WIPCrow Storm Redux

More layers of paint, texture, pattern, and crows to come!

WIP Crow Series

These are a little on the dark side color wise but I will lighten them up here in a bit.

They 

Acrylic on raised baltic birch raised panel frames.

60 Day Crow Challenge

It was suggested that I should start a 60 day challenge since I couldn't find one that was theme specific (thank you Jody Lund) I will be drawing Crows and Ravens (Corvus sp.). 

How many of you would like to participate with me in a 60 day bird/crow challenge, this means one bird/crow a day for 60 days.

The birds/crows can be drawn, painted, stitched, sculpted (if you are so inclined), digitally manipulated OR you can write about birds/crows everyday for 60 days.  Interested?

If I get 10 or more peeps interested I will start a facebook group for the challenge.  I will be starting tomorrow as I am getting ready for an Open Studio Tour, October 4th, and want to have some fresh birds to offer up for the tour.

Solo Show at the Sanford Museum and Planetarium

The wall!!! I have a variety of styles per say in this show, Mixed Media Fiber in the form of the niches, Paint in the form of the acrylic painted panel frames, and Encaustic in the form of the smaller encaustic paintings.  The theme is Queen Anne's Lace and Crows, so there is some consistency.

This is the only close up photo that didn't end up blurry, I will have to take new photos when we go up in a month to take the show down!

Stop by and check out my show, be sure to sign in and let me know you stopped by!!! My show runs the month of May at the Sanford Museum and Planetarium in Cherokee, Iowa!

Getting There

It's the journey, not the destination!

In Progress and now with more paint.  I need to make up the glaze for the left hand side of each panel, and then I can start adding the queen anne's lace and crows to the right hand panels.  I may change the color of panel No. 6 add more pinks and yellows.

Bonus I found these six narrow panels while looking for another small sample panel, stay tuned!

Queen Anne's Lace No 4 & No 8 in Progress

No. 8 on the left and No. 4 on the right, both of which are upside down.  I love the orchid interior that's framed with the gold metallic paint.  I will create a panel for No. 8 this evening.

Also on my desk Queen Anne's Lace No's 4-6 which I'm hating at the moment, but will continue to push until I'm in love with them.  Acrylic paint on baltic birch raised panel frames 8x8x2 inches.

One of those Moments

When I decided to lose the red.

And was oh so glad I did!  More later am off to look at my embellishments cache while the first layer of gold paint dries.

WIP Queen Anne's Crows No0 1

I have to admit while I really like the half and half harlequin coloring of this particular niche it's really rocking in metallic gold paint!  I need to add a second coat of paint and then when it's dry enough buff on some metallic black gold wax.

I will add purple to the back of niche (inside) and I think it's pretty much done.

Queen Anne's Crow No 4

Now with a base color of white. The central panel has been wrapped with plastic wrap to protect it from my surfacing endeavors.  Touching the work has finally moved me beyond my stuck place, I'm now getting to know each personally.

Some Bird Art

Little medallions with featuring Black Birds in Tree, alcohol inks to the left, shiva paintstiks to the right (prussian blue)

Experimenting with copic markers and gelli pens on scrap booking paper.  Barely noticeable at the bottom are three of the washi tapes I purchased last weekend.  This will probably end up as the cover for my "new to me" journal.  Crow is from my Three Crows Stencil.

More birds to come, I'm working on a major project (all new work for an upcoming solo show) the big reveal will happen and soon, until then here's my latest samples to see how the various mediums work with the stencils.

Creating a Strategic Objectives Journal for 2014

Am working through Lisa Sonora Beam's "Creative Entreprenure" book again, last time was 2008/09, and am now just creating my Strategic Objectives Journal.  I have to say this has been a lot of fun this time around, it especially helps that I now understand most of what she discusses, this due to five years of reading and researching how to run a business. (Raven Stencil available soon!!!)

And what would a journal be if I didn't personalize it with my own artwork?  Blackbirds in Tree from StencilGirl Products stencil with FolkArt Indigo paint for the first layer of this journal section.  I found these old manilla folders in hubs office, when I say old we're talking 30-40 years old here, and am repurposing them for my new journal. 

How I dealt with the uneven edge of the manilla folder, I simply placed a piece of old reciept journal paper under the folder edge. 

The journal paper freshly stencilled.  I'll add more layers to this piece of paper and glue it inside of the journal somewhere.  More later, I have more birds to paint now that the first layer has dried, while I think about my objectives.

Crows Stencil is Here!!!

And I'm already having fun!  If all goes well I will be getting my screen printing table cleared off and will use the stencil with natural dyes and earth pigments on fabric! 

Acrylic ink and alcohol inks on watercolor paper.

Until then I shall finish my this Harvest piece I started way back in September. 

More Queen Anne's Lace

I have a few more to make but had to stop for the day, I printed more fabric (birds) and it won't be ready to use until tomorrow afternoon sometime; I'm working on my new Natural Dyeing App while I wait on the fabric.

Coming Soon!!!

Pink Crow - Coming soon... it's been a steep learning curve, coming this far with digital technology, but it's been worth every hair I've pulled out along the way!!! 

Journal page from 2010

Journal and fabric page form 2010

More Crows

I stitched the digitally printed silk organza net to painted timtex, lesson learned the pink is way too strong and overpowers the digital print.

Backside of the digitally printed bird, the sad part is the brighter pink side was on the back side not up against the printed fabric.

Making Crows

Digitally printed silk organza fabric layered atop painted timtex.

It's best to stitch all of the finer bits of the bird before cutting out the shape, otherwise those bits will be damaged by the presser foot.

Cut away the excess fabric/timtex before cutting out hte final bird shape.

Trim away the excess threads for the final bird shape and add additional stitching if needed.

I still need to add the eye.

Auditioning the crow to see how it looks in the niche.

A closer look.

Barbed wire detail, backed with a piece of watercolor paper painted with gouache, watercolors, and ink.

Digitally printed silk organza fabric, machine stitched, aurifil threads.  Natural dyed silk organa, painted timtex, wooden clock body, and barbed wire.

Queen Anne's Crows

Queen Anne's Crow's available in my store.

Digitally printed cotton fabric, painted timtex, machine stitched.
Size 7 7/8" x 9 7/8"
Matted and framed to 11x14x2 inches

The Crows are Back

Crow Ornaments

My inspiration bird a raven that was sitting on my grape arbor this summer.  We don't get many ravens here, mostly crows, and I was really happy to snap his pic before he left.

Needle felted black merino wool and blue calypso angelina fibers made into a constructed cloth.

The same black needle felted wool and the back side of the angelina cloth which consists of black shred and forest floor angelina fibers.

ATC constructed of peltex, double sided adhesive, with kona PFD fabric, bird body consists of black merino felt, and the wings I made of layers of angelina fibers. 

The back side of the crow ornament I will cover it with vintage black german glass glitter when I'm finished with the stitching.  The backround colors are from Tsukineko Walnut Inks - Cherry Blossom and Adirondaks Inks - Butterscotch.  I made the card during today's live Ustream  You can view the recorded video at my Ustream link, click the previous link or do a search for kbaxterpackwood!