Week 11: Where in the blog have I been?

Catching up!

Hello friends, I am back.  I've had a busy couple of weeks, then the logic board on my computer died and I had to send it to the factory to get fixed.  I didn't realize how much I "need" my computer to get everything done.  When it's a tool of the trade, it is a little hard to trade without it!

This week I have been working on a postcard for a art show.  It's a Mother & Daughter art show featuring my mom & her friend Sheryl and both of their daughters. I designed the card but chose not to participate in the show due to time constraints and that while my work has artistic qualities, it is really design.  My sister Kathy is participating with my mom.  It was a challenge to combine all of the different styles & mediums into one cohesive design, but I am very happy with the final card!

Front

Back

The show is at the Johnson City Area Arts Council, in Johnson City, Tennessee.  Please stop by if you are in that area!

My sister Kathy and I have also been working on our website and it is now live...we still have a couple of things to work on, but it is up: www.visualtapestrydesign.com.

I'd love to hear what you think about the postcard and the website!

And Now, Back to Blogging!

I am going to pick up on Week 11 where I left off.  Then I will work until I reach 52 weeks to finish a year of blogging. To  recap:

Day 1, Inspiration: Paisley
I loved paisley or I did until I started this project.  Now I would say that I am more intrigued by it.  I do love the patterns and color schemes when I am not creating them.  I love the history of them, middle eastern  in origin, but named for Paisley, Scotland.

Paisley pants from Olympics.

Paisley tapestry

Paisley Stamp -- love the intricate detail!

Paisley ties!

Day 2: Sketches and Doodles

I like some of my art to be very precise and exact and I like to draw freehand. Not only is that a paradox, it makes it hard to draw paisleys! But none the less, I have "doodled" some and looked at different patterns.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's paper paisleys!

Week 7, Day 4: A Sweet and Creative-ish Wednesday

This morning when I woke up, one of the cats was going nuts for her breakfast.  Of course we were out of food!  So I had to run to Target and get them some food and litter.  When I got to target, I looked down and this is what I saw....

oops!

yes, I forgot to put my jeans on, BUT on the bright side, I did have my pj pants on!  I hoped this was not a sign of how my day would go :-/ !   And, actually, it wasn't too bad.  I finished up the 2nd of 2 major projects that I have been working on ....  YAY!

Then I tried to work on my website update...why is it that I can design anything for anyone else, but when it comes to designing for myself, it just doesn't work?  Is that Murphy's Law or something?  

So throughout the day I have been thinking about what I can use to create an art piece that stimulates the look of water in a water fountain.  I have thought of splattering paint, putting string in starch and unraveling it, playing with hot glue and the strings it produces.  Then it hits me as I'm watching a cooking show.... sugar strings...I've seen them do it in the cooking competitions...when they make those french cake things...do I dare try it? 

I dared, but I had to wait until K was busy watching American Idol. She loves to help me in the kitchen, and having her in there while I'm playing with boiling sugar is an accident waiting to happen.

So here is the story of my sugar creation:

put the sugar and water in the pot...

and prepared the stringing station...

found a tool that should help make strings...

watched the sugar boil...

waiting for sugar to string
(no, that's not the technical term)....

watching the sugar boil....

testing for spinning a thread
(is that the technical term?)....

it's spinning a thread....

BUT, it didn't work....
they make it seem so easyon the cooking shows.....

So I took some cool photos...

might make a cool background image...

kinda like water droplets....

just love this one, in focus and out of focus...

and one more....

and the last one.

Even though it didn't work like I planned, I used what I had to make a different kind of creation.  And explored a bit of photography -- as much as I could with my Nikon CoolPix.  I'm in the process of looking at new DSL's, specifically the Nikon 3100 and hoping to be able to get one soon! 

So when life gives you lemons, make art!