Mixed media - Ceramics Day

Our mixed media group likes to mix it up a bit and do something different now and then. Yesterday we met at a ceramics shop and had some fun painting on ceramics. Each of us picked out a piece of greenware and then the glaze colors to paint them. We each have our own styles of working and tackling projects so our pieces vary greatly. I took pictures of the before firing pieces. I will later post pics of them after firing when the colors will show correctly. We all have our fingers crossed that what we see in our heads will translate to the ceramics. These are the last of the gals finishing up.

Fabric flowers

The Cloth Paper Studio group online is having a fabric flower swap. I thought I'd signed up for it, but when I checked the database, I had not. The pictures posted by the swappers made me want to make some anyway, but Rachel emailed that I could still get in the swap. So, this morning I set out to make some. No pattern, no real idea, just messing about. At a quilt show last year I purchased a darling little green and pink fabric flower for my hat, and I thought I'd copy that idea. But then I remembered a cutter quilt in the closet and thought I'd make them with an old quilt. Well, that idea went by the way when I reached for a hot pad in the kitchen and noticed the edged which had been clipped and then washed to make an interesting edge. Thought it would work for flowers too, so that's the direction I went. First to the drawer of fat quarters, and picked out some fav colors. I used a single piece of the cutter quilt in each one, and about 6 -8 circles traced around the bottom of my gel medium container. Stack, stitch, and clip. Sew on a button or two. How easy can it get? I washed a couple in the laundry and they really curled up on edges. Here are some pics.

Keeping busy

How did we ever find time to have a life and work a regular job? There are so many fun things to do all the time. I went out and bought a new car to replace my old Toyota Rav4. This was a great car, so dependable and worry free. But, since it passed the 160,000 mile mark awhile back, I've been starting to worry about being on long drives in the summer heat to come, with two little helpless dogs along. What would I do if something went wrong along the road and we had to stop and wait for help? Well, not that a newer car couldn't have problems - but the likelyhood is that an older car eventually will start to have problems. So, now I have a much newer Rav 4. It's quite a bit larger than the earlier version. In fact, it's very roomy - particularly in the back seat with lots of knee room. And it feels so much more powerful. AND--- the ride is so much more comfortable. My old one drove like a little truck. I felt every bump and pebble on the road. I got used to it. Now I feel like I'm driving a luxury car - it's very cushiony.

I bought it on Monday last week. I've already driven friends to Sacramento to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, to Herald on anther day with friends along to visit a friends' horse ranch, and then back to Sacramento yesterday for a meeting of our art critique group.

Linda, the one with the horse ranch has challenged us all to make some art inspired by our visit. we could pick up things around the ranch, or use photographs - anything. I started carving a rubber stamp yesterday. I'll post pics soon. I'm using a photograph of her daughter's huge black horse. It was so beautiful and majestic. The miniature donkeys were so friendly and adorable, but the horse was so impressive, he was more inspiring.

Tomorrow the mixed media group will be painting ceramics in Lodi. That will be fun since many of us have not done ceramics for years, or even decades. I probably will go to the country for the big Memorial Day celebration with bake sales, arts and crafts show in Arnold, bingo, and lots of activities.

The Gala

The art show opened last evening with a crowd of 280 people. Most of whom were wearing "Vintage Hollywood" kind of things. Any kind. We had Norma Desmond, we had Joan Crawford, King Kong, Elvis and Goldie Hawn, gangsters, kings, and we all dragged out our old furs that have not been worn in decades. It was lots of fun. Here are a few quick pics. My fearless fab friend Francis is Mae West. She could not find her mascara so she used Marks-a-lot. Yikes. I just called her and told her I read you can use toothpaste to remove it from things. I don't know about faces!!! Dont' give permanent ink pens to children - or to wild women in their 80s! That's all I'll say about it.

Using rubber stamps

I joined a swap in one of my online groups, and the challenge is to carve a stamp with a number from 1 to 9. Each player selects the number they want to carve. Then we each make 9 of them. We mail them off to Diane in Texas and she deals them out and send us each a full set. I'm so anxious to see what the others are creating. I enjoyed the #1 set so much I signed up for the next swap and picked #3 to do. These will go out in the mail next week and I'll be watching my mailbox for the envelope containing the other ones. If I get permissions, I will post them here so you can enjoy them as well.

A little free time

Now that the program is at the printer's for the Spring Art show, I can call my life my own again. Whew! One day on a break I looked into a boot that's been on the shelf for several years. "New Directions in Altered Books" by Gabe Cyr. In it, there are a couple pages of self portraits by artist Pamm O. Hanson done in watercolor on pages in an old book. She painted one a day for a month. and a few more. I really like images over text, so as soon as I had a break, I had to try painting in a book. I used watercolor crayons and water. Here are some samples done on various break times. I'll want to revisit this technique again soon. The bright one is enhanced by increasing the contrast in Photoshop Elements. The pages are old and dry and soak up the moisture immediately. And they dry much lighter in color than they appear while painting them. I may go back with some pen and ink on them.

Rubber stamps

These are pics of a few images stamped with the new ones I carved. I did the cat facing each direction. Think it will make an interesting border. Also the hats will make good borders.

Now that I see them together I think the cat is sneaking up on the hat . Perhaps there is something hiding under it.