spring?

Good lord, it rained cats and dogs last night..I guess that gardening date will have to be postponed for a while..meanwhile, I've been busy. Some gifts for some special ladies:

The color of these iris' takes my breath away. The bloom time is so short, it seems, but I even love the faded flowers.

My bible study group is winding up for the summer. A little thank you for them..

So easy and fun to make, fabric strips sewn raw edge together, then sewn onto pre-cut cardboard. Torn paper pages, sewn in, embellish, voila!

Hopefully into the studio today..the to-do list is way long, though..

stitching

I've managed to squeeze in a little stitching and sorting time..
This is a completed quilt top from Dinah Jefferies' patterns:

All of this is hand-turned applique, and it's taken me months and months to do, I always feel like I should hand quilt these, but I may be able to over come that idea!

I loved doing those ruched flowers.. pure joy!

I do still keep up the traditional quilt making, but have also worked on art quilting as well, I'm a fence walker to the end.

Here's a landscape quilt in progress:

I'm machine appliqueing the top, then I'll go back and layer hand stitching for the smaller details..

Amazing what you find as you clean and sort your stash. All of these fabrics were hand-dyed and/or discharged by me, I loved doing the discharge fabric especially. I love the result, it's the black/star patterned stuff here..

Brittania!

I have an ongoing love affair with the UK. We had the great privilege of living outside of London for 3 years, back in the 90's and I love, loved it. I drove on the other side of the road, I ate ploughman's lunches in some of the most wonderful pubs. I developed a taste for Guinness, and most of all I loved the gardens.

I love Laura Ashely, and miss her , here in the states. I know that's all out of fashion now, but who cares? The photo above is from a shop which reminds me of L.A., I would love to shop at Cabbages and Roses, I think I'd do a lot of damage there to my checking account..

I watched the end of "Little Dorrit" last night on PBS with this *ahem* actor (Matthew MacFadyen) as Arthur Clennam, sheer delight.

Oh yes, I'd have my breakfast room look like this:

Cabbages and Roses, again..

And I frolic around the garden in my summer frock, like this:

(cabbages and roses, yet again)

Back to reality, making PB & J's for the kiddies.. London will have to wait.

process

There are moments in making art that you hit the 'ugly' stage. I call it the chaos before the beauty. The background work, the cutting up of things, pinning, painting, editing. It's the stuff that needs to be done, but it's not the icing and sequin stage.


I think even abstract artist go through this. It's the stage where we all want to trash what we've worked on because it's not 'there' yet.

When I started quilting, a very wise lady said you have to enjoy the process as much (more?) than the product. I believe that is very true. I think that applies to a lot of things. Exercise for example..or art..

These are various shots of my new painting studio, with pieces of art in various stages, some in the 'ugly' stage some finished..

I love the process, at least in art-making. I like the slow, deliberate-ness of it. I was always amazed, when in art school at students who would spend hour upon hour on one painting, never breaking, just on and on.. I work a bit differently. On several at once, layer, study, let sit, dry, layer etc..

Good news as well I will soon be a member of this gallery, hopefully by May!

photos of gallery opening..

Some photos of the opening at WideRiver Gallery of my work and fellow artist, Andrea Clement..

A good night and much 'art speak' going on.. enjoy!

sketch book

I still keep a sketchbook. It's about the closest thing I get to a journal. I'd love to do the journal quilt thing..maybe the summer.. If nothing else gets done during the day, I at least try and put something in a sketch book. I have stacks of them. Ideas that will never see the light of day..

Mixed media is happening lately. These are pencil/guache/wax on paper. I wish I had Dumbledore's pensive, he pulls those things out of his brain and stores them in that magic bowl of his..

for all my 40 something ladies..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk

Watch it!

all is well.

My fabric and wire/paper/thread piece.."Paul" 20x24" mounted on canvas.. May this Easter Sunday be a wonderful one.

good friday

The Maker of man was made man, that the Ruler of the stars might suck at the breast, that the Bread might be hungered; the Fountain, thirst; the Light, sleep; the Way, be wearied by the journey; the Truth, be accused by false witness; the Judge of the living and the dead, be judged by a mortal judge; the Chastener, be chastised with whips; the Vine, be crowned with thorns; the Foundation, be hung upon the tree; Strength, be made weak; Health, be wounded; life, die. To suffer these and suchlike things, undeserved things, that He might free the undeserving, for neither did He deserve any evil, who for our sakes endured so many evils, nor were we deserving of anything good, we who through Him received such good.
-St Augustine

tomorrow!

At WideRiver Gallery in Colonial Beach, VA!!

old stuff

What is it about old things? I love them so much. Don't get me wrong, I love technology too, computer, antibiotics, feminine hygiene products..But I see an old machine, rusty, dusty and crusty and I go all wobbly-knees! My entire studio is a new creation, and I've started going though the 1/2 metric tons of stuff, and lo, look what appears! Why did I keep this? It works, but not well. Does anyone repair these things anymore? I don't think I can bear to part with it. I bent my fingers typing term papers on this. There is probably more white out than I can imagine used here! Ok, keeping it...

hosanna!

Happy Palm Sunday..art by Tom duBois

to the gallery

"Bathsheba"20x20" oil on canvas, is one of 12 of my paintings, and 6 of my fiber pieces headed to the WideRiver Gallery, in Colonial Beach, Va. for an April show! I'm so excited! Sorry this picture is bad, I'll post some better shots soon, including the show when it's hung..

Oh and I am listening to this magnificent piece of music:
http://twt.fm/15386

Lisbeth Zwerger

I realise I haven't posted about artist I love lately, so I'll mention an illustrator whom I adore. Lisbeth Zwerger is an award winning illustrator from Vienna, Austria. Her work has won a gazillion awards.. you can see why. Her whimsical style is beyond charming. I love the way she interprets fairy tales and stories in new and wonderful scenes...

Noah's Ark:

The divine Ms. Z herself:

The Little Mermaid:

Alice in Wonderland:

I love the perspective she creates, and the vast amount of space she leave blank.. you can often see her pencil marks, another something I always find charming in artwork. I love seeing the "thinking" and the hand of the artist, stray marks, drips etc..

I wish she had a website, I could not find one, if anyone knows.. let me know.. I've collected a whole mess of her books, and I look often at them for the creative inspiration sometimes..

I toyed, in college with children's illustration, but that meant and extra year at least of college, and I was ready to move on..I keep a sketch book and sometimes break the old gauche paint and ink pens out. It's charming, contemplative work..

one more

Not yet titled, but leaning toward "Faith"... still a bit more to do here..

oil on canvas, 20 x 20"..

painting time

I've been busy!! here are a few new paintings..

This is "Tamar" it is oil on canvas 20" x20"
Part of my women of the bible on going series..



Here is "Choose", again, oil on canvas 20 x 20"

I hope you are having a wonderful Friday, it's warm and flowery here, finally! I appreciate your visits and comments, thanks!

air head

I'm thinking I'm going to get a new camera. This point and shoot thing is getting old, fast. I really started to do this a while ago, but got befuddled by all the jargon..still researching this.

ANY way, here's more of that sash/sampler going on, trying to limit my color scheme here, as I tend to be a kitchen sink thinker on color..

At last using some of the miles of trim I have. As a sewer, people are very generous when they are cleaning their relatives' closets etc.. I have 2-3 boxes of trims, buttons and more seam binding than I know what to do with..

plenty of stitching going on..

This dimensional landscape is shaping up..I'm really enjoying the couching effect here!!

This primitive eagle it getting ready to take off! I haven't done needle turn applique in a while..

And this is a long scarf-strip with dyed acetate on the back, and dyed scrim (cheesecloth) on the front, interwoven with laces and floss.. a sampler of sorts..

ahh there it is, the pile of dreams!

Happy Thursday..

studio friday

I am determined to do some art today! With 1million things going on, I've lost track of my art..Ok, no to all things today but art!! Above a blurry pic of a wip large landscape, oil on canvas..50x50"

what i do on a snow day

Do I shovel snow? no. Do I worry about toilet paper or milk? no. No siree, I get the ol bessie out and make something!


A nice tote bag for a dear lady. With spring fabrics even if it's 19 degrees, and 7" of snow on the ground..

Cath Kidston lining fabric..those roses make me happy..

With a pocket made from an old dresser cloth, and a flower pin that's removable. The recipient is a gardener extraordinaire..

ok, that's what's going on here,

see, no shoveling in sight! just lots of white stuff! Happy Monday!

snow or not

It's been another strange winter. Bitter cold, then 70 degrees, flurries, but not real stick with it snow.


Where I grew up in So. Cal snow was something you drove to. The kids are a little bummed we really only got about 1-2 days of decent sled snow this year..

It's beautiful, I know there are those that hate the stuff, but I don't. A quiet, white world. Spring is around the corner. I saw a robin in the garden, which can only mean one thing!