First ---- a trip to the art supply store for more colors of tissue paper
This is the newest bloomer in my garden --- miniature hollyhocks. I started these from seed after seeing them in my father-in-law's garden last year. I love the colors, and they only get about 15-18" tall. These are in a garden beside our back patio.
And these are a project that I finished today........drink coasters. I started making them for my sister, who let it be known (and not too subtly either) that she wanted some quilted coasters. However, I think they may be a bit too "artsy" for her, so they may end up in my basket of coasters while I make her a different set. Except for the striped fabric, the fabrics are dyed and painted, and I used a multicolored yarn around the edges of the coasters.
Yesterday morning was spent in the studio, working with tissue paper again. I am enjoying the color shifts that occur when the layers of tissue paper are overlapped and glazed. I also like the dark graphic lines in these. I plan to experiment more with this technique on the tissue paper, but today I am planning to try it with dyed scrim. These pieces are each 4"x6".
"Roots, Branches & Twigs: Midwest Invitational Fiber Exhibition"
I purchased this coffee mug at Red Star Studios (Kansas City) during the Surface Design Association conference. I went to the gallery to see Lorraine Glessner's work, but once there, I discovered all of the potter studios at the back of the gallery. I love the graphic lines in this piece!
And how about the colors in this set of India inks?!?! It is always dangerous to send me into an art supply store or department with a coupon in hand. I originally intended to buy alcohol inks, but when I couldn't find those, these jumped into my cart, along with some watercolor paper to try them out on.
I spent yesterday in the studio flitting from project to project. This is my normal way to work, which is why artist residencies are so hard for me to fathom. How could I possibly take everything along that I think I might want to work on?!?
Last year we added an arbor at the top of the steps in our stone wall. I planted a clematis on either side of the arbor, hoping they would eventually cover the arbor with green and purple. Well, it didn't happen last year, but this year the arbor is completely immersed in clematis, and now that they have started blooming, it is gorgeous!
This is a photo of the Martha's Vineyard shrub rose that I added to our rock garden last year. I was thrilled that it made it successfully through our cold winter and is now covered with buds that are just starting to bloom. These blooms are miniature size, but there are dozens of them on this one little bush.
This is one of the first cosmos blooms. Eventually I will have a whole garden of these blooms, perfect for natural dyeing. Also, my Rising Sun coreopsis is covered in blooms, and the Moonbeam coreopsis plants won't be far behind. I did manage to successfully split my Moonbeam coreopsis plant from last year, so that was a worthwhile experiment.
Photos by Marge Bresel
For most of yesterday, this little fledgling sat on our deck. I enjoyed watching it get fed and listening to it chirp every few seconds. There were also several more baby robins in various areas of our backyard, which meant I could not go in the backyard and work in the gardens. Any time there are baby robins in the yard and we attempt to also occupy the yard, we have gotten a nasty reception from the adult robins. On these days it is better to stay inside and work in the studio for the day.
I am home from the Surface Design Association conference at the Kansas City Art Institute. It was another great conference, and I came home revitalized and anxious to try out some new techniques. The photo above is of a wrought iron fence shadow across a sidewalk grate that I saw as I was walking on campus one day. I think it has some design possibilities.
This is a photo of Jiyoung Chung showing us the ancient art of Joomchi papermaking. I also attended demonstrations and lectures on breakdown screenprinting, using interfacing stencils in screenprinting, shibori dyeing, using unconventional materials in fiber artwork, encaustic fusion, and embellishing handmade paper --- plus all the gallery exhibitions, the vendor mall, the campus museums, and the trunk show. It was sensory overload, and needless to say I plan to attend the next conference in 2009!
