Embeadery and Bedazzled Stitches

Two years ago, I  purchased a copy of Embeadery by Margaret Ball.  I loved her work, but the instructions may as well have been hieroglyphics as far as I was concerned.  I put the book away, only to take it out periodically and try to decipher the instructions again, with similar results. It appeared I would never succeed and the book would soon be on its way to one of my  "eBay internet garage sales".


This fall, while browsing through the Joggles Online Class offerings, I found Beadazzled Stitches taught Christen Brown.  I loved the beadwork. I had many of the supplies already, because I use them in other projects. Most Joggles classes are filled with clear instructions, many photographs and the instructor available online for extra assistance.  I signed up and soon was working on my beaded project.


The Beadazzled class has increased my confidence in my ability to do beadwork; I brought out my copy of Embeadery again. Having the background experience I gained in the Beadazzled class made the Embeadery text seem less like hieroglyphics and more like instruction. 

Impression of Crystal Bridges

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened  on 11-11-11. We waited until November 20 to make our first 
visit, to avoid some of the crowds.  Actually, the crowds were still there, but we missed the V.I.P.s . 


We spent the whole afternoon looking at the various exhibits in the galleries. There were volunteers ready to help lost visitors, guide tours, and answer questions about the pieces of art. The facilities are still under construction, including landscaping and trails.

 There were more galleries than we had time to cover, so we wound up spending most of our time in Wonder World, Colonial, and 19th Century collections.  I jotted down some of names of some of the pieces of art and the artists, so I could view more of their works online. I took some photos of some of the works (non-flash permitted).  I have uploaded some of my photos from the Wonder World exhibit.

Vik Muniz: White Brazilian Orchid After Martin Johnson Head

 

Nam June Paik  John Cage Robot II

    

Evan Perry: Old Self Portrait of the Artist as He Will (Not) Be Var. #2

                Nick Cave:  Soundsuit 2010

 

            Nick Cave:  Soundsuit 2010

                                                    

Drawing from Nature

Week Two  of  "Sketching and Watercolor In A Mixed Media Journal with Jane LaFazio" involves drawing from nature, and progressing from drawing to design.

Between the subzero winter and the month of 100 degree plus summer days, nature has taken quite a beating around here this year.  Fall temperatures and some rain have improved my garden.  Chose to draw a Japanese eggplant, that hasn't produced anything this year, but is attractive and alive.

Everyday Object Three

I always liked "Butch", the Rookwood bulldog, but could never afford one. The economy has driven Rookwood pottery values down about 50%, so I managed to get one at an auction recently.

I just had to keep the cats from knocking it off the table while I worked on my drawing.

Everyday Objects Day 2

I used one of my eBay treasures for my second subject in Everday Objects, a Royal Doulton ceramic basket of puppies. I've collected a number of dog figures over the years and this is one of my favorites.
 I used a combination of Tombow and Pitt pens with some watercolor for this object.
 

Next time, I'm going to have to be more selective about the object I draw and it's placement on the page. 

Sketching & Watercolor In A Mixed Media Journal

I'm back from a stay in the hospital, just in time to start Jane LaFazio's  Sketching & Watercolor In A Mixed Media Journal.  I've taken a number of Jane LaFazio's online classess, so I have most of my supplies on hand. The few items I need should arrive before I need them.

The first week's project is Everyday Objects, where the students collect a series of drawings of items around the on a journal page.  My first object, a little robot dog has been gathering dust on a shelf since I discovered how much mayhem it could cause around real dogs and cats.

 

I'm planning on adding 2 - 3 more objects during the coming week.  I have plenty of time to work on them; I'm grounded until the surgeon releases me,  at least another week.

The following photos are of a large (4" or so) praying mantis I found while I was clearing brush.  Looks like an alien, doesn't it?

 

 

A Watched Pot

 

It's been a busy two weeks.  Since my last post, I have:

• Made two trips to the vet with different dogs 
• Dropped off  an overdue library book (haven't paid the fine)
• Stopped by the hospital for a fasting blood test (I hate them, but the doctor has been insistent since the heart surgery.)
• Watered the almost-dead garden, since the predicted rain did not come
• Participated in volunteer proofreading for Distributed Proofreaders
• Assembled a new bed frame and hauled off the old one

While assembling the bed frame, I almost stepped on a tiny frog on the porch.  Before relocating it to a safer location, I took some photos.  The frog,  an excellent example of camouflage,  was cooperative and cute--for a frog.

All these activities left little time for drawing and painting.

Monday evening, I peeled and cut up some potatoes for supper.   I dropped the peeled potatoes in an old Club Aluminum pot we paid $2.00 for at a local auction. While the potatoes were boiling, I realized there was enough time to make a quick drawing.  I took my pencils, pens, and watercolor, then painted the scene in my Strathmore Watercolor  Visual Journal.

A little practice is better than no practice at all.

Vegetable Sculptures at the Farmers Market

 

My garden has produced almost nothing this year because of the heat, so I took a trip to the Fayetteville Farmers Market to buy some vegetables. I took my art kit went with me. My kit is minimal:   a mechanical pencil, a kneaded eraser, a Pitt pen, a Winsor-Newton watercolor field kit, a Ninji waterbrush, a moleskin journal, and a Canon Powershot, all stashed in a reusable black Wal-mart shopping bag.

 I wish my yard looked as fantastic as the town square garden.

 

 

 

 

There was a contest for budding vegetable sculptors.

 

The winning sculptor would receive a Chia Pet.

The market wasn't very busy, so I listened to some of the musicians, talked to some of the exhibitors, and took a some photos.

Taking a seat on a stone wall, did a quick pencil I sketch of the market.  I'm not thrilled with the result, but the more practice I get, the better the results should be.

I'm looking forward to doing more drawings on location this fall.

Things That Are Blue

Another miserable, hot day. I wanted to go out and sketch at the Washington County Fair or the Fayetteville Farmers Market, but it was just too hot to bother.  The opening game for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks is this evening, so there will be traffic jams.

Rather than risk life and limb on the highway, I collected and assortment of items of various shades of blue to sketch and watercolor. I found a Pledge bottle, a putty knife, an iridescent glass bottle, and a crocheted dog toy that the Yorkie loves to chase into the kiddie pool.

More practice in color mixing looks like a good idea.

Willdlife in the Neighborhood

Yard work has kept me from doing as much drawing as I'd like.  The temperatures have been in the high 90's, low 100's with just enough rain to make the grass grow....but not the vegetables :( .  There have been some opportunities to photograph some of the local wildlife around the house. Each photo gives me some material to use in a future project.
 

The deer really enjoy eating the neighbors' birdseed.

 

While watering the vegetables, I found this huge moth in the phlox plants. It stayed around for a series of photos.

Some Roadrunners live in the neighborhood. This one stopped by for a shower while we were using the sprinkler on the roses.

 

Sketching at the Auction

This afternoon, I went to a local auction to bid on a tea caddy, a Kollowitz lithograph, and some other items. Since auctions usually involve long periods of sitting,  I brought my sketchbook and a mechanical pencil. With these minimal tools, I sketched a butter churn, a split oak basket, and a Flexible Flyer sled.  It was a great opportunity to practice sketching and, as long as I didn't wave my pencil or sketchbook during bidding, I didn't inadvertently bid on items I didn't want.

When I returned home, I inked the sketches, then set the butter churn and the split oak basket into a composition, including the name of the auction house.

I'm really looking forward to using some of these sketches as a springboard into other projects.

Teapot and Teacup

I took some time earlier this month to draw a teapot I found in a box of items my mother had inherited from a great aunt. It's nothing special and there are generally several on Ebay at any given time. I used a Tombow water soluble pen to draw, then shaded it.  I used a burgundy Micron Pigma pen to draw the flower motif.  I've debated painting the flowers and still need to finish the composition.

 

After drawing the teapot I had to draw a teacup to go with it.  I used the same drawing tools, but included the teacup story as part of the composition. The ocher line across the page is part of an assignment in an online sketchbook class.

New Camera and Online Classes

Amazon sent a "Daily Deal" last week featuring a Canon Powershot for $49.00.  My only digital camera is a 10 year old Sony Mavica that requires floppy disks. It's the digital equivalent of stone knives and bearskins. The reviews on the Powershot were good, although it was an older model camera.  I ordered the camera and am slowly learning how to operate it. 

The picture below is a silk shibori ribbon dragonfly broach I assembled from a kit purchased from Shirbori Girl Studios. The kit is very simple and comes in a variety of colors. I posed the finished dragonfly on a cantaloup leaf in the garden and tried my new camera.

Joggles has sent out their list of Fall classes.  There are so many terrific classes! My wish list is SO long, but I have some time to whittle it down to a manageable list based on finances and time considerations. I've already completed several of these classes and will upload some pictures of the finished projects later.

Thoughts Concerning HOT Summer Giveaway!

Since August 10,  I've been following the Hot Summer Giveaway. Participation requirements are simple: on a set day, visit the blog of a specific artist and leave a comment for a chance to win wonderful art goodies. The Giveaway continues through Sunday, August 19.

Why participate?

I lurk on blogs, message boards, Facebook, and Twitter, trying to blend in with the wallpaper.  The Hot Summer Giveaway has motivated me to see the work that artists are doing and comment on their amazing projects.

I have been working on a mixed media project based on a picture of a young deer across the road.  I've used tissue paper, acrylic paint,  Prismacolor pencils, black waterproof pen, button and carpet thread, and pearl cotton on art canvas. It's still very much a work in progress.