Fast Friday Challenge - Recycled Materials

For this months challenge, we were to use recycled materials. I have chosen an old pair of jeans with a hole in the knee, scrap fabric from a shirt I made last year, plastic orange grid from an orange sack, foil wrappers from chocolate eggs, a couple of unused pieced rectangle I had laying about, some blue tulle, and a bit of gold fusible foil. I wasn’t sure how I would combine these items, so just started laying them about until I liked what I saw. The colors remind me of green hills, orange poppies, and reflections in a blue pond.

My husband suggested that the bright green pieced rectangle seemed out of place. I added turquoise squares on top of it to relate it to the lower pieced square.

I am deciding whether I should put a binding or a facing.

Olive Hyde Textile Art Exhibit & Spring Arrives

Last week I delivered two pieces to the Olive Hyde Art Gallery in Fremont. Afternoon Snack and Withered Rose will be part of their 40th Annual Textile Exhibit. The exhibit will run from March 21 – April 19, 2008. The opening reception is this Friday from 7-9PM. More information about the Olive Hyde Art Gallery can be found on their website www.fremont.gov/art/olivehydeartgallery.

I drove home off the highway along the foothills. Spring is definitely here. We went for a short hike through the same hills later that afternoon. These hills will only stay green for a few months.

Abstract Portrait Completed

I have completed the abstract portrait which was started in my class with Pamela Allen.

I like how the tree came out. The leaves (or blossoms?) were originally roses on an upholstery remnant. I used a bright pink thread and dense quilting to brighten them a bit more. I left the branches unquilted, which gives them a bit of dimension.

Black and White Quilt Completed

I have finished the black and white quilt that I started in Pamela Allen's class.

I have had a design idea in my mind for a month without time to begin it. I think I will need to put it off some more while I get other less exciting things out of the way. I also need to plan my exhibit space and talk for the Piecemakers Quilt Show in May where I will be one of the featured artists.

In the meantime, I will be finishing up the other quilts that I began in Pamela's class. They just need quilting and binding.

Online Class Week 3 – Another Portrait

Week 3 of my class with Pamela Allen continues, and I had a chance to try a self portrait again (this time with a more abstract approach). I wonder if this attempt is more “me” than the more realistic attempt. My husband, who tends to favor more realistic art, surprised me by saying this is one of my better quilts. I am still deciding about it.

I have the eyes left to do. I was going to add them with the quilting like Pamela did with her Coffee Break quilt. But now am thinking this quilt might need eyes which will show up a bit more. I will need to experiment with making eyes, and see what seems to work.

Sculpture & Small Quilt Show

I am pleased to have my quilt "Glistening Turbulence" accepted into "UNDER-COVER: A group show of small quilts with new sculpture by Jane Kaufmann" which will be showing at the Greenjeans gallery in Brooklyn, NY.

February 7 – March 20, 2008
Opening Reception: February 6, 6-8pm

The entire show can be viewed at Greenjeans Online Shop.

A trip from California to New York is a bit far to go for the evening, so I will have to miss it. But it looks like it will be a great show.

Update Feb 8, 2008: Photos of the opening reception can be viewed here: http://greenjeansbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2008/02/under-cover-opening.html

Fast Friday Self Portrait Challenge (or “I Began with Good Intentions”)

I considered not doing this months Fast Friday Portrait Challenge, because I’ve been busy with my online class with Pamela Allen. But I have been challenging myself to do each of the Friday challenges. And this one was challenging indeed, since I tend to shy away from portraiture.

Wednesday, I spent 20 minutes doing a sketch from my image in the bathroom mirror. My husband says “Who’s that supposed to be?” I suppose I need to spend more than 20 minutes every few years if I want to get better at sketching portraits.

Thursday, I traced from the portrait onto a piece of white cloth in pencil, and spent maybe an hour painting with Setacolor paints, with the intention of adding some color and depth to the picture. Purple and orange were chosen with the idea that they would visually blend into a skin tone.

The first attempt I watered the paints down to much, which made them bleed across the fabric more than I wanted. Let it dry and had a second attempt over the top of the first with less diluted paint and a dryer brush. More what I was trying to achieve. I got more definition, and a better distribution of color and tone.

Friday I spent about an hour doing some quilting on it. Nowhere near a masterpiece, and I don’t think I know the person I’ve created. But it was a fun experiment. No binding. I don’t think it well enough to finish it.