Summer Breeze, Finished??

I learned a few things with this piece. I don't like it as much with the soft watercolor edges trimmed off - and it's the canvas I used for a background - it gives the finished piece a rough texture that is the opposite of watercolor softness. I didn't see this until I trimmed it, but it's done and I'll make the best of it. I'm also wondering if it needs some "sparkle" - think I'll bead the centers of the flowers for sure and maybe even couch some gold thread along the binding.

Summer Breeze, phase 2

Obviously, I don't work very fast! I finally sat down to fill in the grass detail this morning, using two different colors of variegated green thread, and I think I like it!

Summer Breeze

Today I am beginning a new piece that has been in my "to do" pile for awhile. I read an article in QA about thread sketching an outline and filling in with watercolor pastels (too long ago to give credit where credit is due, sorry!). I also feel a bit like I'm lifting the idea from Fannie Narte, whose work often has this same soft look. This is canvas. I thread sketched the central flower then used black resist on it and on the background flowers. It needs refinement and detail - I'll let it set a bit and see if I want to thread paint details or use watercolor pencils ... or both!

Gone, Finished!

Got my registration number, made the label and GONE is ready to go. The binding went on smoothly, but there was an unfortunate color change at the join - I'm tempted to use a little black water color to make it less obvious.

I like to make my labels special too, so I used the tree and some of the background color.

I'm not sure I like the thread effect as much as I thought I would - might have been better with a thin poly black, but it is what it is. I do really like the two extra tiny footprints, though!

All that is left now is to square it up and bind it. I'm going to use the same hand dye black that I did for the trees.

Gone, Artist's Statement

I really find it useful to blog about a piece, mainly because seeing the picture or scan online can give you perspective that having it right in front of you doesn't. Staring at it just now, I wrote the Artist's Statement, which will hang next to the piece - should it get juried into Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope.

In a world suddenly awry with foreboding shapes and colors, the dementia sufferer wanders; looking for something familiar to anchor himself to. As his path gets more and more frightening, he is slowly gone, unreachable, and finally, lost forever.

Gone, Stage Three

Back to the scanner today since I fused everything down yesterday. Next step is to thread paint the trees with this fab variegated black thread I found in the Superior Thread booth at Rosemont last month. This will give the bigger trees some texture and fill in the branches on all of them. Think I'll add one more tiny set of footprints too.