Week 16, 17 & 18 - in the Studio

 Time got away from me, as it often does, some good weather prompted me outside and into the garden...

But studio time has been a bit weird...I am moving forward into unknown territory and that can be frightening - in an art-kind-of-way! My series, the Industrial Shoreline, is evolving and I am on my (possibly last) piece of textile wall art. I enjoy creating these but they have become an easy place to be...pick a photo, change it around a bit, make the work. Interesting and appealing but not mind blowing, exciting stuff. 

I have some ideas for new ways forward with 3D work, collage and some smaller mixed media but the next steps are experimenting, trialing and foundational work - stuff that seems if it fails - then I fail. Realistically I know thats not true, but it's hard to push on through into new work - what if it falls flat and is terrible? At least I know I'm not alone - and I've been in a safe place too long.

So here's a bit of a start on that last piece, the long strips will be cut up as sky:

Speaking of sky...I just posted a YouTube video "Paint the Sky" on how I create the sky pieces...dyeing and painting a variety of fabrics: https://youtu.be/eIK3_fniC7I

So I mentioned some more collage pieces that I'm working on, using elements that I created in my Scan n Cut. I painted soft greys and blues on water colour paper and am auditioning different ideas that I could incorporate into the work. Still very much exploration and play - something I need to remind myself over and over again...it doesn't have to be "finished" - it's about the journey, not the destination...yada, yada, yada!

On a totally unrelated note, some of our family gathered for Easter and we had a Lego contest. We made up bags of random Lego bits and had to create something using every piece! It was a fun activity!

Be Creative, everyone!

Our Salish Sea

My home on Pender Island is in the middle of the Salish Sea, an inland sea that encompasses Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands and the waters off of Vancouver, BC. The area spans from Olympia, Washington in the south to the Campbell River, British Columbia in the north, and west to Neah Bay and includes the large cities of Seattle and Vancouver. 

Increasingly, the sea and its surrounding watersheds are challenged by an ever-growing list of threats. Ocean acidification, a burgeoning human population, increased marine shipping traffic, and unchecked wastewater and sewage runoff are just a few of the immediate pressures that are endangering this jewel of an ecosystem. If healthy ecosystems foster economic prosperity, unhealthy ones represent lost opportunity and income. Whether we depend upon the ocean for our living or for our quality of life, we all benefit from a healthy Salish Sea. 

Following along on my Blog Post in February, I'm continuing to create small works (10" x 10") that reflect my love of our islands and the oceans that surround us. I have begun small "Collectors Sales" that feature these works and I invite you to visit my sales page: 

https://www.susanpm.com/our-salish-sea-collectors-sale/

Sales have been very good but there are a few lovely pieces remaining!

At Grimmer Bay

Crossing Swanson Channel

North from Shingle Bay

Towards Navy Channel

Make It Now! Simple Fabric Journals...

I had recently posted a couple pictures of my Fabric Journals on Facebook and Instagram and had so many enthusiastic responses that I thought you might like a brief tutorial....they are easy to make and can be make with scraps, leftovers, added stitch or what ever you have on hand. If you can find the exact size of notebook I use, then be flexible and find something else!

The notebooks I buy are from Opus Art Supplies - at a very reasonable $$: https://store.opusartsupplies.com/sagro/storefront/store.php?mode=showproductdetail&product=80709

Cut a piece of fusible web the exact height of the book - in my case it's 8", then open the book and measure the width of the front and back plus 1" for overlap inside - you'll see later why! I prefer Steam a Sean 2 Lite, but you can use any that you prefer.

Then start going through your stash, this is a good time to use up small experiments, bits of different weights or types of fabrics, projects that didn't get finished or were "less than successful". Use one fabric, or lots. Audition the possibilities and start making "slabs", sewn together elements - make sure they're larger all around than the piece of fusible web.

Fuse the web onto the back of your "slab" and trim all around - I leave just a little smidge - maybe 1/8" at each end of the "slab" so the fusible doenst peek through onto the paper. of the book.

Peel off the paper backing and position in place on the book cover - fold over the excess onto the inside book cover and press down - that's another reason I like the Steam a Seam - it's a little sticky....

A light pressing with the iron on both sides - use parchment paper if you're concerned about paint transfer....and it's done.

A couple notes about my process - I sell and give away a lot of these so I make 2-3 dozen slabs in one go and build a bit of an assembly line - they are great gifts - everyone needs a notebook!
When constructing the "slabs" I avoid having a seam on the book spine, makes it tricky to have it adhere properly.
Easy and fun - maybe you can gather some friends and teach them how to make these?

About that Task.....

Why is it sometimes the simplest tasks that would take just a few minutes become those huge mountains that seem insurmountable? Such as regular blogging? Its not as though you, dear readers want long, lengthy, pithy diatribes....no, you want the visual, right? After all we are artists, so we want art....
OK: here are some pieces that I finished in time for a show....that happened a while back. OK, it was January! But they are photographed and on my Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/ca/your/shops/FabricImagery/tools/FabricImagery/ca/listings/section:18099033

Etsy doesn't show the work at its best, so here they are:

Considered View #1

Considered View #2

Considered View #4

The backgrounds are screen printed images of an abandoned shipyard and the overlay is textured and painted fabrics that have been cut away to expose a grid style. They are then mounted onto black felt and a 1" deep painted canvas board.

Here's a couple photos of the shipyard to show inspiration:

Books on Sunday

Mixed Media Master Class
with Sherrill Kahn

A few years ago I was fortunate to take a workshop with Sherrill and was amazed at her joy, enthusiasm, talent and willingness to share all she knows about the techniques that she taught us. This book is a compilation of many of the those techniques, plus much more.
The step by step guide with extra large photos allows the reader to see exactly what Sherrill is teaching and what results can be expected. I found that the pages are not cluttered with unnecessary colour, the photos are clear and easy to follow. I think any beginner, and those much more advanced, would find this book to be an excellent addition for their library.
Topics include:

• Chalk Pastels and Matte Medium
• Glazing with Paint Washes
• Inkjet Images
• Printmaking
• Silkscreens
• Inktense Monoprints

Plus much more! You can visit Sherrill's website at: http://impressmenow.com/ and see her YouTube video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VeRZ5UAwFo
ISBN: 978-1-60705-423-8
Published by C&T Publications http://www.ctpub.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=2838

International Quilt Market

I'm in Salt Lake City attending Quilt Market, visiting friends, seeing fabric, checking out the new products and doing a little bit of buying.
Normally Daphne and I would have a booth to showcase our new patterns, demonstrating for shop owners and meeting with business associates. In the last 6 months we've been focused on writing books and writing magazine articles plus a lot of travelling.
So I'm at Market on my own and experiencing it in a whole different way, I can take more time talking with vendors, investigating new products and getting a sense of the flavor.
I spent this morning in a class with Lesley Riley http://www.lesleyriley.com/ learning about TAP-Transfer Artist Paper......a polymer coated paper that can be run through the ink jet printer for photos, painted and stamped on with inks, distressed and then ironed onto fabric, wood, paper, glass and more. Its a very versatile product and while I've done a bit on my own, its great to learn right from the person who developed the product.

Lesley demonstrates her Transfer Artist Paper

Lesley shows a book that is featured in her upcoming book from C&T Publishing

It will be available next month and is called Create with Transfer Artist Paper

Here are some samples that I made in the class and I'm looking forward to using them in some of my mixed media work!

Tomorrow....meet some of the vendors!