through the studio door

Marlborough Forest and Long Island Locks

2010-06-22T10:30:00.001-07:00

Entering the second lock, 2
Originally uploaded by Janice Saunders

My husband nudged me at six Saturday morning, "Wake up! Lets take our cameras and take the dogs for a walk." Ok.

After a little detour to Tim's we headed out Roger Steven's drive to the Marlborough Forest . At the first trail parking lot the flies swarmed the car. We didn't get out. So, we tried the trail lot on the other side of the road hoping for a less unpleasant reception. It was a little better and the dogs were really eager to get out and explore. They ran and we trudged along with a cloud of flies buzzing around our heads. I told my husband that this is the way all horror movies start ...heading out along a trail with no idea where it goes whilst being harassed by dark cloud of bugs. It didn't help either that I had only finished half my cup of coffee!

I decided to spend the time playing with the telephoto lens in hopes of capturing some wildlife, mostly birds. I took a number of photos of the male and female warbler but the female or immature bird shots were the best. Hard to catch these little guys sitting still and not obscured by leaves etc. Even though the ponds were the source of all the bugs, they provided some wonderful opportunities to photo the reflections of the foliage on the water.

Later after dropping the dogs back home we headed over to the Long Island Locks. There is always something to photograph there when the locks are in action at this time of year. There were also more birds... chickadees, woodpeckers, osprey, heron, cedar waxwings, and the usual robins and crows. Again, timing and a steady hand are crucial to capture a good photo of small birds that are usually high up in the trees or sky. It is definitely a challenge particularly without the benefit of a tripod.

I used my new camera bag from Lowepro, the Inverse 100 AW, on this outing. It is supposed to be worn in the back but I wore it in front as this is the way I will need to wear it on our backpacking trip, my pack will be on my back already. Having it in front actually gave me super easy access to change lenses and a handy spot to support my camera when I wasn't using it. It is quite heavy with the 70-300mm telephoto lens attached and resting it on the bag reduced some neck strain.

We returned home safe and sound around noon, a happy ending to a somewhat Hitchcock inspired beginning to our morning.

Chris' graduation 2010

2010-06-18T09:45:00.001-07:00

Receiving his diploma
Originally uploaded by Janice Saunders

My oldest son graduated from Algonquin College's Paramedic Program yesterday. It's hard to articulate the enormous pride I felt watching 'my little boy'... he's six feet tall... graduate in his chosen profession and enter the world of work. My funny, charming son will now be out there helping to save lives. Well done Chris!

We got a good seat in the second row at floor level but we were still a long way from the stage so I used my AF-S NIKKOR 70-300mm 1:4.5-5.6G lens. It’s a bit of a beast… heavy and difficult to hold still at anything over 200mm but it was the only way to get some nice close-ups of my son walking in and receiving his diploma. I used the arm rest of my seat to help stabilize me whenever possible. It was still on the camera when I captured him coming back into the arena.. he walked quite close by me… but the lights and happiness apparent in the face of this ‘new graduate’ make this an effective picture even with the obvious grainy texture. Later I switched to an AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G for the shots outside with family. They are just quick candid photos…we were ready to go out for dinner to celebrate!

MIxed media textile art

2010-06-16T12:11:00.001-07:00

Little Fish
Originally uploaded by Janice Saunders

Wow! What a mouthful! It is very hard to define textile art as it includes many different styles and materials. These little folk art pieces developed from a little experimentaion with my felting machine. They are mostly 4x4" to 6x6" in size. I added wool felt images and then beads and buttons and finally thread details to build them up in a 3 dimensional way. They need a shadow box style frame.
The other mixed media textile pieces are larger and were an experimentation with dye discharge...using bleach to remove some of the colour from the fabrics. You have some limited control as to how much colour is removed by using an agent to stop the bleaching action. Later I added extra details with Shiva paintsticks and beads. The shapes seemed to suggest a city with gathering storm clouds and then the sun breaking through later.

West Carleton Arts Society min-conference

2010-06-14T17:02:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I participated in a day long conference devoted to the topic of art. I would like to congratulate the organisers of the WCAS for a super job! The conference was both full of lots of useful information and very entertaining. Did I mention? It also included lunch.

The 2010 Mini-Conference Agenda entitled the Cocktail of Art included:

John Toft, a local basket-maker, who related his experiences in world of e-commerce via his Etsy shop under the title of JohnToftBasketry.
A very informative presentation by local Golden representative Andrea Warren about Golden Artist Acrylic Colours. A highlight was two recently launched, exciting new product lines: the new, slow-drying, OPEN acrylics, and the new Digital grounds, which allow you to print on surfaces such as tin foil, cloth and paint skins with your home ink jet printer.
Chéryl Poulin & Frank Farrell spoke on the topic - sources of passive income from your website. Cheryl is a very popular local decorative artist.
Cristian Aluas, an accomplished Ottawa artist, spoke about the Business of Art, sharing his experiences as a professional artist and getting everyone to enjoy a few good chuckles along the way.
Louise Lalande, the first Canadian Accredited ‘The Artist’s Way’ facilitator inspired us all to continue to seek authenticity in our lives and work.

It was a good opportunity for artists and artisans from all over the Ottawa area to get together and share common interests and concerns. The internet can be a big scary world to jump into but it has really become a necessity to show your art to the world. I’ve considered the possibility of setting up an Etsy shop so John’s tips about Paypal, tagging, forums and estimating shipping costs for Canada and the US were very helpful. I’m not an acrylic painter but the new Digital grounds by Golden sound intriguing! Cheryl and Frank provided greats tips for designing an effective website and then earning passive income from opportunities like -google ads, info-links, affiliate programs, click-bank and more. And Christian and Louise reminded us about both the nitty gritty side of being an artist and the spiritual side as well.

Earlier this spring, I participated in an AOE Spring Workshop at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans, Ottawa. The topic was The Online Artist and it included a discussion of various online options such as blogs, Facebook, Flickr and websites. We set up Flickr accounts and learned the importance of linking all these online components together so people can find us on the web! The workshops were taught by Jesse Hildebrand, an Ottawa photographer and web developer. I’m still in the process of tweaking my online presence and getting everything to link together. Hopefully at some point I will get it all to hum along nicely like a well oiled machine.. that is…until technology moves in a new direction!

Flowertime

2010-06-13T06:43:00.001-07:00

Goldmound Spirea
Originally uploaded by Janice Saunders

It's almost summer and things are blooming. These aren't exotic specimens, just garden variety... my garden variety... beauties. Ottawa is a tough environment for many plants and these guys just come back faithfully every year.
The Spirea has beautiful golden foliage and dainty purple flowers. You would think that Mother Nature knew something about colour theory...yellow and purple are complementary colours.
The Mock Orange is an old fashioned shrub that is quite unremarkable most of the year except in June when it is a mass of single layer white blossoms.

Hostas are a garden favourite for many because they are super low maintenance and they provide great visual contrast between their large leaves and other plants with smaller leaves. I think Lady’s Mantle is a great addition to any garden. Again, it is an old-fashioned plant, but it provides visual contrast and blooms later in the summer. I had a little fun with the original Lady’s Mantle photo and used the Kaleidoscope Distortion Filter available in Microsoft Digital Image Suite10. It works best with large simple shapes. Now, I use Photoshop Elements and have been unaware that Microsoft has discontinued the Digital Image Suite product. Elements doesn’t have a Kaleidoscope filter but some people have suggested this site for a plug-in… http://www.mehdiplugins.com/. Maybe I will try it too.

For those tech geeks out there, my husband is one of them, there is a new application for the iPad aimed at artists and photographers, as a way to sell/promote their work through the iTunes store..a wallpaper app. It can be pricey and there are probably other options too but the link is worth checking out. The company is called Shanli Mobile Software.

I am looking forward to the fantastic blooms on my Trumpet vine, the buds are already forming. This voracious vine is threatening to take over the back of my house but it rewards us with non-stop blooms all summer long. And, it attracts Hummingbirds.

Museum of Civilization, Gatineau

2010-05-26T09:24:00.001-07:00

Sculpture 6
Originally uploaded by Janice Saunders

My usual approach to the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau is through the front doors, then inside to enjoy whatever particular exhibition or Imax movie that has attracted me there in the first place. But this time my approach was from behind via a lovely stroll along the Ottawa river.

I had never seen this fascinating sculpture garden before. It had been transplanted here... ha ha ha...from Montreal.

‘ The exhibition is by Montreal artist, Louis Archambault, 1915-2003. Archambault created “People”, a grouping of abstract figures, for the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 67, Montreal’s World’s Fair. He designed the sculptures on a scale that invites visitors to move among and interact with them. All the figures have simple elongated shapes that form whimsical combinations of human, bird, flower and animal imagery. The theme was perfectly suited to the forward looking optimism of Expo 67.’

You can watch a very dated but still interesting video of the Canadian Pavilion below… the sculpture garden appears at about 14 minutes into the video. The clothes, the music, the technology, the social attitudes expressed, all describe a Canada full of the spirit of youth. Half of Canada’s population was under 25 then, quite a different story today only 43 years later with an aging population instead.

My parents went to Expo 67 when I was 4 and my brother 5, we stayed behind with a sitter. No doubt they viewed and walked through these fanciful creations made of white painted metal. Now they have a permanent home here as an important part of Canada’s history.

Hiking up the Wolf Trail in Gatineau Park

2010-05-23T07:44:00.001-07:00

Ben's Wolf Trail photo 3
Originally uploaded by Janice Saunders

Yesterday we hiked the Wolf Trail in Gatineau Park as part of our training for our big trip this summer. This time it threatened rain and I decided not to take my DSLR along as I haven't yet worked out how I can keep it safe and accessible, but my youngest son brought along his camera... a small Casio Exilim with 12 mega pixels. It is small and light and doesn't take half bad pictures. He didn't turn off the date/time feature so this information is visible on the photos at the bottom. I edited them a little in Photoshop Elements but the details and overall brightness of his photos were far superior to the ones my husband took using his Nokia N95 camera phone. You can see his photos and more details about the hike on his blog at http://saunderslog.com/2010/05/23/hiking-the-wolf-trail/
Next hike we are planning to all take along our cameras and do a more controlled comparison between them. I really want to take my DSLR on our big trip but this will be a useful exercise anyways.

This trail has a number of wonderful lookout points over the valley below, more than the very popular Luskville Falls Trail. We ate our lunch at the Tawinda Lookout which is an expansive rocky outcrop above the trees, but there were at least three other flat rock spaces suitable for relaxing and eating. I need to remember to return here in the fall when the trees change colour because the views are beautiful.

Pumpkin patch

2010-05-21T07:14:00.001-07:00

Orange squash
Originally uploaded by Janice Saunders

These photos are neither current nor very topical at this time of year, but just part of the slow process of uploading my photos to my Flickr account. They were taken a few years ago at a pumpkin farm and corn maze north of Waterloo in southern Ontario. As my kids will attest to, I am a big fan of corn mazes particularly as a fun family outing over Thanksgiving. These photos were taken at the Nauman's Amazing Corn Maze. If I remember correctly this is a lovely Mennonite farm. We all emerged safely from the maze.

More machines

2010-05-20T09:26:00.001-07:00

Circle 2
Originally uploaded by Janice Saunders

Why am I taking pictures of machines? Well, I guess it's because they are so much a part of our urban landscape. They move in and change our landscape but they are also part of that landscape often for months. They represent change... and to some people progress, to others a sad loss of the way things use to be. They are big and powerful, dwarfing all human sized objects around them. They fascinate us, drawing young and old alike to watch them work, staring in amazement as they effortlessly scoop up big bucketsof earth and stone.
And they are beautiful pieces of machinery. I love the different shapes and textures, all the angles and curves,and the contrast between small intricate parts and enormous wheels and buckets.

Hiking up the Luskville Firetower Trail with your DSLR

2010-05-18T09:29:00.001-07:00

Water play, originally uploaded by janicesaunders.com.

Ok, so I forgot to take a photo of the Luskville Firetower! But after a hot uphill climb of over 700 ft with a loaded backpack on, I was a little tired. Hey, it's only a tower. This was not really a photo outing anyways, but a much needed training hike in anticipation of our big family hiking trip on the Juan de Fuca Trail on Vancouver Island this summer. The photos were just a distraction from my burning calves and thighs!
So, all seven of us hiked up to the tower with our packs on, our new hiking boots and three dehydrated meals to sample, in order to avoid any nasty culinary surprises in the wilderness this summer.
It was a hot buggy day but that didn't deter all the other happy hikers, the smallest ones wisely cooling off by dipping their feet and playing in the waterfalls.
A number of problems around backpacking or just day hiking with a DSLR surfaced - weight, these guys plus an extra telephoto lens, maybe a tripod are heavy; protection for your gear from falls or weather; and ease of access to your gear. I had my camera gear in a Lowepro slingshot bag inside my pack. Every time I wanted to take shot I had to take off my pack, open it and then get out the camera bag and then take my shots. This was not only time consuming and slowed down the group but it also discouraged me from taking other shots because I just didn't feel like taking everything apart once again. I need to work out a better system for carrying my gear that allows quicker access.
Weight? Well I guess this really depends on how much I am willing to carry. Food? Clothes? Camera?
Protection from the elements and damage? Definitely a camera bag of some sort and maybe some plastic bags as well.
The final consideration is time of day. By the time we got up to the top it was after noon and the sun was high in the sky, lots of heavy shadows. Earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon would have resulted in softer light.
I had fun playing around with these photos but better planning would have resulted in better images.

Flickr

2010-05-18T08:46:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

A spring perspective

2010-04-26T13:50:00.001-07:00

The snow is gone and I am looking forward to getting out with my camera. There must be something worth a photo amidst the leftover winter debris and springtime mud. Maybe a tree just budding out or some bulbs bursting from the ground.

My youngest son and I spent an enjoyable few hours at the Arboretum in Ottawa with our cameras one day in March. Cold, and with wet shoes, we explored the hill that had only recently been covered in snow. Large white bales pushed against trees to prevent toboggans from hurtling into them still remained. It could be a photo - carefully composed by an artist. What are these large white objects and why are they there? Are they packages dropped from the heavens?

The canal inlets were mostly drained of water and looked like some strange new country - people were down there exploring. The trees were large and naked, vulnerable without their protective green. We were looking at the bones of the park before it began to flesh out with people, dogs, birds and green.

Maybe there is something to see with new eyes in the spring. Maybe there is another world to imagine... create...or find.

Looking back

2009-11-25T11:31:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been 6 months since I last posted any news about what I've been doing. My goal over the past year was to participate in sales events, so I've now been involved in 6 art/craft sales in the local area. This is a different experience than just exhibiting artwork. It involves grids, sunshelters, packaging, salesmanship, and long hours standing on your feet, just to name a few of the challenges to be met. But the payout is lots of great feedback from everyone who stops by your booth! Many thanks to all the wonderful people I spoke to over the past year, both visitors and fellow artists.

I have also set up my own website and continue to tinker with it to find the perfect fit for me.

Workwise, I am still making small folk art inspired textile pieces, mostly in themes for children. They are alot of fun to create and I think quite unique.

I have also added some local photographic images to my portfolio, urban and landscape images as well as flowers from my garden. It has been a very enjoyable experience exploring the area with my camera recording the beauty and charm of Ottawa.

Solo show at NFAL Gallery

2009-05-01T06:28:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I spent a few hours hanging my solo show at the NFAL Gallery in Ottawa. After a little rearrangement of pieces by a friend it all came together, finally after weeks of preparation. Phew! Now I can attack my weedy gardens.

I have also set up my own website using Homestead, an easy to set up system with templates and simple point and click instructions. I will see how I like it over the next few months. I am still learning how to use it so it is a bit messy. I need to spend some time cleaning it up and adding more pages for pastels and other work.

My web address is janicesaunders.homestead.com

The NFAL show is a collection of my recent textile and pastel work. It is unified by similar warm gold, orange tones and black accents.

These small fibre works are done in the folk art style using fabrics, felt and beads. Each one is inspired by a proverb or common saying. They are meant to be fun and whimsical.

Welcome to my crazy little house!

If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come. Chinese proverb

There are more examples on my website.

I have also included some larger quilted wall hangings that are crib size.

And some new mixed media framed textile pieces of the buildings and stormy sky images in a city. Very abstract.

Cityscape 1, clouds

The pastels include 3 figurative works and one landscape. I have used the Mi-tientes paper and board as well as a handmade paper I cannot remember the name of that has a very sandpapery tooth.

The NFAL Gallery is located in the Nepean Creative Arts Centre (Unit 11), 35 Stafford Rd. Bells Corners, around the corner from Bells Corners’ Wallacks store. This space, provided by the City of Ottawa and established in 2002, is dedicated to artist members of the Nepean Fine Arts League, allowing them to exhibit their work on a monthly rotational basis. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday: 8:30am to 9:30pm; Saturday 8:30am to 4:30pm; and Sunday 9:30am to 3:30pm. The telephone number is 613-596-5783.

Dye Discharge

2009-01-30T11:01:00.001-08:00

I am trying a new technique with this quilt - dye discharge. This is a process where you use bleach or something similar to take the dye out of the fabric to create new patterns and reveal new colours in the fabric. It involves a bit of chance as you don't really know what colours you will end up with. I didn't do any tests with this quilt, I just threw caution to the wind and went for it! I wanted to harmonize the colours and patterns so I used this method as a kind of 'reverse glazing process'. I could have 'over-dyed' the quilt to blend the fabrics as well.

The final result is a much softer colour scheme and a gently, aged look to the quilt. Following this I added another batting layer to the back and quilted random horizontal lines across the quilt to harmonize the design even more. I then added another complementary border and beads for interest and texture. I am pleased with the result and happy that I had the courage to both drastically and irreversibly takes steps to alter my quilt. Sometimes it is a happy ending, and then sometimes not!

The finished quilt is titled 'Blue Stratus" and is now hanging at a local museum for the next month. The size is 34"x43".

This is detail of some of the textures and colours in the quilt. Can you guess what the original fabrics looked like? What were the original colours?

Winter Pottery and Art Sale

2008-11-24T12:42:00.001-08:00

A big thanks to everyone who dropped by my booth a the Nepean Sportsplex Winter Art and Pottery Sale this past weekend! This was my first time running a booth and it was lots of fun!

If anything caught your eye or you missed the sale I am posting photos of my work here. I still don't have my web site up and running but it will happen- soon I hope.

These textile pieces are done in a traditional quilt format as I am trying to get way from framing my textile pieces. The glass tends to dull the colours of the fabric and these wall hangings have dramatic impact! The batik fabrics are an African pattern with gold that really glows under the lights. Very bold and dramatic! There are square gold beads sewn into the black border around the central pattern. Two loops are sewn at the top of the quilt for easy hanging on regular picture hooks. The hooks will be hidden behind the quilt when it hangs flat against the wall.

African Batik 3.1, 30x39in.

African Batik 3.2, 30x39in.

Gone Fishing, 11x16in., SOLD

African Batik 3.3, 30x39in.

African Batik 3.4, 30x39in.

Hello Mr. Fish, 14x16in., SOLD

Green/Gold Illusion, 34x34in., In this pattern the circles 'move' and the colours 'vibrate'.

Pink Asymmetry, 34x34in., This pattern plays with light and dark squares moving forwards and back.

Mexican Holiday, 34x34in., This is just a sunny reminder of warmer climates!

"Sea, sand", pastel, 16x20in. framed, This is from New Brunswick.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these pieces just contact me through this site or at my e-mail address: jr_saunders@msn.com

Quilting is Cool!

2008-09-24T16:28:00.001-07:00

Quilting is big! Whether it is for a practical purpose or a part of the explosion in art quilts, women and men all over the world are into quilting. They are throwing out the rules and letting their imaginations go wild. Pretty much anything goes in the world of quilting today from raw edge applique to paint to far too many options for embellishment to list. And, its a lot of fun!

Just in case you are not yet aware of how big quilting really is, watch this video-the number is huge!

Watch CBS Videos Online

Thread doodling and Steam fixing

2008-09-15T08:34:00.001-07:00

September is here it's time to get back in the studio. I had a wonderful summer with my husband and kids spending three weeks travelling in Europe. We saw ALOT, I think we put somewhere between 5000 and 6000 km on the rental van! Months of careful planning and now it's only a memory and of course lots of photos. I hope to use some of these for inspiration over the next year.

September allows for a fresh start and this has meant a clean up of my studio space to remove a lot of unnecessary junk that was just cluttering up the place. Creativity needs room to breathe! Now I have one table for pastel work and one table for textile work. No more fighting!

These are two pieces I am working on at the moment, one in pastel and the other in fabric.

I lay down the fabrics and then sewed them onto the backing in a random sort of "doodling" manner. I am going to continue my "doodling" and see where it leads.

This pastel piece is done on Wallis sanded paper. It started out as a garden scene, but I was unhappy with it so I decided to try washing the pastel off in the sink, toning the paper with an acrylic wash and starting over. Wallis paper will not only accept up to 25 layers of pastel, but you can wash it off and paint over it with a variety of wet media. This was a good time to try it as I had nothing to lose! The pastel does wash off but some staining of the paper remains which is why I decided to tone the paper with an acrylic wash.

Unhappy with my garden scene I decided to just let my imagination run free and this abstract image was the result. I think it has an altered landscape appearance. Of course, while I was in the experimental mood I decided to also try a new technique for fixing pastel paintings by steaming them. Steam fixing is method I found in The Pastel Journal, Issue No.53 December2007, used by an artist named Dennis Rhoades. He uses a steam iron with distilled water, holds the iron about 2 inches above the painting and moves it back and forth until the painting is very wet. Then he lets it dry. I still have a bit of flaking of the pastels but it is an interesting method and it does not seem to darken the colours the way fixatives do.

Apparently Degas used a variety of techniques- underpainting, various fixatives and steaming methods, he applied liqiufied and powdered pastels and applied pastels with a brush- to create his paintings. There are many more new tricks to try out this year!

And that's all for now. Happy painting!

What I'm Reading

Edith Wharton by Hermione Lee

I just finished this book after having purchased it in June as a holiday read. Dense, but very readable, it provides wonderful insight into the life of this famous American author of “Age of Innocence” and her many other novels about American society in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Growing up in Old New York society, followed by extensive travels through France, Italy, Germany, and Britain, fluent in French and then living for many years in France as an expatriate during and after WW1 provided her with a wealth of inspiration for her novels. A very prolific writer, she also wrote many short stories that were serialized in magazines. She was a great friend of Henry James and many other writers of the time as well as an avid gardener creating lavish landscape designs at her different homes in New England and France. She challenged conservative social norms by writing about social issues like divorce, adultery and sex. If you are at all interested in the ‘writer behind the book’, you will find this a fascinating read!

Finished!

2008-06-09T10:00:00.001-07:00

Wow! It has taken more time than I wanted to finish these three pieces. Life just kept getting in the way. They are part of a group show at a community sports complex so I decided to frame them behind glass to protect them from 'little fingers'. I prefer them without glass as the colours become muted and not as bright but caution prevailed.

Each piece incorporates fabric, wool, beads, Shiva oil sticks and pastel into the mix to create a range of different textures. Though inspired by photos the style is abstract. I have developed a new method to finish the edges that I think looks tidy but is not too obtrusive. Each piece measures 14"x18" and is framed with a matt border and final sizing of 20"x24".

'Silver Moon' has an analogous colour scheme of blues, pinks and reddish tones that are meant to suggest a nighttime scene of sand, water, landforms and sky.

'Summer Day' has a more complementary colour scheme of greens and pinks with a dash of blue and yellow in the sky. I wanted to convey the feeling of a bright sun shining over green fields.

'Leafy Canopy' depicts the heavy green canopy of leaves over a green carpet.

All three pieces have a flatter profile than 'Red Sky", a previous textile piece. This is in part because of my desire to avoid so much needle breakage by reducing the number of fabric layers. I have also used grey wool as a base fabric. This has created a softer feel to the work. Summer holidays are fast approaching so my time to work will pretty spotty, but I plan on continuing to experiment with various fabrics and techniques. The goal is to find an approach that integrates the different materials in a harmonious and practical way without an excess of needle breakage. I will also work with different images and styles.

Fresh start

2008-04-16T12:53:00.001-07:00

I am back at it and starting fresh. Though I am attempting to maintain a similar feel and style to the "Sea" piece, the subject matter has changed to trees and and palette to green and gold. I began by layering strips of fabrics in various green hues, slashing through them to create texture, felting them down and then adding wools and the wool roving or "dog fur" as I fondly refer to it! The natural coloured wool roving softens the greens and creates a woven appearance.

I am constantly breaking needles with this felting process even though this time I am taking care to felt only a thin layer of fabrics and wools. I might rethink the process again when I have finished these pieces to reduce the amount of felting required. The needles cost $14 for 6, a bit pricey to break on a regular basis.

This time I will work hard to not as they say "over work this piece!" Deciding when to stop is always a challenge when creating any kind of art. It is very easy to go too far and lose the freshness and charm.

Anyway, I am posting photos of two pieces along with the previous "Sea" piece for comparison. The first photo also includes a selection of fabric paints, Shiva oilsticks , threads and beads I am considering for addition later. At this point each piece measures 14" x18" without a border.

Dead ends, Detours and Play

2008-04-11T11:29:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you just get detoured off the main road, possibly to a dead end. These photos illustrate my detour into a folksy, cutesy direction with two of the pieces. I rescued the last piece before I completely lost my bearings! Perhaps I just needed to get that out of my system before moving forward. This really is the value of play, to be able to explore different possibilities and just see where your imagination takes you. Funny how an image will appear seemingly out of nowhere.

Anyone old enough to remember the stories by Thornton W. Burgess such as The Adventures of Jerry Muskrat or Reddy Fox will recognize Old Mother West Wind and Mr. Sun as characters from his children's stories. I have a special fondness for Folk Art and these pieces demonstrate this love.

Both pieces are heavily felted giving them lots of body but making it more difficult to add decorative stitching. I have discovered that it is best to limit the felting to the base layers only and then use the regular sewing machine to apply other wools and fabrics later. The felting process destroys the fabric and a new base layer must be added so the sewing threads have something to catch onto. At this point I am going to put them aside and return to a simpler more abstract vision. I have one of the original three pieces to work with and am planning on creating three more in a similar style.

Perhaps in retrospect I should have resisted my urge to play but I think I needed to give in to a bit of silliness and explore different avenues of expression. As my children will attest to, I am a little crazy about mazes, particularly corn mazes in the fall, and enjoy following a new route even if it leads to a dead end!

Progression

2008-04-09T07:59:00.001-07:00

Initial broad strokes of colour have been replaced by a more refined layering of fabrics and wools to show a gradation of sand and water. The wool roving I have used for the sand almost looks like dog fur when it has been felted with other materials. This creates interesting possibilities for future work. Woof! Woof!

The land in the background has been depicted in a simple abstract style as a contrast to the more textured foreground.

Having cannibalized one piece for materials to use with the others, I am only working on three pieces now. I suppose it is a bit like eating your young! Quite acceptable in the world of collage.

I have been working indiscriminately back and forth between the different pieces- sometimes one becomes a favourite but then loses out to new excitement about possibilities in an other. Again, a silly correlation to parenting, but somehow working in a series like this enables me to switch my focus between the different pieces and still create a cohesive grouping. When I am stuck on one piece it helps to direct my energies elsewhere for awhile.

The photos have become a starting point for some compositional elements such as broad areas of light vs dark and colour choices but I am not bound to striving for any particular degree of realism. They are merely to inspire! What more can I ask of nature.

Realistic, Abstract, Non-Objective

2008-02-11T15:38:00.001-08:00

Between domestic duties, I have spent some time deciding on the materials I will use to create the 'ocean' images. This is a fun, relaxing part of the design process where I shift fabrics, yarns and beads around until I am satisfied with the result. Because I am doing a set of four 'ocean' pieces, I am working on them all at the same time to keep some continuity of colours and design. My large art table is littered with pastels so I have moved to the dining table. Collage of any sort is a messy, ever expanding process that once started takes over all available surfaces until completion. I am prepared and don't intend to serve any dinners in the dining room until my muse abandons me.

Fabric collage can be realistic in style but is most often abstract or non-objective. An interesting article in " Arts and Activities, Jan.08 issue" states that all art falls into three categories: realistic, abstract and non-objective.

To quote:

"realistic is defined as the depiction of an object as it appears to the eye. Abstract is defined as the distorting of an object's natural appearance without losing all it's recognizable features. And non-objective is defined as the depiction of no recognizable or identifiable objects; however, the final product may be derived from a real object."

The article goes on to list examples of realistic art- da Vinci, Michelangelo; abstract art- Picasso, Braque; and non-objective art- Kandinsky, Pollack and Mondrian. It is worthwhile to refer back to these terms and the various artists associated with them, many more than I have listed, because it helps further define my objectives for my work. Am I aiming towards an attempt at realism or just a broad sense of the shapes and colours of the scene. Or, is the image just a jumping off point to explore colour, pattern and line. I will develop my direction as I continue working on the 'ocean' set.

I am posting the original photo images along with images of the fabric design process as it is unfolding. No pun intended!

Blank white paper

2008-02-07T11:22:00.001-08:00

I am starting on a new series with the fabric collage. So far I have researched ideas for subject matter and settled on two different themes: oceans and trees. I am planning on doing four pieces for each theme so I suppose it could be labelled two series though both sets deal with nature themes. Each set will have it's own colour palette and compositional style.

'Oceans' will have a linear composition much like the previous fabric collages. This will help illustrate a scene of calm, sparkling water and a sandy beach at low tide. I will concentrate on establishing values to depict a sense of space and create rhythm. The colour palette will include shades of turquoise, cool blues and beige-pink sand shades.

'Trees' will focus on proportional placement of shapes, large/medium/small, to define the composition. I am looking to create a lush, deep green/gold scene. The colour palette will include mossy greens,warm orange, gold, and a bit of cool blue sky.

Rather than just dive in I have taken a more measured approach to getting started by first defining the compositions, then creating a set of value studies for each and finally doing quick colour studies in pastel for each image. This helps me to define my ideas and visualize where I want to go with them. And strangely, it also helps me to get engaged and really excited about my next project! It gets me past the "blank white paper" stage. Now I can focus and start making my ideas come to life.

I have included pictures of both 'oceans' and 'trees' done as value studies and colour studies. You might call them "my stretching exercises" before the marathon. I guess we all need a way to jumpstart our engines now and then.

Hallelujah

2008-02-05T15:55:00.001-08:00

I love new... new foods, new versions of a song, new artwork, new ways of thinking, hearing, and seeing. My favourite floor at the Seattle Art Museum was the floor exhibiting Modern Art. It was always exciting to see what new approaches an artist had taken to express an idea.

'New' reminds me of two things. One, that nothing is set in stone, and that we all have our own way of interpreting and expressing what is around us. And two, that a good subject is always a good subject however different the new 'spin' on it.

"Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen has been covered by many, many different artists but this is neat one, four guys, one of whom, Norwegian Kurt Nilsen, is a World Idol winner. It's neat because of the casual, intimacy of the setting and because it it comes from four guys in a country that I don't think much about when it comes to music and art. It is easy to live in a creative cocoon unaware of the heroes writing, singing and creating in the rest of the world. It's also neat because it illustrates how a good song has a life and energy of it's own outside of the original creator. Like the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps going and going.

Good art is the same. A landscape, a still life, a portrait, an abstract painting... all subjects painted by artists throughout the world. Hallelujah for the ability of modern technology to transport me across the globe to see a familiar song with a fresh approach. It doesn't really matter how we travel as long as we do.

Check out the video.

"Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen

Vernissage

2008-02-04T07:48:00.001-08:00

I don't score many points with my worldly husband over linguistic issues, after all his father is a retired English drama teacher, so it is particularly sweet when he, my husband, is ignorant of a term used in the art world....vernissage.

What! You are unaware of the meaning behind this significant event in the lives of artists? Well, I say, wikipedia it! In common English it means 'opening' as in the opening of an art show, but the historical definition is far more romantic. Vernissage translates as 'varnishing' in French, referring to the final varnish put on an oil painting before exhibition.

So, what does it all mean? A vernissage is a time to mingle and chat with fellow artists and other attendees. I suppose it is the modern day version of the French 'salons' when the artists emerged from their studios and stood beside their work and acknowledged that " I did that ".

It is the final critique. Will anyone like it? Will the viewer be moved by my work? Did I make a connection? The question then begs, am I creating for economic purposes, or for my need to express myself?

Choices

2008-01-31T08:29:00.001-08:00

No photos today, just a few musings on the constant choices artists make in the journey to express themselves. When I occasionally pick up a copy of The Pastel Journal, I am always appreciative of the wonderful articles inside. In Issue No. 53, December 2007, there is an article featuring Serguei Ossik, a Russian landscape painter. At one point he speaks about the idea of using artistic license and emotional intuition when making colour choices.

To quote:

Ossuik's realization that it was impossible for him to transfer emotion, colour and the power of light by blindly following nature, helped him to develop his thinking about painting. "I realized the inevitability of adornment," he says. "remember that Matisse said 'accuracy is not truth.' It's impossible to convey the sparkling of snow, the burning yellowness of fall, the light spots on leaves or the birch trees whiteness without adornment."

A strong endorsement to "go with the feeling" when making colour choices or any choices for that matter during the creative process. I love Matisse' s comment about accuracy not being truth- it speaks to the idea of truly "seeing" and can be applied to many things other than art.

Further into the magazine another article featuring abstract pastel artist, Ingrid Wilkins also touches on the ideas surrounding artistic choice.

To quote:

"I would advise, have no assumptions," Wilkins says. "Scribble. Paint with the body. Don't engage with the brain because the brain often stops people from doing things intuitively. Don't be afraid of the mess, because you can always clean that up. But you have to spit it all out first- that's the emotional barrier. It's about finding what really excites you."

Colour, texture, form, line- all have the power to excite and inspire. I can relate to the messiness of creating art. All creation is messy process. Particularly when working in mixed media I seem to cover every available surface in the house from my studio to the kitchen to the dining room before I am finished! I am "desperately seeking a surface " to give birth to my artistic expression. And, it is amazing that when done, the finished piece has taken such a transformational journey to completion when I have let go of my assumptions and let my intuition be the guide.

Gray day

2008-01-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

Well, today is very gray day and this new piece reflects this with its somber mood. I did warm up the sky abit with the addition of a warm neutral gray. The image is from a series of photos taken while vacationing in New Brunswick, Canada this past summer.

What did I use? Right now I am working on Sennelier, La Carte pastel board. I like the tooth as I put my pastels on quite heavy. I use a combination of Nupastels, Rembrandt, Sennelier and Schmincke pastels. I also use fixative at various stages when I want to add a new layer on top of a previous thick layer. I try to avoid fixing too much at the end as it really does darken the colours and reduce the sparkle.

This piece has a more abstracted style than the previous two, and I am using a colour scheme that I usually don't use - grays! Generally I am drawn to brighter, happier colours but the grays definitely have their charm as well. It is amazing how the brightness of the sun or lack of it affect colour choices and mood.

New name, new medium

2008-01-25T12:22:00.001-08:00

Ok...so I have already changed my name. The first title was a bit boring. And now, after a minor domestic detour and a major computer disaster I am finally back at the creative game. It really is a love/hate relationship with these computers.

I am doing a few pastels at this moment. I got on to pastels as a way to do some quick studies for oil painting. Now, I am hooked! Except for being messy and expensive, they offer instant gratification in terms of colour and completion. Opening a box of pastels is really like opening a box of delicious, brightly coloured candy treats. Buying more can also be very addictive!

These two sketches of an ocean beach have a semi-realistic style. My next attempts will try for a more abstract style focusing on colour and shape.

Feedback

2008-01-20T07:53:00.000-08:00

One painting, "Red Sky", was accepted into the juried show. It was suggested that my frame choice might be changed to a simpler black frame to complement the contemporary style of my piece. Ok. I guess I will investigate some new sources, not the usual places, for frames. I need to get a sales tax number to be eligible for wholesale framing, but I will also try two independant framers that have been suggested.

I am happy with the frame size and will do more in this image size for awhile. Settling on a consistant sizing will free me from framing issues for awhile. Afterall, presentation is an important part of the finished product.

I am also going to try the Pebeo fabric paints and some wool rovings with the next pieces. I think I will again work with two pieces at a time. This allows me to work back and forth between the two pieces and not get too focused on only one piece. It allows me to step back from each piece for awhile. Often the solution for one piece helps me with the issues in the other. I am thinking of trees for the next images, working with greens.

Juried show

2008-01-18T11:15:00.000-08:00

Phew! I just finished two new mixed media pieces for submission to a juried show. Still have to put the frames together yet but the creative part is done. These shows are both a nuisance and a major motivator. I can't in any way keep up with all the possible opportunities out there. But, they do flesh out the resume and get my work out for, gasp, public viewing!

These two pieces are a continuation of my exploration of fabric collage/art quilts. I will post some photos soon, but they both include: cotton fabrics, sheer fabrics, chiffon, wools, beads, Shiva paint sticks (oil) and fabric paints and inks. I have paid careful attention to creating different textures. The design consists of lines set horozontally. The pieces are a pair of sorts, a series. One piece suggests a rock face, "Stria". The other depicts a sky and water landscape, "Red Sky". At this point I am trying a variety of different products to add colour and texture.

I had alot of trouble trying to decide how to frame them. The last fabric collage I did was a bit flatter and I framed it in an ordinary metal frame with glass, but these two pieces really needed the texture and warmth of a wood frame. Also, glass mutes the colours of the fabrics and I wanted the colours to really shine. I could: stretch them over a canvas and frame that, use a frame with a liner, or try a matt without glass which is what I have decided to do this time. Maybe not the ideal solution but what am going to go with anyways. Framing costs cut into any profit I will make if I sell them so I try keep it cheap and easy. I must get a PST number and then check out wholesale framing.

Time for a break now. I have some more ideas to try with this method but it will have to wait until later.

Hey! I have a blog!

2008-01-17T17:56:00.000-08:00

Now that I have finally jumped on the Facebook bandwagon I guess I need a blog to to effectively slam the door on whatever is left of my private life. I thought that having kids did a good job of that!

When I was a teenager I had a diary with a lock and key. It was most definitely off limits to everyone, especially my brother. It recorded the ups and downs of my life, and of course boys!

This diary will have a different more mature focus, an artistic focus. It is an attempt to record my development as an artist. I have titled it as my painting diary, but that is a loose term for any artistic endeavour I undertake. It is a work in progress that will involve alot of experimentation with various media.
So... here I go!