A New Stitched Artwork

For the first two weeks in January, a friend and I went on a cruise.  I had not been on a vacation of even a week since 2018, so I was overdue.  Part of my planning was to prepare some handwork to carry with me. Honestly, I don't know if that bag got packed or not.  I am certain that I didn't stitch a single stitch while I was on vacation. -And that was fine by me.  I rested, played and just generally enjoyed my break from being Mom's caregiver. 

So,  I had a prepared piece with everything I needed to work on it in a tote bag. 
I took that bag to Mom's and worked on doing all of the hand stitching.  I really enjoyed it. 

Better yet,  I got it all ready for the quilting phase.  I did that quilting on Friday and added a backing to it. It is now ready to be put on a canvas for hanging.   I thought that I had a canvas ready - but, no of course the one that is ready is the wrong size. 

For the photo, I just placed it over another piece that is mounted on canvas and happens to be the correct size. 

It appears a bit nore colorful in person.  I love it. 

I have made several of these in the past.  Those showed up in my Library Gallery Show

back in 2023.  Happily all of those sold.  

Now I have this new one and this one that is hanging in my bedroom for now. 

Perchance, I will have another show and sell these also.

I would certainly love to sell some of my artwork- why?  
I need room to make more!

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Memories of Mexico - Friday Faces

Some of my readers know that I have spent some vacation times in Mexico.  The first visit was on a cruise many years ago.  One stop was in Cancun, where we took a cooking class excursion.  I have to say that it was so much fun doing this excursion.  I even have a photo showing me cooking. 

On another trip, where we actually stayed in a rental in Mexico, I had taken my pennywhistle

(a type of flute/whistle) and was playing it in the main square, mostly for myself. 

I was approached by two young ladies who were on vacation also.  They had been taking photos of each other.  They asked if they could have photos with me.  I said "Okay if you will take some with my camera also."  

Mariela and Gene

Dasy and Gene

(Dah-see)             

Apparently they thought I was something "special" there. Ha ha. Probably due to my craziness of playing the pennywhistle in public.  My post from 2013 about it is here

Gene at the Train Museum

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Sunday in the Art Room

For Sunday in the Art Room, I am sharing some of my favorite creations. Some of them I still have but some of them were sold. 

After taking a watercolor class with Wayne Spradley, I did a few "foggy farm" scenes.  This is one of my favorites.

This little "beach" scene sold before I even had time to finish it.  But I did finish it before delivery. 

Blue Fall Reflections
This one started as "leftover paint" on watercolor paper. I put the paint on the paper and "smooshed it" with (I think) waxed paper.  When I pulled off the waxed paper I saw trees. 
It didn't take a lot to finish it. 

This was a project from a pattern (yes, I did change it!) 

I gave this one as a gift to a friend who was having a rough time. 

Transcend

This was painted after taking a class in abstract/non-representational painting. 

The intention was a fully non-representational painting.  But inspiration struck and I added the tulips. 

This hangs on my bedroom wall and I see it before I go to bed and when I get up. I love it.

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FaceOff AI self portraits

Just for fun,  I decided to take two photos of myself from my photo library and use the selfie creator on Nite Cafe.

For your information and to see how AI changed me (drastically)  here are the beginning images. 

At the time of these photos,  I was weaving LOTS of scarves to sell. I just modeled them myself as I didn't have a model handy. 

First I asked for abstract in the style of Picasso

This is what it did

I wasn't happy with it, so I asked for a portrait "IN THE STYLE OF Van Gogh"

This is what I got

It looks surprisingly like Van Gogh to me.  Like me? not so much

So I went back and did an edit on the Picasso

Here it is.

Strangely like the first one. LOL

Oh well...... I had fun playing with it. 

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Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day.

  I hope you day is filled with love and happiness that extends through the years.

Embroidered Quilt Block

Painting by Gene Black

Confirmed, affirmed and verified

Referred, deferred or put aside

Disclosed in full, or in part

The secrets of the human heart

Cannot be analyzed or sampled

No protocol or test procedure run

Can ever under sky or sun

Explain the love in humankind

No forensic evidence you will find

Of what is in the soul or mind

So let us stay outside the box

And not place love

'neath chains and locks

Confirmed affirmed and verified?

No! In faith, love is justified.

Copyright 2004 by Gene Black

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Friday Face Off - Collage

I have been on a "collage kick" lately.  While I have made one collage with a face on it, I don't have a good photo of it.  But while just goofing around with some of the pieces,  I laid out this face. 

The background there is actually my sewing table. 
I did not make an actual collage of these pieces. I just put them back in the container of pieces to work with. 

Here are a couple of collages that I did finish.

Blue Moon

Created from piece cut from vintage magazines.

Pink Vase
Made with paper that I painted and pieces from vintage magazines with a bit of crayon added.

I hope you have a great Friday

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Stay Creative 

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Sunday in the Art Room

My latest artistic obsession is collage.  I have been playing with shapes and designs for years.  I have worked in paints

and in fabrics

in clay - yes I even made jewelry with clay and stamps

and even carving stamps

What do they all have in common?  The use of shape is vital to success with each of them. 

I have even woven fabric with shapes woven into the design.

So why did it take me so long to get into collage? 
Actually doing applique on a quilt is really a form of collage.  I just didn't realize it until I broke through my mental block on collage. 

I had even done an abstract collage from fabric in 2024 - I even called it collage.

Nicole asked that I share the four collage pieces that I showed on Friday again, so here they are.

I have two newer ones, but I am not sure they are as successful as the above collages.

Nevertheless,  here they are.

I think the painted backgrounds didn't have enough contrast from the collage papers. 
I may still go in and change these.

Here is where you can find the Classes from CreativeBug that got me started collaging this month.  That  is my affiliate link. If you use it to sign up, you will get a free month of Classes - all you can watch in that month.  The collage classes that I watched are: 

4 x 4 Studies: A Daily Practice  and Collage Homage: 15 Women Artists to Know.  These are both taught by Erin McCluskey Wheeler.  

Failure is not something I worry about.  I am sure that if I DON'T TRY,  I will fail.  But if I do try, I may succeed.  And if I don't succeed - well, that is okay too.  Remember that I used those failed paintings to cut up and create collage. 

If you are wondering about materials,  For the base layer, (substrate) I used mat board cutouts (free from a local framer)  OR Mixed media paper - relatively inexpensive.  My adhesive is cheap glue sticks that I bought on sale when school was starting.  (Elmers purple disappearing school glue.)  For collage material, you can use almost any paper that you can find. One artist suggested painting acrylic paint on paper bags, brown paper that comes as packaging material or even copy paper - yes even those bills you have paid an are ready to toss - paint them with opaque paint and you have collage paper. Some famous collage artists have used candy wrappers, junk mailings, and other found papers.  I just got a package with a wad of brown paper in it.  I cut it into sheets and ironed it to get most of the wrinkles out.  I will be painting them.  Oh yes, you can even use the cheap cheap cheap hobby paints like Apple Barrell, Folk Art or Americana.  You could use leftover latex wall paint.  You can use crayons or....gee I could go on for hours.  Use what you have or can get easily.  Just be creative. 

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.

Face Off -Extra Portrait and some collage

There are many forms of art that I love to play with.  For example,  I enjoy painting - usually in abstract or non-representational form.  But, as today, sometimes I drift into more of a representational style.  

For the Friday Face Off,  I have an "extra" portrait from the portrait challenge.   I simply couldn't stop until I tried painting one of the faces on a canvas.   So here he is.  

I  used the same guy as the one in the portrait challenge.  But, I changed him a bit.

During the last week or so, I watched a couple of classes on collage.  

Then a few days later, I started playing with collage. 

The first piece started with a drawn line on the mat board drop out that I used as a background.  Then I started using pieces that I cut out of a couple of "failed" paintings. (hint, I never throw those away)

Then the next piece is using vintage magazine pieces on another piece of mat board.

And finally two more using cut up paintings. 

There are a couple of pieces of that vintage magazine in this one also.

Note, that piece in the background is one of the paintings I was cutting up. 

Yes, these are a bit "weird"  but I like them 

Have a great week.

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.

Some of my older paintings

My friend, Nicole, hosts Sunday in the Art Room.  For this week, my decision is to show a couple of my older paintings.  When I started painting,  I wanted to paint in the impressionistic style.  But as I went on, I got into non-representational art and experimental art.  I still enjoy both.   

The two I am showing you today are both experimental art, but they are impressionistic and representational.  

First up - an experiment with charcoal powder.  The powder was sprinkled on the watercolor paper then some water was poured/dripped onto it to create patterns.  That was left to dry and then paint was added. 

 I named this Painted Lands. I honestly have no idea what happened to this painting. 
I may still have it stashed away somewhere. 

Next up is Enchanted Path.  For this, I took a "failed" painting and covered it with a clear  gel medium. 

After that dries, take a dark color, diluted with glazing medium and coat the entire painting. Then lift the dark paint in places with whatever, I used a bristle brush and paper towels. After I let that dry I added a few bits of light into some of the darker areas.

This certainly turned a "failed" painting into something interesting. 

Both of these remind me that I need to pull out art supplies and just PLAY.

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.