New Commission Underway

CMC- Mercy Hospital commissioned me to create a gift for the doctors' lounge.

Christie Taylor of Hodges Taylor Art Consultancy presented my work and other artists to the hospital. The hospital, where my husband was born, is undergoing renovation. As each area is renovated, new art work from regional artists is selected to grace the area. Some of my favorite artists are represented, including a fabulous fig tree by Micheal Sherrill in the entry area that is large enough to sit under. It is an honor to be creating a piece that will be in such great company.

Several aspects made creating the initial designs easier. One, I was able to see the exact location and environment where the art would be hung. Secondly, I was told which piece of my art work most represented what they wanted.

Working from my photographs of a couple of different species, I created designs and selected possible fabrics for the piece. The hospital selected a design based on the Kousa Dogwood so I am ready to proceed.

This is a photo of the a branch of the Kousa Dogwood from my garden. Next time I will share some information about this tree and why it seemed so appropriate for a health care setting.

Nancy

Identification of Feathers, Sketches

Ever since taking Jane LaFabio''s workshop at Random Arts, I have been sketching and doing little watercolors. Here are the latest ones. The one at top is a little ceramic sculpture and its box that we fell in love with at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Art and History.





These feathers have been deposited in our garden over the years. Not sure what birds left them behind. I suspect that the bottom one is from a white breasted nuthatch. The blue one is probably from a blue bird. We have lots of them. The two black and white speckled ones might be from downy woodpeckers. I am really puzzled by the yellow tipped feather. Is it a cedar waxwing, a yellow bellied sapsucker, or what?

Identity of feathers would be greatly appreciated.

The drum was one of Don's first Christmas presents, given to him by an aunt and uncle who went to Cherokee. It is about 70 years old from when little gifts could be bought for children that were not imported. The top and bottom of the drum are leather, the side is bark. The lashings are leather thongs. Both top and bottom have painted designs on them.

Nancy

Play Day with Friends at Random Arts

I scheduled a play day with a couple of my dear friends with Jane Powell at Random Arts in Saluda NC last Friday. Jane planned a workshop that would fit our interests, time, and budget and opened it up to a couple of other crafty ladies.


We all had a great time. Jane had offered the idea on her blog and it sounded like a great time to get away, have some fun and spend time with friends. Holly made us a delightful lunch and Andy and I shared the drive over.

We made a delightful little pyramidal box from file folder paper. Jane had cut the forms out with a template cutting machine. Wow, that piece of equipment makes short order of cutting stencils, and other forms.


We put on a layer of gesso front and back and let it dry, then we added color and surface techniques. Mine ended up looking a bit like a southwestern tepee. You can see the box to the left and it is open in the photo below.

The inside is interesting too. This would be a great way to enclose a special little gift, or make ornaments.

A really fun process, and I learned a lot about working with acrylic paints and different techniques to use.

As we worked we practiced on a scrap piece of paper and it ended up looking great as well. Jane is a terrific teacher.

We also aged a variety of stuff -- paper, fabric, corrugated paper, metals, plastic buttons, etc. We aged them with either a patina on copper or rust on iron. Some of them were really fascinating to watch as they changed. First we painted them to be either copper or iron and let them dry while we made our boxes. Jane had the sequence really planned well to keep us busy and moving along.

The practice paper is in the background. The brown rusted piece is a old piece of punch paper. The "U" was some sort of metal. The blue is a patinaed piece of felt paper. The heart shaped piece was an old shoe clip of gold toned metal. The leafy vine was paper, a plastic button, corrugated paper with one side removed, a piece of open weave hemp, a velvet leaf and two round pieces of metal were given different treatments.

What was remarkable, is that the processes were odor free and non toxic according to the labels. The results on the corrugated paper were particularly striking.

Lots of fun being away from fabric for a day. But I am ready to get back to my joy and passion. This little break with friends is just what I needed. I am beginning a new commission piece that will be challenging and fun. Will keep you posted on my progress.

Nancy

Burr Oak Coming Along, GYST Software

The cap is now surrounding the acorn. Just the top of the cap and stem to do.

The top of the cap is a typical Fibonacci arrangement of pointed scales coming down the cap to the tendrils.


Got some new Fabrico ink pens in this past week. I needed them. Several of the ink colors were exhausted.

Look forward to completing the inking process early next week.

I have a commission with a local hospital that I will begin as soon as this is inked. I plan on quilting this while inking the commission. That will be a challenge to arrange the studio for two production steps being done concurrently.

Thanks to the commission I have been able to finance a part time studio assistant to help with some of the business of the studio. Have uploaded GYST documentation software and getting my quilt business into it. That should make future applications and entries go easier.

Any tips from current users?

Nancy

Sketches from Home

As a follow up to the workshop with Jane LaFazio on Sketching, Watercolor and Journaling, I have been doing a watercolor each day since. Here are the ones I have done so far.

The little wooden bucket is a gift from my dear mother in law. She always filled it with a group of marigolds. This is in her honor.

The heron is drawn from an abstracted wood carving by Bob Walkup, my uncle in law.

The green, white and gray vase was a surprise gift from my husband for my last birthday.

The onions are from my kitchen counter.


Do you sketch daily? What do you do regularly to stretch your art muscles?

Nancy

Waterworks Visual Arts Center coverage

Check here to see more about my show at Waterworks Visual Arts Center. Anne Scott Clements and her staff and volunteers have done a wonderful job in displaying all the artwork. I am am thrilled with how well the work shows in the Young Peoples' Gallery.

Nancy

Great Workshop with Jane LaFazio at Random Arts

Had a great workshop with Jane LaFazio and 16 other artists. We had a great time, learned a lot and had a scrumptious birthday cake to celebrate Jane Powell's birthday. Artists came from as far as Colorado and Florida to take the workshop. And I thought my drive from Charlotte was significant!!


Jane teaches this workshop on line and a couple of the participants had taken it on line and you could see what great work they did as a result.

Sketching, Watercolor and Journaling

My first piece was a pear and several little crinkled hot peppers.


Day-lilies were blooming in profusion right outside Random Arts classroom, so lots of us used them for inspiration.


Jane led us gently into sketching so even the most timid in drawing was comfortable with the process. Then we inked our best light pencil lines. She demonstrated how to work with watercolors to create wonderful colors.


My water-coloring does not demonstrate how good an instructor Jane is. Being an artist who works with textiles, I most wan to enhance my skills at closely observing and getting the image recorded. Jane's workshop really helps with this. Learning the somewhat complex art of water-coloring was not my focus. Of course, Jane has simplified the water-coloring, so all of us got good results.

Once we had several pieces completed, Jane led us through designing borders to help finish our pieces to make them look complete.


Jane is a terrific instructor, with great energy and enthusiasm. She has really thought through how to teach intimidating skills in a totally non-intimidating way so each one can get good results. Even with a good size class, Jane was able to give sufficient individual coaching.


It was a great day. If you have a chance to take from this terrific teacher, grab the opportunity. Our class had filled early with a long waiting list. She deserves the accolades.


And Jane Powell, owner of Random Arts is a great hostess for the workshops at her studio.

Nancy