Notes From Straw Mountain Studio

: GINA " ....

2012-01-28T10:58:00.003-05:00

She only wants to dance........

"WIND IN HER HAIR" BY ROY KIRBY

2012-01-25T14:36:00.003-05:00

I had no idea........neither did he.

AN EXPERIMENT IN STENCIL OVERLAY . . .

2012-01-24T16:43:00.002-05:00

Currently "Untitled". Any suggestions?

BOX - O - MUSHROOMS !!

2012-01-24T10:06:00.004-05:00

This was a Christmas gift from my daughter! It really is a miracle to me that you can grow anything here in the winter.This is the box, and the spore mixture all ready to start the growing process......it's a bit tricky because the mixture needs to be kept at 65-70 degrees for this whole thing to work.

And we have mushrooms! Tiny little buttom mushrooms, which seem to grow very fast right now. Every time I look in the box there are more. Of course, it is placed in a very dark corner and I have to use a flashlight to check. Also, every day I have to spray it with water, to simulate heavy morning dew. I am looking forward to some sauted mushrooms!

PAGE 41 . . .

2012-01-21T21:08:00.002-05:00

"Bianca" - she owns a winery in Tuscany

PAGE 40 . . .

2012-01-20T10:59:00.002-05:00

This is "Gert" .......she rides horses......

THAT FLOATING HEAD ....

2012-01-19T14:23:00.002-05:00

It wasn't working for me! So, I added more head covering to "Lila" and some shoulders. She seems to look better. More grounded (grin) ....

PAGE 39 . . .

2012-01-18T14:06:00.001-05:00

"Lila"

LEARNING PERSPECTIVE ....

2012-01-18T12:56:00.005-05:00

Time to pick up my big girl brushes and learn how to draw perspective! I found some reference books in my art library and went for it. This first effort seems to get the idea, however buildings should not be leaning like a badly baked cake! I will get better at this......

PAGES 37 AND 38 .....

2012-01-17T22:13:00.002-05:00

YvetteMarta

SKETCHBOOK ...PAGE 36

2012-01-14T10:40:00.001-05:00

"Sad Emily".........

"PINBALL DREAM" . . .

2012-01-04T15:33:00.002-05:00

Stitched painting - 16 X 27 - gallery wrapped frame

ROY'S NEW HAT ....

2011-12-31T13:22:00.004-05:00

Which fits me perfectly ! Thanks Erin!

"GIARDINO DI FIORI" . ..

2011-12-28T15:34:00.002-05:00

Stitched Painting 13.5" X 29" Detail ....

The reverse side of the painting which shows the flowers. I need to figure out how to use this before it is covered up with canvas and framed!

"SUGAR COATED" TREES AT ARBOR VISTA ...

2011-12-28T09:49:00.002-05:00

....and it's cold ...

TRIBAL

2011-12-13T11:39:00.003-05:00

Stitched mosaic painting 14 X 14 "Tribal"

A "BLACK AND WHITE" STUDY . . .

2011-12-12T09:27:00.002-05:00

This latest stitched painting was a test to see if I could really create something meaningful without using all those colors I love. I think I have succeeded! There is a small amount of red, but it really needed to be there, right? I have titled this "Obstacles". It measures 18 X 30.

ROY'S TRAIN . . .

2011-12-10T14:06:00.006-05:00

Roy's train is now decorating the antique cherry drop leaf table that belonged to my Grandmother. It looks wonderful and really means Christmas to me. I suspect it will be a big hit with my younger relatives who will be here for the annual Family Gift Exchange. The train is circling a tiny village of houses, a church, a barn , some cars, and some buildings that reference local businesses here.

You will note that one of the businesses below is a "botique". Gotta love that!

These little buildings and tiny cars were made by my Mother and late step-father years ago. I can't even imagine how she managed to paint tiny flowers and curtains in the windows. Each year a new design was created, and many of us in the family have been gifted with a wonderful collection of these unique pieces.

My collection even includes a tiny black Amish wagon! Note the tiny red triangle warning on the back of the wagon.

Every year the collection comes out for the holidays and is then carefully wrapped in tissue and put away for next year. I always look forward to seeing them, like old friends. The past few years I have added small people, some trees, and animals to complete the village.

This is a very important tradition in my world of Christmas, my most favorite time of the year!

THE LAST PIECE FROM THE WORKSHOP . . .

2011-12-07T14:31:00.003-05:00

I started working on this piece at the Greenville NY workshop last month. I have finally finished it and stretched it on the gallery frame. 17 X 26 stitched painting. "Bubbles and Fizz"

WOMAN WITH SCARF . . .

2011-12-07T10:15:00.002-05:00

16 X 26, stitched painting. Woman With Scarf

SPIRAL STAIRCASE . . .

2011-12-06T19:34:00.003-05:00

16 x 24, stitched painting. "Spiral Staircase"

THE ART OF THE TREE . . .

2011-11-29T15:10:00.002-05:00

....Photos by Roy Kirby....

TAKING A BREAK FROM THE COLOR . . .

2011-11-28T13:59:00.002-05:00

More small images from my sketchbook. After the color explosions of the mosaics, I enjoy doodling these (while waiting for paint to dry).

CAN MOSAICS BE AN OBSESSION?

2011-11-26T18:12:00.008-05:00

I think the answer must be yes. As I was putting this one together, it began to take on the many beautiful colors of a New Mexico sunset. It measures 9" X 15". If you click on the image, and look at the 1-inch square pieces, you can see that many of them become tiny individual pieces of abstract art, complete in themselves. I have titled this piece "New Mexico". I hope you like it.

"HOTSPOTS" - stitched painting diptych

2011-11-23T15:45:00.005-05:00

Each piece measures 12" X 23" Each piece is gallery wrap framed with a pumice gel finish on the frames.

"AERIAL VIEW" - stitched painting tetratych

2011-11-23T15:38:00.004-05:00

Each piece measures 11" X 14". Each piece has a 2 inch gallery wrap frame and the edges are finished off with a pumice gel.

THE BLUE PATH . . .

2011-11-19T11:31:00.003-05:00

A study in color movement through painted and stitched fabric. 10" X 10"

IL VINO ROSSO . ..

2011-11-18T20:09:00.004-05:00

Measures 10" X 10 ". Stitched painting of a small study in color movement.

SOME OF THE CREATIONS FROM MY WORKSHOP . . .

2011-11-16T10:39:00.009-05:00

" In A Galaxy Far Far Away" - painted and stitched fabric, 15 X 23

"Hot spots" - painted and stitched fabric. Diptych, each piece measuring 11X 23.

AFTER HOUR SKETCHES . . .

2011-11-14T16:35:00.003-05:00

HUDSON RIVER VALLEY ART WORKSHOP !!

2011-11-13T14:20:00.012-05:00

What a wonderful adventure I just had. I don't even know where to start to tell you all about it! Let's start with the accomodations. The workshop was held at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn in Greenville NY. You can read more about it at http://www.greenvillearms.com/. This is my room. Very small, very comfortable and quite Victorian in all ways. How many different rose patterns could you really assemble in one room? The answer is "many"! There is no phone, no television and no internet connection. There is a very comfortable small sofa with big comfy pillows, perfect for reading or knitting. I did both on those evenings I was too tired to return to the studio. On the wall in my bathroom was a Currier and Ives print of "Rip Van Winkle's Cottage in the Catskills". That should give you an idea where I was in NY. This is the front of the Inn and my room was in the back building, the Carriage House. The Carriage House is also where the work studio was so it was really convenient. This is the Carriage House and the studio is a very large room you can see through the large windows in the front ( that used to be the carrige entrance ). The lights were on and students were often working well into the night throughout the week. To access the Carriage House from the main building you walked across a small bridge spanning a running stream that still showed evidence of a recent snow storm there.

This is a photograph of the front parlor where we got together every evening at 6pm for wine. A warm and cozy space indeed.

This photograph shows one of the 2 small dining rooms where we had breakfast and dinner each day. I love the wood archways!

And now you will see some photographs of the artworks I created during the week. Most of these are just shots of work in progress but I promise I will post them again after they are framed and ready to be seen.

I wish the week had gone more slowly as I was totally engrossed in my art, to the exclusion of all other activities. It was fabulous! And yes, there will be another one in my future. I have learned a new fiber art form that has me excited and I plan to create a meaningful body of work over the winter. You will take this trip with me so I hope you enjoy it!

HARRISON . . .

2011-11-03T12:54:00.002-04:00

GINA WITH GREEN EYES . . .

2011-11-02T16:35:00.002-04:00

I WONDER HOW MANY FACES ARE LEFT IN MY HEAD ?

2011-11-02T11:03:00.001-04:00

"Her Pink Sweater" "Mandy"

"MARIE" ....

2011-10-30T16:13:00.002-04:00

This piece was created using a series of pastel watercolor pens made by Tombow. They are very easy to work with and leave an appealing soft image. There will be more of these.

MARTA . . .

2011-10-29T12:01:00.002-04:00

AND MORE . . .

2011-10-27T12:27:00.003-04:00

"Three Wishes"

MORE QUICK SKETCHES . . .

2011-10-23T13:54:00.007-04:00

I am loving this new watercolor pen set! Just too much fun. "Jake's Girl"

"Her Sadness"

"Anna"

"Small and Lonely"

LEARNING A NEW TECHNIQUE . . .

2011-10-22T12:13:00.006-04:00

"I Don't Know ..."

"Moving Slowly"

"Don't Mess With Me "

These are small quick sketches using a series of watercolor pens called "ElegantWriter". I am really having some fun with them!

"ALTERED COUTURE" MAGAZINE . . .

2011-10-20T18:50:00.005-04:00

The newest issue of this magazine will be on the stands on November 1. I have my very own copy ahead of time because I have a 4 page article showcasing my Sweet T Hoodies. Those who follow my blog might remember seeing the creation process awhile back. It has been a while since I submitted anything to the magazine. In this case, however, I was contacted by the editor who had seen the prototype on my blog! One of my readers had sent it on to her. She asked me to send the hoodie and an article about the process to her. An even better part of this is that I got paid to write the article! Does this make me a professional writer? Probably not, but the check is sure fun!

" THUNDER" IS BACK . . .

2011-10-19T16:23:00.002-04:00

Apparently "Thunder", our resident black bear is still in close. This fresh muddy footprint is outside our kitchen door. Hopefully he will eat all he needs to eat and go into hibernation soon. Makes us a bit nervous.......

FABRIC AND BEADS . . .

2011-10-11T11:38:00.003-04:00

......are all you need to transform your journals and notebooks into tiny portable works of art! I encourage you to try this!

MAGIC AND MYSTERY . ..

2011-10-02T15:52:00.008-04:00

Recently a friend I had to leave in New Mexico trusted me with her very favorite denim jacket, to embellish in any way I chose. She DID tell me she wanted it to show magic and mystery. So there was some pressure there! I could possibly do that with paint, but fabric is a whole other story. Here are photos of the results. I think I managed it for her. Joan is a fabulous mystery writer! She has a special connection to the animals I featured on the jacket. You really might want to check out her web site at : www.joanlesliewoodruff.com/ Her six books are available on Amazon and would make wonderful holiday gifts. Books are always the right size and color you know! So, do check them out!

THE FUNGUS AMUNGUS......DAY 10

2011-09-30T21:05:00.003-04:00

I have learned all I can from our furry friend. It will be returned to the forest floor tomorrow, before it does some weird damage to the bench! See you next year! ( or your million offspring)

HAIRY FUNGUS ....DAY 8

2011-09-28T15:46:00.004-04:00

It really is getting kinda creepy! The yellow hair/fuzz is now a soft grey and the two sides are still joined up with the fuzz. I wonder what will happen next? POSTSCRIPT: Our first deer sighting of the fall season was yesterday. This sweet little one got an itch just as Roy took the photograph. After that, he/she curled up next to the tree, totally hidden in the tall weeds. Must have been nap time. No sign of a mother nearby however.

FUNGUS DAY SEVEN ....... OH MY!

2011-09-27T11:14:00.002-04:00

I find this all so very interesting! I am worried thay maybe I just don't get out often enough???

GIANT FUNGUS DAY SIX . ..

2011-09-26T18:37:00.002-04:00

It seems our giant mushroom has an issue ; it's very own fungus growth! Fun to watch how this goes. I will keep you posted on this interesting but no doubt useless information.

A CREATIVE SUNDAY . ..

2011-09-26T16:14:00.007-04:00

Yesterday Roy and I spent the day in Pittsburgh at the Sixth Annual Co-op Art Harvest with over 50 local vendors, wonderful food and live music. I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of the art/craft offerings! There were the numerous jewelry vendors but there were many unusual creations. I took the oportunity to do some networking and passed out business cards as well as postcards showcasing my artwork. It was great fun! The following photographs show the row of tents and I also had to include a photograph of one of the streetside buildings that is so "Pittsburgh". Love that town!

After we had wandered around the festival we took off for the new location of the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse. I found wonderful things for making dolls; fabrics, paint, tassels, face forms, poly doll hair, a cool stamp, etc. I also found a beautiful platter for$3. It was all great fun!

IF YOU GO DOWN IN THE WOODS TODAY . ..

2011-09-20T18:15:00.003-04:00

Yeah, you know the rest of THAT song, right? The woods can be scary and full of big animals (like that black bear who thinks our porch is his own buffet), and bushes full of thorns, and vines that like to trip you up. And, apparently our woods have these ginormous fungus things! We thought it was a lost soccer ball! It is very light, feels kinda rubbery and sounds hollow. When we cut it open (with a really big knife), the inside is sponge-like and smells woodsy. I have no idea what to do with it so it sits on the porch where I can go out and pick it up and look at it again and again. I'm not saying it is really wet here, but come on now, this thing is huge!!!

A NEW DOLL . ..

2011-09-20T09:53:00.004-04:00

I finished this doll last night. I must thank my online friend, Dee Marcellus Cole for sending me a really big box of fabulous fabrics! Some of them I used to dress this doll. Thanks Dee! Dee does some truly wonderful, and very large, paper mache creatures. You can see them at www.3dee-art.com.

So, now I am off to create another one. As with this one, I have no idea what it will look like. I start by creating the face, and the face tells me what the rest of the figure will look like. This doll measures 27" X 12". Stay tuned for another doll!

STEPPING OUT.....AND BACK IN TIME ....

2011-09-17T19:35:00.006-04:00

Last night Roy and I went to gallery museum event at a local historical venue. The Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum is a Greek Revival Mansion built by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Henry Baldwin in 1841 and is located in Meadville Pa, where I was born and grew up.

This venue was selected to showcase artworks and museum pieces from surrounding major cities. We were delighted to see an original Matisse and an original small piece by Picasso. Various well know artists from the area were also represented along with displays of historical interest, such as period furniture and tools and many household items representative of the day. I almost lost Roy in the antique tool room! One room housed several large glass-fronted display cases which held about 200 hand carved wooden birds local to the area.

In addition to the main house, the grounds are also home to 100 year old Japanese maples, gardens, a spring fed pond and stone patio.

Not far from the house is an 1878 sandstone ice and milk house and a rural doctor's house that had been relocated to the site from a nearby county village. Here you can see a display of medical and dental tools, pharmacy and early medical library books.

Roy was a dashing date in his charcoal pleated dress slacks and navy blazer. I wore a long dark brown velvet skirt, white top and turquoise and lace open tunic. Of course, I also wore some vintage necklaces in honor of the location and occasion. For some reason, I have fallen into the "Victorian velvet and antique jewelry" period of my life. It feels like I am dressing up in my Grandmother's clothes! What fun! Sorry, no photos of the dashing couple..maybe next time!

It was a wonderful event, with live music and refreshments, not to mention being totally immersed in a bygone era.

TIBETAN PRAYER FLAGS . . .

2011-09-16T14:47:00.003-04:00

The Tibetan word for a horizontal prayer flag is Lung ta, which translates literally as "wind horse." The prayers of a flag become a permanent part of the universe as the images fade from wind and sun. Tibetans renew their hopes for the world by continually mounting new flags alongside of the old.This is my version of the Tibetan prayer flags. They hang outside my studio windows. These are words and phrases to remind me of how I want to live each day. I'm not always successful but I am working on it!

MY NEW STUDIO DESK !

2011-09-15T18:54:00.003-04:00

No longer will I be answering e-mail on my lap! We moved the two file cabinets, Roy built a top from some pieces of heavy plywood in his shop, and I draped a cool tie-dyed rayon scarf over it. I have had the scarf since I bought it in Santa Fe but never found a way to use it so that I could see all the cool colors! Perfect! Yep! Makes me very happy!

"NESTLED" . . .

2011-09-07T19:46:00.002-04:00

Yet another experiment in style and subject matter. I watched a documentary yesterday on the life and art of Paul Cezanne. It got me energized to try something new on paper. This is the result. I kinda like it......in a soft and primitive way. I might try another piece......looking for improvment of course. I will share it with you when it is finished. When I look at my gallery of works on Fine Art America it looks like a collaboration put togther by several artists. Oh well, I will just keep trying new things until something sticks......or I might just keep doing new and different things!

SELF- PROMOTION AND "PUTTING IT OUT THERE" . .

2011-09-01T21:25:00.005-04:00

Self-promotion is hard! Rejection is real. But, unless I do this, my studio will fill up with stacks and stacks of artworks and no one will see them. I love creating my work, but even more, I love having other people enjoy it. So, since there never has been a long line of people outside my studio, I needed to figure out how to "put it out there". Yesterday ( after writing a letter of introduction via e-mail) I met with the coordinator of a fabulous program called "PA Route 6 Artisan Trail." After looking at my work and spending 2 hours talking about all the opportunities available to artists locally, he invited me to submit three pieces, of my choosing, to become a part of the PA Route 6 Artisan Trail exhibit. This exhibit currently has 70 pieces of work that will, over the next year, travel along Route 6 in PA, being hung in galleries and other venues across the entire state. So far, the exhibit has been displayed in three locations with an attendance over 3000. After the exhibit finishes the PA tour sites, it will begin it's journey the length of the United States for a period of 3-4 years. As it travels, it will form the impetus for the creation of the proposed National Route 6 Artisan Trail. After much thought, these are the three pieces I have selected. "Time Traveler" - wall art doll

"Pods" - painted fabric

"Bella" - paper collage with acrylic

I will deliver these to the coordinator on September 10th to begin their long journey away from the studio. I am so excited to have this opportunity and if, by chance, the exhibit comes close to your home over the next 4 years, I encourage you to check it out. In the meantime, I hope I don't foget what my work looks like! Here is a link to the PA Route 6 Artisan Trail site. I invite you to read about this wonderful adventure!

http://www.paroute6.com/static/index.cfm?action=group&contentID=13

STORYTELLER DOLL UPDATE . . .

2011-08-27T09:40:00.002-04:00

This morning I added a shoulder bag to the doll . Inside the bag are 2 tiny "books" and I think it looks really nice on her!

WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING ? . ..

2011-08-26T11:39:00.007-04:00

Well, I just finished another "storyteller" doll. I love making these, and all of them are quite different from each other. As usual, this one was made with bits and pieces and scraps from my studio. The face is polymer clay on a form of crushed newspaper and masking tape.The body is several layers of cardboard glued together, and then covered with a knit bodysuit filled with a polyester fiber to give her some softness. At the initial construction I attached a fabric loop to the back so that it can be hung on the wall.

Then came the fun parts: painting the face, stringing the necklaces and sewing the dress. Her hair is a raw silk yarn and her head scarf and waist sash were cut from a piece of brown gauze I have had for about 14 years!

Her underskirt is part of a lace and polyester slip and the design on the bottom of the skirt was made by using a stamp I had made and acrylic paint. She measures 25 inches long.

I love her! And, now I am wanting to make another one!

CAN YOU SAY "TASTY" ? . . .

2011-08-16T13:19:00.007-04:00

On our recent trip to Canada, and the fabulous day of winery touring, we stopped at one vinyard which had a wonderful cheese shop. The ladies in the shop were preparing canapes and offered up samples. Below is my recreation of the best one! The base of the canape is stoned wheat crackers (no, I am quite sure that refers to a milling process). Next is a lovely slice of Brie Cheese. Topping the cheese is a chutney made as follows: Finely dice a peach and a plum (or any such fruit that is getting too ripe). Add some chopped basil and then a bit of wine, whatever bottle you have open. Put the chutney in the fridge to keep cold until time to assemble. So, this was our lunch on the porch today. We added some wine (since, of course, the bottle was already open) . I encourage you to try this! See, the plate is quite empty! As are the glasses:)

It was soooooo tasty!

OH CANADA ... .

2011-08-12T09:35:00.014-04:00

Earlier this week we took a couple of days to go north and fell right into the fabulous Ontario Wine Country. We stayed at the Capri Inn in the city of St. Catharines. a lovely room with a view over a river (?). We visited several of the 57 wineries in the region and it was a beautiful day for wine touring! This was our very favorite winery!

Here is Roy, getting up close and personal with a vintage wine press.

Here you can see just one of MANY rows of grapes. Rows and rows and rows and rows.....they just went on and on.

All of the vineyards and their attached wineries had beautiful gardens. And, many of them had quite extensive gift stores. One of them had a fabulous store of artisan cheeses. Samples came faster than you could taste them and we came home with several pieces of speciality cheeses. Of course, the wine tastings were wonderful too and we brought home a case of assorted wines.

The gardens were so pretty I had to photograph the flowers.

At one of the wineries we had lunch outside in view of all those grapes. We shared a lobster and shrimp baguette, lightly dressed green salad and a very nice Chardonney. Best lunch in a very long time.

Roy has his hands full of cheese!

And here I am under a grape arbor holding four really tasty cheeses.

I have no doubt we will be going back. There are so many vineyards to visit! So many cool labels, so little time. It was a wonderful trip and we stopped at Niagara Falls on the way home. Stay tuned for the requisite "falls" photographs!

A RAINY WEDNESDAY IN NW PENNA IS FOR BAKING . ..

2011-08-03T12:57:00.004-04:00

Cooling on the table is a peach and raspberry tart! The peaches were bought frozen in bulk at our local farmer's cooperative and Roy picked the raspberries in our woods yesterday. I don't really have a recipe for you because I generally just wing it for these. I confess to a frozen pastry round for the crust.

I combine peaches and raspberries and some water and some sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and lemon juice. I cook it for awhile and then thicken it with corn starch. That's it! I bake it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Postscript: The tart is resting comfortably on a cake stand I made when living in Mountainair, NM where I took a pottery class. I have been waiting for a chance to use it!

THE SENTINELS AT ARBOR VISTA . . .

2011-07-31T13:54:00.002-04:00

And, there are more. They just keep appearing. I love them!

" CLEAN OR DIRTY " ....

2011-07-28T13:14:00.003-04:00

"Are the dishes in the dishwasher clean or dirty"? This happens just way too often. The question is usually followed by an inspection and/or discussion. This is such a time waster! Now I know you can buy a cute little something to stick on the dishwasher to answer the question. But, you can also make something without even going near a store. Making something without spending money makes me so very happy! I took a magnetic sheet advertisement off the side of the refrigerator and covered the right side with a layer of white Gesso. After it had dried, I divided the space roughly in half (precision is not my thing as you all know by now) and painted it in two contrasting colors. Then I drew some free form letters with a Sharpie and painted them white. Tada!!! If you have a similar situation in your kitchen, take one of those useless magnet sheets and make one of these. Fun, useful and free!

MEET JULIENNE . . .

2011-07-23T20:11:00.003-04:00

I have been making small loans to women in third world countries through the KIVA Loan Program. Julienne is my sixth business partner! It is a real "feels good" moment to be able to help other women. If you are inclined to do this, I encourage you to go to www.kiva.org and read about the program.Quoted from the KIVA program page for Julienne: "Julienne is a 54-year-old Rwandan entrepreneur. She has three children between the ages of 17 and 33 years old. She is a widow. Since 1997, she has been selling traditional cloth called bitenge. Her business is going well and it has enabled her to look after her children. She will use this loan to buy more bitenge, from which she will generate more profits. With the profits she will pay school fees for her children and continue to provide for her family. "

THRIFT STORE HAPPINESS . . .

2011-07-22T18:39:00.006-04:00

On a recent trip to the thrift store I bought this small nylon wallet for 49 cents. It is exactly what I have been looking for but, of course, it is only black! And we all know that doesn't work for me.

The inside had a plastic piece on the left side (below) that was to hold your checks and register in place. I removed that immediately as it was a bit shabby looking.

Then I put down a layer of white Gesso on the outside, after marking it off with blue painter's tape to get a sharp line.

Here you can see I painted a basic abstract design , using acrylic paints. By the way, if you are a painter, take note of the clam shell in this photo. It makes the prefect thing to put a small amount of paint in. I have many shells used for just this purpose.

For the inside of the wallet, I cut a piece of painted fabric the right size and used fabric glue to glue three of the sides. This will hold the checks and register in place.

Then, the large area on the back of the wallet is painted, also with acrylic.

There ya go! It was easy, it was fun, and it looks like a really cool 49 cent wallet, right? Now, go find one at your local thrift store and make a one-of-a-kind wallet for yourself, or as a gift! In fact, you could start now looking for wallets or small purses to decorate/paint and your holiday shopping will be done for all the ladies on your list! Go do it right now! (and then show me what you did).

PLAYING IN THE KITCHEN . . . WHILE WAITING FOR PAINT TO DRY....

2011-07-21T14:52:00.004-04:00

While waiting for paint to dry, I wandered into the kitchen and made this really cool looking loaf of Sunflower Bread. Because, since it is only 94 degrees outside today I really should crank up the oven, right? Sheesh...what WAS I thinking! It was a reflective time for me though, so apparently the right thing to do. I was thinking about my good friend Vanessa who is "all things sunflower" and I was pondering what kind of day my friend Geree might be having as she undergoes a serious surgery. My mind will stay with her the rest of the day. Here is the recipe for "sunflower Bread". If it ever cools down where you are, I recommend it highly. SUNFLOWER BREAD 1 1/4 cups water 2 tablespoons of olive oil 2 tablespoons of molasses 2 1/2 cups white flour 3/4 cups wheat flour 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed 2 tablespoons of powdered milk 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast Mix and then kneed for 5 minutes, adding flour as needed. Let rise for 1 hour. Punch down and form into a ball , dust with flour and cut 3 slits across the top. Let rise again for another hour. Then bake in 390 degree oven for 25 minutes. It smells wonderful! Now, go do something fun!

A BLOGGING MILESTONE . . .

2011-07-18T08:17:00.002-04:00

Last night while we were all asleep, a milestone was reached here at Straw Mountain Studio blog. If you look over there --------------------------> on the right side of the page you will see a small map of the world. If you click on that map it will take you to a larger version of the same map and you can see a list of states and countries where my blog readers live. Last night the counter rolled over 10, 000 visits since April 24, 2009! What a fabulous journey this has been for me. I am so grateful to all my readers and will try not to disappoint you. If I were more focused, I would post every day but that really won't happen, sorry! I do promise to keep writing and posting photographs of all the things that are important in my life and I am happy to share it with all of you! Thank you for visiting!

ANOTHER CREATIVE OPPORTUNITY . ..

2011-07-17T20:45:00.004-04:00

We have a greenhouse because our land is so very rocky that a garden would be impossible. Instead of stressing about the rocks, we decided to make rock piles; sculptures from the land that make me smile when I look at them!

There will be more of these!

"CHICKENS IN THE CITY" . . .

2011-07-16T11:13:00.003-04:00

Mixed Media collage of fabric, paper and acrylic paint. 28 " X 30" on stretchers.

I am thinking about perhaps working on a series of pieces featuring chickens. Ideas are going around in my head!

SILLY DOODLES AND SKETCHES . . .

2011-07-13T19:48:00.010-04:00

Yesterday was a wonderful one! We started at the new Hobby Lobby in Erie and I got some stretcher bars for a large piece I am working on as well as the paint and supplies I will need for my workshop in November. (No, I try to NEVER leave things to the last minute). Then we had lunch at a Mexican restaurant followed by several hours immersed in books and magazines ( and coffee) at Barnes and Noble. I got the latest issue of "Quilting Arts", a book by Spike Gillespie called "Quilting Art" and a book by Paul Hollywood titled "100 Great Breads". Nothing feels better than several hours surrounded by books! I created four sketches and discovered they are really fun! This first one I made as a cover for my journal which has all kinds of memos and notes and important information, as well as sketches and ideas for future projects. It was so much fun, I made three more. So this is the fun you can have with some typing paper, a black marker, some colored pencils and some oil pastels. I have an idea for this subject matter now that involves fabric (naturally).

LILY FESTIVAL JURIED ART SHOW

2011-07-09T17:23:00.008-04:00

Today was the artist's opening reception of the Lily Festival Juried Art show at Stonewall Gallery at Campbell Pottery in Cambridge Springs PA. This year I submitted an art piece called "A Chinese Proverb"and it was accepted! We arrived about 15 minutes into the reception and already it was difficult to find a parking place. Stonewall Gallery really knows how to put on a reception! They have the event catered by a local bakery and we are treated to bite sized cheese cakes, miniature quiches, assorted cookies, fresh fruit salad, punch and coffee.

I am standing next to my piece which was hung on matte black wire suspended from the ceiling about 8 inches from the wall so it looked like it was floating.

The lighting in this gallery space is just perfect for showing off artwork. There were 58 pieces on display and included, oil, pastel, clay, mixed media, fiber, watercolor, welded steel, stained glass, acrylic, graphite, photography, paper assemblage, pen and ink and intaglio. The art works were priced from $50 to $2000 and several of them already had "sold" indicators on them. A beautiful collection of lily themed art!

Here you can see my piece straight ahead on the far wall.

The grounds around Campbell Pottery and the Stonewall Gallery are beautiful and have thousands of lilies in bloom.

Roy spoke with the gallery manager and asked her what she does with the wonderful posters advertising the show. She let him know she gives them away to the first people who ask for them. One of them now has my name on it. I do believe it will look quite nice on the wall in my studio!

A SWEET SURPRISE IN THE GRASS . . .

2011-07-05T20:11:00.005-04:00

We discovered this tiny little nest partially hidden in the grass about 2 feet from the parking pad at the front of our house. At first, there was just the nest. A couple of days later there was one egg, about the size of a jelly bean. Then, today a second egg appeared. When the sun is shining directly on the eggs, they seem to be glowing from inside, with a very slight pinkish hue. They really are beautiful. I think it is a sparrow nest and that if she lays a third egg, she will then be sitting on them to begin the incubation period. What fun this is to watch! Postscript: This morning I checked to see if a third egg had been deposited. The nest has been destroyed and the eggs are gone. I understand the cycle of life, but it made me sad.....

MAKING PLANS . . .

2011-06-21T18:07:00.003-04:00

So much to do! This fall I will be attending a week long art workshop at the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops in Greenville NY. I am enrolled in a painted fabric workshop and my trusty Bernina sewing maching is going with me. So, she needed a new dress, right? Yeah, her yellowed plastic case has been all jazzed up! How sweet is that? I will be blogging the workshop experience as it happens including photographs. But, you will have to wait until November!

The flash on this photograph was reflection as a result of the sealer I applied after I painted.

STATE OF THE GREENHOUSE . . .

2011-06-18T13:14:00.005-04:00

Things are growing! I am amazed.....

EVERYONE MAKES THE PASTA.....

2011-06-17T11:52:00.008-04:00

Recently Roy and I hosted a pasta dinner party to share a meal with my sister Christine who was visiting from Florida. Here you will see three of the sisters and my Mother, enjoying wine and marvelling at the table of pasta we just made.

Christine and Mother discussing the finer points of something.

Roy chatting with sister Suzanne and our friend Tammy. Check out that lovely table of pasta drying. We cooked it and had a fabulous vegetable sauce with it. In addition, a loaf of homemade bread and salad. For dessert we had tiny chocolate cups filled with a chocolate mousse and topped with fresh blackberries and red raspberries. It was perfect!

INDIAN RUN FARM .......

2011-06-11T18:54:00.006-04:00

Or, where everyone goes to buy chickens: We are in the process of accumulating information so we can be informed "chicken people". We would like to have chickens to provide us with fresh eggs. We are not interested in raising chickens. So, we visited Indian Run Farm, the local place for all things fowl. Here you can see a brand new (born that day) baby goose. How cute is that!? In this photograph the farm owners were trying to distract the mother of that new baby so they could take it in the barn for safety. If left outside, it would be in danger from predators, particularly owls. The mother was not happy. She still had nine more eggs soon to hatch. You can see her nest here on the ground.

There were several peacocks, this one sunning himself with no concern for all of us wandering around.

There were several roosters showing off.

This is the fenced in area containing the Emu. Can I just mention here that they have deceptively long necks and love to nip at your arms and shoulders?! They do have the most quizzical look.

Here you can see some of the guinea hens. They have beautiful gray spotted feathers!

I think this is a rooster of the Americana breed. This is the breed of chicken we have decided to have. They produce eggs of several hues of blue and green. We shall see!

Here you can see Roy following the farm owner out to check on all the birds. All the different birds just follow along in a large flock.

Postscript: When we got home Roy generously offered to clean all that "goose poop" from the tread of my sandals. Thank you Roy!

ANOTHER JOINT PROJECT.......

2011-06-02T14:07:00.010-04:00

I have been missing from the blog and I do apologize, but we have been very busy! Here is a photo journey of one of several large projects I have been working on. After almost taking out the corner of the garage, Fed Ex did deliver three very large and heavy boxes. The boxes are resting in the cart of Roy's riding mower and they are on their way down the driveway to the front yard.

We spent a long time opening all of the boxes and laying out the parts of this mystery project! Can you believe all of the screws?

Here are some more parts. have you guessed what the final configuration is yet?

OK, this is a big clue. It took many hours to construct a very level and square base for the project. It measures 8 ft X 12 ft.

Of course, by now you know, we are putting together a greenhouse!

Roy, who is 6 ft 6 inches, has no trouble standing up in the middle.

And here it is! So several days later, and 628 pieces with an assembly booklet of 56 pages, it is complete. Actually, it was not difficult, as long you "FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS PRECISELY."

Right now we have 4 tomato plants (of three different kinds), a yellow squash, two sweet pepper plants, two different basil plants, a pot planted with Kentucky beans, a lot of onions, some spinach, and two pots of heat-loving flowers to attract those necessary pollinator insects! We have more to plant but need more pots. Since we have never done any gardening or greenhouse growing, this will be a year of learning and discovering what does and does not work. I will post additional photographs later in the year to show progress (we hope!). Go plant something!

A JOINT PROJECT . . .

2011-05-20T10:03:00.002-04:00

We wanted a privacy screen in front of the large french doors at the front of our house, so Roy made one and I added the fabric panels! We really do well together! The best part is that the panels are on small curtain rods top and bottom so they can be changed out easily. Seasonal motifs, or plain white, or wonderful large graphics are all possibilities. Yea us!

A CHINESE PROVERB . . .

2011-05-11T12:01:00.003-04:00

This is the lily project I promised you. It is a fabric wall art piece that contains a Chinese proverb I really like. In addition, it has several large tiger lilies on it, my favorite flower. It measures 23 X 26 inches. I created the piece with the intention of entering it for consideration in the 11th Annual Lily Festival Juried Art Show in the Stonewall Gallery at the Campbell Pottery Store. I hope it is accepted! The only criteria is that the artwork contain lilies. I wonder if it might just be too "me" to hang beside traditional framed and matted oil paintings. I guess we shall see! Regardless, I really enjoyed making it and discovered that I LOVE putting oil pastel colors over basic printed cotton fabric. That is how I made the lilies.

Can you read the proverb correctly? (you can click on the image to make it larger)

The juried part of the show takes place in late June. I will let you know how it goes!

"JUDE ORIGINAL" EXPANSION . ..

2011-04-28T14:55:00.005-04:00

Here you will see the newest addition to the "JudeOriginal" repurposed clothing line. These are previously worn T-shirts that have been altered , dyed, sliced, appliqued, stamped and paint spattered!

Roy came up with the name and developed the hang tag for them. I think it is just perfect!

And, here you can see the newest group of Designer Cuffs that will also be put in the Fine Gifts and Boutique. The first few I gave away (grin) to family, my willing test market.

Now that these are finished, I can return to two large projects I will be able to show you in the future. The first one involves tile and the second one involves lilies!

FROM MY SKETCH JOURNAL . . .

2011-04-25T09:35:00.001-04:00

The egret and the lady ...

AN EASTER GIFT FOR MY READERS . . .

2011-04-23T18:35:00.002-04:00

This is how I know Spring has arrived. I see daffodils and some forsythia in our yard and woods. Of course, I have strong childhood memories of it snowing on Easter Sunday morning, and having to wear that tired old winter coat over my new Easter dress!

LEARNING NEW THINGS . . .

2011-04-16T17:26:00.004-04:00

Like how to make fresh pasta! Several years ago a very special person gifted me with this pasta machine and I have never used it. Today was the day!

Here are fettuccine noodles drying,and here, served with a fabulous sauce made with fresh tomatoes, peppers, onions and toasted walnuts. A slice of toasted homemade bread completed the dish.

Very easy to do, and we will do this again! Thank you dear one who gave us this machine!

ABBY AT WORK . . .

2011-04-13T17:57:00.002-04:00

RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND . . .

2011-04-12T15:07:00.004-04:00

....if you have a naked mannequin in your kitchen! Seriously? Am I really the only one? I would have thought there were more.......

Meet Abby!

Abby.......( in all her glory ) is 6 feet 2 inches of attitude! Here she is dressed and wearing one of the Sweet T Hoodies. I think she looks just fabulous. Roy and I put her together, not at all difficult, and now we are wondering if she might fix dinner? Nahhh...with that attitude, she gets catered we think!Abby will be going into the boutique where I sell my wearable art clothing.

AND YES, SURPRISINGLY GOOD.......

2011-04-08T18:16:00.002-04:00

A JACKET FOR MY SKETCH BOOK . . .

2011-04-03T16:20:00.005-04:00

I was looking for a short but satisfying project to occupy my time while the serger is in the shop for reconditioning. I decided to make a soft cover for my sketch book! I started by stitching fabric scraps to a piece of felt, just adding elements until I liked the look. In the center I added a piece of fabric with a lion head on it, putting additional polyfil under it for dimension. This is the inside of the front cover showing the large sleeve that holds it all nice and tight. The inside of the back is similar. Here is a close up of the front, showing some stitching and some beading, the best part of any project! You can click on the photograph for a closer view.

This is the back cover. I positioned a piece of felt under the fabric and did free motion random machine embroidery to give it texture.

Now I really want to make another one! Just need to find a book I guess. I encourage you to find your fabric scraps and do a similar project. It makes it a lot more fun to carry this book around, that's for sure!

"SCOOTER".....

2011-04-03T11:41:00.003-04:00

A very young raccoon who visits us every day to eat corn as well as the seeds dropped from the Bird feeder above his head. He does have the sweetest face!

"SWEET T " HOODIES ....

2011-03-20T15:48:00.005-04:00

A gorgeous model did not come to the door so you are seeing the hoodies on hangers, outside in the wind, on a beautiful First Day of Spring. I might mention that right outside the kitchen door is a very large patch of white crocuses in full bloom! This hoodie was made from several recycled tee shirts. You can see my label inside. The hood lining was a white tee that was not very white, so it was dyed a pale mint color. The back of the hoodie has a giant flower attached with free motion embroidery. In the center is an old dress label I found in my sewing supply drawer.

This is the second hoodie make from lighter colored tee shirts. The front/top was a white shirt which had an applique on it. So, I just cut it up the center and I think it looks good!

The buttons on both hoodies are covered in matching shirt material and the button loops are made from the sewn edges of the sleeves from the shirts.

UPCYCLED TEE SHIRTS......OR HOW I LOVE THE SERGER!

2011-03-17T15:50:00.005-04:00

I had an idea. I wanted to make a spring/fall lightweight coat as a new addition to my Wearable Art line of clothing. What you see below is a prototype, using old and stained tees. It was not supposed to ever be worn. I needed to design this coat, making sure the sizes of the pieces and the overall design worked.

And then, I fell in love with it! I had given no thought to colors, just wanting to make the garment and road test it for shape and style. It is so light, and comfy! It has no closures, but just roomy and something to wrap around you if it gets chilly.

I made a basic hood pattern by drawing around a hood on another shirt. The lining of the hood actually has a pocket on it, as I used the front of a shirt for that piece. Again, I was just going for shape and design here. Now I really like that silly pocket in there!

So, the plan now is to create a number of these for sale. They will probably be labeled as "one size fits most" due to their roomy design. Of course, I will give more attention to colors! I should tell you, the white Tee I used on the bottom was quite stained, so I just stamped the red design to cover those marks. Because.......I wanted to wear it!

The front does have my label on it, along with the "Clara Bow" stamp I have used on all my other wearable art pieces. The best part of this entire project was the serger I borrowed from my Mother. All of the seams are on the outside of the coat and the serging thing makes construction unbelievably fast. Now that I have the design down, and the pattern pieces drawn out, I think I can make one in under 3 hours. Stay tuned for the next post with more photos of the next creation. Right now I am calling the line "Sweet T Original". (and maybe next time I can find a more photo friendly body!)

MORE CEDAR KEY ...

2011-03-11T16:26:00.004-05:00

Outside dining deck at our favorite restaurant.

Dock Street.

View of Dock Street, where all the shops and restaurants are.

Waiting for lunch at our favorite restaurant, "The Pickled Pelican". This is one very happy man!

Key Lime Pie for dessert. naturally .....

Shrimp Po'boy we shared while watching the pelicans.

A beggar at our lunch table.

The clam shells I saved from our clam chowder evening dinner with all of our children and assorted significant others. It was delicious! Not sure what I will do with them but it will be a piece of artwork of some kind!

OUR LAST DAY IN CEDAR KEY ...RANDOM SHOTS FROM OUR GOLF CART TOUR OF THE ISLAND ...

2011-03-09T17:42:00.004-05:00

BREAKFAST WITH THE GULLS ...

2011-03-08T10:32:00.004-05:00

RANDOM SHOTS OF CEDAR KEY FLORIDA...THE TINY TOWN THAT TIME FORGOT....

2011-03-06T20:50:00.008-05:00

YEAH, I TURNED INTO A TOURIST ....

2011-03-04T09:38:00.004-05:00

Feeding the gulls off our third floor balcony this morning. We are almost out of vacation. And it has been wonderful.....

MARKETING MY ARTWORK ...

2011-03-01T14:39:00.002-05:00

Finding a way to make my work visible and available for purchase has been a long and frustrating process. Now there is a way and I wanted to let you, my readers, know! I have joined an online web site called www.fineartamerica.com. To make it easy to find my work (since there are over a million pieces of art on the site!) I have added links to my blog. You can see them over there <---------- on the left sidebar. If you click on any of those topics you will go directly to the pages of art that fall under those specific subjects. The cool thing is, one or more of my works will generally show up on the third line of the very first page! This is a wonderful advantage to have! If you click on any of those images, it will take you to that artwork's page where all the buying of stuff happens. So, I thought I better let you know what all that stuff over there <------------ is about! I invite you to go look around. There is some really wonderful artwork to see!

MORE FROM THE SKETCH JOURNAL ...

2011-03-01T09:44:00.002-05:00

"Seeing Red" - acrylic and oil pastel on paper

FROM THE SKETCH JOURNAL ...

2011-02-28T09:11:00.002-05:00

Pencil drawing over paint ....

DOT PAINTING # 3 ...

2011-02-28T09:06:00.003-05:00

DOT PAINTING # 2 ...

2011-02-26T09:59:00.002-05:00

This is the second dot painting. These are so relaxing to do! Maybe I need to do a series? Here you can see them side by side. I only brought a limited number of paints with me on vacation. So, this has forced me to see ways to use them creatively and come up with different designs using the same colors. A good exercise for me as I tend to just pick up the nearest bright color! This is also a good exercise for me, to create a design that is really a controlled space; lines are precise and exact. Much different than other things I have painted. Yes, I now see the challenge of creating #3 using these same colors in yet another variation. Love this game!

ABORGINAL DOT PAINTING.....

2011-02-22T09:10:00.004-05:00

Recently I have been reading about the different art forms of the Aborigine people. In particular I am enjoying the many images of their dot painting. In the past, this painting technique was used to decorate their bodies for sacred ceremonies. I love how they put together certain colors and the designs that appear over and over in their art. You can read more about this at www.iconsofthedesert.com/virtualA.html where you can also see many examples. I encourage you to drop in and have a look at this fabulous art form. This is my interpretation of Aboriginal Dot Painting. I found the repetitive exercise of all these dots to be quite meditative. This is done in acrylics on canvas board measuring 11 X 14. Now that the Aborigine people are painting on flat surfaces, they are using acrylics instead of dye paints from plant fibers. Their works are beautiful.