While drinking our coffee on the patio this morning there was a song of birds chirping accompanied by buzzing of bees. The pokeberry and basil in bloom were the concert hall. I love the play of color with the lime green and white of the basil juxtaposed to the dark green and red stems of the pokeberry. Soon there will be enough berries for dyeing.
the basic shapes and values are fused to the base fabric. Now I will put some accents with textile paint on the water and put a simple shape for the heron in place. Tomorrow the painting with thread will begin. Then the piece will really come alive.
I recently purchased this large heavy easel at a thrift shop. I can lay it nearly flat to press fusible shapes down, then stand it up tp take a good look. It has worked perfectly for this piece.
I thought you might like to see how this reproduction commission is coming along. Supplies are gathered, the studio is clear of other distractions and it was time to start.
I printed a photo of the quilt then using a marker, I outlined the shapes for the cartoon. This was so I could project it onto my base cloth with my Artograph. This tool made this task easy peasy. You can see the cartoon on the right and the projected image on the cloth. The exception is all the tiny pieces that make up the leaves. There is so much stitching it was hard to find where one fabric started and the other ends.
I will trace the shapes onto Steam a Seam. After fusing to the fabric the shapes will be cut out and fused to the base. This is so different from the way the original was created!
Taking time to clean and toss/giveaway in the studio that will make my life easier. While in Alabama last winter a trip to the Habitat for Humanity Restore yielded commercial dishwasher cup trays for $1 each. They made perfect units for my large cones of thread.
My next addition is purely for my comfort. Sold for home manicure and hand treatments, it is wonderful for my arthritic hands after stitching. The heat is adjustable. I slip my hands in the pockets , relax and enjoy a little quiet time.
Its time to finish a few pieces to jury and the commission for White River Hope is coming along nicely.
JP Dawes Contemporary Artist 