Painting practice this morning.


The last page in my watercolor sketchbook. I used this moleskine when taking an on-line class with Jane LaFazio (through Joggles.com). Jane is a good teacher and I really enjoyed it!

What a fun class! My little shrine art quilt is finished!

It just found its home surrounding a small incense burner in my studio (trying to get out the musty smells from all the rain, AND wanting the smell of the yoga studio I go to!).

One more art quilt lesson left, then I will be "on my own" and really missing the teacher, Jane LaFazio!

Some have requested that I show the creative changes I made to the linen camp shirt which I got at the thrift store. Here are some photos showing the embroidery (with natural linen thread) and the crochet trim I added. I was able to lenghten the sleeves about 3.5 inches this way! [Cropped fabric from the lower edge of the shirt and used it on the sleeves.]

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I'm getting started on the bird themed art quilts today......Jane LaFazio's online class.

From Mother's Day 2009.....now a blossom!

"Sorbet" peony! Delightful!

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Working on my art projects.....I found a soft corduroy shirt in a thrift store.

The colors and design were just what I needed for the frame and back of my wool and raw silk pillow

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Still working on the "Indigo Dog" portraits of Juniper! Adding black machine stitching and will be quilting with large hand stitching too.

Jane LaFazio's classes are great!

Trying new ideas in Jane LaFazio's on-line art quilt class.

Working this week on a pet portrait on canvas. This (above)is the work in progress. I am trying 2 versions!

The pet is in the photo below, Juniper, who belongs to my son and his wife!

I'm a natural.....

lover of natural fibers, that is! I cannot "abide" (as my grandmother would have put it) polyester!

So I was delighted to find wonderful 100% linen shirts at the local thrift shops! They even have pearl buttons and each was less than $3.00! My "inner hippie artist" wants to embellish them a bit more and make them uniquely "mine"!

While I was at the large fabric store where I work part-time, yesterday, I checked on threads to use for this. I found LINEN embroidery floss!!!! [It is being discontinued...so I may need to buy it all--Ha!]

There were only a few soft natural colors, but the green works perfectly, I think, on my green linen and the taupe is great on the natural linen. I am considering using the cotton crochet thread to further embellish and make the sleeves of this former natural linen "camp shirt" a bit longer...we will see!
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I have also enrolled in another class with Jane LaFazio! this one is on experimental art quilts...and will have more fun opportunities for embellishment and stitching!

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this is a landscape quilt, about 8.5"X11". It is called "Morning Mist in the Ozark Springtime".

Off to stitich now!

I added color to the daffodil in my art journal....trying to capture some of those creams and yellows in the different varieties! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This art collage is from a class I am taking at Joggles.com taught by Jane La Fazio. Fun!

Yesterday, I managed to add the hand stitching and beading to this layered collage. [Reminds me of the Bullseye quilts I have made!] (click on the photo to see more embellishment detail...and loose threads!)

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Finally, here is the newest crib quilt top, in process, for one of the 3 grandbabies we are expecting this summer. I love the perky "wagon wheel" flowers. [From Applique Outside the Lines by Piece O' Cake quilters].

Off to get more art supplies now.....(with a coupon, of course!)

Even though I have been doing watercolors for several years, I signed up for an on-line class.
It is Sketchbook Watercolor Journal with Jane LaFazio, available at www.Joggles.com. We are on lesson 2, leaves and a study of green....well, I am doing more to do the green leaves, but we have so much fall color now, that my first page is NOT green. LOL!
Doing this weekly class is fun, I am learning things which will make taking watercolor on a trip easier than ever....for instance, using only the brush with its own water reservoir....WOW! that works SO well!

Back to the art table now!