I’ve been hard at work creating almost a dozen new pieces of quilt art. When I was in San Carlos in May I was asked by the Bellas Arte Gallery , San Carlos to have a show there. I accepted. Since that very day I have been very focused and working. A wonderful thing happened as a result! I found that the more I worked the more inspired I became and I found myself working on several pieces at once. …Of course I have also been maintaining my real estate business, have taken on management of an HOA and am today writing this from my lunch period at real estate broker school. The cost of all this has been neglect of my blogging and social networking . I am sorry. and have carried the guilt with me as I work, but i hope it doesn’t show in my work.

The pictures above are just a sampling of what I have been doing. I use many techniques and materials in my projects. The determining factor comes from the art showing me a vision and my skill determining what I need to do to achieve that vision. You can click on each photo to see more detail and description.

I often begin with white muslin and create my own fabrics but will use proprietary fabrics if they are called for.  Many of the pieces this summer have begun with batik. It’s been a very exciting change, as my work in the past has not included this.

I use appliqué, patchwork and whole cloth piecing .  My quilting is sometimes done with my feed dogs down and freehand, other times more traditionally. I’ve included hand and machine embroidery, bead and sequin details and even painting directly a detail. These are done in no particular order. Sometimes I find myself painting on something that is almost complete otherwise. I do try to use my skills well and do not skimp on any process or design element just to get past it. I don’t add beads just because I want to, I add them because they are integral. (btw it is relaxing to sew beads )

My show begins November 18th , 2009. Come to lovely san Carlos, check out my work and have some fun.

Guaymas and Horseback riding 

I have been having such a wonderful time here I am once again neglecting my blog. I have met some folks here most who live here or have a second home here. Between the h1n1 pandemic and the fear of drug cartels the tourism in the area is slim. I have had no problem with either. This is truly a sweet place to hang out. I could easily become one of the regulars here. I love pretty landscapes and this one is no exception to the joy that can be found roaming the earth.

Guaymas

I took a little visit to Guaymas early on in the trip. I went alone and walked around the older colonial area of the city. I have since visited it with a local person and ate some fantastic Chinese food. Guaymas reminds me of Agua Prieta in its size and social makeup. Here are some pictures from my initial visit.

Some really substantial doors on a building facing the port

Palacio

I have since visited Guaymas regularly. I had some great Mandarin food on 20th st. Can’t remember the name, sorry folks. It was really hot that day , there was no air conditioning (which i do not like anyhow). Eating all that great food really worked up a sweat. My friend Captain Jack took me to Guaymas that day. He also went via back roads from San Carlos to there.  A route i tried again, alone. I got lost but getting lost brought me past some really lovely shoreline and mansion like homes….I didn’t bring the camera. 

Vaquero

I went horseback riding. My cowboy was Pepper, a handsome young man, any woman travelling alone would allow him to give a tour. We went from the ranch out to Algodones beach and sand dunes.  Then back in toward the mountains. It was one of my favorite mornings here. Pepper is a cowboy at Rancho El Palmar

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This post is from my walk yesterday morning. Most who know me know I am silly over things that are pretty. I love flowers and pretty landscapes. I like homes that are interesting and colorful that combine the outdoors with the indoors as each is important. I’m a big fan of the decorative arts and curves of all manor. San Carlos has some lovely places to live. It appears that this is opne of those places where it doesn’t matter how much money you have your hame can have pretty flowers and interesting things done with concrete. I may do a few more walks like this during the trip as there are so many pretty neighborhoods. At some point I hope to go to some real estate offices and do some research into the actuals of pricing here. After all that is my day job and I do have a client for this area.

Tetakawi

Palms

Gate and garden

2 pots and a rail

It looks as though I will have some inspiring photos to draw or paint/color from. When I was younger I would have just set myself up on-site and painted. But these days I’ve been gathering inspirations with my camera and using them later.

This is what I have been working on for a couple of months now. I am going to complete it while I am here in San Carlos. I will write more about it when it is done and presented properly. 

Peace (Greasey Bush)

 

 

 

detail

 

San Carlos has some beautiful homes. The modest and the magnificent are often equally lovely. I am staying at a modest one and got a screaming deal!

My humble accomodations

There is a beach just 2 blocks from here. An easy walk. 

Here are some pictures from the beach yesterday evening.

View out towards ocean

Chi Chi checking out a lovely house on the beach.

cove around the corner

( My camera has dust in the lens, and there is nothing to do about it right now. Unless I photoshop them out…maybe another day)

The weather has been fabulous. Warm , but not killer hot, and sunny

These are my favorite flowers though i love them all. They are sensual and elegant. Brilliant and as light as confetti. I couldn’t pick just one bowl shot to show you. Got 3 good visons.

Bowl of Boganvilla 1

You can click on thumbs to view larger. 

I started a drawing/painting in my journal but the winds kicked up a bit and the confetti flowers blew away.

I am very fond of landscapes. I’ll stop anywhere, anytime ….especially during poor, yet exciting weather to take photos of the view. I live in a place that affords me lovely views most days of the week.  I don’t have much to say about them except the mountains and valleys are magnificent. I’m giving you these to peruse while we wait for my next peice of fiber art to be completed. I’m getting close…it’s a landscape. lol. with a decorative twist.

After my failed Pojogi experiment I decided Iwould just casually continue to follow the flow of where my work wanted to go. I’ve got an idea in my haed that includes creating clouds as a decorative element…maybe turning them into doilies of a sort. I also crave to get some of the greasy bush with seed pods in all it’s glorious detail. I started to draw them but the light was changing too quickly. I got a photo.

Below are some photos of the drawings I have done lately.

I also got in one nice day of fabric painting. The gallery and details are below.

I believe i am getting closer to having the next peice figured out. I am going to combine many of the elements here. The greasy bush with it’s asian brush stroke branches and leaves, along with a stylized sky and mountains, I just might have something brewing.

The fabric painting was done this week with brushes on wet and or dry fabric. I had planned on doing some sun printing, but it just so happened that we had 2 days of clouds ion this lovely desert. So i made due.

I also had a guest painting with me. She did some lovely peices :

Grasses

Grasses are a discovery I have made since moving to this area. Coming from New England grass was not quite so interesting. Here in the wilds of Cochise County AZ the grasses are magnificent. There are a kazillion varieties and all throughout the year they change their appearances. They shimmer and dance, delicately balanced on those stalks, surviving the sun and wind.

I have been working on this piece for entirely too long. I figured it neccessary to complete if I were to move my work this year to new levels and a fresh committment. It’s not quite done, it needs to be blocked (dampened, flattened and pinned till dry). But I am posting it because *creatively* it is done. Most of the fabrics used have been handpainted by me . I’ve got some beadwork in there, a plethera of applique techniques for the grass.I thought it gives depth to mix the variety. Keeping things decorative I have added beadwork to the decorations along with some sequins for the shimmer in the grass.There is simple quilting throughout.

Here are some details

Grass detail

Grasses bottom detail

Now I can continue to move on towards my hearts creative expression, thanks for looking.