Growing pains
I think it’s important to keep growing, learning, honing skills and expanding ones repertoire. The hard part is how all encompassing it can sometimes feel. I’ve been very busy with several projects that unfortunately I can’t really talk about. One is an art quilt entry for an exhibition, and the rest are projects and prep [...]
Join me on a Hawaiian Island Quilt Cruise for a Cause
This October come with me for a painting and surface design adventure on an island hopping Quilt n’ Cruise to Hawaii. A really wonderful aspect of this cruise, is that a portion of the proceeds go to funding breast cancer research. Beyond contributing to such a wonderful cause, what could be more inspiring than a cruise [...]
Painting Imagery on Fabric at Road to California
I had a great time teaching last week. The first class I taught was painting, this is my favorite class to teach, because primarily I teach people who dont have any formal art training basic techniques to successfully paint on cotton fabric, which is a lot harder than painting on canvas. It was wonderful to see [...]
Getting back into creative mode
Now that I’m pretty much settled in, the holidays are over and life is returning to its new normal, it’s time to get back to work. Recently, my good friend Lesley Riley, asked me to submit a piece for a new book she’s doing on quotes, if you’d like to participate check out her call [...]
Painting Imagery With Textile Paints
The next class I taught at festival was painting with textile paints. In this class we use Pebeo Setacolor textile paints and cotton fabric. In this class students learn to paint backgrounds, use freezer paper masks, paint gradations, paint lines, dots and details, and glaze paint to create more visual depth, among many other things.
Aloha! Grab your grass skirt and let’s paint all the way to Hawaii!
This is so exciting, I want to invite you to come along with me for a surface design painting adventure on an island hopping Quilt n’ Cruise to Hawaii. Linda Poole, Joan Shay and Lisa Erlandson will also be teaching on the cruise. The ship leaves port from San Francisco October 4th. The next 4 days at [...]
But Where Are All The Martians?
Well, it’s very exciting that the Mars rover Curiosity has landed with newer high tech equipment ready to beam us back some new pics of the Martian landscape, but my guess is it’s still going to look a bit stark. I made this quilt after the first rover landed on Mars in 2004 and all [...]
I’m leaving in on a jet plane…
I’m on my way to Sacramento to spend a few days with my parents and check out neighborhoods for potential places to live. Then I’m flying to Southern California to spend a day with my gal pals Leslie Jenison and Jamie Fingal and teach at International Quilt Festival, Long Beach. By the way I still [...]
Get Inked in Long Beach!
Wow! It’s four weeks until International Quilt Festival, Long Beach. Would you like to immerse yourself in color by learning how to paint fabric with acrylic inks? Saturday I’m teaching a fun new class 10 Techniques with Acrylic Inks. Spend a day filled with fun and relaxed exploration, beginning with creating colorful textured backgrounds exploring [...]
Painted ipad Bag
I have been wanting to buy a case for my ‘new’ ipad, but have held off because I read the ipad 2 cases didn’t work with the new ipads because they moved the magnet that puts it in sleep mode when you close the cover and there aren’t that many options in covers for the [...]
Making the 8 of Cups
The 8 of Cups came about after going through a rough period emotionally last fall, it was a cathartic piece that I created for an upcoming exhibit called Rituals that will open at International Quilt Festival, Long Beach in July. I began by drawing an anatomical heart from an old medical illustration engraving, extending the [...]
Painting Canvas
This week I had a need to paint so I pulled out a big piece of canvas, threw a layer of gesso on it and drew a big octopus. Indigo‘s always telling me I should paint on canvas more. I painted the octopus body with acrylic inks. and painted the water and seaweed with regular [...]
8 of cups
While trying to gain perspective on things, the card that turned up most often as an outcome in tarot readings was the 8 of cups. It expresses exactly how I feel and has helped me realize I need to be more assertive in taking control of my life. Being a tea drinker, using tea cups [...]
Making progress in life and art
This is my initial drawing on fabric as the base for my painting. I started with an anatomical heart from an old medical illustration engraving. I extended the arteries into curving vines to represent new growth and life. Below I have drawn veins from a heart, going upwards, which feel like barren trees, but also have the [...]
Finding my way out
Thank you so much for all the words of support and encouragement, I appreciate it so much. I am blessed to have so many wonderful friends and kindred creative spirits in my life. I needed to find perspective over the last week and realize that although times are difficult, I am not alone and things [...]
Finger painting on my iphone
The other night I was poking around on my phone and realized I hadn’t played with the Brushes app in almost a year. Brushes is a painting app that you can either just paint an image from memory, make something up or work over an existing photo by randomly choosing different brush styles and sizes [...]
Magical Metal Altars at Create
Thursday I taught Magical Metal Altars to a full class with 20 students. This is a new class, kind of a larger modified version of the popular Fiesta Ornaments. What fun this was! I gave the students a wide range of options to create their altar; from using a template with everything predesigned by me [...]
Painting Fabric Class at the Create Retreat
The Create retreat got off to a wonderful start on Wednesday. My first class had 8 students, it’s such a pleasure to have a class that small on occasion, teaching 25 (my usual number for festival) can be challenging, because I always like to give everyone individual attention along with the class demos. These gals [...]
Southern California here I come!
I have been really busy the last week preparing to spend the second half of July in Southern California, with a quick trip up to Northern California to see my mom between teaching at Idyllwild Arts and International Quilt Festival. My bags are quickly filling with lots of supplies, I just hope I have room [...]
Sign up for Create before it’s too late!
Interweave’s Create Retreat is fast approaching and classes are filling up! The retreat is going to be located in Lisle, Illinois, which is a suburb southwest of Chicago. You can fly into Midway (a smaller airport) or O’Hare, it’s about the same distance from either. I will be teaching two classes: Painting Fabric for Whole Cloth Quilts and [...]
Day 1 in St. Paul, what a week!
Last Tuesday, I drove 400 miles from Chicago, IL to St Paul, MN, the longest road trip I have driven by the way, to teach 4 classes at the Minnesota Quilters Show and Conference. It was a wonderful show put on by an all volunteer committee, very impressive! Nina, my daughter and class assistant, painting [...]
Have you always wanted to paint but don’t know where to start?
Oh Deer, Look What’s Become of Me! detail In August I am teaching one of my favorite classes Painting Imagery for Art Quilts at the Create Retreat in Lisle, Illinois, just outside Chicago. I love to teach this class not only because I love to paint, but also because I love seeing peoples amazement when [...]
When was the last time you gave yourself three full days for relaxation and creativity?
I know I don’t do it enough. It’s been a rough couple years, I think we should treat ourselves to more time for artistic exploration and creativity, it’s good for the soul! Join me this July 19-21, that’s just 2 months from now! for a 3 day painting retreat, Art Quilts: Painting & Surface Techniques at Idyllwild [...]
Paper and Paint
My daughter Nina gave me a lovely sketch/scrap book made with banana fiber pages. I love the speckled natural color of the paper. I really want to spend more time drawing, I used to be really good about keeping sketchbooks. Funny how once kids came into the picture, that sort of slipped away. I want to get [...]
