Things I Love Thursday

Yes - the moon.  She was lovely as always.  Like most others with a camera, I snapped my own images of her from the deck of my home.  The night was clear and the timing was great.  My kids were out in the backyard enjoying with me.

I love that the days are still warm.  We've had a few warm nights still and were able to sleep with the windows open, though the colours continue to change with the season.

That is the tree over my back deck.  I do love the yellow so very much, especially when it's illuminated in the light!  Many trees are still green.  A few are bare since the last big wind.  This next one from Sutherland Beach is so great - look how much space it takes up!  It's my son's favourite.  He stopped in his tracks to say, 'WOAH.  LOOK at that tree!'

The paths at that off leash park are so gorgeous and a tad spooky.  I love being able to look past the gnarly dark branches to see sunlit areas.  It's like mini tree forts for little ones.

It's not just the trees... but the grasses change colour too.  I love when I find orange and red grasses in the natural parks.  They are so beautiful and they glow when the sun hits them.  This batch looked pretty at the top of a retaining wall along a path.

Okay, one more photo!  This bush is great - the leaves look like coins from a way back: red and gold and burgundy and yellow spots of colour.

Isn't that lovely!?  What a great September it has been.  Happy October, and Happy Thursday to you!  : )

Exciting September

On Sunday, a large group of artists headed out to Solar Gardens so that organizer and artist Judy Wood could show us around the venues for the upcoming sale.  GOSH is that ever a fantastic place.  I've never been there before as I'm usually driving past the turn off to get to Pike Lake.  The show is Saturday and Sunday this coming weekend, and I'm very excited.

My friend Nicki Ault and I finally did our long awaited photo shoot together.  She is landscape painter and we met shortly after we both started out at an art show 5 years ago.  It's been fun watching each other's career grow.  We took photos from the rolling hillside of another painter's new acreage.  WOW.  What great timing!  After a couple of cold nights, the landscape is transforming with colour!

Bridget's horse   : )

Bridget Aitkin is another painter in the group.  She does gorgeous large work that often feature large beasts like horses and cows on the land.  I can't find her online, but you can see the Spotlight on Bridget at Nicki's Blog here.  It features lots of images of her work.  I got to see so many of her large paintings at her studio.  She is so inspiring to me, the way she paints with abstract impressionism (if that's the correct term).  She led us on some trails through the rolling hillside.  There were beautiful batches of poison ivy.  I think that's what this is.  It turned flaming red!

Often when you look into sheltered groves of trees, you can find some pretties as they begin to transform as well.  The little blasts of yellow are so fun!

Pretty - pretty - pretty!  I have a whole load of images now, and feel so rejuvenated by the women who paint.  I'm starting two new threadpaintings today based on all the fabulous vistas I captured.  You can expect to see them at the show on the weekend!  Frames, glass and mats are ready to go.  

Mark your calendars!  I''ve linked the names in this post so you can see more of their work.  Expect to see plenty of glass art and pottery out at Solar Gardens as well.  : )  Details in the show poster below:

Sunday Snapshots

'From Humble Beginnings' - This image is on my business cards, has been in magazines (Fiber Art Now & Stitch UK), it is the homepage for my website too.

Tired of it?  Well, there's more.  Check this out!  The kind folks at the Country Register of Manitoba and Saskatchewan picked this image for their cover.  You know I really love the background colour. (swoon~) This paper is often referred to as the 'quilter's newspaper' since it's full of adds for fabric and fiber related shops.  Those are also the places where you will find this.  I picked mine up on Broadway at Periwinkle Quilting, knowing there's always a big stack in the front entry.

one for me, one for my mom, one for...

And speaking of those colours....

Are you ready?

Promise me you won't scream?

In just two more weeks it will be the Autumn Equinox.  I don't mind.  I love the smell in the air and the apples we've been cooking up are delicious.  Bring on the colour change!  : )

Happy Sunday!

Sunday Snapshots

While we are on the topic of diagonals...

I like the way the sky mirrors the lines in the landscape.

So much grass to be seen!  We certainly do not have a lot of snow this year.

my dog and my man at Sutherland Beach

There's still so much earth and tail-end of autumn to capture out on the prairie.  I really love plants in winter.  I'm noticing the embellishments in my left sidebar on the blog.  'End of Autumn'.  The colours are spot on!  : )

Hmmm.... I wonder what the ground hog(s) will tell us this year?!  : )

Happy Sunday to you.

Friday Finishes x 2

You might think I'm running out of titles after all these years, but no.  When I look at this, all I think is the word, "Prairie".  Nothing more.  Nothing less.

Inspired by Chief Whitecap Park in October, I really loved all the long stitches.  Much of it is my hand with 12 weight threads.

Oh!  And I've been back at the French Knots as well!  This next one has a fun title.  I was going to pick something pretty and sweet, but then I decided on The Road Trip.  If you've even had a summer vacation in Saskatchewan, or just head to the lakes now and then, you'll understand.

 

I'll frame these up and then I think I'm ready for the Saturday Sale at the Creative House Classroom.  If you dare to venture out in this snow for all the wonderful sales, please add this stop to your list.  There will be 7 artisans set up at the shop.  The venue has free parking, free snacks, and free admission.  129 Ave I South in Saskatoon, 10-5 (I'm there until 4).  I'll bring some postcards supplies & stash packs too.

Be well.  Drive safe.  Stay Warm.

Sunday Snapshots

What a beautiful end to summer.  I don't know about you, but when I'm outside this time of year, it makes me crave turkey dinner.  : )  SOON!!

Nature is one huge playground, isn't it?

There is inspiration and wonder everywhere you look.

She loves nature.  She loves bugs.  She loves her dog.

It's so pretty out there!  Everything just glows.

Happy Sunday everyone.

xo

Things I Love Thursday

I love matching thread colours.  It's like playing I Spy.  It's a most enjoyable process.

grey-green

charcoal / rusts

blondes / soft grey / a hint of smokey mauve

pewter

Then I start to 'paint'.

I call the the 'ugly phase'.  : )

I love the 'ugly phase' too.

I love the point where I am done the main threadpainting and move into the details.

I love how thread looks like grass.  I love how grass looks like thread.

: )  I will show you the finished version soon. : )

Happy Thursday!  I'm off to Regina / White City / Rouleau.  Looking forward to the fun!

linking to WIP Wednesday at TN&TN

Finished it Friday

I sent this off to it's new home in California on Monday.  LOVE the framing courtesy Cindy Moleski's studio.  I have to say, working with this client in particular was a very great experience.  She sent me the kindest, most artful words via email as I worked along on this piece for her.  It's hard to explain, but it was different.  She was so loving toward my heartfelt connection with my subject matter.  I can't explain it.  It's like she commissioned my joy.  ?  I won't quote her emails here in this post, but that is what it was like.  If I was passionate about a place, name, or color... then she wanted it to be part of the work.  Her commission ended up not only being a gift for her, but a gift for me.  THANK YOU. 

It seemed to have had an effect on the piece.  Autumn Over Blackstrap Lake ended up so warm, natural, glowing... just different from the rest.  It was more like a piece I would do just for me, no pressure to please anyone else.  There!  THAT is whet I'm trying to say!  lol

I also mailed off my forth threadpainting to the other side of the planet.  THAT still blows my mind.  Good gosh I hope it arrives safe & sound.  The original Jacarandas photo was taken by Jim Niesel, in Australia.  His wife commission it.  So - I cannot get credit for the scene or composition itself.

I had a precut grey mat in my studio that I thought I would try out.  The purples looked really good with grey, however, notice the yellow inside edge??

a sign that it isn't acid free?  tsk tsk

My framer told me she can spot matting that isn't acid free.  She told me to look for a yellow color where it's been cut.  Sure enough, against the white background this matting is indeed YELLOW!  So I headed off to Cindy's again and had an acid-free mat put in.

Good to know!
(Plus, it looks way better now...)

I added a few last minute stitches, including some green in the tree tops to the right.  It didn't feel balanced before.  I also added a sprinkling of fallen petals stitched onto the road to bring the foreground forward.  It was empty before.  My oh my there is a LOT of hand embroidery in this!  Here it is once again; the finished finished version of this threadpainting.  It is now off and circling the earth to it's new home 'down under'.

Safe travels!  And thank you to Jim & Yvette for the commission.  I can't wait to hear when it has arrived.  Have a great weekend everyone!

A Big Finish for Friday!

First commission of the year complete!  : )

Overlooking the lake in Autumn - inspired by a photo I took last year as I was on my way home from teaching out of town.

And here's the 'glam shot'...

There was some discussion on my Facebook page about changing thread colors on the machine.  Yes, as a threadpainter, you have to do it a lot.  It's no different than how a painter dips her brush into paints.  It's really not a big deal.  I joke at my friend who says, "I could do what you do but I won't because it means I would have to change the thread!?  Forget it!"  : )  I have to chuckle.  I encouraging my students by telling them that it's certainly not the hardest thing they've ever done!  I giggle that people are so wowed by the changing of the thread.  It's getting the thread in the right spot, doing what you want it to that takes determination and courage.  Whipping a new spool onto the machine is a pretty mindless activity, especial the new machines with the self threader.

off the soap box...

To answer:  Yes, many changes:  eight down one side of the finished edge, sometimes four to five colors in each tree, but if that is what it takes then that's what you do.  I deeply enjoy the process.

My favorite part is the handwork.  There are always things that a machine cannot do.  I love to add single stitches.  The bring things to life.  (Apologies if this is really scary up close!)

Thank you so very much to D. who commissioned this.  Once again, I learned more things about my own technique.  This was good for me.

Finished it Friday! x 4

I just finished up this (sweet) little set of four autumn sky/tree pictures in time for tomorrow's group show & sale at Agar's Corner.  They worked out just how I hoped they would!  When I was first gifted all those silk ribbons, the idea popped into my head to stitch leaves turning colors.  Here they are!

Autumn Birches #1

Autumn Birches #2

Autumn Birches #3

Autumn Birches #4

They look so pretty in the box-style chunky white frames I got.  I'm tempted to keep them for myself!  I made them to have some lower priced items at the show.  The silks are all hand dyed - including the sari silk I used for the trunks.  When they are displayed together, they remind me of looking out a window in the fall.  AAaaaaaaaah.  : )  I just can't stop taking photos of them!  : )  I'm enjoying the silk so darn much.

 p.s.  All are stitch-signed by hand too...

 Happy autumn!  If you are nearby, please stop by the show and say hello.  ; )