On Sunday I spent 6.5 indigo dying silk scarves! I learned the process from Kelsey at Viola Textile Studio - http://www.violatextiles.com/ a few weeks ago, and thought they would make great Christmas gifts. It was a long, MESSY process, but they turned out great! I’ll post another photo of how they turned out individually when I am finished ironing them.
New Quilt!
Finished this strip quilt a few weeks ago. In true strip quilt fashion, I did not purchase a bit of fabric for this one- 100% scraps!
Kitty Commission
I finished this very sweet kitty commission last night! She's a cutie.
ETSY UPDATE!
I officially opened an etsy store last week! I will be selling prints of all the birds, flowers, and National Park landscapes I have been doing. Please check it out!
www.etsy.com/shop/PrettyOutside
Quilt painting
For this project, I wanted to bring the traditionally feminine art of quilting into the patriarchal tradition of abstract expressionism. Long before women could vote, they inserted their political opinions into quilt designs. This log cabin quilt pattern became popular in the 1860s as a way to show support for President Lincoln, who was born in a log cabin.
Irises- Done!
Here's my new iris painting and a few of the steps along the way. It's going to my Grandmother who just turned 90. I hope she loves it! I'll post another picture when it is all framed.
Irises- Work in progress
Last Sunday my dear sweet grandmother turned 90. I noticed that she has too much blank space on the walls at her assisted living apartment so I am painting some irises for her- she loves flowers. I probably have one more 3 hour session to finish this up. The is my second attempt at an acrylic painting so I am still getting to know my new paints. I love the freedom of fast drying paint! But I do miss the nice glazes and the truer color I get from oil paints. We will see where this takes me!
More quilts. A Feminist Flag.
This new work references Jasper John's "Flag", adapted to refrence the feminist craft of quilting.
A Feminist Flag- Cotton fabric on canvas, quilted.
New work: feminist quilts
Quilting is both distinctly feminine and distinctly American. The earliest quilts were strictly utilitarian; their primary purpose was to provide comfort and warmth for its recipient. Gradually, quilts also became an important outlet of artistic expression for the women who made them. They are an ideal medium for producing works of art which are reflections of modern society and political climates. Because quilting has traditionally been “women’s work”, the discipline has not yet been fully accepted as fine art. This new work challenges this notion.
A Woman's Work. Cotton sewing scraps from my mother and grandmother, acrylic paint.
a lil commission
These birds ive been working on caught the attention of a client and I was commissioned to paint another blue bird. He will be flying off to NYC later this week!
My second crow!
Pen and ink and a little watercolor.
North American Crow
There are two crows who live behind the visitor center of Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site that I see every Sunday while I volunteer. Here's one of them.
Common Starling
I just cant stop painting these birds! This one is a Common Starling.
Bugs!
Last month a previous client saw my daily drawing of a honey bee and commissioned me to draw him a slightly larger honey bee and black carpenter ant. I really like how they turned out!
Another Eastern Bluebird!
My grandmother collected Eastern Bluebird figurines, I do not think it's a coincidence that I have painted more of these than any other species.
American Robin
If I think about what birds I see most often, it is a tie between the American Robin and the European Starling. I guess next up is the Starling! I had a good time drawing the feathers on this Robin while watching the new Queer Eye on Netflix.
Eastern Bluebird
My vision for my project is to draw/paint bird species I come in contact with on my daily life. Not bird watching birds, just the birds that live near my home and work, etc. The Eastern Bluebird is the Missouri state bird but more common on the western side of Missouri, so seeing them in St. Louis is always a treat.
Blue Jay #1
Lately I have been tying to pay closer attention to the species of birds I see on a regular basis. I often seen two blue jays hanging out on the cedar trees in the employee parking lot at work in the mornings. It's always such a treat. These old friends deserved to be commemorated with their own portraits. I really wanted to show their personalities, as they are always super playful and active.
George
George was named after his owner's favorite Beatle and is a very cute boy.
Rock Pile!
I loved the Joshua Trees but even more I loved the gigantic rock piles. Had to start this one on site and finish 'er up in my friend's kitchen in Los Angeles. Never ideal but better than nothing! I can only fit three more drawings in my panorama sketchbook, I wonder where they will be!
