Autumn Equinox

Welcome Autumn with all the glorious warm colors of the changing leaves. I have a real affinity for these burnished reds, golds and olives especially with a touch of deep plum. This piece incorporates fabric collage, crazy quilt techniques and tons of fun supplies. Use photos of leaves from your yard or press a few in a heavy book. Let their beautiful colors and textures be a starting point for your own leaf art.

I'm hosting a MINGLE giveaway!

Stampington & Company is launching another great magazine- Mingle. It's a magazine devoted to exploring creative ways to bring friends and loved ones together for entertaining, inspiration and good times. As a published Stampington artist I will be receiving 2 issues of the new magazine in early October and one issue is reserved for a lucky blog reader! If you are interested in receiving the premier issue, send me details of one of your favorite ways to treat friends and family!

Details, details, details

I love the slick photos of clean, white interiors or beautiful, simple, solid colored clothing but I'm just not that kind of girl! Though I admire the restraint of simplicity, I revel in the intricacies of details. Complex layers of color, texture and meaning delight the senses and pull the viewer in for a closer look. Above are detail shots from 2 of my recent collages. Each centers around a flower portrait done in pastel (protected under Dura-Lar) but the backgrounds and supporting cast of trims, stitching and faux postage make the piece complete for me.

Changing Seasons/Changing Color Schemes

Just noticed the dogwood leaves are starting to turn red...autumn is showing her colors! My garden is looking very golden and russet- quite a change from the soft yellow, pink and lavender of just a few weeks ago. I love to draw the flowers from my garden and the three examples above show how my color palette changes from the fresh vibrant pastels of spring to summer's fantastic pinks to the deeper reds of fall. These pastels were done on hand dyed fabric. I use Golden Acrylic Pastel Ground on the fabric to create a toothy surface for the pastels. I cover them with Dura-Lar film so they can be used in my mixed media work.

Doodle like you mean it!

On a recent trip to New Orleans, complete with that long layover in Atlanta, I decided to put a tiny Moleskine journal in my purse for doodling. I admire art journalers who carry a kit with colors, glue stick, etc. but I carry a small purse wanted something more practical. The journal is 3.5" by 5.5" and very thin with exquisite smooth creamy paper. I love Artline black markers in .1mm. The tip is tiny for great detail work and it never gets mushy. Doodles like the ones shown here can take up to an hour to complete. Start with a basic outline of your subject then fill it in with more and more pattern. This is a great way to develop your repertoire of personal symbols and let them unfold in an organic way. You will find you return to the same shapes over and over again in your work. I scan the doodles then put them thru art filters and use them in my collage work. Doodling like this is a great way to keep your hands and mind busy and save yourself from thumbing thru outdated magazines when life makes you wait.

Published in 3 Somerset Publications

Can't believe it's been months since I posted here but the time has been well spent in my studio. I have articles in ART QUILTING STUDIO(Summer 2011),SOMERSET APPRENTICE (Autumn 2011) and an entry in ART JOURNALING (Summer 2011). These are all Stampington publications( www.stampington.com ). As always, the magazines are a visual treat will get your creative ideas swirling. Their magazines can be ordered online (some digital) and at Barnes & Noble.

Lynne is teaching a Visual Journaling Class in January

Join me in January for a 6 week Visual Journaling class at the Greensboro School for Creativity. The class will introduce you to easy mixed media techniques to use in creating a unique journal that chronicles your life. No art experience is needed and you will have fun as you learn new ways to tap into your creativity. To get more information about the class and the school go to http://www.greensboroschoolofcreativity.org/visual-arts/

Published in SOMERSET APPRENTICE

SOMERSET APPRENTICE is another great magazine in the Somerset Studio family of mixed media publications. This little journal was made with used matchsticks, painted muslin and gelatin printed book pages. Go to www.Stampington.com to order your issue today.

Muslin Gone Wild!

It finally cooled off enough one Saturday to get outside and dye fabric! I started with a base color of Jacquard's Dye-Na-Flow fabric dyes then added accents with Lumiere fabric paints on unbleached muslin. Both of these products are easy to use and heat set with an iron. Squeeze color straight from the fine tip bottles then paint, splatter or fold and dip. It's lots of fun and you get amazing results. I'll use these fabrics in my collage and mixed media work. Their unique designs make my work more distinctive and the process is so much fun!!

Published in SEW SOMERSET Winter 2011!

SEW SOMERSET is a sister publication to SOMERSET STUDIO- one of the premier mixed media/paper art magazines. It features mixed media art that incorporates new techniques with the traditions of hand and machine sewing. Visit www.stampington.com to reserve your copy.

Sampler in Blue and Green originated with the idea of historical samplers as a learning tool and record of stitch experiments. This modern version combines hand sewing techniques with faux postage, fabric swatches and found objects like feathers, tags and buttons. The Needle Felted Leaf takes a simple shape and enhances it with lots of layers, beads and hand stitching. The layers include painted muslin, paper and felted wool.

Published in Art Journaling

Creating this illustrated art journal was so much fun! It gave me a chance to put lots of my favorite things together- ATCs, embroidery and exuberant color. Get your copy of the magazine at your local bookstore or form the publishers at Somerset Studio. http://www.stampington.com/html/art_journaling_s10.html

Pleats

I've been having fun with unbleached muslin for months now- adding gesso for journal pages and dyeing to create custom designs for my work. Recently I went back to a great book- THE ART OF FABRIC MANIPULATION by Colette Wolff. It inspired me to add texture to muslin. These photos show a piece with pleated petals. I finger pleated the muslin, ironed it to fusible backing to hold the pleats then painted it with acrylic paint. I loved the play of light over the surface and the textural interest the pleats created. My trusty sidekick Sammy liked it too!

Variations on a Theme

There is long tradition in the art world for creating a series of works that explore a theme. Monet comes to mind with his waterlily, haystack and cathedral works. Taking one idea and working with it repeatedly allows you to explore a design problem from many angles. Along the way, you often find that inspiration just comes as you spin off from the original idea.

As a gardener, I am always inspired by all the new growth in Spring. Shown here are three of the leaf designs I have been working on lately. The simple shape is consistent in all three but the mixed media treatments couldn't be more different. If you have never done a series before, pick something you like and see where your imagination takes you. Whether you do a few pieces or start a series that lasts for years, you will be surprised how this kind of work can spark all kinds of creative ideas.

Inner Animal Challenge in Quilting Arts Magazine

Check out my Inner Animal entry in the Quilting Arts magazine challenge.

http://quiltingarts.com/media/g/animal/default.aspx

Posting on ClothPaperScissors.com

http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/media/p/79.aspx

Check out this link to my art on the new www.clothpaperscissors.com live community!