Welcome to my Studio!

Did you think I was just a virtual studio?

Here are my Open Studio Virtual Online Tour pics, to illustrate that I am writing and creating art from a real live studio.

Reclad dresser

My husband, Ted,  “altered” an old dresser so that it has a beautiful new wooden top and room underneath to put crates on casters. My ipod provides music, and that is one of my art pieces above the dresser. You can also see a beautiful card and book from Kelli Nina Perkins.

Upper and lower cupboards

Ted also installed a whole bank of cupboards. These Ikea cupboards have a built in ironing board in the small top “drawer.” it is very handy. The little cabinet will soon be suitably decorated. It holds my handmade stamps.

Stainless steel double sink

I am the very fortunate recipient of a stainless steel, restaurant sink. The piece of wood you see at the top right is a temporary “hood. ” There is a fan behind it, and in the cupboard is a switch I can turn on for airbrushing.

Former bar area turned to storage

What was once  a fairly large bar area has sliding doors that enclose sliding carts which I can pull out to access materials that I store there (mostly in banker boxes.) There is a light inside this storage area, and more shelves at the back and along the one side. No space is wasted!

Design Wall

When the doors are closed, they form my design wall. There is enough space between the doors so that items can stay pinned on the design wall even when the I slide the doors either way. The small, colorful plastic drawer unit houses beads.

FIling cabinet

I have no excuse not to be organized (does a double negative mean I am organized?) This large vertical filing cabinet is a refurbished one, but the drawers glide beautifully. The small plastic drawer unit holds my embroidery floss.

Work and storage table: I have two of these beauties!

IAs I said in the photo caption, I have two of these beauties, designed and built by my talented, ever supportive husband, Ted. Every layer pulls out to hold paper, or works that I am drying and storing. Gwyneth is the small doll you see presiding over the setup of a new project. She was gifted to me by my friend and fellow artist, Margi Hennen.

Here is drawer pulled out.

The table looks wonky due to my picture taking, not because of the way it was built!

You can see that one “drawer” holds a lot, and keeps the items on it dust free. These are my works, except for the small piece with the crow on the side, which I received from Carla Gordon Kurt.

My sewing area can be seen on the video Cracked Paper Quilts I and Cracked Paper Quilts 2. I will eventually purchase, or Ted will build, a more multi-functional sewing cabinet.

Fabric (or paper) storage unit

Another Ted exclusive, this rack will hold fabric or paper. He made it out of copper pipe. The noodles slide on and off as needed. I also use the noodles to export cloth to other places when required.

Below it is another refurbished cabinet.

Cabinet for sewing supplies

Ted actually burned the leaf design into the wood. The cabinet holds sewing supplies, and is marked by a dressmaker torso from my friend, Diane Jones, who lives in Durham, Ontario. She and her partner, Randy Martin, are multi-talented folks who can create everything from art to houses, and also make music at the same time. (Ted and Randy are both candidates for the Superman designation, as far as Diane and I are concerned.)

Computer area

My computer work station is absolutely integral to my creative process.

Light table

Last is my very practical light table. Ted has plans for remaking this as well ~ the different sections need to pull out because it is difficult to put the paper in properly. You can see by his other work that when he puts his hands and mind to it, the light table will retain its practicality but become lovely to look at. In the meantime, it was a mainstay in my stained glass studio, of which the vestiges are now stored in boxes in the garage, but it still comes in very handy when tracing is required. A light switch on the side turns on the lights: it is very bright across the entire surface. I put a piece of 8.5 x 11 paper on it so you could get a sense of the surface size.

The little Sony Digital Handycam is responsible for any videos you have seen so far: Ted is the man behind the camera. He has a good eye and steady hand when it comes to capturing my studio antics.

I’ve Joined the Open Studios Event!

Cate Prato announced on her blog, which is part of Quilting Arts:

The theme of the Fall 2009 issue of Studios is Open Studios, so we’re kicking it off with a virtual tour, and you’re invited to participate.

The tour takes place on October 3, 2009. I  like the concept of seeing all these studios online, and having my studio be part of it. Stop by and see my pics (or maybe a video if I can get my act together. I must say that a cold sore the size of a red rose on the side of my nose is NOT making that likely to happen. I suppose I could pretend I was doing the Tango).

We’ll be able to take a peak at studios from here, to there, and everywhere . . . while relaxing in the comfort of our own homes. Stock up on your favorite munchies, grab a drink and ENJOY!

 

Don’t worry, more photos are coming !

Are you up for a virtual MACARENA? (Some things will never go away.)

Mixing Paper and Fabric Is One of the Top 5 Trends

Cloth Paper Scissors Embellishments (Issue 94) says that mixing paper and fabric is one of the top 5 mixed media trends right now. Wow . . . and I thought I was the only one who has gone bonkers over paper quilts.

I have never been accused of being trendy. My feet have enjoyed an extended stay in comfortable shoes (no, that is not a synonym for unattractive). I would always rather play in my basement studio than go shopping. I can’t tell you which colors are in this year. Sometimes I forget to comb my hair all day. When I come up from my studio for air (or water or food), my next usual activity is a stimulating book, or an art DVD.

However, it seems that fate has, nevertheless, plunked me smack dab in the middle of an art trend, despite my groundhog-like tendencies. I do live in the same province as the now deceased Wiarton Willie. I am not a native of Ontario, which is perhaps why I always considered it a little peculiar that a groundhog could garner so much attention and publicity. Perhaps he was plunked in a trend by fate as well. Because of this insight, I shall endeavor to be more compassionate towards the trendy. I confess that I have usually found trendiness to be rather confusing: why would anyone want to dress, decorate, talk, think, or make art like everybody else? So you see my dilemma. I would drop the paper quilt thing like a hot potato, but just because it is a very popular hot potato doesn’t mean I shouldn’t like it! I actually LOVE paper quilting: it suits the way I create so fittingly, so cunningly, so perfectly. I move from process to process quite seamlessly (except for the seams I sew, of course) and you might actually catch me whistling as I work. So I am not going to allow this unusual trendiness to alarm me.

Did you know that when groundhogs are alarmed, they whistle?

Hand painted cloth

“I wonder if illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?’” Jerry Seinfield

My Quilting Arts Article Has Hit the Stands!

I have had a wonderful few months, with my work in two shows (including a National show here in Canada) , a trip to Nancy Crow’s amazing Timber Frame Barn to take a week long course with Fran Skiles, and now my article published in issue 33 of Quilting Arts! My first peek at the cover was on the Joggles website.

Autumn Equinox

Some of my friends and acquaintances are not familiar with the quilting world, and would say “Quilting what?” when I excitedly informed them that I was to be published in my favorite magazine. “Patricia Bolton is the editor,” I said, “of this magazine and another, so I get magazines from her every month. She is the Oprah of Quilting.” I guess it all depends on your quilting stripes: some would choose other publications. But I have fallen–truly, madly and deeply–in love with mixed media and acrylic products, so Quilting Arts and Cloth, Paper, Scissors really pack an inspirational punch for me, every month of the year. I feel honored to be included in their pages!

The heart has many guises

I promised, earlier, to talk about the Skiles course, not anticipating how long it would take me to digest what I learned and translate it into my own way of working (an ongoing process, by the way). It was a paper only course–no fabric involved, but the techniques were very quilterly (the spell check is letting me know that is not a real word). The first day we ripped, cut, burned, marked, stitched on, and pieced (using sewing machines) water color paper. I found it absolutely exhilarating. It was rather hilarious, however, when you’d be sewing along, and then, with a clunk, the edge of the paper hit the end of your sewing machine’s arm and your stitching line made a little jag from the impact. Nevertheless, I discovered, to my delight, that I thoroughly enjoy sewing paper.

We then proceeded, on the following days, to produce many different kinds of collage elements on an array of papers, using the paints, inks, crayons, pastels, gessos–WHATEVER–that Fran had brought (plus our own favorites), or applying those many techniques directly onto our watercolor constructions.

The results were, in a word, stunning. The class had a warm atmosphere of support, open sharing of ideas and techniques, and such a rich variety of work as each artist brought their personal aesthetic to bear on the exercises Fran beguiled us with.

I was in heaven: full days of work with congenial colleagues; meals provided by our chef, Margaret; beautiful paths to explore on the Crow property; and a generous, gracious teacher.

Direct from my design wall, before and after shots:

Ripped, cut and sewn watercolor paper

Piece after collage, paint, stamping, etc.

The Secret Is Out: an Article to be Published in Quilting Arts!

I just had a blast making a commissioned piece, but it is going to be a surprise for the recipient, so I can’t reveal it to you, yet.

What I CAN reveal is that I will have an article published in an upcoming issue of Quilting Arts Magazine! How exciting is THAT! I have had great fun relating the wonderfully serendipitous story of how this opportunity came about. So you will understand why I am hovering a few inches above the ground, these days, in a kind of haze of euphoria. QA is, after all, my favorite magazine, with Cloth Paper Scissors a close second. So keep your eyes peeled for me, and send your comments my way. They are deeply appreciated!

I do have a collection of new work well on the way, ready to reveal to YOUR EYES ONLY in the next few weeks.