artwhispers

June TIF

I love the colors for this month's TIF. Just dyed some silk with rusty metals, dirt and coffee grounds and think I will use some of these pieces for this project. I am participating in an artist garage sale and so have been sorting and pricing my stash. Some of my most creative moments are when I am doing just this sort of thing, touching, looking, feeling  and thinking about all the posibilities. Certainly a few things have gone back into the keep pile. Seeing the odd assortments of my stash ( some of which has been hiding) I'm reminded of different ideas I've thought about, projects started or in my dreams. I woke at 4am this morning, am sure in part because of being overstimulated with my wandering thoughts. I'm tired but feeling creative and alive inside. Here is an image I took this morning of a pan used for rusting. Beautiful isn't it? .

May TIF

This is my completed project for the May TIF, a little tongue and cheek. The photo of the cow with horns was taken at my sisters, played with the color in photoshop to match the challenge, then printed out on a silky paper with an adhesive back. It was layered with batting, machine quilted and given a fabric backing. The "name tag" says Hello, They call me Art. I got the idea to change the colors when a friend did the same when painting a vintage paint by number. There wasn't enough detail showing in my print, therefore the whacky quilting. I'm playing with another version that was printed out on a soft silk and will be hand quilted and some painting and beads done over that. This makes me smile.

May TIF thoughts

These are my grandchildren who call me an artist. Not sure what I call myself yet. I've been reading online about the topic of Sharon's TIF this month "what do we call ourselves?". I think this quote sums up my feelings(author unknown): " My art is what I make, my craft is the skills I have learned in order to make it well". Not sure what I will do with this topic but the thought process has been stimulating.

TIF April

                                                                            

I think the best thing about the challenges I've joined is the thinking, then the making. Todays post shows my piece for Aprils TIF. Again one can do the colors offered, or the subject, which this month is change. Mine fits into both categories, kinda. I'm a firm believer that change is a good thing, propels us forward, even if we don't like the change itself. I can't help thinking about all the changes that have already happened this year. Here are three:

My mom has disowned me because I was instrumental in getting her into a nursing home and having her declared incompetent. Her partner of many years had been requesting her to move for several years but then would sabotage any attempts and make negative comments about the siblings. Numerous trips to the Midwest made with no resolution but increased anxiety for all involved. My change is the fact I did the best I could and am at peace with my part in this situation and realizing how it has affected me. I am the oldest sibling and the one who probably reached out the most. She has never been an easy person to be around and chose to live with someone for 15 years that was much like her. If they weren't being negative about one sibling then they picked on someone else. I gave myself permission to be at peace with my participation and not reacting or doing what I think is expected, instead of what I want to do. I am aware of the ramifications of dementia but believe the words spoken by her were truly her feelings. At this point I am taking myself out of the equation, not visiting as planned, and trying to feel the lightness of not being surrounded by crazy making. I can say I'm feeling more hopeful, motivated, inspired, and less anxious. Amen. She is by the way safe and being taken care of, visited by one sister and her "partner".

Another change, my photo studio is now almost ready for the etching press and all the other printmaking supplies to be moved in. One more coat of paint on the new floor and good to go. My head is spinning with ideas for printing. Sadly, I've turned down many requests to do studio portraits since the first of the year but will not miss crawling on the ground after little munchkins. Not having the press in the house means I will use some oil based inks and not have to worry about fumes in the house.

The third change is dealing with Polaroid discontinuing production of there film. Still sorry about that, but am learning new techniques to use Fugi film and have met some wonderful people because of it.

My piece has many layers. Fabric, paper were collaged onto acrylic felt then sewn randomly. I covered areas with Elmers glue then torched it until several places burned through and the glue turned a nice gold.  It will bubble up then dry flat, looking like popped bubblegum. I then added more collaged paper and tree bark, a polaroid image transfer on silk, and placed on fabric with batting and stitched together with random beads. It had to be done randomly because the glue becomes very hard and cannot penetrate it with a small beading needle.  The back was covered and binding applied to hold it together and frame the piece. The words on the closeup view say "time is given wings"

Tif March

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Here is my March Challenge for Tif. An embellished crow from recyled materials, mostly from the Goodwill. At $1.39 a pound its not hard to find art supplies! Although I did use some of the colors, it was mostly what I had on hand. The Embellisher is addicting at best.

Choices part 2

Two posts in one day! The Polaroid Manipulation class at Art and Soul Virginia has been cancelled. I was told that the students all were in favor of closing the class knowing the circumstances. What a relief: to have it settled, to know they understand. However, I will still  do transfers and possibly offer classes once I know the ins and outs of using the Fuji film.

Choices

Boy, did I have a surprise yesterday. A former student alerted me that Polaroid was shutting down it's film production and factories. They are not going out of business, just changing their focus and will be doing more digital. This hit me hard. I've been a long time user of the peel-apart-film and the already extinct Time Zero film. My dilemma revolves around teaching Polaroid Transfers. I'm scheduled to teach this May but am concerned about students being upset and rightly so that a newly learned craft will most likely not be possible in the near future. Fuji does make a film that transfers and was told it needs to be done in the dark, not easy at an art retreat that doesn't have a darkroom. I'm trying to weigh in all the factors. How would you feel if you were a student? I absolutely love doing Polaroid Manipulations and will continue to do so but I do have a darkroom. Today I hope to get more information, find out how to use the Fuji film, if it can be used in the machines I now use, etc. Keep your fingers crossed.

Cone bra

This is the image I'm thinking of using for the February challenge (www.sharonb.wordpress.com/take-further-challenge ). Not sure I'll incorporate the colors but have just started thinking about images of what I remember in my past. Makes for a great conversation and DH and I had a fine time remembering some of the icons from the 50's that are no longer. It cracked me up that this was listed as a cone bra. Thankfully this is out of vogue now.I may use this image with printmaking or some hand quilting. Am also considering Tinkerbell and some others. I signed up for this because I wanted a challenge and I like that it does make me stop and think and plan within a time schedule. I tend to just "do" and let what happens, happen.

Challenge Jan 08 finished (finally)

Just finished my piece for the challenge and looking forward to the next one. I ended up sewing most of it by machine which I just got a few days ago and then hand beading it. The colors aren't quite in the scheme but close. The portrait was from an original photo of my daughter, made into a line drawing through Photoshop, then printed on silk. There is another patterned fabric beneath the portrait leaving a trace of pinkish lines. I haven't sewn by machine for quite awhile so this in itself was a challenge, but a pleasant one. The sequins, beads and funky applique were done by hand. I chose the fabric with the swirls and circles, because it made me think of one of my daughters best attributes-her perseverance no matter what and finishing what she starts.