Painted Canvas

Several posts ago, I had a small quilt with 3-D flowers and a butterfly. I was searching for an unusual way to mount or frame this small piece. Well, I built up many different layers and textures with paint and gel medium onto the canvas, looking for just the right background. The colors started dark and gradually went pretty bright, then I added a wash over the whole thing to unify it. I like the idea of mounting a fiber piece on canvas and want to make some more. What do you think?

Busy Art Week

Even though I didn't post anything lately, doesn't mean I haven't been creating. I guess I've been too busy to take the photos! I'm a very visual person, I need to have photos with each posting.

This month, my ATC meeting was at Art from Scrap. I received these wonderful little pieces of art from the many talented members. I really enjoy creating in a different medium than fiber, it makes me think differently. This month my ATC's were photographs that I have taken.

I also had a wonderful meeting with my Fibervision buddies. We had a short business meeting, a really good critique session and a Jeanne led a very fun lesson in portrait painting with Tsukineko Inks. I love these inks and this technique. It is very easy and we all had very good results. Here is the portrait I worked on, unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me, so I can't show all of them. Thanks Jeanne, it was a great lesson!

Templeton Outdoor Quilt Show

Kathy heard about this outdoor quilt show in Templeton and asked me if I wanted to go. Templeton? Where is it? Turns out it's an old fashioned town, 160 miles north of us. Quilts hanging outdoors is unusual, but the real draw for me was the architecture of this sleepy little town. Off we went, with my trusty camera in tow.The drive along the coast was foggy, pretty typical for June. As soon as we turned inland, the fog lifted and the temperature began to rise. Fortunately, for us, there was a breeze. Turned out to be a great day. The town was a blast from the past! There were a few innovative quilts and many traditional ones hanging in front of the businesses along Main Street.

My camera found Templeton to be quite photogenic! There were lots of OLD buildings in various states of disrepair. I couldn't resist the shadows and textures on this old building.

This bright turquoise door caught my eye. I suppose I did a little trespassing to get these photos, but nobody seemed to care.
Not sure what this was in its former life, but the patina was wonderful. It made me think of all the fabric rusting experiments I've seen lately!

California Photos

I thought I would take a few moments to post some of my favorite "scenic" photos of where I live in California. It is located about 10 miles north of Santa Barbara or in the middle of the state, right along the ocean. We (bloggers) interact with people all over the world on a daily basis and probably don't know much about where we are from. Hope you enjoy the little tour.

This is my favorite park in the downtown Santa Barbara area. There are massive Koi and turtles that live in the pond. A Blue Heron flew in to fish while I was taking photos. There are many wonderful plants and trees. The tree with the red flowers blooming in the background is called a Coral tree.

This is a sunrise photo at East Beach. It is a popular tourist area and is very beautiful. There is a wharf with shopping and restaurants, a breakwater where you can walk out between the harbor and ocean and a walking/bike path following the beach for many miles.

This is a very interesting photo of downtown Santa Barbara with snow on the mountains. The elevation of these mountains are 2,000 ft. This is the only time in the 29 years that I have lived here that snow has fallen that low. You may be able to see all the Spanish architecture, red tiled roofs and palm trees.

Before and After

Here are the before and after photos of my new flower garden. The hummingbirds and honey bees love all the flowers. There must be 75-100 bees on the hebe bushes at any given time.

By the time I remembered to grab my camera, Mike had already pulled the bricks out of the pathway and was starting to pull weeds.

Ta-da. Here's the new and improved version. We planted fuschias, dianthus, geraniums, kaffir lillies and impatients. I really like the way it turned out, it's a huge improvement. And of course, all those flowers do "Color My World"!

Flower Garden

I know it's been a while since I posted, but it couldn't be helped. Mike and I spent every spare minute of the past week planting a flower garden in the front of our house. We worked all weekend and every night after work. I was so tired every night that all I could do was clean up and go to bed. It was so much work, but it was worth it, it looks fabulous!

I love all types of flowers and plants; the colors and shapes really inspire me. I'll post some photos of the new garden next time.

I finally got back into my sewing room last night. Good thing, I was starting to get withdrawal symptoms! LOL.

I finished a pillow for my boss' birthday. She has everything imaginable, so it's always a challenge to give her something special. She loves art and has a good sense of humor. She frequently says "Humor Me", so I decided to incorporate the saying into a pillow. I think (hope) she will get a good laugh!