Work has been very busy lately… I did manage to get some work started on my new loom and am planning on finishing it up this weekend.   Here is a photo of the materials for the project:

Stay tuned for the results!

Started digging through my stash of fabrics for some hand dyed gems to add to my latest work.  I’ve been inspired by fallen leaves on my driveway… Seems simple enough, right?  Will be working on the new art quilt this week so pics should follow soon.  I also had a nice experience at the Akashic Meditation Gallery in Thousand Oaks last week.  Two of my works “Woman II” and “All the Comforts of Home” are on display!

My niece, Alexis, who is a talented tattoo artist http://www.lexymonster.com painted this cool work for me to hang in my kitchen.  No traditional rooster for this kitchen!

For my final project in an Introduction to Printmaking class, I had to create a 3-color image on the theme of boundaries using any of the techniques we learned over the semester.  I chose the paper lithography method to create the image. I started with a rough idea of the composition and then printed it out on my laser jet.  Knowing it would be pulled using three colors meant my registration had to work!  The following pictures show a little more about that part of the process.

I had the opportunity to make my first book as a part of my printmaking class. We used Arches Text Wove paper for the interior pages and I selected a lovely handmade paper for the cover. The book is 5″ x 9″ and bound with a 4-hole stab-stitch Japanese binding technique. I am really happy with the results.

I am going to try this with fabric and use the same techniques I employ for fabric postcards to create the cover.  Stay tuned!

I finished the silk screen print today.  So all in all I used 4 colors and 8 separate stencils for this one.  Lessons learned;  Masking off areas where you do not want color is always a good idea. If I hadn’t masked the edges I’d be starting a bottle of wine or a 6-pack about now. :S  I think I’ll call this one “Flight Path” because it reminds me of dragonlfies over a stream of moss covered rocks.  I am happy with the results.

I started working on an 11″ x 30″ silkscreen for my printmaking class.  The design needed to be somewhat abstract and it took me a while to figure out what to make.  I had to carefully consider the use of repetition, rhythm and shape in this project.  I started with a concept of mossy rocks in two tones and drew the rocks on tracing paper:

 Next, I marked the lighter rocks with an X and cut out 2 sets of stencils.  This is the first silkscreen print of the darker of the two colors:

While waiting for the ink to dry, I started working on the next graphical element for the print.  I am arranging some abstract dashed and crossed lines over the mossy rocks.  I think of them as flight paths for dragonflies.  At least that’s what came to mind once I finished!

The stencils for the lines are ready, so I will hopefully finish printing those tomorrow.  I still have one more element I might add to the finished piece.  And if all goes well on paper I will end up stenciling this onto fabric and quilting it!

Stay tuned!

I was commissioned to make a coiled vessel for Christmas.  The buyer wanted something festive and colorful.  I dug out my stash of fabrics and novelty fibers and this is the result.  The vase stands about 16″ high.  I think I need to make one for myself!

Okay, I confess.  I bought a torch and started playing around with more copper wire and mesh.  Decided to create a quilted silk backdrop for my explorations in metal.  Here is the result.

Always on the lookout for new techniques, I took a jewelry making class using copper wire.  The result is a new take on embellishments for my small art quilts.