New Art Books!

I recently purchased Art Quilt Workbook by Jane Davila and Elin Waterston at JoAnn using my 40% off coupon, and I love it. Now, I'm not much of a quilter (yet!), but this book really inspires me. For thing, it has some great basic art information, presented succinctly, as well as the quilting information. It has exercises and homework, both of which encourage and engage me. Right now I'm reading the book cover-to-cover, but I can't wait to have the time to work it. I doubt if I'll take the time to do much with it before my Featured Artist show, as I really need to concentrate on that, artistically. I doubt if my quilting work would be up to show standards at this point ... Not that I'm convinced that any of my other work is up to "show standards"!

Another new book is Stitched Collage by Sherrill Khan. I wasn't thrilled with this one. It's a very short book and is too heavy on gallery and not heavy enough on step-by-step technique for my tastes. I'm fairly new to all this stitching stuff, so I need some hand-holding! Don't get me wrong, Khan's work is gorgeous and she does give some how-to, it's just not basic enough for my tastes.

Finally, I just finished reading Paper Transformed by Julia Andrus (another JoAnn find!). It was a great book! Step-by-step instructions for the techniques, and projects in the back to inspire the imagination in using the techniques. I loved it. In fact, I found a couple of projects to try to see if I could get my Muse back in the swing of things.

What are you reading?

ATC Backgrounds, Finally!

Here's a quick scan of the only art I did while I was on vacation. I completed three ATC backgrounds. I've got the focal point images cut out, but I don't have the rest of the ATCs ready -- no ideas about words or embellishments. As I mentioned in an earlier post, they look like something Jillian would do. In fact, in looking through her blog, I found something very similar that she did. I didn't mean for mine to turn out so much like hers. I hope she'll remember that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

There are three backgrounds because there are going to be three ATCs, framed together. You can barely see the original paper through the layers of paint; I'm thinking that the orignal paper will somehow play in the framing of the piece, too. Of course, the corners will be rounded and the edges will be shaded.

When the ATCs are finished, I'll share them with you. Hopefully, it won't be more than a day or two; surely within the week. John is going out of town on business next week, so I should get lots of art time in. These are for my Featured Artist show.

Upcoming Class!

I just signed up for a class on art journaling taught by Samantha Kira over at a girl and her journal. The class is going to be eight weeks long and promises to help us find our journaling voice. I, for one, could use that kind of help! The class is a suggested $15 donation. For eight weeks. That's a bargain in my book!

Home Again

I'm back from my vacation, and getting caught up on life. I returned home to a major art show. I wasn't participating as an artist, but rather, I was the Event Treasurer. That meant that I had to help get the artist's information packets together, attend the show both days, and then balance the books once the show was over. Right as I was tidying that up, I got sick. Nothing major, but sick enough to keep me down for a few days. Then the laundry that piled up while I was gone (The husband didn't go with me to visit my mother). I'm just now getting that caught up. My art supplies have arrived home, but I haven't had a chance -- or made the time! -- to unpack them, so no new art.

I do have to get off my butt and make some art -- lots of it, too. I've been named a Featured Artist for the Redlands Art Association. My show is in the fall. Mostly, I do small art: ATCs, 4x4s, and the like. I do have a few canvases, but I need to get busy and produce more. Luckily, I found four 5x7, gallery wrapped canvases on clearance at JoAnn a few days ago. Still small, but bigger than I'm used to working with. Hopefully, the inspiration will come soon. Not only does the art have to be done, but some of it will have to be framed, too. Then, there's a reception to plan, invitations to design and send out, publicity to work on. It sounds like I have a lot of time to do things in, but really, I don't. MUST MAKE ART!