Playing with Texture

...STANDING STILL AND LEARNING TO BE ASTONISHED

2012-01-25T15:18:00.000-07:00

Created with eco-printed and dyed fabrics and one commercial fabric because it went so well with the leaf prints

Ecoprinting has taught me to be much more observant of the world around me. Enjoy this Mary Oliver poem:

Messenger

My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird--
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.

Still Stitching

2012-01-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'll be stitching on this till January 6, Epiphany, the official end to the Christmas Season. Maybe I'll have it finished by then.

SEASONAL STITCHING

2011-12-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

Started this last Christmas. Just basted all the pieces down and then put it aside. Last night I stitched the trees down and finished the little deer. Now to start all the little details I want to add. Fun stitching on icy cold days like today.

ALL THE LEAVES ARE GONE...

2011-11-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

All the leaves are gone and I miss them so. But the good news is I have lots of beautiful, one of a kind fabrics to stitch with this winter. Took three of my little sample eco-prints and put them together with other eco-dyed fabrics. Have just started stitching and am looking forward to lots more.

The Red Aspen

2011-11-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

Colorado is known for its beautiful golden aspen trees that color the mountainsides each Fall. If you are lucky enough to see an aspen turning red, you'll think you won the lottery. Red aspens are rare, very rare. My husband and I hit the jackpot when we made our annual trip to close up our mountain cabin and saw several of these radiant red trees. This little story cloth (a la Jude Hill style http://spiritcloth.typepad.com/) is a tribute to these beautiful leaves.

HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION

2011-10-27T14:23:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday I gave a presentation to my local fiber art group entitled "HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION". It was an overview of everything I learned over the summer about eco-printing and dyeing. It was great fun telling the story of how I became interested in this process and showing the fruits of my labor. It was a summer full of adventure and experimentation that resulted in a pile of beautiful fabrics that I hope to have fun using this Winter. Below are my eco-prints using crabapple, rose, aspen, cottonwood, eucalyptus and maple leaves.

Here are my dyed fabrics. I used turmeric, aspen leaves, cottonwood leaves, blueberries, red cabbage, onion skins, pomegranates and beets.

This is my favorite piece--raw silk with rusted wire, seeded eucalyptus and spiral eucalyptus. Looking forward to lots of sewing this Winter and also more printing and dyeing next Spring. Many thanks to India Flint, Jenny Dean and Sasha Duerr for all their expertise.

SEARCHING FOR GREEN

2011-09-21T12:31:00.000-06:00

You would think that green would be an easy color to obtain when using green leaves for your dye. Not so; I've spent many days experiementing with green aspen leaves, carrot tops, yarrow and others. And the closest I've come has been this yellow, slightly green shade.

I guess I should mention that I have obtained some lovely green when doing an eco print of a leaf. I guess because the dye is directly transferred in a concentrated manner to the fabric. When suspended in water you get a more diluted effect. The following picture shows yellow cottonwood and aspen leaves bundled and tied and steeped in a carrot top bath. Kind of the same yellow green.

In another dyeing session I made a bath of yellow and red onions and got a golden brown. On a whim I decided to add a little alum and it turned a dark brown. Didn't like that so why not add some vinegar. It went back to a more dijon mustard color. So I steeped some habotai that was tyed with rubber bands for a couple of hours and left it to dry overnight. And the result was the greenest I have yet to get. I wasn't trying for green. I wanted a more golden color. So the moral of this story is to quit trying so hard and be happy with whatever magic happens. I truly love all of the colors that I have obtained, so in the end it really doesn't matter.

The next few phots are of random pieces. First is a cold bundle of lavender sweet peas, yellow and red nastursiums, pink petunias and parsley. Didn't get any of the flower colors but I did get this lovely mottled effect that I may go on to try some eco prints on. Trying to build layers of depth here.

This one is gambel oak. Didn't get any prints just this brown mottling.

Another oak bath piece tied and steep for two hours and then left for a week.

On to color---The following are all silk (habotai or dupioni) soaked in a cold blueberry bath. First one I added vineger, last two I added alum.

That's all for now.

MORE ECO DYEING

2011-08-30T20:37:00.000-06:00

Eco dyeing has sure made me a lot more observant of the plants in my neighborhood. Reading through India Flint's book, Eco-Colour, I have learned that a lot of the plants she uses for dyeing and prints just aren't plants that one can find here in Colorado. Eucalyptus, for example, sure won't find that here. But it gives such a lovely orange-red color. Never fear, it's a favorite of florist so I went out and bought a bunch, came home and started a hot bundle using a piece of ivory colored silk. I probably did not steam it long enough, but I did get some lovely red prints.

Kind of like the green ones too, but wish I would have left it to steam longer so I would have gotten more of the red color.

For this print I used a scrap of habotai silk that I had dyed in onion skins many years ago. It was just a very pale yellow to start with. I bundled up aspen leaves (most plentiful in Colorado) and some small red leaves from a bush outside my house. Wish I knew what the name of the plant is, but it yielded a lovely red color. Aspen prints are very pale but did provide some green.

This next piece is my favorite. Started with another piece of the onion skin dyed habotai silk and this time wrapped some lavender sweet peas in it. This was a cold bundle. Didn't get any of the lavender color, which I have gotten in the past, but I love the lovely greens and khaki colors. And most of all I love all the wrinkles in the fabric and the striations from the rubber bands. I think I will leave it as is, not press out the wrinkles, and use it for texture in a landscape piece.

Looking forward to the fall when the aspens, oaks and maples start turning colors. I'm sure they will yield some rich color for my dye pot.

IN BETWEEN ECO DYEING...

2011-08-23T14:50:00.000-06:00

While waiting for eco bundles to do their magic I have been doing a bit of primitive stitching. Meet Mimi and Pearl. Two little girls from the past who have a lot to say. More to come.

Eco Printing and Dyeing

2011-08-17T13:22:00.000-06:00

First attempts at eco dyeing and printing. All ideas were taken from India Flint's wonderful book, Eco Colour. For all of you who are not into chemicals this is a wonderful book to have. This is stress free dyeing because you don't have to worry about what you are touching or inhaling. My kind of fun.

Silk dyed with aspen leaves. Stayed a lovely pale yellow for a week and then the browns starting migrating in.

Maple leaf prints on silk.

Yellow onion skin prints on an old ivory colored silk shirt that I ripped apart. I knew I was saving that shirt for something.

More onion skins prints.

Aspen leaves on silk.

More aspen leaves.

Cottonwood prints on silk. Folded the fabric in half over the leaf before rolling into a bundle. One side printed better than the other.

Close up of cottonwood print.

TUESDAY TEXTURE--NATURE'S BEAUTIFUL TEXTURES

2011-08-09T10:37:00.000-06:00

There is nothing more beautiful than the textures nature provides us with. These photos were taken on a recent hike in the White River National Forest outside of Aspen,Colorado. I'm in love with mushrooms. Delicate Mariposa lily

Lichens and moss on bark

Years of growth

Love the color of this mushroom

And these little puff balls with prickly surface

BLOOM

2011-08-01T14:11:00.000-06:00

"...it is necessary
to reteach a thing its lovliness,
to put a hand on its brow
of the flower
and retell it in words and in touch
it is lovely
until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing."

Galway Kinnell

TUESDAY TEXTURE--GARDEN TEXTURE

2011-07-12T10:18:00.000-06:00

NOW THAT'S SOME BROCCOLI!!!

These are two gigantic heads of broccoli my husband just picked from our garden. These are, by far, the biggest heads we have ever gotten (no steroids added). I love their texture--in the garden and on the plate. In our garden they sit right next to the wispy, smooth and shiny lettuce leaves. On the other side are the ever encroaching gigantic squashes and their leaves and the fern-like carrot tops. Soon the broccoli will be finished producing and the squash and carrots will take over, but right now those big beautiful flowering heads of broccoli reign supreme.

In high school home economics I learned about the importance of planning meals that are not only nutritionally balanced but also ones that are visually appealing in terms of texture and color. Broccoli, cooked to perfection, provides beautiful color and visual and tactile texture on the plate. All of that adds to the anjoyment of a meal. It's broccoli season. Go ahead and enjoy some.

MORE FUN WITH LEAVES

2011-07-06T11:24:00.000-06:00

Not too long ago I learned how to make silk paper. There are many methods for creating this luminous paper. I prefer using a textile medium as the "glue" to bond the fibers together. In continuing my fascination with leaves, I stumbled upon a process for creating lovely silk leaves out of the "paper".

Basically the process involves pressing leaves with the vein side down into wet sheets of silk paper. When dried, the leaves can be peeled off the paper and you are leflt with an impression of the leaf. Cut them out and you have lovely silk leaves. Lovely on their own or to be used in further arthwork. Here are my favorites. All leaves were painted except for the botton oak leaves which were created out of already dyed silk hankies. For more information on making silk paper see SILK PAPER A GUIDE TO MAKING AND USING IT IN TEXTILE ART by Sarah Lawrence or SILK 'PAPER' CREATIONS FOR THE FIBRE ARTIST by Judith Pinnell.

Tuesday Texture

2011-06-07T10:55:00.000-06:00

When I think of visual texture, the images that first come to mind are of old, tattered, surfaces--peeling paint, scratch marks, weathering, discolorations--I don't think of anything new, especially new life. But the coat of this newborn fawn is so appealing with the spots and color changes across her body. Quite a difference from Mom's coat that appears old and tattered. Here's to finding lovely texture in these early days of June.

SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVING IS ALL ABOUT ART IN THE GARDEN

2011-06-02T11:07:00.001-06:00

School is out, last child has graduated from high school, weather is warm and this new empty nester is planning a summer of art in the garden. I'm starting with making sunprints using all the wonderful leaves that are now sprouting in my garden. I've posted before about sunprints and how much I love them. I love using leaves as the mask because there is such a variety to be found if one takes the time to look.

Sunprints are easy to make. I use natural fiber fabrics and transparent Setacolor paints by Pebeo. Just paint your fabric with a 2:1 water to paint ratio and lay down leaves or any flat object you choose to use as a mask. Lay in a hot sunny area and within 15-20 minutes an image will begin to appear. I live in Colorado so we have lots of strong sunlight. You may have to adjust the time depending on the area you live in. I also have to deal with a lot of wind, so on windy days, I just lay the fabric in a sunny window and I still get great results. Here are a few shots of some prints that I made awhile back and have turned into note cards. They are listed in my etsy shop (http://pdlugos.etsy.com/)

EROSION BUNDLE

2011-05-05T17:15:00.000-06:00

For those of you unfamiliar with THE EROSION BUNDLE PROJECT see this blog http://erosionbundles.blogspot.com/. Basically it is this: "the idea is simple: create an artistic bundle made from materials of your own choosing and 'hang, bury, submerge or just place' the bundle in the elements. This collaboration is to be with the ultimate partner...MOTHER NATURE. (taken from the blog) Crazy you say, but oh so fun. For my bundle I chose silk and cotton fabrics, vintage book pages, dead leaves, rusted wires, tea leaves and coffee grounds. Wrapped it all up and buried it in my front garden. Only problem was we had the driest winter in probably ten years so I had to remember to go out and water it throughout the winter to get some chemical action going which didn't happen very often. So the pictures below show my results. I had the best results on the silk fabrics getting some rust action and even a couple of leaf prints (see 2nd photo). I've decided I am going to start over, but use the same fabrics and some new fresh leaves and see what kind of natural dyeing action I get. I plan to do lots of eco dyeing this summer so stay tuned. For now, taking a break till the end of the school year when my son graduates from high school.

May

2011-05-02T21:26:00.000-06:00

Can't believe it is May. It has been snowing lightly off and on all day. But a big warmup is supposed to start tomorrow. Maybe this is the end of yucky cold weather for the foothills of Pikes Peak.

More coming this week.

BLUE WATERS

2011-04-23T16:35:00.000-06:00

Here's my latest bracelet added to my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/listing/72166624/handstitched-fiber-art-bracelet-blue

HAPPY EASTER! Hope you have some blue waters to sit next to this holiday weekend.

SPRING COLOR AND TEXTURE

2011-04-08T20:30:00.000-06:00

I've been spending a lot of time this week pouring over the art of two of my favorite artist. First is Judith Baker Montano, http://www.judithbakermontano.com/, who is well known for her crazy quilting. More recent works are beautiful landscapes that are heavily textured by the use of a variety of fabrics, threads, ribbons and adornments. Everytime I look at her work I want to go back to my first fiber love, embroidery. Carolyn Saxby is a recent favorite artist. Her work is also all about beauty and texture, but her art is a little more abstract. I anticipate each post of her blog. She has two, http://love-stitching-red.blogspot.com/ and http://carolysaxby.blogspot.com/. Her photography is lovely and her words even more special. I hope you will check out both of these artists.

A few nights ago I got the itch to stitch. Just wanted to practice some couching with different threads to see the different textural affects. Well before I knew it I had a little bit of a design going and couldn't stop. I limited myself to my two favorite spring colors, spring green and daffodil yellow, but some of the threads and yarn were variegated in color so added some nice contrast. Love doing this free form stitching--just letting my subconscious take me for a ride.

Enjoy your weekend!

Bracelets

2011-04-05T13:47:00.000-06:00

I spent most of last week retaking pictures of all of my bracelets in my etsy shop. It got me to realize that I don't think I have ever blogged about how I started making them. So here's a little history on my bracelets:

Needle arts have been a part of my life as far back as I can remember. Embroidery, dressmaking , tailoring, quilting, beading and needle felting have all played a role in developing my creativity. With all of this stitching has come a hugh inventory of fabrics, beads, buttons, ribbons and fibers. My bracelets were born out of a desire to use up all the bits and pieces I have amassed over the years. Small lengths of silk ribbons became flowers, strands of fibers were intertwined with each other to create a base for embellishment with beads and buttons. These bracelets have taken on a life of their own. I now have people sending me their leftovers to use. The most fun has come with creating special bracelets for clients who wanted a keepsake created with cherished ribbons and yarns from their own collection. I hope that everyone who views my art can appreciate the fine detail work as well as the process of creating something out of what may appear to be destined for trash.

To see more of my bracelets visit my etsy shop at http://pdlugos.etsy.com/

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-04-02T15:36:00.000-06:00

At last, daffodils blooming in my garden. Been waiting so long to see their happy faces. Spring has finally come to the Rocky Mountains.

"Daffodils"
I wander'd lonely as a cloud
     that floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
    A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
   And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
   Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
   Out-did the sparkling waves in glee;
A poet could not but be gay,
   In such a jocund company:
I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
   In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
   Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

               William Wordsworth

SPRING BREAK DAY 5

2011-03-25T17:34:00.000-06:00

And on the fifth day I rested. Phew, it's been a busy week with all the journal making. Woke up tired so I decided I needed a rest, but wanted to do something creative. My old standby for when I'm feeling this way is to pull out my watercolors. Painting with watercolors makes me slow down. There is no rushing this. Have to let things dry thoroughly before proceeding on. I'm noticing the return of many of my favorite birds, so I decided to make them my subject. Here's number 1--warming up

Number 2--getting there

Number 3--Now I'm having fun. Looking forward to lots more painting this Spring and Summer.

SPRING BREAK DAY FOUR

2011-03-24T17:00:00.000-06:00

I finished my garden journal today. Just did a simple binding with fibers and ribbon. Added a little bird impression I made long ago using MODEL MAGIC and a rubber stamp.

I added a variety of blank pages and left a few of the color photos from the original book. This one I included because it reminds me so much of the garden of one of my parent's friends. It's the simple curve of the garden that takes me back to that long ago garden in New Orleans. The other pictures are of my first entry and a little poetry. Looking forward to all the wonder this year's garden will hold..

SPRING BREAK DAY THREE

2011-03-23T20:58:00.000-06:00

I have always wanted to have a journal just for gardening, so since I've been on a journal making roll the last few days, I decided to make one today. I have an old copy of THE GARDEN ENCYCOPEDIA that is in pretty bad shape so I decided to take it apart and recreate it into a journal. I also decided to do a album style binding so that I would be able to easily add paper when I needed to. This requires creating a hinge which is very easy to do. I cut a 3/4" strip off of the left side of the front cover and a 1/4" strip off of the left side of the remaining section of the front cover (the larger section). I placed the two cover sections down on my cutting board with a 1/4" gap between the two pieces and then connected them with a piece of duct tape that extends vertically all the way around to the inside of the front cover. That 1/4" space becomes the hinge.

Then I fused both the front and back cover with fabric and ribbon. Because the covers are pretty thick, I drilled the holes for the binding. This requires two people. One to hold the book in place and one to do the drilling. Tomorrow I'll add the papers and finish the binding and maybe even make a few entries into the journal. This is a perfect time to start a garden journal with this being the first week of Spring. I have already taken a few pictures of what is happening in my garden now, so I am looking forward to documenting it in my beautiful new journal.

SPRING BREAK DAY TWO

2011-03-22T17:25:00.001-06:00

Being a fiber artist I've always liked the idea of having a soft cover journal. So today's project was to come up with a journal cover using some of my hand painted fabrics. For the outside cover I choice a piece of sunprinted fabric that I made a few years back. The fabric was actually from a silk scarf that I painted and was unhappy with. So I repainted it and did the sunprinting with some maple leaves.

For the inside cover I choice a piece of commercial fabric that I think cooridinates well with the outside cover. I fused both pieces to a piece of fast 2 fuse interfacing, rounded the edge and then edge stitched the cover with a zig zag stitch. That's as far as I have gotten. Still have to add the 5 signatures of canson mixed media paper and make a few adjustments on the closure. Hopefully I'll get to that tonight after dinner. This journal is 5"x5" so it's a nice size to fit into a purse or tote bag. I'm really enjoying using supplies I have on hand and not going out to buy every little thing I "think" I need.

SPRING BREAK DAY ONE

2011-03-21T17:12:00.000-06:00

It's Spring Break here in Colorado and I have been itching to take some time off for a creative workshop. Lacking the funds because of having one child in college and another going next year, I decided I'd create my own workshop at home--no lugging supplies, no travel headaches, no spending huge amounts of money. Just spending the whole week exploring ideas that have been brewing in my mind all winter. So after morning yoga and coffee with a creative friend to get my juoices flowing, I can home to put together this journal that I can't wait to start using.

For the cover I used 140# watercolor paper, two sheets glued together for both the front and the back cover. When dry I fused pieces of this luscious batik fabric (from BOLD OVER BATIKS, http://www.boldoverbatiks.com/) to both the inside and outside covers and stitched around the edges to secure. I used Canson mixed media paper (my new favorite paper because you can use both watercolor and acrylics on it plus it is nice to write on) for the signatures. The papers were left over from another book I made awhile back, so I didn't have to go out and buy an paper for this but used up what I already had. I bound it with waxed thread using my favorite coptic stitch. I love using this binding stitch because the pages lay flat when the book is open so it is easy to paint or write on.

The book measures 4.5"x5" which is a nice small size that fits in my purse so I have it with me at all times. Looking forward to another day of creativity tomorrow.

KEEP DREAMING

2011-03-18T11:47:00.000-06:00

So yesterday I had the MIGRAINE FROM HELL. This morning I wake up feeling like I've ben hit by a truck, but I find this message from my sister. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g-T46ja95s

TUESDAY TEXTURE--SPRING PHOTOS

2011-03-15T16:43:00.000-06:00

Photos from my morning walk. Maple trees are sprouting. Love the texture.

A slightly blurry robin who wouldn't stand still for a picture.

One inch high daffodil shoots. Love the texture they provide in the garden when they are at this stage. Everyday there is something new to see. The miracle of Spring.

PINK TREE

2011-03-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a long while before we start seeing trees like this in Colorado. I'm trying very hard to stay in the present with the only sign of spring so far being the tender 1/2 inch high daffodil shoots. We are at the very beginning of the "springing of the year".

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
from A PRAYER IN SPRING
by Robert Frost

Play Day

2011-02-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Just popping in to say.............

Badly in need of a play day so I headed to my button box. I have so many memories of playing in my mother and grandmother's button boxes. Found some great TEXTURES. Click on the pictures to see the details.

What texture treasures do you have in your button box?

Thought for Today

2011-02-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

I see this angel on my walk every morning. If I were a thief this is what I would steal. She is so beautiful. Especially in the early morning light. She has great TEXTURE from being exposed to the elements for so long. She's old--not some new creation made in China that you can buy at WalMart. I guess she's what you call architectural salvage. Anyway, I usually stop and take her in on my walk. The neighbors probably think I am a stalker. Too bad, I have to have time with her. What is she looking at? Does she see the same things that I see? Is she longing for spring and something new to gaze at? Is she happy and content with her plot in life? Here's to hoping that everyone has something beautiful to look at as they go about their day.

HEARTS CONNECTED

2011-02-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

My stitching this week has focused on hearts--the hearts in my present life, the hearts that have gone before me, hearts yet to meet, and most of all, the hearts of the Egyptian people striving for their freedom. In this world we are all connected.

Tuesday Texture

2011-02-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

A little Valentine's Day texture.

Mermaid's Treasure

2011-02-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

Deep in the turquoise blue ocean, mermaids spend their days scavenging the ocean floor for lovelies to adorn themselves and their hidden caves. Bronze, gold and silver missed by pirates, velvets and silk ribbons cast at sea by ladies heading to foreign lands, crystals and beads found in the vaults of shipwrecks and pearls offered up by their friends, the oysters. The mermaid's life is a dreamy one. I'm sure she dreams of someday wearing a bracelet created from her treasures.

TUESDAY TEXTURE

2011-02-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

The caption reads--what we see is a reflection of how we see. So true. And I don't know what I like better--the TEXTURAL interest of the old building or the reflection in the window.

photo taken from Country Living magazine

ON PERFECTIONISM

2011-01-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

Perfectionism keeps me from:
     Starting
     Progressing
     Finishing

Long history of perfectionism, but this really helped.

"The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality. His procedure was simple: fifty pounds of pots rated an "A", forty pounds a "B", and so on. Those being graded on "quality" however, needed to produce only one pot - albeit a perfect one - to get an "A". Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of the highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that the "quality" group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.

To require perfection is to invite paralysis. The pattern is predictable: as you see error in what you have done, you steer your work toward what you imagine you can do perfectly. You cling ever more tightly to what you already know you can do - away from risk and exploration, and possibly further from the work of your heart. You find reasons to procrastinate, since to not work is to not make mistakes. Believing that artwork should be perfect, you gradually become convinced that you can't make such work (you are correct). Sooner or later, since you can't do what you are trying to do, you quit. And in one of the perverse little ironies of life, only the pattern itself achieves perfection - a perfect death spiral: you misdirect your work; you stall; you quit."

From "ART AND FEAR" by David Bayles and Ted Orland

TUESDAY TEXTURE

2011-01-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

On quiet winter mornings snow flowers bloom.

WINTERSCAPE

2011-01-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

"There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you...In spring, summer, and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself"--Ruth Stout

Listed in my etsy shop: http://pdlugos.etsy.com/

TISSUE PAPER TEXTURE

2011-01-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent the day making covers for the journals I hope to use this year. I used covers from old books that were falling apart instead of going to buy new book board. I used tissue paper that I painted with acrylic paints a few years ago. The blending of colors and the crinkle of the tissue creates great TEXTURE. On to filling them with paper and adding the binding.

WHY I DO WHAT I DO

2011-01-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

I found this video on another blog. It states exquisitely why I do what I do. She seems to be a spinner/weaver/knitter, but I think it applies to all the fiber arts and to anyone who works with their hands. Enjoy.

Tuesday Texture

2011-01-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

When I took the Cloth to Cloth workshop with Jude Hill (http://spiritcloth.typepad.com/), I got turned onto Glennis Dolce's beautiful fabrics. She uses a variety of wovens that are rich in TEXTURE by themselves, but the addition of the indigo dye seems to bring that texture to life even more. Love, Love, Love these fabrics. See more at http://www.shiborigirlstudios.com/.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Here's my favorite Christmas quote of all time: "If, as Herod, we fill our lives with things, and again with things; if we consider ourselves so unimportant that we must fill every moment of our lives with action, when will we have the time to make the long, slow journey across the desert as did the Magi? Or sit and watch the stars as did the shepherds? Or brood over the coming of the child as did Mary? For each one of us, there is a desert to travel. A star to discover. And a being within ourselves to bring to life.--author unknown

WINTER SOLSTICE FULL MOON

2010-12-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

photo taken in the foothills of Pikes Peak

I can't believe it has been well over a month since my last post. Life has been very FULL lately. During this past month I have traveled with my son and husband to the Seattle region to look at colleges. Came home to celebrate Thanksgiving and then head out again to New Orleans to help care for my mom. Came home from that and was thrust into Christmas planning and the return of my daughter from Italy and her study abroad adventure. Luckily she got home hours before the horrible weather broke loose in Europe. So thankful to have her home and to have a FULL nest again. Needless to say I have done very little art and it is making me restless and anxious and with little direction on where I want to go with my art next. So I'm taking advantage of these dark days to ponder my path. And I am hoping for some light to illuminate the way.

WORK IN PROGRESS AND LEARNING TO EDIT DETAILS

2010-11-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

During the summer my brother sent me a copy of a photograph he took several years ago while visiting me in Colorado. He asked me If I could needle felt this landscape for him. "Sure" I said, no problem. Being the detail perfectionist that I am, the more and more I looked at the photo, the more anxious I became. Why didn't he just ask me to paint a picture? I could have done that and captured many of the details. But needle felting is different. Capturing all those trees and rocks, etc, etc. is not easy with roving and a barbed needle. And I had to make it more difficult because I HAD TO CAPTURE ALL THE DETAILS OR IT WOULDN'T BE GOOD ENOUGH! So the photograph has sat on my worktable for months until a few weeks ago it dawned on my poor perfectionist self that I didn't have to capture ALL the details. I could EDIT out some things and still stay true to the beauty of the scene. This is such a hard concept for me to wrap my head around. Instead of recognizing the limitations of the medium, I would rather get down on myself and think that if I was a better needle felter I would be able to make a perfect replica of the photo. Not a good way to think. Only hurts myself and keeps me from moving forward.

But I told myself that I should just try. Play with it. If it didn't work, I could always make up some story about why it couldn't be done. I could also, do a sample, see how it went, maybe do another and another. Just play and see what happens. And slowly but surely, I began to edit out unnecessary parts and came up with this.

Here's a closeup.

I'm happy with it so far. I am resisting going back and adding more details. Keep telling myself to just let it be what it is.
Moral of this story: IN LIFE AND IN ART, EDIT OUT UNNECESSARY DETAILS AND FOCUS ON WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

TUESDAY TEXTURE SHOT--JENNY FIELDS FIBERS

2010-11-02T13:19:00.000-06:00

One of my latest Etsy shop finds is Jenny Fields Fibers. This photograph is of a luscious art batt I recently purchased. The colors and variety of fibers makes for great TEXTURE. It reminds me of the canyon walls around my home. Can't wait to use it in a felted landscape. Jenny's shop address is http://jenny13.etsy.com/ . Have fun looking through her shop.

10 THINGS I LEARNED IN THE COTH TO CLOTH WORKSHOP

2010-10-27T15:49:00.000-06:00

1. Everything old is new again. Old fabric, old clothes, old linens and lace. Old cloth to new cloth.

2. Look below the surface. You never know what you'll find.

3. I've always loved handstitching--now more than ever.

4. Never throw away your scraps.
5. Slow down; enjoy the process; accept where you are in the process.
6. Cloth has a story to tell.
7. Listen to the cloth. It will tell you what to do next.
8. All learning should include some fun along the way.

9. Jude Hill is a great teacher.
10. The end is just the beginning.

TUESDAY TEXTURE SHOT--LEAVES

2010-10-26T14:25:00.000-06:00

Go kick up some leaves.

TUESDAY TEXTURE SHOT--LAST PORTULACAS OF THE SEASON

2010-10-12T13:40:00.000-06:00

When I was a little girl I loved to go to my grandmother's house and play in her backyard. It wasn't much of a yard. More of a cement slab, no grass, but flower beds around the perimeter and lots of pots of flowers. I vividly remember coming out of her back door and seeing a large white enamel dishpan with red trim filled with portulacas. Today these are still one of my favorite flowers. I think it is because of the variety of colors they come in and because of the sweetness of the flowers. They are precious little rose- like flowers that bloom all summer long in hot dry climates. When I moved to Colorado I started planting them every summer in honor of my grandmother. I was lucky enough to find a dishpan just like my grandmother's tucked away in a cabinet of our mountain cabin. When my husband and I bought the cabin, the contents came with the structure. Most of it was junk which we promptly got rid of. But when I came across the dishpan I was so happy you would have thought I had discovered gold in them there hills. But this lowly dishpan has become one of my most treasured items because of the joy it brings me when I plant portulacas for my grandmother, and the fond memories it brings back of being in her yard on a hot, sultry New Orleans summer day

The flowers are sweet and silky. But the sprawling stems are succulent with cylindrical leaves that provide beautiful TEXTURE in the garden. Tonight will be our first freeze so I took these photographs to put in my journal. So when I'm knee deep in snow this winter, I'll have a picture to remind me of one of summer's great pleasures.

TUESDAY TEXTURE SHOT

2010-10-05T13:59:00.000-06:00

Can you guess what this is? Check out all the hills and valleys, the striations, the little pricklies in the dark green. It's the stem from one of the blue hubbard squash in my garden. I love squash stems for their fabulous texture. I love how the knubby browns are interrupted by the smooth green stritations. I think I'll try to carve a stamp to replicate this. What textures in nature do you like?

"There is something magical in seeing what you can do, what TEXTURE and tone and colour you can produce merely with a pen point and a bottle of ink."
Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

CLOTH TO CLOTH WORKSHOP CONTINUES

2010-10-01T16:58:00.000-06:00

The Cloth to Cloth workshop continues. I've had a cold all week (my annual back to school cold--my kids go to school, bring home a cold and give it to me), and I haven't had much energy for anything other than keeping up with the lessons. The first 3 pictures are small anchored weavings I plan on adding to larger pieces. They measure about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches. The last two photos are from this week's lesson on double weavings. Five layers of fabric are used which allows you to cut into the layers to reveal what is below. This allows for all kinds of options--highlighting special fabrics, creating windows to reveal treasures, making weaves within weaves, and on and on. Lots of possibilities. We have also been exploring stitches for securing ragged edges. Next week we work on embellishment. Can't wait for that.

PLEASE EXCUSE THE LOOKS OF THIS POST. BLOGGER HAS CHANGED IT'S FORMAT AND I HAVEN'T THE ENERGY TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT AND MAKE THINGS LOOK GOOD.

CLOTH TO CLOTH CLASS--LESSON TWO

2010-09-23T14:35:00.000-06:00

Lesson 2 of the Cloth to Cloth class involves creating an anchored weaving. Three methods were given and I choice to focus on the third one in which you cut slits into the base fabric to form the strips that you can then weave into. Very simple and eliminates one layer of fabric. So this first photo has been titled "WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" We have here GAREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!!!!!!!, gold and rust. I had this idea of summer transitioning into autumn. Only thing, nature isn't quite so garish.

So after I picked myself up off the floor from rolling around in laughter, I decided that I liked the rust colored fabric which is an old silk scarf that I painted awhile back. I didn't like the way it turned out, so I repainted it with setacolor paints and did some sunprinting with maple leaves. This fabric led to the tan fabric I had rusted last year and the fabric with the writing on it which is a cotton with the words of a Mary Oliver poem, The Journey, handwritten on it. I colored it with burnt umber and indigo blue watercolor paints which then led to the dark blue leaf print and trim.

Here's what I ended up with. I kind of forgot the part of the lesson about using a fairly sturdy fabric for the base. The rust colored fabric is a habotai silk which is very flimsy, but with some TLC I was able to work with it. I know I am jumping ahead with embellishment, but I so rarely have an opportunity to follow through on all the ideas rolling around in my head, I just decided to go with it.

And here is the Mary Oliver poem.

The Journey

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice--

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ancles,

"Mend my life!"

each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do--

determined to save

the only life you could save.

OLD STRIPS, NEW FUN

2010-09-17T16:26:00.003-06:00

Of all the quilts I have ever made, this is my favorite which I made in 2000. I used over 100 different fabrics, which is the way I do quilts. I can't stand piecing the same fabrics over and over again. I love the fact that I took the time to hand quilt it even though I was in the middle of being a mom. This was the quilt my kids went to when they wanted to snuggle and read.

I have piles of strips leftover and have waited for the perfect project to use some of them. A few weeks ago I found it when I signed up for Jude Hill's Cloth to Cloth online class. http://spiritcloth.typepad.com. We started this week and what what fun it has been. There are a huge number of participants and the pictures and comments posted so far have been wonderful. Our first exercise was to do some cloth weaving which is now my new addiction. I'm showing my first two below. I've already got an idea on the applique and embroidery I want to do on the surface, but I'm going to wait until we get a little further along in the class in case I change my mind.

Jude has a wonderful blog so even if you can't take the class (I don't know if it is full or not), you'll be able to see her beautiful work. She's a hand stitcher and that is why I love her art so much. She also has an article in the current Quiilting Arts magazine which you can also check out.

I"ll be posting more pictures as the class goes on.

FINISHED SAMPLER PILLOW

2010-09-10T14:55:00.004-06:00

I finally finished my Rebecca Ringquist sampler and turned it into a pillow. In order to finish the sampler I had to add some fabric to the top and bottom so I could work with in a hoop. Then added some more strips to the sides. Then I added three rows of running stitches all the way around changing colors as I came to the end of a thread. More using up bits and pieces of leftovers.

Because it ended up being a odd size I made my own pillow form, finished off the back with a scrap of a reproduction fabric, added the trim, three buttons and it's all done. This is a sitting pretty on a chair pillow, not a take a nap with pillow. I'm really happy with how it turned out and I did it all just for pure pleasure of embroidery.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT

2010-09-05T15:03:00.018-06:00

Early this year I took an online class with LK Ludwig--Printed, Patterned, Painted Journal Making (http://gryphonsfeather.typepad.com). I used some of the papers to make this little book. It's about 3"x4" so very small. I wanted to do something special with it but for the longest while no ideas were coming. Then I came across some poetry from Tracie Lyn Huskamp (http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com) that I love and I immediately knew what to do. To me the poetry is all about stopping to smell the roses, enjoying simple everyday moments and being grateful for life itself. One thing that I am grateful for is that I am a collector. I have a huge collection of dried leaves and flowers. When I look at them, my heart quivers. Even though some of the color has faded from them, they are as beautiful as the day they first caught my eye. In some cases the color has mellowed into something even more beautiful then the original intensity I was attracted to. I love my seashells--the broken ones as well as the more perfect specimens. All are treasures from the beaches I have walked in my life. And then there is my antique fabric collection, especially the fabrics and bits of lace from my grandmother. It makes me so happy to think of her touching these textiles and loving their color and design just as I do.
When I see this basket of lovelies I feel connected to her and using them in my art is a way of honoring her life.

So back to the book. I've always wanted to use some of these treasures in a way that would be a memoir of my life. I know that it is in everyday life with family and nature that I find my greatest joy. So with Tracie's poetry, my handmade book and the bits and pieces I have colllected since childhood, I have created another treasure that helps me to remember to pay attention to life, to honor my life as well as those who have gone before me. The pictures aren't the greatest but you'll get the idea.

Dreaming in the Garden

2010-07-25T13:39:00.004-06:00

When my daughter was around 8 or 9 one of our favorite books to read was the Lost Flower Children by Janet Taylor Lisle. It is a wonderful story about how we deal with the pain of loss and the redemptive power of the garden. When I look at my mid summer garden I dream of fairy children playing under the canopy of leaves,

coloring the blossoms

swinging from the tendrils and whispering in the ears of each plant words of encouragement.

How does the earth know what to do with the seed?

How does the flower know when to release itself so that the fruit may spring forth?

How does such wonder come about? Only the fairy children know for sure.

Rebecca Ringquist Sampler

2010-07-22T10:21:00.005-06:00

One of my favorite bloggers is Pam Garrison. She does a lot of creative stitching using old fabrics. On a recent post she talked about a sampler that she got through a friend. It really caught my eye as I love embroidery. As a young child, embroidery was my first creative outlet. Both my mother and grandmother embroidered ( see my previous post) so I consider it part of my heritage. Anyway I was dying to get a hold of one of the samplers which was created by Rebecca Ringquist, an artist in Chicago. Lo and behold on Pam's next post, she reported that Rebecca had started an etsy shop and was selling her samplers. She also has a flickr group for people to post their rendition of the sampler. So here is what I have done so far. I'm using bits and pieces of threads left over from previous projects so I not really going with any particular color scheme. I think it will add to the sampler feel. And here is the whole sampler. Isn't it lovely?

I'll be posting my progress on the flickr group. Maybe you would like to join too. Here is all the info: www.rebeccaringquist.com (website) http://www.drop-cloth.blogspot.com (blog with a link to her etsy shop) http://www.flickr.com/group/sampler/ . And for some fun and beautiful reading http://pamgarrison.typepad.com/pamgarrison/

Sunprint retreat

2010-07-07T16:36:00.006-06:00

My husband and I took a long holiday weekend and went up to our mountain cabin. We hiked, biked, sat by the creek, read, ate, painted, fished and made sunprints. I should say I made the sunprints while he fished. I love doing this. I think I enjoy leaves more than the flowers in my garden. There just seems to be so many different kinds and shapes. I never get enough of their beauty.
So our cabin has a huge picture window that faces the afternoon sun. In the afternoon when the sun was shining through I put a big piece of plastic down on the floor, laid out some squares of fabric and painted away using Setacolor paints. I had pressed all the leaves the day before so they would be nice and flat and make good contact with the fabric. And the best part of doing it through the window was that I didn't need to worry about the wind kicking up and blowing the leaves or fabric away.
Enjoy looking at these beautiful gifts of nature.

Time in the Garden

2010-06-12T09:43:00.013-06:00

All of my time seems to be consumed by my garden these days. So much to do. Weeding is a top priority. As crazy as it may sound, I love to weed. I find it very therapeutic. Weeds choke off life from the plants I love. And so as I weed I think about the things in my life I want to get rid of so that I have more time and energy to enjoy what I truly value and want more of in my life. Some weeds are so deeply rooted. I hack away at them but never seem to get to the base. This makes me realize how deeply rooted old hurts and wounds are that I can't seem to let go of. Will I ever be able to put these pests to rest? Will the root die off so that one day I can make one last yank and be done with it? Some plants have died. Did I not water them enough? Was the sun exposure wrong? Did a pest come in and take away it's life. Will another plant be more fruitful in the same spot? All good questions I ask myself about my life as I make my way through my foothills garden. I wrestle with the time I spend in the garden. What is the best use of my time. When I'm outside, I think I should be inside creating some art. When I'm working on my art, I'm consumed of thoughts of the weeds taking over, or something dying because I didn't take care of it. Then I remember how fleeting this time in the garden truly is. Here in these mountains I love the growing season is very short, so I let go and remember that in a few short months, the beauty that I longed for all winter long will be gone and I will have missed it. So I relax and try and stay in the moment and enjoy the beauty of each and every plant that has thrived.

My austrian copper rose has a shoot of this lovely yellow rose growing with it. Voodoo planted to acknowledge my New Orleans roots.

Snowballs. When I look out my daughter's bedroom window I see these beauties and realize what a lovely view she has had to look at every June.

The majesty of an iris and the simplicity of a daisy. Love the combination.

The vegetable garden just beginning to yield it's luscious fruits. We are now enjoying rhubarb, lettuce, spinach and radishes.

And a little art on the side created when the sun went down and the garden went to bed. Listed in my etsy shop this past week. http://pdlugos.etsy.com/

NOW BLOOMING--BLEEDING HEART

2010-05-29T19:11:00.002-06:00

My favorite plant and my favorite words from Mary Oliver. The Bleeding-Heart
by Mary Oliver

I know a bleeding-heart plant that has thrived

for sixty years if not more, and has never

missed a spring without rising and spreading

itself into a glossy bush, with many small red

hearts dangling. Don't you think that deserves

a little thought? The woman who planted it

has been gone for a long time, and everyone

who saw it in that time has also died or moved

away and so, like so many stories, this one can't

get finished properly. Most things that are

important, have you noticed, lack a certain

neatness. More delicious, anyway, is to

remember my grandmother's pleasure when

the dissolve of winter was over and the green

knobs appeared and began to rise, and to create

their many hearts. One would say she was a

simple woman, made happy by simple things.

I think this was true. And more than once,

in my long life, I have wished to be her.

The World Turns Green

2010-05-24T17:16:00.009-06:00

Someone flipped the switch on the seasons and it is suddenly late Spring in the Rocky Mountains. The trees have advanced dramatically over the last few days. Daily walks in my garden have been highlighted by picking new leaf specimens for pressing. Here are the ones that I collected today. I love the visual texture provided by the rich veining in the next two leaves.

Wanting to find another way to document my finds I decided to do some sunprints using Setacolor paints. My first attempt didn't yield crisp images, but I love the color and the way the paint migrated across the fabric.

These images are much clearer. Check out the beautiful paint migration on the closeup shot.

Can't wait for more warm summer days to make more sunprints.

"I am the leaf born in Spring

when life explodes in living things."

F.D.Howerton

The Path

2010-05-10T16:17:00.008-06:00

I've had my mother on my mind so much over the last few days. It started when I was digging through a drawer looking for some fabric. I came across some embroidered pieces that I wasn't sure if they were done by her or her mother. So I called her and we got into a long discussion on sewing and how we learned to sew. Her memories were a lot clearer then my own. She remembers taking lessons from Sr. Jovita on Saturday mornings at Sacred Heart Academy. She was twelve years old. Her mother didn't sew until much later in her life but she encouraged my mom to learn and learn she did. My mother was quite the seamstress and very much a perfectionist. Details were important.

I don't remember taking any lessons until I was in high school. But I know I was sewing before then. I think I must have just picked it up from my mom and also from my oldest sister, Beth, who also sewed. Those high school lessons were wonderful. I loved being able to create something that I could wear and that was one of a kind. I remember my second year of home ec (going to a Catholic school, we call it CFL--Christian Family Living) and taking tailoring. I bit off way more than I could chew, and made a camel colored knee length wool coat. My mother must have spent a fortune on the fabric and supplies. It didn't come out great. The fabric was very heavy and difficult to sew on. But mother and Beth both encouraged me and I did finish it. I cried many a tear over that coat, mostly because I had to model it in the annual fashion show. Still makes me cringe thinking of that. Anyway, it was my mother's and sister's encouragement and help that I am so thankful for. If I hadn't had that, I know I wouldn't have continued to sew.

These are my mother's hands. The hands that started me on my creative path.

Here is her delicate embroidery made when she was a young girl.

I told you she was a perfectionist.

Here are my humble beginnings; an embroidered pillowcase made on a summer's day. I am so happy that I still have this piece--a relic of my early creative life.
I never could have imagined that I would be doing what I am doing today. And all I can say is thank you to my mom and to Beth for starting me on my way.

Trees

2010-05-05T12:32:00.003-06:00

In my part of the world trees are just beginning to show life. The fruit trees are filled with buds just waiting to flower. Other trees are slowly uncurling tender spring green leaves. I love trees. They have given me great joy throughout my life. As a young child in New Orleans, I claimed a golden rain in our backyard as my own. When we moved to a larger house we had crepe myrtles, pine, mimosas and rain trees. Out in front of the house was a huge live oak which framed the house and provided us with some much needed shade. That tree still stands today having survived hurricanes, including hurricane Katrina, and termite damage. Trees are strong, they provide shelter and I have always loved how they can change light as Mary Oliver notes in her beautiful poem WHEN I AM AMONG THE TREES.

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

Nothing Like A LIttle Warm Weather

2010-04-28T17:11:00.004-06:00

It has been so warm the last few days. Everything is blooming. Unfortunately, a freeze is coming. I'm enjoying this bush while it last.

Just Playing

2010-04-21T15:01:00.005-06:00

So I've been going full speed ahead on lots of different projects, and this morning I just wanted to do something just for fun. So I got out my watercolors and some scraps of watercolor paper and started trying different methods to create texture. I used alcohol, salt, granulation medium, saran wrap and lots of moving the paint around the paper. After they were dry, I fussy cut them into 3" squares and made a little paper quilt. Here's the quilt and my favorite one using drops of alcohol.

Time Passes

2010-04-20T19:34:00.010-06:00

Time passes so fast. Last time I posted I was looking forward to a weekend in the garden. But then the winds came and the last thing I wanted was to be outside. I hate when it gets that windy. It brings me back to my childhood waiting for a hurricane and wondering just how much worse the wind would get. Luckily I had lots to keep me busy inside. I'm working on getting 25 items in my Etsy shop, which is no small task considering the length of time it takes to create my art. When I joined etsy I had no idea of the work involved in maintaining a shop. Do I regret it? No. But there is so much to learn, so much time spent on the computer when I really want to be doing something creative.

While this flurry of activity has occured, Spring continues and provides me with lots of visual stimulation on my morning walks. Enjoy the pics.

GARDEN NOTES

2010-04-07T20:16:00.006-06:00

I've been gone for a few days visiting my daughter in California. In that short amount of time, the first blooms in my garden have appeared. I love this time in the garden when the first beginnings of life unfold. Everyday there is excitement of something new. This first picture is of a dwarf iris. My husband and I planted these 15 years ago and they have never done well. We planted two dozen of these in purple and yellow, but we only see maybe 1 or 2 of them bloom each year. At the end of the summer last year I ripped out an ugly sage plant that was just totally unruly. It was in the spot where this yellow iris is. Maybe it has been blooming all this time but was covered up by the ugly plant. Seeing it makes me so happy that I got rid of the sage. Well worth my effort. So the moral of this story is don't be afraid to prune. Here are the first daffodils to bloom. Loads more to come in different colors. Someone told me once that daffodils are a symbol of hope. I love that thought.

Tiny grape hyacinths that must have come from the heavens because we never planted any of these. The deer love them so I'm glad I got this shot before the deer come and munch them.

"These days the portion of Eden for which I am responsible is fairly modest...It is a small house in a small garden in a small neighborhood. But it is large enough...Large enough to hold everything dear."--from Digging In by Robert Benson

SPRING IN MY GARDEN

2010-03-27T21:07:00.005-06:00

I know Spring officially started last week, but here in the rocky mountains, at the base of Pikes Peak, I am just beginning to see signs of life in my garden. I have decided I want to document my garden from now until Fall so I'll be posting pictures regulary. My garden is another way that I can enjoy texture. I spend most of the winter trying to recreate the textures of nature in my art. Now I get to go outside and play and enjoy the textures up close and personal. Here are some photographs I took this afternoon.

This first one is of my daffodils. I love how they are peaking out of the dead leaves and branches that have blanketed them all winter. Can you see the munchings from the deer? They wreak havoc in my garden all summer long and I guess forgot from last year that they really don't like daffodils. Beginnings of life on the Maple tree. My husband's eyes are already beginning to water.

Fuzzies on the Aspen trees. The juncos and house finches in the garden have already started to go for them instead of the seed in the feeders.

This coming week is supposed to be in the 60's and 70's so maybe I'll have some first blooms on the daffodils to show soon.

TAOS FIBER ART BRACELET

2010-03-16T14:11:00.003-06:00

A couple of years ago I started making these bracelets. I was looking for a way to use up the bits and pieces of fibers leftover from other projects. It was just one of those moments when something clicked and I had to run with the idea. Here are the fibers I started with for the Taos bracelet and then a picture of the finished bracelet.

What's happening in my neck of the woods

2010-03-08T14:09:00.007-07:00

I finished my second book from the LK Ludwig painted papers journal online class. For the book I used all the paper leftover from my first book to make the pages. Last time I used vibrant colors so this time I decided to stay with more muted tones but the pages still have plenty of texture. It was great fun to make these books and I can't wait to fill them up.

Book measures 4.5" high and 3" wide. It's a cute little book.

Love the texture on these pages.

Handmade banana leaf stamp on this one.

THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

2010-03-04T10:13:00.003-07:00

"All you need is deep within you waiting to unfold and reveal itself. All you have to do is be still and take time to seek for what is within, and you will surely find it."---Eileen Caddy My husband gave me this amaryllis for Christmas. He planted it for me in a pot the next day. We have waited and waited for it to do something and FINALLY about two weeks ago it began to show some life. I thought for sure it was dead. But with some patience life emerges.

WORK IN PROGRESS--SANTA FE SKY

2010-02-25T16:23:00.003-07:00

Been working on this needle felted landscape the last few days. I'm using merino roving and a crazy batt from http://atomicblue.etsy.com for the sky. I picked apart pieces of the batt that were just the colors I wanted. It doesn't show up in the photograph, but there is some angelina fiber that gives the sky some sparkle. For the trees I'm using merino wool and some silk fibers that add great texture. Just have to do a little hand stitching and then I'll mat it and probably list it in my etsy shop.

Painted Patterned Paper Journal Online Class

2010-02-17T12:01:00.013-07:00

I've been taking an online class with LK Ludwig. We have painted papers and learned two binding techniques. Below are photos of my first book and a few of the pages. Still working on the second one. It has been great fun painting papers, creating lots of texture and color, and then binding them all into a journal. You can join the class at any time. Here is the link: http://gryphonsfeather.typepad.com look for the paintedpatternedpaper class

HAPPY MARDI GRAS

2010-02-16T14:21:00.006-07:00

I love Mardi Gras. I have lived in Colorado for 21 years and I still miss it. It is such a part of the history and culture of the city, and so much a part of me and who I am. I remember the day I learned that not everyone celebrates Mardi Gras. It was like finding out there was no Santa Claus. I felt so sorry for all the people who couldn't enjoy this special day. And I still feel sorry for them. I feel sorry for myself too, because I'm not there. Especially this year with the Saints winning the superbowl. From what I hear, it's been one long party since they won the playoffs. Here's a picture of me when I was 2 and a half. Probably by very first Mardi Gras in 1959. I'm the one in the middle with my 2 sisters. I also remember wearing that nurse's costume. Then there was another year when I was a cowgirl. Oh and the year I wore a big mexican hat. Didn't have to lift my arms to catch beads, the hat caught them all. Drove all the people around me crazy. This lovely picture was taken in the 70's. I had on my Dad's sweater, my mother's dress, a mink hat with a balloon attached to it, striped socks and tennis shoes. Don't know who I was trying to be, but I sure had fun that day.

Here is part of my dabbloon collection. I have coins dating back to the 1960's. I had them all stored in a coin collectors book at my mother's house. When my son got interested in coin collecting I had her send them to me. I am so glad I did that because her house was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina and I would have lost them for good. I consider them to be some of my most prized possessions.

And here are some of the beads I have collected over the years ranging from the 70's , 80's, 90's and 00's. Again I am so happy I have these. I display them every year during Mardi Gras season. So even though not everyone may celebrate mardi gras in their town, we can all have a mardi gras heart for a day. Be crazy, give up your worries for a day and have some fun. Laissez les bons temps rouler!!!!

Happy Velentine's Day and Great Backyard Bird Count

2010-02-13T15:48:00.003-07:00

These are the beautiful roses that my husband gave me for Valentine's Day. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. It's snowing outside right now so we're in for a cozy weekend at home although we are going out for a Valentine's meal tonight at one of our favorite restaurants. Below is the bracelet I have been working on this week. It is named "Winter Beach". I love the beach in winter. So quiet and peaceful. Check out my other bracelets in my etsy shop: http://pdlugos.etsy.com.

One last note, for all you bird lovers out there, this weekend is the great backyard bird count. So if you want 15 minutes of fun check out the website: http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

Wet Felting

2010-01-17T12:28:00.003-07:00

Yesterday I took a wet felting class at Table Rock Llama Fiber Art Studio in the Black Forest area of Colorado Springs. It was a wonderful class taught by Marlice Van Zandt. I have done a lot of needle felting, but this was my first attempt at wet felting. It is a fun process that has lots of possibilities. I love it for all the textural qualities and possibilities for embellishment. For a first try I think it turned out pretty well although I wish we would have had more colors to choose from. Of course, I had to make it difficult for myself by trying to do a landscape which requires lots of color variations. I think I will do some needle felting on top to even out where the black background shows through and then do some hand embellishments with stitching and beads.
Can't wait to start another piece so I know I can do it on my own.

New Year

2010-01-08T16:38:00.002-07:00

So it's the start of another year. Can't say that I get all revved up about the new year. And the frigid temperatures have turned my daily walks into walking the treadmill--BORING! So I am suffering with a bad case of the blues. This time after Christmas really gets to me. It's at this time that I wish I still lived in New Orleans and had Mardi Gras to look forward to right around the corner from Christmas. Manitou Springs does have a Mardi Gras parade, but it is a sad imitation of the real deal. Parade takes about 10 minutes to get through town, no floats, just people getting dressed up acting goofy and no good music. It's so sad it is funny. But oh well, at least it is something.

One of my favorite blogs is The InspiredRoom. Yesterday's blog was about adding textural interest to your home during this spare time of year. She had some lovely photographs of ways to add texture to one's home so I'll share it with you here: http://theinspiredroom.net/2010/01/06winter-home-tip-warm-things-up-with-bits-of-texture. Enjoy.

The Light of the Moon and the Stars

2009-12-18T18:55:00.003-07:00

LK Ludwig's photo prompt for today is the light of the moon and the stars. I scanned a 1926 illustration of H. Willebeek Le Mair from my children's copy of A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. The illustration goes with the poem Escape at Bedtime:

The lights from the parlor and kitchen shone out

Through the blinds and the windows and bars;

And high overhead and all moving about,

There were thousands and millions of stars.

There ne'er were such thousands of leaves on a tree,

Nor of people in church or the park,

As the crowds of the stars that look down upon me,

And that glittered and winked in the dark.

The Dog, and the Plough, and the Hunter, and all

And the Star of the Sailor and Mars,

These shone in the sky, and the pail by the wall

Would be half full of water and stars.

They saw me at last, and they chased me with cries,

And they soon had me packed into bed;

But the glory kept shining and bright in my eyes,

And the stars going round in my head.

The Light of the Ordinary and the Everyday

2009-12-16T11:17:00.003-07:00

LK Ludwig's photo prompt for today is THE LIGHT OR THE ORDINARY AND THE EVERYDAY. This is sunrise at my house on an ordinary day. Same scene everyday, but oh so beautiful. An ordinary day--extraordinarily beautiful.

The Light of Winter (L.K.Ludwig's photo prompt)

2009-12-15T13:26:00.001-07:00

L.K. Ludwig is hosting a photo prompt, titled the Light of Winter, on her blog, The Poetic Eye. Here's the link: http://gryphonsfeather.typepad.com/the_poetic_eye/2009/121-the-light-of-winter.html It started yesterday, which I missed, but today's prompt is "The Miracle of Light".

Below is my photo. It is a photo of Green Mountain Falls, Colorado. GMF is a tiny town nestled underneath the mountains which rise high around it on 3 sides. Winter here can be terribly dark especially now when we are so close to the solstice. Sunlight on the pond at the center of town lasts from about 10:00a.m. to 2p.m. Being in GMF during these brief hours of sun makes the sun seem like a miracle. It is truly a sight to behold.

Cabin Fever

2009-12-09T19:02:00.005-07:00

Finally the sun has come out and this is the view out my back window. Those rocks in the distance are the Garden of the Gods. To tell the truth, I really love gray, snowy days. I love the change in light. Living in Colorado we have so many days of sunshine and it is bright bright sun--no filtering by clouds or humidity. So when we get cloudy days I just enjoy the change. But after shovelling a foot of snow and the bitter cold temperatures even I was glad to see the sun. Here's what I have been working on while snow bound.

VISUAL TEXTURE EXERCISE PART 3

2009-11-24T13:49:00.006-07:00

In this third and final exercise you were to find a variety of different fabrics in neutral, white or beige and with as much visual texture as possible, looking for fabrics from rough burlap to silky satin. Next step was to create a composition and then analyze how the textures work together. In the first photo you can see the different fabrics I chose and how they play off of one another. In the closeup photo, you'll notice how the quilting changes the visual texture of the piece. The quilting actually knocks back the texture of the fabric itself so that it is barely visible and the quilting is what gives the piece it's predominant texture.

The whitest of the fabrics actually has a pattern to it but you can't see it because of the quilting. The creamy fabric to the right is very textural in appearance but you don't notice it as much with the quilting on top. And the patterned fabric stands out bold with or without the quilting.

Vistual Texture Exercise Part 2

2009-11-11T20:35:00.002-07:00

For part 2 the instructions said to find 5 fabrics each with a different visual texture or pattern. After making black and white photocopies of them, you were to cut them into different shapes and arrange them in a pleasing composition. Here are my two examples. In the first one, the background fabrics are more dominant than the circles. If I had used a stronger fabric for the circles, the background would recede more. There also is not a strong contrast in value.

In the second example, the circles are very dominant and the background fades away. Strong contrast in value. Part 3 in my next post.

VISUAL TEXTURE EXERCISE

2009-11-03T14:53:00.006-07:00

I came across an exercise on visual texture in the latest issue of Quilting Arts magazine. It is an excerpt from a book by Lyric Kincaid. Looked pretty interesting so I decided to give it a try. The following photos are for the first step. She said to go outside and take photos of different textures noticing the textures from close-up and far away and then make some notations about what you noticed. This first photo is of rust inside an iron pot. I love how you can really see the bumpy surface and the variations in color. Love the play of the dried leaves against the ice crystals from a recent snow. Also the sunlight on the leaves adds visual interest.

This next one is pine tree bark with a pruned section and two different vines winding their way up the tree. The white on the pruned area is some waxy substance. I like the texture it adds and also the smoothness of the vines against the rough bark.

This is dried yarrow. Love, Love, Love the texture and the change from light to dark.

Part 2 in my next post. If anybody wants to join me in this exercise, just post a comment and we can discuss our findings.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-10-31T19:27:00.008-06:00

Happy Halloween from my blue hubbard squash.

Mini Mixed Media Collages

2009-10-16T16:31:00.006-06:00

I have been playing with leaves again all this week. I have had some mini wrapped canvases for quite a while now and have been looking for something to do with them. So I decided to use my tiny leaves in some collages. With paint, ink, vintage papers, hand painted papers, stamping, gold dust, and fibers they are very textural even with a finishing coat of beeswax. These were great fun to make and I hope to make some more. These are for sale in my etsy shop: http://pdlugos.etsy.com

Autumn life, Autumn art

2009-10-08T11:45:00.009-06:00

Been away from the keyboard trying to spend more time creating and less time twittering, etsying, e-mailing, etc., etc. Autumn has arrived in Colorado and I have been reveling in it. I feel a burst in creativity that doesn’t occur any other time of year. One of my favorite Fall pastimes is to collect as many colorful leaves as I can find. I press them and use them to decorate my home. I also like to find ways to use them in my art. Here are some leaves I collected yesterday. I love their visual texture.

Here is the project I have been working on. It is a vintage book (1930’s) altered with matte medium, acrylic paint, tea-dyed fabrics , vintage lace and buttons, an Aspen twig and some beautiful pressed leaves. I included a sweet poem about Autumn leaves. I love the words and the rather childlike quality of it. I am so pleased with how it turned out because I was able to take these fallen leaves, which would have soon faded to nothing, and give them a second life.

More pressed lead art in my next post.

Morning Glories

2009-09-15T20:35:00.002-06:00

In my last post, I had two images of morning glories that recently bloomed in my garden. It took them until September to bloom. We have had such a cool wet summer that I didn't think I would ever get a blossom. I planted a huge amount of seeds and most of them sprouted and took root, produced some nice plants and some scrawny sorry looking ones that I thought would just die off. The sorriest looking plant is the one that blossomed.

These days I feel a lot like that sorry plant. All shrivelled up and weak, putting everything I have into reaching toward the sky, but feeling like my days of blossoming are over. That morning glory has given me the courage to keep trying. Today is the first day in over a month that I have had the urge to be creative. Ideas are pouring into my head. In my next post I hope to show you what I'll be working on in the next few days and weeks.

Choosing to Blossom

2009-09-12T19:51:00.004-06:00

And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in the bud

was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

Anais Nin