pamgarrison

paintings in progress (still)

I'm trying to finish up a new batch of paintings over here. My goal would be to get them finished, listed, and shipped by the end of this week, but I'm not sure if it's a reasonable one...everything seems to take a lot longer than I think it will, and life often interrupts the best of plans, so we'll see. Of course, those that read the blog will be the first to know. 

 Most of these are the same that were shown in progress previously here and here. 

Some have changed quite a lot, some not much, and a couple new ones have been added to the mix. 

I'm still stationed here, on the step down between the kitchen and family room. It's even hotter in Southern California now than it was a month ago. Seems like we've had summer for 16 months or so now...

Anyway, bless my family for just keeping mum and going around the other way, I don't think I'd be as flexible were it not my mess. See the ipad there among the mess? I like silence a lot of the time when I create, but lately, I've been enjoying watching/listening to shows on Netflix as I paint. Certainly keeps my overactive mind focused on something else than the paintings...a helpful hint if you are result obsessed and think about it as you go along. I don't usually have that issue, but I might over focus on a specific area of a painting that is bothering me, or not have the patience to wait for a color to dry, so it helps. I just finished the first 3 seasons of Hell on Wheels and wish there were more. It's back for season 4 on live TV, but it's so not fun to wait a week. Do any of you watch it? I don't know anyone in my life that does, and I need someone to know what I mean when I say, "man, that Cullen Bohannon is one charasmatic character!" Anson Mount, the actor that brings him to life is largely responsible, clearly. And rapper Common, playing Elam Ferguson is another favorite of mine. I think most all of the characters are written and acted so well. I know that to say "it's a show about the construction of the first transcontinental railroad across the US" doesn't necessarily sound appealing right off the bat, but if you like good characters, I'd say give it a shot. 

Well, enough about what I'm watching while painting, and back to the paintings. 

Just like with my children, I like some better than others. I KID! I KID! Of course, like my children, I love them equally for different reasons. ;) 

These two used to look different than each other, they are getting too similar, will be addressing that for sure and bringing out different qualities I like in each. I think it's one of the risks of my working on a lot at the same time. One of the benefits is getting to express myself differently at the same time. I'm still discovering a lot about my process each time I have a long painting "session". Or maybe I should say, I'm still developing my own process of creating in this medium. You know what I mean, right?

A doing a good job of mess making at the same time....

So much remains to be discovered. Love that about creativity and making in general...all it takes is a willingness to participate, you can't NOT learn something. 

I hope you are having a lovely weekend, and I hope it's a little cooler than the 100 degrees we have here (enough already, California! Bring on fall.) 

And if you see any that you think might "float your boat" as one friend commented, I hope to have them for sale this week here on the blog...we shall see...back to pushing paint I go...

 

italy travel journal 1

Getting so excited for teaching in Italy this month! As part of our class prep, Amy and I got together to make "sample" travel journals, to provide examples and possible ideas to the students before they make their own, and for our travels around Italy before and after class. The week of class we'll be making travel journals alongside the students from the same materials in their kits. 

For this journal, I used some of the marbled paper I made earlier this year on the cover. 

When looking through my papers and ephemera, I came across this old advertisement card and thought the boot was a fun nod to Italy, so cut an opening in the cover. 

Amy gave me this pretty piece of Italy- she had two, so we each used them on our covers. 

For my back cover, I used another piece of the marbled paper I made, and the spine has an alphabet printed on some cardstock. I printed it so long ago, I have no idea where I got the orginal image, I think a font book like those from Dover or this royalty free filled book, but not sure. 

Here's the inside cover. I bought that ship bookplate, and the old envelope with Italian address in Rome, so I thought it particularly fitting to use them here. 

Couldn't resist a little pre-trip playing in the book...

I used a lot of found papers like this piece from an Anthropologie catalog, a scrap of watercolor sample from Sketchbookery class, and a piece of an art instruction catalog. 

Of course, I put in some "good" papers, like watercolor sheets and marbled sheets etc., but the everyday fodder is fun to use for a base that gets covered up with found items, photographs, or postcards. 

I also gathered supplies from my recent order from Tina's  Life Love Paper shop. I love all she makes and often miss out, her collections sell out so fast. 

She makes the coolest things...and has a travel journal of her own in progress on her blog right now. 

These are the specific items I've selected to pack and bring along for use while there...

...but I'm so tempted to tape or staple this one in right now...it is so fantastic after all!

And, she has a sale going on for a few more days...for the paper lovers out there like me...

More of my own marbled paper on the right side with a piece of doodled on paper peeking out from underneath, and some stamps, part of a paper placemat, and marbled paper all bought in Rome on the left side. 

Oh man, I can barely stand it now...so ready to start filling it in! I'll be back with another post on what other supplies I'm taking and more suggestions for students of things they might want to gather and bring along soon. 

But for now, it's back to the list of ten thousand things I need to do before leaving ....

 

stitch along

Hello again!

Since my last post was about stitching, I thought it the perfect time to blog about more stitching...

Last year I was invited to participate in Stitch Along, a recent crafting book published by Lark Crafts. I received my contributor's copy and think it's a great book for those that want to start stitching, or long for some simple stitching projects. There are 10 other stitching artists, and each stitcher's assignment was to choose an embroidery motif, and then create 3 projects using those stitches. Right away, Jenny, the author, suggested I do "doodles" as my motif...of course, me being a constant doodler in many mediums, I thought it perfect. 

My first being a little stitch primer booklet...getting all those doodles down in stitch format. 

I couldn't resist a little rhyming signature inside ;), it seemed like what you'd see inside little primers of yesteryear. 

The stitch sampler is full of pages of stitches.

I found it fun to reasearch stitches and figure out ways to incorporate more than the standard in my doodle repertoire. Of course circles...love circles. 

and lines...

 hearts...

and stars to name just a few...

all tied up in a neat little bow. 

My second project was a guaze butterfly. I did find it a wee bit challenging to work with that material as background fabric for stitching, but it was the ethereal effect I was going for, so made it work. You know I'm about participating over perfection every single time anyway.

I was able to put my doodle stitches into play, using all of them in a free form pattern. Circles, scallops, hearts, diamonds and more...

The stitch guide is included in the book project, but I also have a couple similar butterflies in my etsy shop for those that aren't wanting to go the home made gauze pattern route...

I have both small and medium sizes and yellow and orange printed patterns. 

My third project was a doodle filled arrow pillow. It might be my favorite because I just love how it looks sitting on a chair in the living room. But it's hard to pick a favorite really...

Oh for the love of metalic thread (tip: use small lengths of thread)

and embroidery...

and arrows...love them all. Hmmm, I should do an arrow on linen pattern for my etsy shop... but of course, there is a pattern in the book, and that way you get 29 other patterns and projects too! 

Feeling ready to get your stitch on? I recommend Stitch Along, it'll get you well on your way! 

Happy Monday out there, hope it's treating you well! 

 

stitching at French General

Hello there! Hope those of you that celebrate Labor Day had a good one! It was a fun filled whirlwind over here. 

My biggest activity this weekend was teaching at French General. I didn't realize that it was Labor Day weekend when scheduling my Happy Day embroidery sample class, and was so happy to find that even though it was a long weekend, there were lots of stitchers still in town. We had a really nice group of friends old and new, and spent our Saturday stitching away. I wish I would remember to take photos, but once I arrive to set up it seems that the hours fly by without a second to spare. Thanks to each and every guest that spent the day with me, celebrating the art and craft of embroidery. I brought my 2 favorite stitch guides and promised I'd put links here. 

Carol gave me the Embroidery Pocket Guide and it is a favorite, especially for when I'm stitching on the go, it's so light and being laminated makes it nice and sturdy. The Embroidery Stitch Bible is a favorite because it is choc full of stitches with easy instructions. 

I moved all my floss into a clear plastic bag that my daughter's new bedding came in. I love being able to see all the pretty colors. I mostly stitch with Cosmo floss or DMC, rarely use Perle. Just because of what I was introduced to as I went along, I have plenty of friends that stitch with only Perle, I just don't have experience with it. Even though I have all the pretty colors above, it didn't stop me from buying more when at French General this weekend. 

It's so fun to choose different color palettes for a piece, and at $1.00 a skein, how could I resist? How different a piece made with the colors above would be than a piece stitched with these colors:

Really, can you blame me? Of course, my shopping didn't stop there, I half wonder if Kaari's invitations to teach aren't partially motivated by my inability to resist her finds, ;) especially when she's just back from France!

But I showed some decent restraint I think...besides the floss...especially if you've been there and have seen all the temptation!

Now to put it all to good use....