Getting Started with Natural Dyeing

now available in my store

Redid the studio last night, we moved my sewing table to the west side of the studio space where there was better lighting especially during the daytime, the east side of the studio has a cave like feeling.

Lots of lovely natural light!

Some natural dyed WIP's on my sewing table.





WIP - Bin

WIP - Stitched up this small bin piece after I rearranged the studio this evening.

Mark Making with Nature DVD & eBook Christmas Special!!!

Mark Making with Nature

Christmas Special!!!

Mark Making with Nature DVD and e-Book Combo Pack

Retails for $89.00+$4.95 shipping

$60.00 + $4.95 Shipping World Wide!

For 48 hours only!!!

Sale Ends on Christmas Eve at 6pm

(US Central Time)

Silk Carrier Rod Stream Update

After reviewing my last live stream, the one where I was constructing a silk carrier rod cuff, I've decided to redo that stream.  Why?  It's just too painful to watch!  This time I plan to record it and not worry about doing the recording live, and it may come in multiple segments so that I get the camera in the correct position.

More later from the wet studio :-)

The Wall

As an artist have you and your artwork hit "the wall" yet?  More thoughts on this one tomorrow.

Some Thoughts on Teaching 120811

The reason I teach technique only, instead of teaching exactly how I create, is so that the students vision is extracted into the work, NOT mine.  The approach I have taken to teaching has led to frustrations in my classes and workshops, I just recently realized this from a discussion with a former student, because many do not realize that their inner vision deserves a voice.  She revealed that she took the class, a mixed media 3D class, believing that she would basically be creating a replica of  one of my works "Pet Cemetary".  Instead what she got was a class where she was encouraged to draw upon her own vision, creating her own original art.  The result was after much contemplation she quit her job and is now persuing creating her own art full time. Once the inner vision was revealed it could no longer be kept silent.

So on behalf of those of use who have barely influenced you, we may have influenced you far greater than you'll ever realize.  The teachers I've had, in the past be it at the university, in workshops, etc., that I now respect the most are the ones that demanded that I draw on my own vision, not theirs.  The teachers I respect the least are the ones that demanded that their way was the only correct way.

Is it All the Same?

If you have stopped recently and suddenly realized that everyone else around you is creating works that are similar or almost identical to yours remember this:

There is nothing new under the sun, only your interpetation of the sun makes it different. 

Others may be creating nearly identical but their intent will NEVER be the same, the true art lies in pushing a piece as far as you can and knowing when to stop.

Barn

“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who... transform a yellow spot into the sun.” Picasso

More about this later I have some thoughts I'm compiling about teaching, and why I teach the way I do - I teach techniques and I teach the student how to bring out their inner vision, I do not teach students how to create artwork just like I do through those techniques.

More Trees

WIP's more Ghost Trees

Constructed Cloth from Silk Carrier Rods

I'm thinking of reshooting this video!

Solo Show Installed

For some reason I forgot to take a photo of the entire display, will try to remember to do so when I take the show down the end of January 2012.  Over all I'm very happy with the way the pieces look, I have to give credit to Diane Hall for hanging the pieces, I would have hung them in a straigh line and well that's boring!

Rivers and Trees Solo Show

And decided to take my three Wild Flower pieces along with since there will be extra space in the display case at the education center.

Mark Making with Nature eBook Package - Cyber Monday Sale

Mark Making with Nature eBook Package - eBook

Cyber Monday Sale

$30.00

Progression - Poppie Sketches

Now to add a little bit more background color and texture and then to finish the edges.  As you can see I need to update my sketchbook sketch of the poppies as well.  I started this small piece way back in 2009, I may finish it yet.

WIP - Poppies

From this...

To this... the flowers need more stitching.

4x6 inches

painted timtex and natural dyed silk fabrics

free motion embroidery

Bins in Blue No. 1

Available in my store.

Rusted Silk Carrier Rod Cuff

Rust dyed silk carrier rods made into a constructed cloth cuff, now to add embellishments.

Bi-Focal Adjustment

It's taking some getting used to, today I put on my cheater glasses thinking things would be much better only to discover how bad those cheater glasses really are!  I officially have "Elder Eyes".

WIP - Untitled Vine Piece - 112311

I finally figured out what it was that was bugging me about this piece and I concluded, this morning that I was getting way to literal with the vine interpetation.  So back to the drawing board and time to remove some stitching. 

WIP - Untitled Vine 112211

The hand stitching to the far left is bothering me, am setting the piece aside and will pick it up again in the morning, maybe I won't feel so froggy in the am.

WIP - Untitled Vine Piece 112111

Now with more stitching, I'm thinking I seriously need to go dimensional with it though using coils, etc.

Vine Piece

From this

to this.

Now to dye some more threads and yarns tomorrow for additional vines. 

Not Convinced

I stitched the flax down and now wish I had not done so, I was hoping to capture a creek here locally that has several ox-bows coming off of the main stream.  I may cut some back, may add some hand stitching not sure yet.  Thinking.

Studio Update 110811

I still need to clean out the hutch, paint the inside, and then load my painting and drawing supplies and still life goodies. 

Studio Redux 110211

Working on the drawing/painting space portion of the studio. I still need to move the canned goods out of the hutch and then paint the inside of the hutch a hot carnation pink color!

From peach to black in less than 30 minutes!  The hutch is the future home of my painting and drawing supplies, along with still life objects and inspirational items.

Rivers and Trees

Getting ready for my upcoming solo show at the Grimes Farm Conservation Center, Marshalltown, IA.  I will be showing my Ghost Trees Series and my Blood River Canyon Series.

Paint Layer No. 1

In progress new deep face frames for my artwork.

New Frames - In Progress

John set up some stations for me, with lots of clamps, so that I could sand the frames and quickly.  Tomorrow they will be painted, right now he's sanding them with 220 grit paper for the final finish, I sanded them earlier with 120 grit.

11x14x2.75 inches each
Poplar

Mark Making with Nature DVD

Just a few copies of Mark Making with Nature DVD left.

Getting Plastered!

Am streaming live tonight at 9pm Central - http://www.ustream.tv/channel/plastered-and-waxed  Plaster, Earth Pigments, and if I have some time will add some wax to some of the pieces.  Come on by and chat a bit while I experiment in my studio!

Book Sale

As I finalize my new studio space, aka the former living room in our house, I am unpacking the last of the boxes.  In those boxes are left over books from my retail shop I closed a few years back.  Over the next few days I'll be listing these books for sale on a new page I created here on my blog, see the "Products" tab.  I also have a few knitting needles left and I plan to package those up into lots and sell them by the lot.

If I can get it all figured out I'll be adding PP buttons!!!

Solo Show Hung

Hung my solo show in the "Ding Darling" Gallery at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge Center today.  It looks great, there will be info sheets hanging between the large panels.  It took us, Doreen and I, an hour to hang these panels.

I can see I need to work on my hanging mechanisms, it's picture wire on the back but for some reason they really lean forward.

Knowledge and Sharing

Knowledge is for sharing but remember some of us work VERY hard to provide this information so please give credit where credit is due!

Fields Series Solo Show

Spring

Summer No. 1 and No. 2

My "Fields" series was accepted by the staff at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge, in Prairie City, IA, to hang from October 1 through the end of November. I cannot wait to see all 22 pieces hanging again!!!

Peter Irniq Installing Inuksuk

City Employees drilling holes into the stones so that large screws and rods can be inserted into the stones.

The Artist

Peter Irniq Installing Inuksuk at Brookside Park, Ames, Iowa.  Peter will be giving a talk tonight at the Ames Public Library. You can read more about the project here.