More Silky Satisfaction

It has been nice to be home and have time to work on some art. 

I have been on a silk painting kick so here are the results of this weeks efforts. 

After letting the gutta dry I painted the first 3 10 inch circles from last post with silk dyes. 

I love the vibrant colors.

Inspired by a tree we started at work for the staff to have a chance to try their hands at silk painting I created a much smaller version of a knarly old tree in the desert sunrise, leaves spewn to the ground just beyond the stream. 

One of my funky retro flowers inspired by the love of lady slippers I haven't seen since my childhood on the east coast. 

Here I am trying my hand at water and sunsets with retro style water plants. 

Yesterday I created 3 more silk 10 inch circles with ladies and flowers as the theme.

First a little girl surrounded by Flora of all kinds. 

Next a Fairy with the Pride of a Peacock. (the feather in her hair)

Last and my favorite a pensive young woman standing beneath a drizzle of wisteria. 

I wonder what or who she is thinking about?

These need to dry and then more fun with the silk dyes begins. 

Have a wonderful creative day and 

Go Patriots tonite!! 

Life Happens while we make other plans.....

Major changes are coming about in my life as I know it and I am not sure what they will be so I keep on keeping on with what I know how to do and take life one day sometimes one hour at a time.
I did complete my Ladies of the Woods scarf. Although the color faded a bit I am pretty happy with it. The exception the ash green blonde hair on the one gal. LOL!! I guess if she is a Nymph she can have greenish hair right?
Here are some pictures

I spent a lot of time blending colors to try to get some depth to the flowers which look quite flat  when outlined in gutta.

The salt technique really helped to add texture to the background with the blues and purples creating either a night sky look with tiny stars or water whichever you prefer to think.

I am now working on silk circles with the gutta, they have dried so I will be painting today and tomorrow after we go see the new "THOR" movie.

It is important to excape when life gets overwhelming. I am really good at that. Creating Art keeps me in the moment. 

Catching Up With Time

Here I am finally making time- eeking it out of my weekends and evenings so that I can be prepared for the Annual Artist's Sale I peddle my wares at in November.

  

First I had to come up with some new items to add to my inventory and created this felted necklace to indicate my Fiber Art in the Brochure. 

Yes it is a bit fuzzy and dark but that is what I think of when winter approaches due to the fact that I grew up on the East Coast. 

I have also been crocheting the always popular fingerless gloves, hats and sorting through polymer clay items. 

Crocodile Stitch trimmed Gloves and a Stroppell-Technique Shawl Pin

Autumn Hue Twisted Cowl and Polymer Hair or Shawl Pin

Then because the use of "Gutta Resists" has become the new rage at work- Thanks to "MOI"!!

I had to get mine out and get ready to paint some amazing silk scarves. 

Here is the beginning of "Ladies of the Wild". 

Accidents do happen when applying Gutta.

I have a few smudges where the plastic over my designs and under the silk stuck to the scarf and then smeared when I removed it. I always tell my students that an artist makes lemonade from lemons so I may add a few more ghost images like I created here. 

In this section the white gutta is not dry yet and looks like yellow gel. The stamen from the large flower at the bottom center dragged and printed on the back of the silk just above it to the left.  Actually I think this could be a happy mistake once the color is applied. 

I combined copper, black and antique gold gutta with the clear so that my flowers and greenery will hopefully have some depth. I can't wait to finish the designs and start painting. The main reason I took time to write this post- I am trying very hard to be patient and let it dry. 

I also have 3 designs in mind for my next scarves.  Here they are. 

I think I have waited long enough so I am off to work on the "Ladies of the Wild"!!

Have a nice weekend.

Heather

Heaven on Earth Is Loving Your Job

Here I am thinking: 

"Maybe I can manage to post once a month." 

I am going to try.  

I had a day off a couple weeks ago and needed to create some samples 

for my Polymer Clay Proposal at work.  

The Proposal is a plan and supply list for Polymer Clay Classes 

I will teach for some of our adult clients at Opportunity Village.  

I am very excited as are my bosses and the clients. 

Hopefully we will get all the supplies in time to start in May.  

They will be making items to sell in our new "Boutique" 

that I set up during the Spring Break week 

along with their art, gorgeous silk scarves 

and the kitchen's famous cookies and chocolate popcorn. 

This is a new and exciting way for our Artists 

to make money while they have fun learning new techniques. 

Some of the types of items that were requested to be made are:

Hair and Scarf Pins

This one is new.  

I was shooting for a fauz copper patina look using antique copper mica powder, 

paint and turquoise embossing powder over a red brown blend of clay.

I was inspired by Mark Doolittle's Gourds featured in the Polymer Arts Blog. 

Be sure to check out his site his work is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G !

This was my first attempt and next time I am going to try 

using my dremel tool with different sized drill bits. 

The pin was inspired by Fiddleheads. 

I remember finding these in the woods when I was young living on the East Coast.

I made these quite awhile ago but still love them.  

The deep texture and light touch of silver grey paint makes them look hand carved. 

I snuck some strips of a Stropple Cane into the swirl on this one. 

Click on this and learn the technique on Youtube.

Next Items using Color Blending

These two pieces were made by chopping up scrap clay and then blending it with the pasta machine.

The domed piece is simply a circle shaped and baked over the top of a small light bulb.

I used Copper Metallic Mica powders on red-brown clay for the backs and trim.

This pendant is one of those happy accidents with left over clay. 

Sometimes when I run it through the pasta machine 

I just get a really unique looking piece of clay. 

Sorry about the glare, I took my pictures mid-morning and the sun was already too bright.

Here are more happy accidents that I am thinking about polishing.  

I may prefer to keep some with a matte finish. 

Come back to see if I have made progress on my latest idea. 

Covering a thrift store pair of high heel shoes in Polymer Clay. 

I am not sure if they will be meant to wear or use as a small flower pot?*!

Now I am off to plant flowers in my pots.  

It is a beautiful spring day here in Las Vegas. 

About 84 degrees and sunny as usual. 

Enjoy your weekend!! 

Heather

I'm Baaaaaccccckkkkk!

Oh soooo long since I have been here. 

 I had great intentions of keeping this blog going but my new job even though it is part time has consumed me or should I say I am obsessed. I love my job, I know I am making a difference in lives riddled with challenges and it feels so good.  I provide music classes for special needs classes in the local school district and private schools where music has been cut.  It is very challenging as the disabilities vary and the abilities of the students put together in these classes are extremely diverse.  It is such a joy to see them smile and move to music and play instruments with me.  My favorite activity the last two months has been performing the Sesame Street favorite: "Manah Manam: with Kazoo and Boowhadkers.  If you don't know what Boomwhackers are you have been deprived of great musical fun- google them. I want to do my best so my focus has been there since last April.  

Well, it is coming up on a year there so I need to rebalance my life and find time for me too. 

I have been slowly doing that 

with the help of a couple new friends who enjoy doing polymer clay with me. 

Here is one of my latest creations:

The base is a cigar box from a local wine store

 that sells these dirt cheap after the cigars have all been sold.

 I created the top with glass tiles, 

(my husband is in the business, always brings home great scraps), 

hand embossed and patina'd copper craft metal I created, 

a couple copper vintage filigree pieces and 

polymer clay flower petal and leaf cane slices.

 A lot of dusting with Pearl Ex mica powders and 

the focal bead is simply a floral glass bead.

If you look very closely you can see my reflection in it, holding the camera. 

To complete the sides, front edges and back of the box I used Gesso, 

texturized with a mini paint spatula.  

Once that was dry I painted with metallic acrylic paints in copper, brass and gold 

and antiqued it a bit with black and green for the copper verdigree effect.

  I plan to do some quilted fabric pieces to line the inside 

and then I will have a very unique and completed storage box. 

 I am looking forward to making more of these.