Christmas is almost here

I know Christmas comes so fast and all of a sudden I need to be ready.   Since I have been doing watercolor classes, I decided to paint our Christmas Card this year.  Well, after countless of tries I was not happy with any of them. So, I cut them up and did a collage with the pieces.  Our last class in October was textures.  I tried saran wrap, salt, stamping leaves, negative painting, and several washes. I think it has turned pretty neat.

I like working with the watercolor, but find controlling the water very difficult. I am seeing some practice paying off with my washes.  Drawing seems to be my most difficult part of it all.

Now to see about printing them and on to creating some gifts. Have a couple of purses I want to make for family members. 

Another Postcard

Here is another postcard  playing with the negative technique.  Did several and I think this one was the best - watercolor does take a lot of practice, practice -- just like free motion quilting.

Latest Painting

This is my latest sketchy/painting with watercolor.  Oregon has flowers everywhere, in every town in hanging baskets on corners and planters.  I decided to try sketching these beautiful  Nasturtiums in oranges.  I am getting more comfortable with the water color paints and think my sketches are improving.

Postcard

This is postcard I did with the negative painting technique.  Added a few tendrils and some shavings from my water color pencils on to a wet surface. Fun technique.

Practice Watercolor

I am learning a new technique of negative painting, in my watercolor class.  It wasn't as easy at it looked on the demo.  Practice is key, and these are my practice pieces.  With each one, I learned what not to do and some of what do.  Composition is not the greatest, but I think planning a bit better would have given me a better perspective of a composition.  I learned, each layer should be very dry is the key to success - I used a hair dryer and I think some of the times it was still a little damp and I didn't get the expected result.  My last piece is not shown yet as it is a postcard the class is doing on an exchange, and I can post it later.  Was a great fun technique to do.

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

I am back from a wonderful week at the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.  It started on Sunday the 3rd with a Fiber Arts Walk through the town shops where I was able to view lots of unique techniques where artists were, dyeing, stitching and selling their wares.   I attended "Quilters Affaire" which is the week before the show where classes are taken. I took a class from Leonore Crawford and her painted flowers, see post below, on the 4th of July -- they don't stop for a holiday when it falls during quilt week. Also took a class with Frieda Anderson with her dyed fabric in fusing and learned some new tips for working with fusing. 

Sisters Mountains

"Alice in Wonderland" Exhibit

Quilts on porches

Quilts in shop window.

Saturday was Quilt Show day and volunteers start really early hanging 1400 quilts all over town, from porches, windows, walls and parks. I really enjoyed the special exhibit from some girls in Portland. Their group "Cover to Cover" all read the same book and then each makes a quilt for the book - this exhibit was "Alice in Wonderland". It was really unique and they dressed up in Alice style and greeted viewers.  All in all a wonderful 2 weeks in the area - Sisters, Bend and Sunriver. 

Recent projects

Painted Rose

Been a while since I have updated my blog - we are doing a lot of traveling.  I took a class with Leonore Crawford at the Sisters, OR Quilt show.  The Rose is my finished project I painted in her class. We used Seta Color and I am really happy with this flower.  I will find a background to put it on - I will fuse it - and finish it up.  I really enjoyed her class and like the technique of painting from a photo. 

"Techniques Sampler"

I have also been working on a small quilt "Techniques Sampler" that features a lot of the techniques I use in making my art quilts, including my beaded seams/panels.Flower is painted with crayons and circles are made with the Bernina circle attachment. I will be teaching it at Redlands Sewing Center, Redlands, Ca sometime in the fall, after we return home.