These little guys will be going to the Gallery Uptown soon. I may get one more cherub done before I take this one in; then again, maybe not.
The March exhibit at the gallery is Spring Fever and it opens Friday, March 6. The opening reception is 5:30 to 8 that evening. These two pieces are going to be in the exhibit.
These two are from Pigeon Key, the Captain’s Quarters and the Maid’s Cottage.
This is the preliminary drawing for another mixed media piece. I’m not certain but I think it’s one of Li Newton’s photos. I didn’t fine this on my computer, just a copy stuck in one of my sketchbooks so I’m not sure where it came from. Li is one of my wetcanvas friends and she takes a lot of photos which she shares with wetcanvas participants. She never fails to post one or two that I fall in love with.
And another portrait. Not too long ago I posted one that I had started of my mother. This is it, almost finished….
Today I started one of my aunt, her big sister. She has been harder to do for several reasons. First, she was the softer sister, not that she was overweight, just a softer person. She was also four years older than my mother so I never knew her close to the age she is in the photo.
I’ll have to post this one on facebook to see if my cousins think I’m capturing the image. One thing that points up the difference between the two women is the tops they are wearing. Both were expert seamstresses; I know Mother made her blouse and this is her senior picture. I’d bet Aunt M made hers to and notice the difference in style. This one has a long way to go but so far I’m happy with it.
This morning I did a little experimenting with printing, a monotype print, on fabric. Here are two views of the maids cottage on Spider Key. They’re based on the same sketches in my sketchbook that I used the other day but this time on fabric. More collage items will be stitched to these.
Thursday I spent the day making collage papers, here are a few of my favorites….
Yesterday I spent the day playing with Thomas the Train and my grandson. I had to leave him in Grandpa’s care for about 45 minutes. Evidently Grandpa wasn’t in to playing because when I returned he rushed to me, gave me a big hug saying “Grandma, Grandma, I misseded you sooo much.” Later in the day when I had changed into clothes for the gallery opening last night he looked at me, hands on hips, stern face: ‘You’re not leaving again are you.” I assured him I wouldn’t be leaving until after he had gone home. Gotta love that little guy!
This afternoon I started some mixed media pieces. Several weeks back my wetcanvas buddy, Li Newton, posted a Conch Cottage from Spider Key. I had an opportunity to visit the Key with a group of artists several years back so I dug out my sketch book from that time and here are three of the cottages I sketched. These are monotypes but will end up as mixed media pieces. I plan to add collage elements to them.
First, the Captain’s Cottage…
Just one of the cottages…
And finally, The Maid’s Cottage
Before the afternoon session I was stitching.
This morning I worked on a project I started over a year ago…. a quilt/blanket. I started it as part of a class. When it was done I decided it need to be bigger since it was going to be a blanket for our bed. I put it aside but recently got back to it. Here is the whole thing so far…
And some of the newest blocks, a wonky 12 patch,
and a stack and wack that I may not use
I paint with a group on Tuesday mornings. This morning we were at the Historical Museum and one of the displays had so many choices for little paintings. I did this little sketch of one of the items, didn’t plan well because I only got one of the pair on the page.
Actually, I took so long sketching the first moccasin that there wasn’t time to do the second one anyway. I took lots of photos of other possibilities, including some potential abstracts. Still have to download those so I can’t post.
The dailies for January are done; I know myself well enough to know I’m not going to get one done every day for the rest of the year but I do something daily:paint, sketch, draw, stitch, make some collage papers, gelli plate printing so many different things. I’d love to be able to zero in on one like so many do but I have accepted that it just isn’t me.
Grandma always said “Jack of all trades, master of none.” I’ve decided I am a master at being a Jack of all trades and I can live with that.
