pamgarrison

couldn't resist

        

I couldn't resist taking a photo of the jar holding paint brushes behind the sink this morning. The light was hitting it just so. I'd go out and paint if it weren't 105 º out. Guess we're finally getting some summer weather here in So.Cal.  I'm sure the unbearable heat will go as quickly as it came and I'll be back at it soon; I'm itching to slap some paint on some journal pages in a manner too messy for indoors.

Hope you're enjoying cooler temperatures!

journaling, in all it's many stages

not much getting done around here

I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted. I feel like I've been getting some creative time in, but don't have much to show for it. A little bit here, a little bit there. I did finish a new flea market apron for myself and added my initials as the only bit of color. (photo above). And I added ties to one my friend bought at the flea market and sent it off to her.

It's been one of those weeks where everything is taking longer than expected and just making it to the post office feels like a success. I did some painting too. And then covered it all up, even though now I wish I hadn't...

All of it gone now, just couldn't find a groove...maybe next week I'll have a go at it again.  And I'll have some finished things to show soon I hope.

 
Almost made it through one full week of school; the homework and sports schedules are already tiring, but how can this sight not make a mama smile?

and just like that...

summer is over. It went too fast. I'm glad I will have the "big- crazy- summer -journal-quilt" to make it very memorable. I've recently added the word crazy to the title; I'll let you decide whether it is because it's kind of like a crazy quilt in design, or because I'm just plum crazy to take it on.  Here it is today, in progress:

     I'm still really enjoying the journey!!!

more painting

You know I can't work on just one thing at a time, let alone one medium...so when working on the baby's painting, I painted on another as well. I call this one Orange Crush. Here it is full size (30"wide x 24"tall with 1 1/2" edges), almost finished:

On the last post Tanya asked: Can I ask you about the marks on your paintings? Do you draw over your painted background with pencil before you paint it in, or is that something else added after the fact? The answer is both. Sometimes I take pencil and doodle on a layer, then cover over it with another paint level like this (on a different painting):

Sometimes I find shapes in the paint and pencil around it to bring it forward, like on the edge of Orange Crush shown below. The blue blob of paint was there and it looked like a flower with leaves to me, so I penciled that over the paint markings that existed:

And sometimes, I just pencil on top of all the paint, sometimes filling it in with paint or crayon, and sometimes not, like this:

So, as usual, I'm making it up as I go, no hard and set rules. Just seeing what shows up and where inspiration takes me. Hope that helps Tanya! 

 

something other than stitching? whaaaat?!?!

 

One of my dearest friends just had a sweet baby boy and when asked what she wanted for babie's handmade gift, chose a painting. I've been having so much fun painting with the little cutie in mind. I was able to visit him in the NICU  last week and am going up again tomorrow. I'm hoping to have the painting finished so that when he gets to come home it'll be hanging in his room. {There were complications during birth, but we all believe he's going to be able to come home soon; prayers are welcome if you are so inclined}

I don't want her to see the painting here and not in person, thus the peeks only, but the writing tells him he is loved, loved, loved.

This post is dedicated to the readers that have been missing a dose of color in all the stitching posts of late! xo