Valentine's Wishes

Happy Valentine's Day!

More Pods...

Charcoal, Pastel on Rosin Paper.

Playing with Pods

Charcoal, Pastel, Acrylic on Kraft Paper

Always Changing...

Under the Weather

Today nothing much got done. Seems I am trying to come down with something so am taking it easy and hoping I dodge this particular bullet.

The last few months have been a busy time. I've been in the process of finally trying to set up a printmaking studio in our storage building. It's been a major deal to go through all the junk that has been stashed in there over the last 12 years (and I'm not done yet!). We had boxes that we moved here that were never even opened. It was a eye opening process to see how one's priorities have changed (i.e. why did I bother to pack and move this stuff up here???). Anyway the process has advanced to the point I've actually spent a lot of time the last few days in the studio doing drawings for new prints.

And now I actually have heat! My DH found a very nice pellet stove and installed it last weekend so the place can now be made cozy without wearing 6 layers of clothes. But the most symbolic event for me was unwrapping and cleaning my etching press. It's a beautiful press made especially for me by The Griffin Company in Oakland, California. Now for the shameful admission...It has been also sitting here for 12 years under a bedsheet. So yesterday was all about removing the plastic and degreasing the bed in preparation for printing. I am really looking forward to spending time here.

New Way of Working

For the last couple of weeks I have been working on a lot of different things...setting up a new studio, starting another challenge piece and working on some pieces of slow cloth. Working on slow cloth is new to me. I've never thought of myself as a hand stitcher although I love the look of it. This month I decided that I needed to try a new way of working, and I have to admit the pace of making with hand stitch is very soothing. I started out with some small squares of denim and embroidery thread but found the stitching a bit tough even with a chenille needle. So I moved over to a square of muslin, no batting just two layers of fabric and played a bit with silk floss, something I'd never used before. I love the way the stitch distorts the fabric and gives it texture. Shisha was another thing I've always loved and wanted to try so I've been experimenting with that as well. But something larger is in process and I'll have to show it later when it's a little farther along.

Morning Light