Saturday I went to a musical event, Local Women's Music Festival, at a nearby vineyard's redwood grove. As I listened to the music, I played with my watercolors, and this is the result. A few of us in the Everyday Matters online group have been discussing the differences between "real" watercolor vs. watercolor with added ink lines. To me it is a toss up. Sometimes I draw the piece in ink first, then add watercolor. That's fun. But sometimes, as here, I just jump in with the watercolor. I am not unhappy with the results here, but I often wonder "Would ink improve this? A little more definition in the trees and leaves?" But if I add the ink then don't like the result, what then?

So I tweaked the photo (I tried both photo and scanning, and think the photo worked better in this case) a little, and then printed two copies. My plan is to play with the copies, adding ink. I hope to post the results of that experiment soon, but now, I must go usher at the local symphony. Life is so hard here....

Wow! cloud

It has been a challenge for me to get around to posting anything because of my desire to include visual content. The time to sketch or stitch anything post-worthy has escaped me (I am the Empress of Procrastination--don't argue! I hold the title.) But the other day I took a walk, and although we weren't going to get any more rain, the air was still "unstable" which produced dramatic clouds.

You do see what I mean? And I have not been totally noncreative lately. I have been dipping my pen into the "poetry pool", producing collections of words that might become poems. I just have to keep working on them a bit longer. The last "poem" only took 34 years? The newer ones will happen faster. I have fewer seriously emotional distractions. Please keep coming back. Leave a comment if you will.

Acoustic Café

Last night the group Dgiin played fabulous music (kinda Gypsy swing) and we danced and danced. I took time for a quick sketch as the light was fading. It was a wonderful evening. 

I am limping back into blogging. It doesn't seem right to me to post something without a photo for inspiration, and I didn't have this photo on my computer yet (even though I finished the quilt in July). I made it for my newest grandchild, before knowing her identity. I tend to like "gender-neutral" in any case. Most of the baby quilts I make are in the 32x45" range, and this is no exception. I like the longest side to be close to 45", the usual width of cotton quilting fabrics. The fabric on the back was the inspiration for the color choices on the front, and as you can see, I inserted a strip of patchwork on the back--partly for interest, partly (mainly?) to make it long enough. I am really happy with it, and I think it suits Rylan Claudia Hanley.

Next post I'll include a watercolor. Do come back often! Leave comments.

I am in the throes of converting to a newer iPhone; not everything seems to be working the way I think it should (maybe I should just change my idea of how it ought to be?). But the Sunday of the Labor Day weekend I spent several hours on the banks of the Spring Lake (Santa Rosa) swim lagoon, chatting with friends. I got out my watercolor supplies, and for old times' sake, painted a couple of post cards of two trees that I have painted over and over for more than 20 years. Still satisfying.

And now I can't seem to get my scanner to work, so the iPhone took these photos. At least that worked.

Last week my cousin's daughter posted a photo on facebook of an old oak tree in Spring Lake Park in Santa Rosa. Several years ago, I took a similar photo, and using that image, combined with a couple of others, as inspiration, designed and made an art quilt I call Spring Lake Evening. It is about 24" x 34", not large, but I like it a lot. It was a challenge, and fun to do, to figure out how to represent the different textures. I think it must be time to start on another such project. But which photo???

Coincidentally, I spent several hours yesterday at Spring Lake Park, visiting with friends I hadn't seen for years. For about 15 years, we all camped there together for a week or so each summer. It was great fun to reconnect.

Not Quite Square

The inspiration for this small (17" square) came from an article in Quilting Arts mag a couple of years ago. Finally doing it was so rewarding! Makes me want to start another. 

Phone Man

This morning I found myself with time on my hands, waiting to collect my brother-in-law from a medical appointment in another town, so I took myself to Peet's Coffee for refreshment. A pleasant-looking fellow was seated at a table for two, and I asked if I might join him. He welcomed me enthusiastically, telling me (phone in hand) that he was just working on his blog. As I sat down and took my notebook and pen from my bag, I urged him to continue; I was looking forward to writing my usual morning outpouring.

Well, instead of writing (me) or continuing with a blog update (him), for the next hour or so we chatted. We covered lots of ground, and it is because of his encouragement that I am finally getting back to this blog.

I had intended to include a photo of my latest Art Quilt project, but I am having technical challenges, so that will have to wait. Not long, I hope. My intention now is to post more diligently. To engage your senses, however, I am including a photo that I took last January, near Crescent City CA.