Fiber art,continued (2)

In yesterday's post, I mentioned this rectangle as a possible design for a panel. There were quite a few challenges to overcome for me! Fabric choices, of course, what technique to use, what size to make it?

I decided on a cotton base, that I first painted with diluted fabric paint (wet in wet), several layers of sprayed paint were applied to achieve the depth in color that spoke to me in the paper design ...

then I prepared the ocre colored patches by fusing some

gold lame on it, representing the light yellow spots

I used a purple-blue fabric for the dark top shape at the right of the design.

The figure on it changed into more like a sun than the original flowerish form, the acrylic bronze paint was applied through a stencil I made of freezer paper

Tthe organza fabric had been in the house for several years, I bought it when I visited the lovely shops in the fabric district in New York. It appeared to be just what I needed to made it somewhat look like the blue-ish bottom in the original design.

And here it is, my first art quilt that has been made working with a design, it has not 'grown' like they usually do with me.

I liked the process immensely and will continue working on more of these for some time, as I already know that there is a lot to be learned and improved by working this way!

size: 13 x 40"

hand painted cotton, lame, organza, decorator's fabric, acrylic and fabric paint

fusing, raw edge applique, machine quilted

Fiber art, the design (1)

Hi dear readers,

Most of you know that I have two big passions (there are more, but now I'm talking about BIG), they are collages and fiber art. While I usually switch between these two media regularly, the fiber part has been neglected a bit lately, I guess this is mainly due to the instant gratification factor at making collages! To make it up, I decided to work with textiles again for the time to come, because now we are still at our home in the Caribbean and I have all necessities at hand, whereas we will be travelling again a lot this summer and then I have to do with paper and glue...

Back to textiles: mostly I am working in a spontaneous way, with just a vague idea somewhere 'above' what I want to make, it can be just an internal picture of some colours combined, and then I simply start working. This time it went in a different way, however, for I found this great design tutorial and decided to give it a try.

Boy, that really was working outside my comfort zone!

Firstly I tore magazine pictures to pieces and glued them down on a sheet of white paper. Then I coloured around the shapes with pastel crayons (unfortunately I did not picture this step)

after having coloured with pastels around the shapes on the complete paper I turned the paper and cut it in strips and squares, unseen, to prevent making choices and really get a spontaneous result

Here are some of my squares. I had a colour combination in my head of yellow and pink and should have made it using oil crayons, for these pastels did what they are named after: they gave me pastels (that I usually don't like, didn't I mention the comfort zone??!) This is one of the strips I glued down in my art journal without any other next to it, for I really liked the outcome. Maybe I could make it in fabric, so that would be my first really designed work? want to know how it has ended? read more tomorrow.... enjoy your Monday! grtz, Regina

Wordless Saturday

It is spring!

and though I currently live in a tropical climate

I remember very well the very special feeling these first rays of sun

can give after a long and cold winter...

It inspired me to make this collage:

Spring Delight

recycled magazine on cardstock,

5 x 7"

Have a 'springy' Wednesday!

Regina

For those who are around!

(image is clickable)

If you happen to know people that are vacationing on our island at the moment, please show them this poster. A group of very motivated, enthousiastic young people (among which DJ Jansen and Joost de Jong, my bodybalance teachers) started organizing this event right after the tragedy in Japan happened. Don't let them down please, they put so much effort and energy in this, not a penny will remain here, the complete revenue will go to the people in Japan. If you are on Facebook, then please like their site, SXM helps Japan.

The benefit concert promises to become real big and an event you will regret to have missed afterwards... I will buy our tickets today and am looking forward to Saturday!

Thanks so much for visiting!

Regina

One day

I will be making textiles with one of these designs!

It has all I love: contrast, neutral colours, graphic patterns. The material is in the house, so one day...

BTW: These storyboards are really fun to make. You can download them from this site, you do need Photoshop however...

Grtz,

Regina

Details of quilts

details of quilts I made last year

with the overload of grief and sorrow the world is facing at present (Japan, Libia etc) I felt the need to express myself in a sober colorpalette. Working in my studio, thinking, worrying, thinking, I am hardly able to get anything done artistically, I guess there is more happiness needed for that, for me...

Hence this storyboard, something I can offer today

I hope you are all well, grtz
Regina

Collage storyboard

(clickable image)

While browsing my collection of pictures I found this storyboard I made some time ago. These are details of collages I finished last month, some of them have left my house already. I enjoy them so much! In my studio I have two frames that I use to put them in, and I simply replace them when I want something else to look at. It feels good to be surrounded with my own work. And also to have time and materials to make more when I feel the need.

Tomorrow I will be back in the studio again, I look forward to it!

Hope you have a very good Sunday!

I have always loved...

weaving and baskets, fabrics and sewing, colors, metal and other glimmers, recycling

and now

they all seem to fall in place.

I have found a way to get the look, with my medium, in my way.

It is not my invention, I discovered it on this blog, yet I do it my way. Judy is calling it her meditation panels, but instead of emptying my head (as is supposed to happen with meditation) I think the whole world over while working on this.

That is good, however, cause this is working very slowly, without hurrying and that of course makes the word meditation properly used. Whatever! The cloth measures half a metre square by now, so it will take me some time to finish it. By then I will show the final results...

I also discovered that this procedure uses lots of embroidery floss and since this is not available on our island, I also started to dye that myself, using Procion dyes and the finest available white crochet yarn. No problems here spending my time!!

Hope you have fun this weekend!

Regina

Regatta in pictures

No words necessary, it was fabulous!!

Thanks for visiting,

Regina

Regatta time!

The Nautical Scene

original collage

sxm series #5

Today was the first day of the 31th Heineken Regatta on St. Maarten.

It is one of the major annual happenings and the island is full with tourists, sailors and party-lovers in general. Tomorrow we will be watching the races from a catamaran that will sail to the first buoy and I look forward to witness it tremendously. Every night after the races there is a very extensive party programm, with the ultimate show being organised Sunday at the beach/bay where the races end: Kimsha Beach in Simpson Bay. Wycleff Jean will be the main attraction and we intend to go there too. My daughter is sure I won't like his music, so now I have to go to Youtube to get an idea of him, we'll see. But first: the races, tomorrow. Will make many pictures, promise!

Enjoy your weekend,

Regina

On our island...

Life is A Beach

original collage

recycled magazine on cardstock

Have a great Thursday!

Regina