Abstract

The second half of this weeks assignment is to take something that has meaning for you and make it into a quick composition. Color plays such an important role in my life so I decided to do something really abstract using my hand dyes. I added some colored organza overlays.

Self Portrait?

Part 1 of this weeks lesson with Pamela is to create a self portrait. Not sure how accurate this is but I sure am having fun with it. I can imagine all sorts of ways to embellish it. It is going to take me weeks to do all the hand work and quilting for all these projects but I am loving every minute of them. I cheated and did the stitching on the machine. Now I have to quilt it.

The flowers that bloom in the spring tra la

Its finally spring here in Scottsdale, Arizona and the wild flowers are putting on a show. My ficus and apricot trees are starting to leaf out and my dwarf orange is starting to bud. The roses will be another week as I did a hatchet job on them several weeks ago. Some photos to make you smile.


I am going to sit outside and do some hand work on the pieces I have created in Pamela Allen's class.

2nd lesson with Pamela Allen

I sort of got caught up if you don't count that I have not stitched anything! Lesson #2 had us use 2 colors.....either analogous or complimentary to create something. I chose to do a landscape this time. I still have to stitch this one down but at least I will be able to start lesson #3 tomorrow and go back and do stitching during the week. This class has been so much fun. Pamela is a great teacher. This is the first online class I have taken and I like the format. While I also enjoy live classes I find I tend to get distracted because I am curious about how others are doing things. Just call me nosey! It is the Gemini in me. I am also very visual and in this format I can go back and see things as necessary. I need to go back and iron my fabrics!!

Still Life revisited

Back from Detroit. Weather was not as bad as I feared. Cold and dry. I think there was one day of sun. We stayed in the Renaissance center and thankfully, I did not have to venture out too often. I am way behind in Pamela's class but I did manage to get the 1st black and white still life semi completed.... the stitching will have to wait. I think this has some character.I haven't done hand embroidery in years, so it will be interesting to see what I can do to jazz this up a bit.
I am looking forward to starting lesson #2 which is an exercise using 2 colors. Of course I have now spent an hour trying to figure out which 2 colors I am going to use! Stay tuned.

Seeing the world in black and white

I signed up for Pamela Allen's online class, "Think Like an Artist" and our first assignment is to do a still life using only black and white fabrics. I am actually enjoying working in B&W! That is a real surprise to me since I love bright, in your face, color. I think there is inherent drama in black and white studies and while I do not think I am giving up color any time soon, I think I will be trying my hand at some more pieces when this is all over. I am going to miss most of the 1st week of this assignment as I am going to be freezing my butt off in Detroit for the next week. I have posted what I have come up with so far but it is before any critiques. It is not likely I will get to work on it before I leave in the morning. It seems a bit flat to me but maybe with some embellishments it will perk up.

My other obsession in life is duplicate bridge and I will be playing in a bridge tournament all week. If I venture out of the hotel in the freezing cold I will see if there is anything interesting to photograph. No offense to the local residents, but Detroit is not a mecca for me in the middle of winter.

Progress

I am making progress on my commissioned quilt. Next step is sewing everything down and then will come the dreaded quilting! In the meantime, my Coffee filter challenge piece is going to be part of an exhibition in a gallery in the Long Beach, CA area. Wooo hooo, that is a first for me. Wonder if anyone will like it enough to buy it so I do not have to pay the shipping home, heheh.

I have signed up to take Pamela Allen's online class and I am having fun with my Black and white piece. I have not uploaded it yet to the class so I will not give it away here yet.