every-single-day

There is a ghost

Yesterday, at work, a ghost appeared. It might have been my coworkers comrades, coming to take him home, I am not sure. In anycase, he was not at work today and I have become worried.

Rusty Figure Drawing Skills

Last night was my first figure drawing class after a two week hiatus. It was tough to loosen up and relax. Not to mention we had a new model, I had been expecting the curves and movement of a different model!
This new model was an embroiderer, picking up her stretched canvas between poses and sewing. A girl after my own heart. I was much drawn to her and hope that she reaches out and contacts me, maybe I will contact her!
Last night was the first night since taking the drawing class that I began to think about how I will use these skills in my art. I feel the murmurings of artistic intent...

Oh, The shiney... red... button.

While my Spring Knit Up socks lay moldering in some deep, dark, dusty corner.... I happily knit my Must Have.

I have succumbed to the knitting fever, more than one project at a time, and thinking of yet another. My brow feels clammy, and I am distracted. It's too late, forget about calling the doctor. I need a therapist.

Show and Tell

Last night Elizabeth, Jeri and I showed our Three Grace challenge quilts at the guild show and tell.

Above you see, from left to right, an anonymous quilt handler (who is she? EJP? JR? are you reading this?) , Jeri holding Elizabeth's piece, Pat Baker (guild president) holding Jeri's piece and myself.
This is actually my first ever challenge, normally when presented with a challenge I acquiesce, and then falter, not feeling inspired or driven. Not so with this idea.
I love Jeri's grin...

I did have a few moments of trepidation after seeing Elizabeth's completed piece a few months back. It was her choice of colors and fabrics that held me in place for a while.
Elizabeth did the speaking for us, so she is not up on the stage, so here is Jeri holding her piece. I figure a bit of a close up is in order.

So I went with a black and white piece, wanna know how difficult it was to refrain from adding color?
And don't you love the dainty upturned hiking boot in this photo?

All three pieces are going to be in the Northern Star Quilt Guild show in just two weeks, are you going to come?

Jump On the Bandwagon

BrainyLady did it, Ann did it. And now I am doing it...

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 23.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the sentence in your journal with these instructions.

Herkimer Diamonds
Herkimer County, near Utica in east-central New York, is rich in "Herkimer diamonds," clear quartz crystals with pyramidal ends that resemble diamonds and that grew in cavities in the dolomite-limestone bedrock.

Artist Trading Cards

A few months ago I stumbled on some Artist Trading Card web sites, and fell in love. As I have said before, I love working in a small format and this is it! So I have begun making, if not trading them.

This one is done on the back of a playing card, so I guess technically, it is an Artist Playing card. Whatever!

Friends, a Camera, a Challenge

Last year my two fiber art pals and I got together for a long weekend, another quilt art retreat. The weather was warming up, the sun was out and we decided to bare our butts and take some photos. We soon came up with the idea that we would each create a piece of art inspired by the photos, to show in the same venue. My arm didn't need much of a twist.
Our guild's show is this month, my fiber art pals have finished thier art. I have waited to the last minute to complete the piece (this isn't normal behavior). I have less than a week and a half to finish this piece. I have told myself that all it needs is a satisfactory holding place, I can continue to embellish it after the show.
Work In Progress...

This is a detail. The color is slightly off.
Tonight, I bound the edges and sewed the hanging pocket. Progress.

I also updated my web site to include Emerge, click on the photo below to go directly to that page.

I am not too happy with the overall photo of the piece, and will work on that this weekend.

In knitting news, I got my pattern and yarn for the Must Have sweater! I may break my ban on having one knitting project at a time in order to knit this sweater! one of my socks needs to be ripped back AGAIN, and I am frustrated by it.
My midnight worries about the color Royal Purple were fruitless. I love the color.

Mentioned!

Hey! I got mentioned at Moleskinerie. This is an awesome blog dedicated to journaling in a moleskine. I am an avid fan of Molskines. The paper is great for gouache, my favorite paint, beside that the pages are rounded at the edges and that is fancy! Please surf over to Molskinerie, if you have the time.
Sadly, I will never be a Grammar Avenger.

8.5 Hours, a small room and a journal.

Jury duty. The room was so small, it eliminated the possibilty of drawing people, though they were quiet, docile folk!
I had a small mishap with one of my rapidograph pens, I inserted an image of my right, middle finger so you could see the damage. The ink went all the way through the precious Moleskine page, but I didn't mind (authenticity, I say).
I am sckoochidy, having sat for so long in such a quiet room. At one point I wanted to start a sing-along, query if anyone wanted to play hangman, I eyeballed everyone wondering what we would discuss if invited to the same party. It would have been a sedate party.
When I first started to draw the chair I got frantic that I had ruined the page. I love drawing chairs but my perspective leaves something to be desired. There is a point in drawing when I need to say; reality be damned, I am doing the best I can! Not a bad drawing either way.
I wasn't picked for jury duty. I am now exempt for three years.
Knitting news... I bought the Royal Purple yarn and the Must Have pattern, it is zooming my way now!

Don't take any wooden nickels!

I think this is a fun journal image, you can see bits of other pages, and the book itself looks "soft". Normally I scan my pages into the computer, not this time! I am still working on this page, it has such promise!
You are not supposed to spend two dollar bills are you? Aren't they akin to wooden nickels?

Rrrrrrrriiiiiiippit!

As I have said before, I am commited to finishing 2sox/2circs for the Spring Knit-up! After my last post about these socks, I counted the stitches and realized I hadn't done something right and had 12 too many stitches.
This was a lesson in ripping back! As I had just turned the heel, I couldn't figure out what stitches to grab through the enforced partridge stitch heel. So, I decided to grab just below where the partridge stitch began. A good three inches of knitting! I was afraid to rip back, but felt reassured by this article.

As you can see, I have taken the good sock off my needles, ripped back, and begun to knit the frogged yarn back up again! I am proud of myself.
I have to tell on myself here:
I am motivated by having given myself permission to knit a sweater next. I am going to knit the Must Have
in Royal Purple!
**I woke up last night doubting weather I should knit this sweater in Royal Purple (my favorite color). I began to worry that I was being too bold, then decided that I need more color in my wardrobe. I wear purple sweatshirts, after all!
Check out my custom sock knitting bag!

Seeing Myself

I don't often see myself as I appear.

Waiting

I drew this while waiting for a doctors appointment. I felt quite lucky to be drawing, as the man was drifting off into a catnap and maintaining perfect posture. I imagine many things about him. I think he is slow to talk, in a thoughtful, introspective way. I did get to see his open, expectant smile when his name was called. He revealed himself to be older than I had imagined, it seemed that perhaps the world was just a tad further away than it might have been just five years earlier.

I guess I should explain, I think getting older is a bit like being birthed in reverse. I think the world closes around you, protecting and sheltering you for your next passage. Maybe this is a fantasy, something I would like to believe. Either way, I love to look into old eyes and wonder. I have always been attracted to old folk. I have photos of myself as a child near an elder person I had obviously fallen in love with. Most of my friends are quite a bit older than me, I find I am often the youngest in my chosen groups (quilt guilds and such).
-----If anyone who reads this page knows of a decent fixitive that isn't too toxic, I would love to know what you use and why you like it. I sometimes work in pencil in my journal but find that I don't like the smearing that occurs.-------