Final Leg

The final leg towards my solo show, finishing up four pieces in the Prairie Series.

Prairie No.'s 9-12
Natural Dyes Cotton and Silk Fabrics.
Machine Stitched

I cut each of these panels off of their canvas stretched frames and cut them down to size, which varies, as I was unhappy with them.  With the addition of more stitching, and in some cases more silk fabric overlays, and then binding off the edges with zig zag stitching, they will then be re-mounted to 18x24 inch stretched canvas.  More pics later.

Journal Back Cover

Back cover of my newly retro fitted journal, and what can I say I'm a ham for very pretty papers!

Retro Fit Journal

At the beginning of the school year I purchased a couple of compostition books.  I cut this one down to 6x8 inches and then glued a piece of scrapbooking paper to the front cover.  Now to embellish the front, I will work on the back of the journal later.

Bleeding Hearts Fat Half - WIP

Fat Half - 45 inches long by 18 inches wide. Fabric paint on Poly/Cotton Sheer fabric.

Bleeding Heart Fabric Swatch

Bleeding Heart fabric Swatch, what remains from a three yard piece of fabric I dyed in 2002ish.  I started a fat half tonight in similar colors but didn't add the salt for the speckled effect.

Bleeding Hearts

Inspiration for a new series.

Harvest Series

Natural Dyed Silk Scarves

Flower Parts

Angel

Today - WIP

Natural Dyed Cotton Fabric - Cutch
Machine Stitched
Still have tons more stitching to add to the surface, and then some embellishments.
Size - smallish.

Favorite Colors

Just a few of my favorite copic colors!  The marker in the middle is the colorless blender.

Samples

Cynthia Wenslow asked on her blog if anyone else made samples, and my anwser is YES!  Consider it a hold over from art school where we were expected to make sketches and color swatches of EVERYTHING before we even made something.  But to anwser Cynthia's question... with the cost of supplies exploding I'm making more samples than I ever have in the past.  Above is a color sample of pink on black to see if it was possible, the anwser is YES with opaque pink paint on top of black fabric.

New Bits and Pieces in Progress

Spring Colors

Am entertaining some ideas!

Vineyards in Iowa

John and I went out earlish - for me anyway - this morning to take photos of a vineyard in progress.  Vineyards used to be a mainstay here in Iowa, just like potatoes and mangel beets, but alas sometime in the 60's they went the way of the dodo bird.  Ten years ago, however, the vineyard made a comeback here!  The mark they leave upon the prairiescape is unique, in comparison to corn and soy beans, and thusly my Prairie Harvest series will be including vineyards as part of the imagery!

Mini Canvas'

3x5 inch gessoed canvas with an alcohol transferred image.

Second coat of gesso, this time over the image transfer.  Once the gesso is dry I'll paint an image to go with the carrot.

More Antlers

Now that Deer Slayer is on it's way to it's new owner I am off and running with my next project.

The next project involves a gourd, pine needles, and antlers.

Deer Slayer Finished.

Silk and Sustainability

Organizing My Time

Making a new directive for myself, no more internet after 7pm!  My evenings will now be spent creating.  Ok ok I've decided that it's ok to watch Paula and Kerri on Ustream twice a week in the evenings! http://www.ustream.tv/channel/journalartista

Fabric is the Poetry of Life

Waits for spring and days that yeild blue skies and green fields instead of snow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9-pDSYPrio

DVD Availabilty

My DVD's are now available through my website, I have closed my Etsy.com stores.  The DVD is now condensed to two DVD's both sides are burned which helps to reduce shipping costs! http://www.kbaxterpackwood.com/e-Books.htm

Last Nights Desk Party

Journal pages, late last night.

Garden Journal Pages

Wet Studio Clean Up

Moved some of the paints to the corner shelves, these are fabric paints, so that I could have better access to my mixed media supplies.

I moved my mixed media bins to the shelves, who knew that having them more accessible would mean I'd actually use them!  The crates hold various types of papers and constructed cloth for using in mixed media projects.

Another view, that's Deer Slayer on the table. I need to have John create a rack so that I can put the computer up next to the ceiling, won't go under the table too much stuff there already.  Luckily the Gateway was is a rack server style unit and is meant to be flat not verticle!

Brushes, tons of them everywhere!  This weeks adventure includes a trip to the dollar store in hopes of procurring a couple of those cutlery baskets, I will use them for my paint brushes.

Ice Jam on the Skunk River

Ice Jam on the Skunk River, I managed to get down the rivers edge and was able to get some really cool photos of the ice that was bunched up. Very inspiring for future stitching projects.

Weathered Tag

I found this tag in the driveway and attached it to the trellis on the porch, it's been weathering nicely.

Late Night Desk Party

I'm contemplating the fuzz in this weeks schedule and releasing a little steam at my desk in the mean time by working in my Garden Journal!

Mark Making with Nature Book Package

All THREE of my books, Compost Dyeing and Other Fermentation Dye Tecniques, Rust and Clay Dyeing, Mark Making with Nature in one package via digital download for $50.00




Plotting and Planning

Plotting and Planning.  John signed off on my moving my studio into the Living Room, and even possibly the Dining room some months ago and I had been dragging my feet... BUT NOW I'm hearing that the rain Iowa has recieved in the last three years will now become common place and I really don't want to have to move my wet studio up from the basement every year... it's very tiring and is extremely stressful.  So, I am thinking of moving those elements upstairs and moving my design studio from the second story down to the living room and this part of my life can now exist in one room, instead of spread out here and there.  Pictures coming and soon.

Mark Making with Nature Book Sale

All THREE of my books, Compost Dyeing and Other Fermentation Dye Tecniques, Rust and Clay Dyeing, Mark Making with Nature in one package via digital download for $30.00
On sale this weekend until Midnight on the 31st!!!

Spring Cleaning

Well I'm into day two after having a cortizone shot injected into my injured right knee and WOW what a difference it has made in my mobility.  Today after sleeping in, I must have needed the rest, I decided to empty out some boxes shoved to the side in the upstairs hallway, suprise suprise MOST of the boxes were empty, they've been sitting there forever collecting dust, go figure. 

I put two small bookshelves where the boxes once lived and proceeded to free up floor space in my studio, yes there really IS a floor in my studio.  I'm hoping to vacuum that floor tomorrow!  Photos coming and soon.

Blog Look Update

Decided to update my blog look today and have NO idea what happened to my header!  There was a lovely large photo at the top and now it's a tiny picture and a huge amount of white.  Onward.

Garden Journal

WIP - Garden Journal Spread

Chipped Heart

The Crows are Back

WIP - Deer Slayer

The copper nest is installed, now I'm having problems with the abalone egg, I've tried several wrapping techniques but nothing worked in a way that was visually appealing.  Will experiment further tomorrow, will also paint the tips of the antlers.

Knee Injury

I'm STILL debating whether or not I want to go to the hospital.  I FUBARED my right knee, yeah it's REALLY bad, the pain IS incredible but deep down I know exactly what they will tell me and that is to make an appointment with my orhtopedic surgeon on Monday.  The knee is swollen like you wouldn't believe.  Please pray for Angel my sheltie as she thinks THIS is her fault and it isn't, well I was on the process of taking her out to the loo when I slipped and fell but still it's NOT her fault.  I should have cleaned up the back stoop earlier from all of the snow and ice melt but was lazy and didn't.  Guess whose fault it really is????

Copper Nest and Mother of Pearl

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone!  This year is promising to be an exciting year already. 

WIP - Crow

Natural Dyed Cotton Fabric -Madder Root and Cutch on Natural Muslin.  Mordant - Alum Tannin Alum.
Timtex Core.  Machine Stitched, Hand Beaded, Glass and Natural Mineral Beads, Bone Pipes.
Still needs hand stitching, I will work on that tomorrow.
8x6 inches.

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!

Hanging Out in the Studio

John and Angel hanging out with me in my studio this evening.

The Watcher

Because everyone should have a bird sitting on their monitor!