I've been published!

Here's a fun recent fact that I want to share. If you look back in the posts on my blog here, you will see the one focusing on the pink felt breast pocket I made in support of women with breast cancer. It was made at the request for submissions for Melanie Testa's Breast Pocket project. I put the name of my mom, my sister and Melanie under the pocket flap; in memory of and in honor of their struggles with breast cancer...

Well, Melanie was interviewed by Quilting Arts Magazine this past year and she gave them some of the pockets to photograph for her spread. I subscribe to this magazine and so when I opened that issue   (Nov/Dec 2014), I was really surprised!

There, right on the page, was the pocket that I had sent to Melanie, right on the first page of the article! I was so surprised to see my work at the center of the page along with other "pockets." And so darn pleased that I did a little happy dance right then and there. If you zoom in on the first photo, you will see that my name is also in print, right page, bottom  :-)   :-)   :-)

Here are some photos I took of the spread:

“You know how sometimes, your life is so perfect you’re afraid for the next moment, because it couldn’t possibly be quite as good? That’s what it felt like.” 

― Jodi Picoult, Handle with Care

The different faces of paper

I recently finished my Level 3 Art & Design course at the Gail Harker Center for Creative Studies in La Conner WA. It's been a rewarding last 2+ years of learning about art and design. This course was a pre-requisite for the Level 3 Stitch class that I want to enroll in when it becomes available.

Level 3 Art & Design has proved to be a wonderful learning experience, although at first I missed working in stitch. The medium of choice for this course was paper, in all of its many guises – from thin tissue-like to the mighty illustration board. And then, manipulating that paper by way of dyeing, painting, distressing, cutting, assembling again and applying all sorts of gel mediums to get different effects. Along the way, we worked out aspects of design, and how to create a piece of art that fit within the parameter of the principles of design.

Each student works in an individual way creating work that is unique to their style, all of them with special talent. Gail has a gentle way of supporting us and encouraging us to “really look” at our subjects. It is with this teaching method that I have learned to expand my artistic reach. It’s been an enriching two years.

My favorite item was paper cutting, and that, along with book making will be techniques that I will further explore.

At the end of January 2015, the class held a open house to show our families, our friends and the surrounding community just what we had been up to. If you go to the center's blog you can see posts of each of the students work. Here are a few pics of my work: 

Original block print cover (see book below) enhanced with ink pens and markers

Fabric-bound, handmade book, original design and block prints

Counter change from original block print

Original block print with watercolor

Fabric bound book of my original block prints and stamps

Inside pages of fabric bound book showing handmade papers and block prints

Back of fabric bound book with original stamp cuttings

Paper cut of lines taken from a rock

Paper cut of lines on rock in grey w/hand painted papers

"The master of the garden is the one who waters it, trims the branches, plants the seeds, and pulls the weeds. If you merely stroll through the garden, you are but an acolyte."        --Vera Nazarian