Creating a Slideshow for Zoom

Each day during this global pandemic is a challenge. While not one thing is major, I try my best to have useful days.  I keep a daily account of the things completed, small and some more time consuming.  

Today I played with creating a simple slide show of the progression of art work and the it's different stages.  The work called Dreaming M.C. can be seen in an earlier post.

Fun to try something new.

Dreams of M.C. Escher

 Daily chores such as dishes and dinners turn mundane and repetitive in days of sheltering at home.  When I am quiet and focused, I become thankful for more time to art and more time to reflect.  Finishing old projects gives a feeling of accomplishment.  Beginning new projects, exploring new ideas adds purpose and confirms a need to create.

The latest challenge completed for a SAQA Entry Regional Exhibition: Artists in Residence: Sheltering in the Time of the Pandemic is a 12 by 12 piece titled "Dreams of M.C." The show is scheduled to open at Blue Line Arts, 405 Veron Street, Roseville, CA on November 20, 2020, closing January 2, 2021.

The piece was a combination of ideas ... a photo of my hand printed on fabric and free motion stitched, a block derived from an vintage textile pattern, old linen rusted and used to piece the block.  Hand stitching finished the quilting of the piece. The concept of incorporating a hand within a hand stitched piece was begot from a SAQA challenge of what we do when shelter at home during a world pandemic.  I am doing more art and taking time to explore hand stitching. It is a slower process.

 

While I miss friends and family and weekly groups,  Zoom has become a saving grace.  The technology keeps me in touch with art groups and meetings.  Our guild, Desert Quilters of Nevada, recently offered a live zoom course on-line. The advantages of having fabrics, sewing machines, and notions outweighed not having a class at all.  When creating or learning something new, I revert to my introvert self.  The quiet of my own space worked great for me.

Mel Beach was our instructor.  She is well versed in Zoom technology and was prepared with examples and step by step instruction.  She answered questions on the spot and repeated instructions when requested with clarity and patience.  The six hour class was split into three hours a day, one day each week. Having time to explore the technique was a benefit to me.  Lastly, I enjoyed seeing folks I had missed these last six months.

My piece from Mel's class was constructed using old shirt material.  The inner blue triangles are commercial fabric. It measures 25 inches across from point to point. I love this piece; it holds a sentimental marker. The shirts were from my dad. He passed away years ago and the material designs remind me of him. 

I read somewhere that “the sum of your life is what you pay attention to.”  So, in these days of our world pandemic, what do you pay attention to?

Stay safe, stay well, and stay creative!
 

July Finds on the Internet

As many of us grow tired of stay at home, I have found that the time at home, usually alone, offers introspection and discovery.  I log in more hours on-line than I'd like to count looking at posts, blogs and art.  Below are three sites I'd like to share.

Katrina Rodabaugh, as describe in her own words is "an artist, writer, and crafter working across disciplines to explore environmental and social issues through traditional craft techniques."  I happened upon her blog post: 4.15.2014 - 10 Major Women Artists I Couldn't Live Without.  I revisited the facts.  The lack of representation of women artists in major venues and the importance of naming and acknowledging women artist in the development of my own art.

Forest and Found is a blog of the Studio Practice of Max Bainbridge and Abigail Booth. What drew my interest was a short film, Unearthed, made for the Pitt Rivers Museum as part of the Verve: Need, Make Use artist in residence program.  Duration: 5 minutes, 44 seconds.

Lastly for this short post, is an artist of longevity and incredible diversiy, Louise Bourgeois. Some of her work can be seen at the MOMA museum site. She inspires one to continue even when nobody seems to notice and to go big.

Parting with views from Ventura, CA, USA.

January 2020

Sunset View from the House - 2020

Channel Islands

Blessings to you. Stay safe, stay healthy and stay creative.

June During Corona

Hello ... my new motto in this time of our world wide continued pandemic is: stay safe, stay healthy, stay creative.

Isolation is feeling more isolated.  Even though many restrictions have been lifted and social distancing redefined, I long for more of the day to day human contact, the sharing of ideas, insights and perspectives.

Art still feeds my soul.  And connecting with family, friends and other makers on-line or by phones calls and text, is the saving grace.  I still love the garden and being out doors as the weather in our very hot desert allows.  The evenings as the sun sets feels the most peaceful.

I want to share a progression on the weave inspired quilt that includes a new designed quilt and playing with ways to quilt the current wave quilt.

Examples of blocks quilted by machine.  Simple but effective.

Design 1

Design 2

The wonderful world of photoshop allows the design of a quilt.  See the example below of a whole quilt design using a single block.

The good news in the pandemic is more and more art makers are offering courses on-line.  This is a great opportunity to enjoy an instructor who may be out reach otherwise (consideration given to travel and class costs).

Fiona Duthie is an instructor whose work inspires.  I am taking her on-line Ink on Cloth workshop.  We are in our last week.  I have inspired and love the mark making aspects of the instruction.

Black Sumi Ink on Cotton

Black Sumi ink on Silk

Left: Sumi Ink on Silk/Felted, Right: Setasilk color added

Felted silk, sumi ink and setasilk color

Lastly, the SAQA journal, 2020 - Vol 30 #2,  for this time in the pandemic is available on-line. I have a piece on page eight.

SAQA Journal 2020 - Vol 30 #2

Coastal Kelp - Global Warming Member's Gallery

Until next time ...
Stay healthy, stay safe, stay creative.

The First Months of "Stay at Home" 2020

We are now into May of 2020.  Stay at home has been in effect for over two months and I have found more time in the day for gardening and art and exercise and cooking, pretty much in that order.  A novel who's title comes to mind in these unusual days is "Love in the Time of Cholera" by author Gabriel García Márquez. Just out of curiosity, I may read that one again.  With fewer errands to run and other distractions, now is the time to enjoy the pleasure of reading for fun!

Onto my saving focus ... art.  For me looking at art of all kinds always inspires.  More and more museums and art venues are providing on-line viewing of their collections.  Found on-line in the Costen Collection at the George Washington University Textile Museum site is an subtle and interesting woven piece. The challenge, self imposed, was to recreate the woven textile into a quilt. First was the creation of the block. Using photoshop software, I established the element proportions of the block. After the blocks were constructed, they were arranged and re-arranged on a design wall finalizing the quilt design. 

Costen

Costen turned to grey scale to help determine the block construction

Final pieced quilt top; measures 40 inched wide by 48 inches long

Smaller projects are fun as well.  They are usually done in a day. With each completion I feel a bit of joy.  The simple things and tasks are more appreciated these days.

Crab Pot Holder; 8 by 8

Scrap Collage Card, ready to send; 5 by 7

In this time of the Corna virus, SAQA is sharing one of their regional catalogs on-line.  "Stitching California" is now available in a virtual format.  California is known as the Golden State, but what makes it so? SAQA Northern California and Northern Nevada members reflect on this question. Stitching California is the resulting juried exhibition that reveals the illusions and realities that help to define and understand the richness of the Golden State.  

Someday we will be back to a new normal, but until then, I am glad to have work in a virtual show.  The diversity of the work in this regional show is amazing. I enjoyed revisiting the venue through it's on-line catalog. I hope you enjoy it, too.
 
A funny thing happened ... in the Fall of 2019 we moved some plants from northern CA to Las Vegas.  Unknown to us a hitch hiker was hidden in one of the potted plants.  To our surprise and delight he survived the desert winter and peaked out again in the early spring.  His chosen home is among the patio pots and plants. 
My hope is to re-capture him and return him to his home state.  Until then, I truly find his presence a happy blessing in our yard.

CA Tree Frog

 Stay safe, stay kind, stay inspired!