Graham watercolors and I was in heaven creating some thread sketched atc's. I have found that I may need to order some additional colors because my yellow is too opaque and combined with the blue I don't have the range of greens I need. There is so much to know!

watercolors in West Virginia

This is how I kept myself occupied on the trip to West Virginia and back. Eleven hours each way and I managed to sketch for a large part of that, becoming totally useless in my role as navigator. That explains the great unexpected tour we took of Columbus. Twice.

watercolor-pear

watercolor-violets

watercolor-poppy

watercolor-bees

watercolor-birds