"Apple in a Thicket" - Mounted Art Quilt

Just turned this up in one of my "unfinished objects" trunks.  It is a 12”square art quilt with hand painted apple surrounded by heat altered Tyvek snippets in my stash of to-do works. The apple was finished with a layer of very high gloss acrylic medium. The dimensionality the gloss provides is not apparent in the photo.  At first I thought that I would finish it with a hanging sleeve and label; however, I changed my mind and am going to mount it on a stretched canvas.

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

Americana Bald Eagle Applique

Framed Americana Bald Eagle with Flag - Felt Applique

A Little Background
 
A few years ago the process of felt applique grabbed my interest and I set about making five or six 9" x 12" works.  Until recently, they had become "lost" in my stash of unfinished projects.  After much searching, I did find them. 

There is going to be a local silent action for a political fund raiser and my mind went to the first felt appliqued piece that I made.  Because it is small and because the back shows stitching that isn't really appealing, I spray mounted a piece of red velvet to mat board and then spray basted the work to the red velvet.  I was lucky to find a frame that already had a great mat and the compiled work fit perfectly.  Because the frame has glass, this will protect the felt which tends to gather dust more rapidly than other fabrics.

It's been fun resurrecting works done long ago and revisiting them with fresh eyes.

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

Thread Drawing - Wading Bird

Today I just couldn't bring myself to toss a remnant of painter's drop cloth so I thought It might be a good pallet on which to practice some improvisational, free motion thread drawing.  Since the remnant was long and narrow, whatever I drew seemed to beg to be elongated.  What better than a long legged wading bird?  This is what emerged.

Here are a few close-ups to show the stitching.

Even though I used two layers of stabilizer under the canvas, the dense, free motion thread drawing tended to make fabric outside of the edges of the bird image become somewhat "rumpled".  To salvage the thread drawing, I cut around it and then zigzag stitched it onto another canvas remnant.  That did the trick.  Because canvas tends to fray terribly, I applied a thin layer of Weldbond glue around the edges and spread it thinly with a soft bristle paint brush.  The glue dries clear and is no problem to stitch through. 

And, once again, here is the finished bird.  I used a silver Sharpie pen to color in the bill.  When completed, I hemmed both the top and bottom edges and left the ends open so that those spaces would accept a small dowel rod.  In my stash of laces and pipings, etc., I found a length of braided cotton cording that seemed to work perfectly for hanging.

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

"Speaking Out" in "Threads of Resistance"

I'm totally thrilled today that my work, "Speaking Out" has been accepted into the "Threads of Resistance" exhibit that will travel the nation from July 15, 2017 through October 2018. it is "a juried exhibit of fiber Artists Circle Alliance...to protest the Trump Administrations actions and policies." Approximately 500 works were submitted in the Call for Entry so for my work to make the cut of 63 chose works, I am very honored.

The Artists Circle Alliance has posted photos of ALL the art works that were submitted. To view them, go to http://threadsofresistance.org/the_artwork.html

"Speaking Out" (36" Wide x 24" Long)

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

How to Make Stamps with Latex Caulk

It seems that I never stop looking for new ways to create my own stamps for printing on fabric.  What follows is how I created stamps using latex caulking.  Here are a few that I made yesterday.

And here is how I made them.

I started with wood blocks that I cut from stock lumber.

 Then I pulled out a caulking gun and some caulking that was in the garage.

 I squeezed caulking material onto the blocks and spread it smoothly over the blocks with one of those mock-up credit cards that litter our mail almost weekly.  Once I had a smooth surface of caulking, I used a letter opener to scribe a pattern into the caulking material.

Once again, here is what the blocks looked like after I had scribed designs into them.  The edges of the scribed lines tended to pull up but I set the blocks aside to dry anyway.

Although the directions on the caulking material indicate that the product is paintable within 30 minutes, I let the blocks dry for a couple of hour just to make sure they were good and dry. 

I knew that the surface needed to be flat in order to achieve good prints from the blocks, so I laid parchment paper over them and rolled the surfaces flat with a brayer.

I had a swath of canvas lying around and decided to try out the stamps using Setacolor fabric paint.  Here are a couple of closeups of the result.

I like the somewhat uneven nature of each print that resulted from the slightly uneven surface of each stamp.  Unlike store bought stamps that always produce the same printed image, these stamps take on a character all their own with each and every printing.

Here is the entire long, narrow swath of canvas printed.

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

 

 

Center Gallery, Anaheim, CA - Expressions in Fiber Art Reception

I belong to Beyond the Edge Fiber Artists, a great group of creative fiber artists in Southern California.  Our works range from art quilts, large and small, to dimensional fiber art will be featured from May 1 through June 19, 2017,  at the Center Gallery in Anaheim, CA.  If you happen to be in the Anaheim area during that time period, I hope you will stop by to visit the gallery.

Here is a special invitation to the artists' reception for you.

There will be food, drinks, presentations and a chance to meet the artists.

 

 Here are a few pictures of what one of my studio worktables looks like as I gather the items that will travel to the show. in Anaheim.

Hope to see you at the reception.

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

 

"Waiting for Dawn"

It all started with a

one-of-a-kind print from many moons ago

Print Made from Raised Impression on a Small Serving Plate

and some hand dyed fabric remnants

After doing some dying, printing and piecing, I had come to a stopping place with a piece I was working on and started to clean up after making a mess.  Just couldn't bring myself to toss the dyed remnants.  I had 8small,  orange tone triangles and a several feet of left over strips of mottled grey fabric.  As I opened the draw were I save workable remnants, the print of a small bird caught my eye.  It had been hiding in that drawer for at least a couple of years.

I tried several arrangements of the remnants and finally settled on a design that I liked and set about piecing it.  On my worktable lay some green fabric that I thought might pull out the muted green in the print.  Yep.  It worked so I pieced a border with it, backed it with batting and fabric and set about doing simple stitch in the ditch quilting.

I could have bound or faced the piece, but since it was 12.5" x 12.5" and I had a 12" square stretched canvas on hand, I put a boxed facing around it and stapled the facing to the back of the canvas.

Stapling the Facing to the Back of the Frame

To finished the piece I cut a mat board backing, glued it to the back, attached small D-rings and strung the piece with hanging wire.  Waalaa!  Another brain fluff was complete.

"Waiting for Dawn"

 I dearly love the creative moments which come about with no planning, just the joy of making something from nothing.

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

"Vetruvian Man" Awarded Prize Follow-Up

Today I received the most wonderful thank you note from the curator, Lisa Anderson, of the 7th Annual Art Scientific show that held by California State University, Fresno and was exhibited at the Sorensen Art Gallery in Fresno, California.

 Along with the note was a ribbon for my Vetruvian Man work and its being awarded a second place in the show, but, much to my elated surprise, there as also a check enclosed. 

Given the high volume of art that Lisa was handling, I am very touched by her personal and heartfelt words.  I am sharing this to show how all curators should respond to artists in their shows.

Award Ribbon, Personalized Note and Check

Once again, here is the work that was awarded the  prize.

"Body Map in Honor of DaVinci's Vetruvian Man"

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

"Vetruvian Man" Awarded Prize

30" x 50" "Body Map in Honor of DaVinci's Vetruvian Man"

Am very happy to learn today that my work which pays homage to DaVinci's Vetruvian Man has been awarded second prize in mixed media at the Sorensen Gallery in Fresno, California.  This work was juried into the 7th Annual Art Scientifique month long exhibit at the Sorensen Gallery in the heart of Fresno.  Yearly the Departments of Science and Mathematics at California State University, Fresno put out a national call for art entries which deal with some area of science and/or mathematics.  Because many of the submissions are from scientists and mathematicians, I have been exceptionally thrilled that my works have been accepted for two years in a row.

This was my work that was juried into the last years' 6th Annual Art Scientifique exhibit.

36" x 36" "Gray Matter Unveiled"

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

From Drapery to Scarf - How To

A while back I had to shorten microfiber drapes that left me with several, 74" x 20" lengths of fabric that I could not bear to throw away.  They sat dormant in my fabric stash for several months until I recently had a brainstorm on how they might be used.

A Microfiber Remnant from Shortened Drapery

The softness of the fabric was a tactile delight that I thought might feel wonderful wrapped around the neck in a scarf.

After cutting two 7" strips from the microfiber fabric, I soaked the fabric in water and then wadded up each 7" wide length and wrapped a few rubber bands around each clump of fabric.

In a microwave safe Ziploc container I then mixed up a batch of a Rit Dye product made for synthetics* in hot water, submerged the fabrics into the dye mix and lightly laid the lid onto the container.

Rit Dye for Synthetics

I then placed it into the microwave oven and heated it on high for about 3 minutes and then let it soak for a while.  After washing out the dye, the original beige microfiber became a lovely, mottled orange.

Of course, enough never seems to be enough when playing with fabric and color, so I resurrected a stamp that I had made a long time ago.

Original Leaf Stamp

Because I did not want both fabrics stamped with the same color, I picked orange and dark blue Setacolor fabric paints to use as the stamp colors.  I let the fabric dry to the damp stage and then poured the paints on an old, plastic meat tray.

It was time to print the leaf shapes onto the fabric.

Setacolor Fabric Paints and Old Meat Tray

Fabric with Orange Stamped Image

Fabric with Blue Stamped Image

Throughout the entire process, the fabric did not fray but I chose to line at least the orange stamped fabric with a pleasing color satin that I found in my stash of fabrics.

Satin Fabrics

 I merely laid the stamped fabric face-to-face on a 7" satin strip, stitched around 3 sides, turn it right side out and hand stitched it closed.

This is almost like a vestment stole that clergy wear.  It lays flat as it cascades down the chest.  I have another color satin ready to line the blue stamped fabric, but I'm not sure if I am going to line this one.  Without lining, it will drape loosely and lend itself to a variety of scarf configurations.

* I purchased the Rit Dye from Michaels; however, is available from some fabric stores and on a variety of on-line sites. 

To me, brainstorms are the spice of life.

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

"Textile Translations"

This work was created in response to the theme, "Put a Bird on It," for Beyond the Edge Fiber Artists, a group of which I am a member.   We were accepted, and presently have a group show, at the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe Art Gallery in Vista, California.

"Call to the Heart"

This work stems from a very deep love for my father and how much I miss him every day of my life.  My statement on the label reads:

 "I love you and I'll see you tomorrow", my father said as he kissed me goodbye. As we hugged, a crow called out from its perch atop a telephone wire. There was no tomorrow. An accident took my father's life. From that fateful day forward, when I see and hear a crow utter its call, I hear, "I love you and I'll see you tomorrow." Yes, Daddy. I'll see you tomorrow."



Having the good fortune to not only belong to Beyond the Edge Fiber Artists but to also have my work included in the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe Art Gallery is definitely the highlight of this month for me.

Next week I'll post more photos of the exhibit.

If you are in the vicinity of North County San Diego, hope you have a chance to drop into the show.

"Textile Translations"

 March 7 through April 3, 2017 at the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe Gallery (Rancho Buena Vista Adobe).  The Gallery is located at 640 Alta Vista Drive, Vista, California. Phone (760) 639-6164. The gallery is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 10 am to 3 pm.

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved