New Item

I am offering a new little item at my ETSY shop. It is a Needle and Pins Book or Pad. A place to put your needles and pins so that they are safe, and won't get lost. Especially if you take your work with you, or just need a place for that stray needle when you are working on something.

Zura - Gesso and paint

I went to check out Zura's blog The Creative Clown. I didn't know what to expect. And there amongst her great posts was a discussion on gesso. I too love gesso and I have just finished the lecture in my classes on drawing and painting. I love to talk about paint and all the different uses, applications, colors, and types of paints and painting surfaces there are. I have always used gesso to seal porous surfaces so that I can then use my colored paints to create my images. I believe that gesso must have been the result of artists playing around with plaster slip for fresco painting and discovered that by applying it to a porous surface like wood would seal it. Then they were able to start to use other types of paints to paint with - like real tempera paint.

Tempera paint has a base of egg to it. It's not like that chalky stuff some of may remember from grade school. The early Italian Rennaissance artists used it to create some of the finest, delicate and detailed painting by layering tempera paint glazes on top of one another. Fabulous. In the 20th century the artist Maxfield Parrish used tempera to create his luminous images that many of us are familair with.

That is the spark the Zura gave me today. It made a real connection. If you want some inspiriation, I think that Zura can give you a step up. Visit her blog: http://creativeclown.com/

New March Listing at ETSY

I have finished my alphabet wall hanging and it is now up for sale at ETSY. Funny that, is ETSY a place, a destination or do we go on ETSY like a boat. I never thought of the proper way to refer to opening a web page or going to a web site. Going to, however, does imply some kind of travel even if I haven't left my chair. Oh well, please check out my new offering. I hope you enjoy it. It reminds me so much of the colors of my education.

The Beauty of PamelaTang

I adore high quality work and workmanship. We all do. Pamela Tang brings that and more to her art, whether she is working in silk or linen fabrics, or creating painted art. She is a true original in touch with the flow of our modern world. Coming from a strong background in interior design lends much to her approaches, both in color, design and most especially her fabric choices. I have been looking at her work over that last year and all I can say is that I sigh every time.

Enjoy her bio of herself and some of her work here. If you like clean, subtle statements then Pamela Tang is and artist worth keeping an eye on:

Born and raised in Australia, Pamela has always been surrounded by textiles, colour and nature. Her crafty mum had a fabric store and was always sewing clothes & ballet costumes for her three girls, while her dad nurtured close to 5000 orchids in the family backyard. A former graduate in Fine Arts and Industrial Design, her love for art and craft remained with her when she travelled to Singapore. Practising as an Interior Designer in several firms, including a five-year stint in an award winning architectural & interior design company, she was responsible for working on a range of retail, commercial and high-end residential project designs. Subsequently Pamela was commissioned to create a series of sculptures for an exclusive apartment complex.

www.pamelatang.etsy.com

Lovely Day

It is such a lovely day here today, even with the slight over cast of clouds. At least it is a little warmer and comfy outside. But, boy the mornings are still quite chilly.

I thought the I would take some pictures of the flowers that are blooming in my garden right now and preview a project that I hope to finish real soon. So enjoy the nibbles of Springs and try to find that extra hour we are loosing this weekend with a good nap!

So above is one of the many varieties of daffodils blooming, and next is the first California poppy of the year. At least the first one I have seen this year.

Then we have a close up of the wall hanging I am working on. A long ABC image - great for a child room. I just have a couple more borders to add and then quilting it up and it will be ready.

This last image is of Nectarine blossoms - oh so beautiful.

In Honor of Michiabella Creations

I recently visited Michiabella Creations blog and she had some lovely thoughts on children, http://michabellacreations.blogspot.com/2008/02/jewelry-isnt-my-only-love.html. Yes, oh yes they are our future and it is so important to nurture them in all possible ways. I like to make quilts just for that reason - to nurture that creative imagination in all children - old and Young, but especially the little ones. Hurray for the babies!!!

I made a sale!!!!!

I sold one of my new wall hangings yesterday. It's going out tomorrow. I am so excited. I hope they like it and she's going to a good home. I wish more of my quilts would sell. I personally think that they are different enough and original. And it's so hard to be mainstream. But that's why we are Indies and not mass manufactured, right. Well, anyway, I am really happy!! What a way for the weekend to go!