Sun and Rain

August already, in fact well into it.  I'm slowly working away, finishing some things, starting new pieces and still on hold with others that I am trying to figure out how to complete.  My show at AVA is just  two months away and I am hoping to have some more three-dimensional pieces to add to the mix.

Meanwhile Lisa, my artist friend in Sydney, told me about a book art show that was asking for submissions.  I'm quite pleased to be juried in, so now need to figure out how I will send the work so it arrives in time.  One thing to apply, another entirely to get it there!

I have completed the bees wax hanging piece that seems to do best in a window so the light can shine through:

This umbrella, made on the frame of a Korean paper umbrella, was challenging logistically to put together, but I think is fun!  Unfortunately it won't collapse and certainly shouldn't experience any rain in its lifetime.

Moth Southeast Asia - black clayboard engraving

Here is the first in a series of 5x7 black clayboard engravings I will be doing with the theme of butterflies/moths. 

Bees and Teas

I have recently been working with tea sacs, experimenting with ways to transform them into little pouches to hold my California pine needles.

Most of the energy has gone into filling them with various patterns created by the pine needles, then covering the sacs with bees wax.  That done, I punch holes in each sac and tie them together with red thread.  The bees wax creates a lovely finish that also strengthens the paper, so the bags will be able to form a sort of hanging curtain, once assembled.  So far, so good.  I'm not sure how big I can go without having problems with spacing, but I can surely stop at any time.  Here is the piece on my work table:

Summer Studio and Gallery

It's been a lot of work but now I think I can say the Summer Studio and Gallery in our barn/garage is just about complete thanks to my dear husband who did all the cutting, nailing and painting!  Thank you, Rick....

We used homosote panels painted dark brown to hold smaller works....

When the doors are open, the space is filed with north light--a perfect spot to finish plein aire paintings....

Smaller, unframed pieces reside in bins....

And I found a great old drawing table at a used furniture store--with a bit of sanding it's perfect....

Just a few more finishing touches and we'll be finished.  Then, we'll have an opening and you're all invited!  If you'd like a personal preview, just email me and we'll set it up!

Book Art and......

It has been a long time since my last post.  Life in and outside the studio has been busy and I've been preparing work to enter into local shows.  At last the long book made with round teabags is complete.....I've called it "The Book Worm."

The other book, made with tea sacks kindly supplied by Laura at Mon Vert Cafe, is also finished.  I've titled it "Reading Tea Leaves."

Combining printmaking with the teabags inspires me, so I've experimented with teabags on paper, using an old woodcut as an overlay.  I'm not sure where this could take me:

Also interesting has been to introduce beeswax with the work.  My brother Greg in California has sent me long pine needles that are filling tea sacks.....I then seal the sacks onto canvas with the beeswax:

Today I tried painting the filled sacks with beeswax, then stacking the bags on top of one another.  There seems to be a lot of opportunity to play with different combinations and configurations of wax and the bags, so I imagine I'll spend some time exploring this option over the next days.

Re-Working the Packaging for my Floral Line

My floral series of coloring pages have been packaged in a black case.  It looks elegant but doesn't show up well in shops so I've re-designed them with color.  You should see them in my venues in a couple of weeks when they are back from the printers.

A New Set of Coloring Pages

I've just finished the cover layout for Set 3 in the Mandala series of my adult coloring pages.  If all goes well with the proofs, I will be printing these and offering them for sale in a couple of weeks.