She Brews

Painting on Canvas Fun

 

My painting is developing into something other than I expected. I started out with this collage-y background that I learned from Paulette Insall's online class. But you will see as I progress these images to you, that they are taking on a life of their own. Perhaps that is what art is......letting what is, become.....

 

Picking out what images would be desirable enough to purchase is a problem for me, so I just go with what I think I can make interesting. I am distressed with how little time I have for this---or, how long it actually takes. At any rate, so many ideas are bumping into each other and crashing in a heap, while waiting to be expressed......

 

Another issue I am currently working on is color. Even though someone might like a piece, they are always slaves to it "matching" their decor......."oh, bother" as Winnie the Pooh expressed.......The above picture is still displaying my "lost in the forest" of technique........but, now you will see a transformation of idea.......

 

I was very excited to actually paint a scene for the subject of the piece. This was a real sign and entrance to the Rismon Lodge at one point. I do not know whether the sign is still there. I try to visit these places and take photos, but I have never even been to Star Lake Wisconsin-----something I intend to do, eventually.

 

 

Here, I have taken the road sign, (it is there today) and painted it in the background of my collage. I am real excited about this possibility of mixing a small painting amongst the collage work. I still prepare a background of collaged paint, but, at this idea, I usually end up covering most of it up. I really let it do what it wants to do...merely making suggestions to it as I go along...but it lets me know if something doesn't work, or it jumps up and down telling me what to add.

I hope this weekend to get good feedback on this new collage work. I had planned on doing a few fabric collages, but, this seemed to jump out at me, so I hope I have not make the wrong decision. On Flickr, I do not get any response from these paintings, however, whenever I post the fabric collages, I get a lot of response. Maybe its' because I belong to a lot of quilting groups......*shrug*

Well, that is what I have been up to....can you give me any feedback of your own thoughts? I would love to hear from you, my friends.....thanks.

too bad......I'm on a roll.....

You know when the creative juices are running freely? *argh* I have to go to my "real" job in an hour, and I am really pumped about what happened in the studio yesterday. I finished the farm fabric collages, and it gave me such release, that I have been able to start a new project for this summer's shows. Here is what I managed yesterday:

 

I took Paulette Insall's online classes about two winters ago, and I played with it a little, but never finished anything. For some reason, two years later, it all started to "click". 

 

I don't have the same acrylics that she uses, and I can tell the difference---no one sells them around me, so I will have to purchase some of them on-line. Check out Paulette's blog for when she offers the classes again---it's well worth the take.

Here is the beginning of another:

 

I did take pictures of the process....if you want to see them, let me know and I will post them later tonite.

What's Next?

 

The last few weeks I had to move things back into the house to work. It was cold enough that I needed to heat my studio and since I needed to re-fuel, I decided to cut that cost this year and work in the house. This will take some doing........

For the last two shows, I just dragged stuff in as I needed it, and it is draped all over the dining and living room. This week I will begin to empty an extra bedroom and set up my work space there. It will be great exercise in being that it is upstairs.

Since I won't be in the shop, nor heating it, I worry that mice will move in, and so, I must remove all the fabric. I have cats in the house, so no worry there, except that they might decide the fabric needs "ownership". I solve that by tubs with covers.

 

I made a serious mess this week, but it paid off. I did a show on Saturday and did really well. So much well that I did, I was worried about the show I did yesterday, as I had no re-couping time. But, to my amazement, I did as well yesterday as I did on Saturday......imagine. Our trailor was the emptiest I have ever seen it.  I think we could have fit everything in the back of the Yukon, except the display panels. 

Today, I am going back to Stevens Point to Herrschners Thanksgiving Sale. We went last year and found some really fun things. I am looking forward to getting some Wizard of Oz fabrics. Last year I got Dick and Jane fabric really marked down.

I have so many things I am looking forward to doing now that the shows are done. Of course, this week being Thanksgiving will interrupt some of that........

Also, look for the new things I will be listing in my Etsy shop and my other, ShebrewsAttic etsy shop. (I do not know why the link doesn't work, but if you go to etsy and under user name, type, Shebrewsattic.  Also, I plan on starting a photo album for my people I meet at shows to purchase the things I bring to shows. I will blog about it separately when I am ready to set it up. 

Thanks to all of you lurkers and all you commenters. I appreciate you all!!!

Friendship is.........

a very comforting sort of thing to have......Winnie the Pooh. 

I do collages with first day of issue envelopes (they usually develop the theme) and then found paper, usually vintage and usually some embroidery and calligraphy or watercolors. This particular piece is special because I sent for the first day of issues myself and then found this vintage Disney birthday card in an old scrapbook that I purchased.

 

This is the first time that I painted acrylic on to the fabric for my illustration. I was happy with the little vignette. I don't like to repeat the same process on the same piece if I can help it, for instance, if I painted the sailboat on paper, then it would have collided with the calligraphy verse in value.

 

In the late 70's, I discovered an author not real well known that I really liked her style of writing. Merle Shain. She wrote, "When Lovers Are Friends" and "Some Men Are More Perfect Than Others" . I think there was one more, but I can't remember the name of it. Back then, I freely borrowed my books and didn't realize there were people who would not only not read them, but not return them, either.......*sigh*

This quote, "You can kiss your family and friends good-bye, and put miles between you, but at the same time, you carry them with you in your heart and in your mind (she used the word "stomach"), because you do not live in a world, but a world lives in you."  is by Merle Shain.

I am especially intrigued by books that start off chapters with pregnant quotes----ones waiting to make lots of other thoughts when you read them-----.

I am holding the book, "When Lovers Are Friends" and the first chapter begins with the page title:

 

 

Doesn't that just want to make you open the book? 

Afterall, Winnie the Pooh is right....

Friendship is a very comforting sort of thing to have.

More than a Memory......

Shortly after I moved into the orphanage, Frank and Bunny showed up with this wonderful handmade paint palette and a bag full of my first oil paints. Frank and Bunny were neighbors two houses down from where I had lived in the former foster-home. Frank had spent time teaching me how to paint, for he had seen potential in my artistic abilities way back then. Bunny loved her flowers and had plenty of inspiration around her little house.

I can't believe that I saved this palette all this time.........but, I think its because its more than a memory. It proves that you can be a huge influence in someone's life without doing something the world knows about.

 One of my friend's parents (Jake) bought my first painting. They gave me $200.00 for it. I wonder if they still have it. It was a painting of mountains, woods and a shoreline. It was a fall scene, so I had lots of dabbing orange, red, yellow and green leaves. Think of those fall puzzle scenes...... Although large, perhaps 2 feet by 3 feet,  I know its wasn't a great painting and bless their heart for this encouragement. I don't know if it was a sacrifice for them or not, but it meant an awful lot to me and still does.

When I am trying to psych up for working, sometimes I patter around in my studio, rearranging or reorganizing and touching things and discovering things often will spark an inspiration. After finding this palette again, I realize I must get back to painting something........because, that palette really is more than a memory........

thanks Frank and Bunny and watch out for "cloud dumplings".........

New Etsy Shop--Shebrewsattic!

Hey, I want to introduce my new Etsy Shop Shebrews Attic !!! I have so many supplies that they are flowing over on the shelves and I need to reducel! I have discussed my clutter and my current obsession with the tv show Clean House!!! Ha, ha. I am using it to cure me of clutter---its really working. I tell myself as I am watching it---"you dont' want this to be you......"

This is the first stash I am offering in my new Etsy. I wanted to download an etsy display like my other, but I couldn't figure out how to make it work this time. Eventually I will. I plan to sell some vintage sewing equipment, and other vintage things, mostly magazine, paper and collage odds and ends. I also have a huge stash of wonderful buttons that I will be offering. You need to keep checking the etsy out if you are looking for fun supplies. Meanwhile, I have been working on a new Oz quiltie.........I will show some progress soon, I promise.

Studio Time.......

This is sort of how it looks while I am working. The circus peanuts might change to something chocolate......my coffee isn't pictured.....but I work very messy......I have had of late some crisis and so I have been slough in my blogging and creating........so, I thought I would show you some studio pictures.......

I have various containers of brushes, pencils and utinsels for my projects.....no, I don't brush my teeth while I am working, the brushes are for splattering paint, etc........

I spent one day organizing buttons by color......I just couldn't get myself to work, and so I did the jobs that took little thinking.......I still have lots I could sort, but this is how far I got. Now I need projects for them. I got a few new Japanese craft books which I will show some time in the near future.

Even though my palette is very messy, I love looking at all the colors while I am working. These happen to be watercolors. This winter I will try some heavy duty painting again......

This is my latest Flea Market find. A rubber stamp collection for $5.00. Whoo-hoo! They are really big old fashioned stamps---I really felt like a lottery winner! I will be using them in some projects soon!
Well, that has been my life for the last two weeks----with a wedding in the middle! It was a really beautiful wedding! Congratulations Addy and Matt!

Thanks for Noticing.........

This reminded me of Eeyore for some reason. I got the lovely creation from my friend Nancy who has these in her Etsy shop. She is mostly undiscovered so far, and I am looking forward to her having a great audience because her talents rock!!!! She doesn't have a blog, so I can't give you that, but it would be wonderful if she did have time to do it! Someday, Nancy!

I have been busy, busy, busy. I haven't had much to show you in the blogging world. Much things in progress and roady......the show in Eagle River, Paul Bunyan Days, for me turned out very well. I am glad that I took my tired body and tired partner and went. I am now preparing for the show on Saturday on the Drumlin Bike Trail in Wales. I was able to finish off some new stuff today and get prints made.

This is a shot of me making the two newest Wizard of Oz pieces. My studio is pretty messy while I am working---piles of this and piles of that----

That Winnie the Pooh is quite inspirational. I love all the little pithy quotes.......well, just wanted to pop in and say: "Thanks for noticing..........." I will be back when I have more to show......

Coats and Clark Thread Lovers Dream

Yeah, I really drooled over this for some reason. My hubby went and bought it at the flea market on Monday. I didn't admit to him that it is old thread and only to look at......and collect........They are all wooden spools and the lady we purchased it from was collecting the colors for several years. The rows have the numbers of the thread color. It should be kind of fun to see what I can come up with. At any rate, it is nice eye candy for my little old art studio.

I have always liked the wooden boxes, but I could never afford them. This is in a little tough shape, but I love it the same. Do you think I am crazy? LOL.

Spendin the day with Jay

  Jay and I spent a good deal of Saturday together. We had to wait for Ryan to put in my ceiling fan and lights in my studio first, but it was really worth it. Here we are having a French Press and talking "paint". We started looking at old needlework magazines and got quite distracted by them. We were really looking for something to collage to our paintings, and became shocked and entertained by the 1946 advertisements. I forgot to scan some of them to put with this post, so maybe for another time. It got us quite giggly, though and it took forever to get to the painting. A lot of the English language has changed meaning since 1946----amazing!

I spent Sunday nite sorting buttons by color.....lol. All those jars are neat little organized buttons. Then, I discovered a few more containers of buttons that I didn't see. I also have lots of 'carded' buttons. I am going to have to think of something to make that will use them up......

Well, I am falling asleep because I got up at 5am and have been going steadily all day long. See you tomorrow!