Penguins and Lily Pads, 1938

Penguins and Lily Pads, Big Room, 1938. Front. Mixed media. 2014

I had a blast altering two postcards recently for a show called Signed, Sealed and Delivered at Fuller Lodge Art Center. In my somewhat largish collection of "stuff to someday use in art" I had two postcards that had been mailed to my grandparents' address, but before they lived in the house I remember them growing old in. My grandma had apparently found the postcards and put them into a stack of others she had picked up on travels around the southwest, and lucky me, there they were! 

Penguins and Lily Pads, Big Room, 1938. Back. Mixed media. 2014

This first one is a hand-colored black and white photo of Lily Pads in the Big Room at Carlsbad, here in New Mexico. I wanted to make it a little more quirky and eye-catching, so I added the penguins inhabiting the ancient geologic formations as if they were enjoying the usual icebergs. The back has a doodly quality, and I added a pen and ink drawing of a snail because I could imaging a snail slowly traversing the postcard, leaving a trail behind it.

This card is postmarked July 1938, and there is no zip code for the Colorado address, which makes it pretty interesting. Also, the author, Evelyn, wrote it to her friend "Mrs. King," a sure sign of the different era. The note is a rather benign one about how marvelous is all was, and Evelyn will tell Mrs. King more when she arrives home.

The opening reception for the show is this Friday, January 31st, from 5-7.

Today's Sckegwell

My 1st grade son recently imitated his mother (!) by writing a to do list for the next day before going to bed. He then diligently followed through and crossed off everything, which is something I'm rarely able to do. My lists often include at least a couple of "should do" items, which means they don't always get completed. My son kept to the accomplishable realities in his life, which was pretty refreshing!

Day Sckegwell

• get up
• eat breakfast
• set bed (make bed)
• go to school
• git home
• go to slep

His thinking of his own things to do set the framework for a good day. I hope your day is a good day, too!

The Other Brown Bag

I recently followed through on a crafting idea I called The Other Brown Bag in my head. I've been sewing with burlap a lot in the last several months, and although I like the end product, it is a pain to mess with (especially because it creates such a mess!).

I wanted to make fancy gift bags to "make an ordinary bottle of wine extraordinary!" I had fun making these, after I got over having to restitch all the burlap parts (serging is a terrible plan with burlap...) and I think the stamp on the front gives them a flourish that makes them quite fancy. They are completely lined with fabric, which also makes them sturdy. Of course, anything long and narrow can fit in the bags for gifting, not just wine!

They are for sale at Warm Hearts Yarn for $10.

Bunny Ears

The kids and I recently took a quick detour and chilly hike to get a panoramic view of where we live (aren't we lucky?)

Looking east at the Sangre de Cristos (hidden in the dark clouds)

After a few panoramas, I couldn't help but take a few selfies with the kids...

..which inevitably included bunny ears.

More Crazy Canvas

In order to make more Artist's Buckets, I had to paint some more canvas that could be sewn easily into the burlap-lined buckets for sale at Fuller Lodge Art Center.

I had a blast layering and splattering, letting it dry and doing it again, so that I could get an intricate and interesting enough canvas. All so I can cut it up and stitch it into buckets!

 

 

Wish it was Winter

I know in other parts of the country, many people are wishing it wasn't winter, but here I wish it was. It's been dry and sunny for weeks. We got to play in a little bit winter when we visited Colorado over the New Year, and I think that little taste is what makes me want to experience snow even more.

A few images from recent wintery vistas that are happy reminders of cold and snow here in northern New Mexico.

Crazy Canvas Artist Buckets

Around the holidays, our local Fuller Lodge Art Center hosts an Affordable Arts show, in which they devote the entire gallery to, well, affordable arts. There is pottery, photography, jewelry, sewn household items, ornaments, hand knits, and many other creative and beautiful items. I submitted and was accepted to sell my Artist's Buckets.

I was re-purposing my college canvases, which was very satisfying. I went through an abstract, nature-based phase way back when that I really enjoyed, and produced some colorful, fun canvases, in addition to the assignments like still lifes and figurative paintings. They have spent a lonely life since 1999(!!!) rolled up in various places, mostly the garage. Manufacturing them into something new and sending them out into the world has been extremely gratifying!

Fresh from the garage

A sampling

One whole canvas, before cutting

In pieces before stitching

Some of the canvases were too thick to sew, so I need to come up with another project for them! 

They are lined with burlap coffee bags. I had a great source for a bit, but the roasters went out of business. I'll need to find a new (free) supplier; in the meantime, I've also purchased a couple bags (cheap, but free is better. Ha!)

They have little beady bits at the top corners to help provide some stability, which isn't easily apparent in these photos.

They sold well at the affordable arts show (19 out of 23 sold in about 6 weeks), so I had to keep making them. Afterwards, I was invited to become a part of the long-term gallery shop, so that's very exciting! Now that the holidays are over I don't need to crank them out at quite the same frenzied pace, but I need to make some more to have on hand to re-stock as needed in the shop.

I had not originally intended to use the canvas I painted in October for this project (Painting in Place), but I needed to make new buckets in a hurry, so it was used (and all of them sold...).

And I need to make some more. I love it!