Needle Felting-2

I am having a such great fun working on my needle felting. If you are interested in learning and getting supplies - check out http://www.livingfelt.com (Tell Marie that I sent you okay?)  They are super people to do business with and are a great help in any questions you have, as well as carry the right supplies.

Now to my progress.  You remember in one of my photos I showed my yellow pin cushion, the first item I felted.  Well, now that I have more needles the cushion needs to be larger, so I am using my pieces of leftover roving to felt to the original.  

I have tried out making some faces/heads, learning to make facial features for characters.  In the picture you can see the doll I am working on. 

I hope these will inspire you to try something. 

Since I received my dollmaking CD from LivingFelt.com, I have started making a doll with an armature. I have to say an armature is not my favorite thing to make, but it sure helps in the long run. 

Be sure to check back and see the progress on my armature doll. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions and I love comments! 


Until next time/Deb


 

What is Normal

Just wanted to make a quick posting of a picture that was shared to my facebook page by my daughter.  I think it just about wraps it up.

Hope everyone has a nice day.
/debR

Needle Felting

I thought I had tried everything in creativity, at least the ones that interested me.  One day my daughter sent me an email about painting with wool.  I have used a drop spindle to spin roving, knitted, and made some lovely tapestries on my homemade weaving looms.  My looms are beautiful too and work very well. I have even cut snippets of yarn and glued on wood to make paintings.

So, since I have all the wool and equipment - the only things I needed were felting needles and a pad, which I bought - I decided to try wool painting.  You may have seen in my first posting my Gypsy Muse, just a little doll I quickly made to try making a doll.

I watched you-tube videos, downloaded a video and afterwards decided to just try it.  Here are my needle felting projects so far.

 

 

 

 

 

I used prefelted wool for my canvas. I punched the wool roving into the canvas to make the art.  Since then I have learned that you do not need a prefelted wool fabric to start because you can use roving to make your base canvas. I have also made some prefelted fabric which is beautiful small swatches of wool in various colors. You can add any type of yarn to your art as long as you put a wisp of wool over it so that it will stay in place when you wet felt your work. 

There are many explanations on how to wet-felt. I used two pieces of bubble wrap (small bubbles), laid my work on the bubble side, sprayed it with warm soapy water, put the other piece of bubble wrap over it, rolled it rather tightly; tied two knee-high hose around the ends and rolled it over and over (like you are rolling dough) many many times; unrolled it, turned the art (didn't turn the prefelt fabric pieces because shape didn't matter) and rolled many times again.  You can check the work by trying to pull on the fibers and if they don't separate from the canvas, you have felted it.  For my prefelt fabric, I just roll it enough to let it form a lacy looking fabric. Very beautiful - now to decide what to do with it.

These are some of the prefelt fabrics I made.

 

 

This is the start of my next project.

Hope you will visit again to see the finished artwork. You can see the yellow pin cushion beside of my Gypsy Muse. The pin cushion was the first thing I needle felted.   

 

If you ever have questions about a process I used, please contact me and I will be glad to explain what I have learned.

/DebR

Art Journaling - 3

More of my art journal pages.  I have so many creations I want to include in my blog - thought I would first catch up on my journal postings.

 

I expressed my mood on these two pages. It helped in starting the Muse. Yes, I was sad, expressed it (sort of an interior monologue) - then on the next page I turned it into a positive attitude "Art from within" - YES.

These two pages began with a couple of fantasy pictures I found in a magazine. One day when the weather was nice, I sat outside and wrote on the pages my thoughts about life and art and feelings.  Then I applied watercolor and sealed the pages after they were dry.

More pictures of my favorite things: a simple rose, soaking in the bubble bath with a glass of wine, "Don't worry be happy" frog, coffee/java mocha, and spring flowers. Happy pages. I wrote my feelings and ideas, splashed a bit of watercolor - and sealed the pages.

 

 

That's all the updates on my journal for now.  I hope you will find time to start your own journal of writings, pictures, art, whatever you like.  It's fun. No pressure to be perfect - it's you and your own internal monologue of self expression. 

 

Happy Journaling!  /Deb

Art Journaling - 2

Here are a few more pages from my first art journal.

 

 I began by telling myself to be free, lose fear, just be creative.  I used permanent ink and then put a little watercolor wash over it. Also, I used masking fluid for the word "mask" - I think that word says a lot about what I need to lose to be able to create - a mask of doubt about my ability. Don't be perfect, just enjoy and express.

I guess I was beginning to get it - because the second page is upside down - I almost got frustrated, but then I realized - don't worry, just create - so I made the 3rd page to tell myself just that.

I did a little study in watercolors, but that seemed a little boring for a journal.

On the next page I wrote a saying that I quoted from Ev Hales. "Flowers are interesting at every stage of their life cycle. There is a sense of urgency because you knnow in a day or two this stage will be gone as the flower changes."  I added my own comment - "True for our lives also".

Just a sketch of a lady and her cat - although I'm a dog person. Made a note about selling one of my watercolor paintings.

Tracing of a dragonfly - love what dragonflies signify in folklore. I wear a dragonfly silver charm on my necklace.  Discover and believe in yourself.

A quote someone shared on facebook - "Look for the beauty in every day" - sometimes a little difficult to do.

I cut out this painting from a magazine - I like the impressionistic style of art.

 

Another quote on facebook "Worry won't stop the bad stuff - it just keeps you from enjoying the good." and "Today I choose joy."

A few of my favorite things - teapots and vases. 

On this second page I glued one of my practic paintings of bricks and window.

Wrote quote by Mother Teresa: "Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless."

 

*tip*   You can use acrylics like watercolor with washes.

*tip* I learned that you can apply clear gesso over your journal pages to preserve them. I also apply regular gesso on some of the pages if I use acrylic paint on the page.

Footnote - if I don't forget, I will always notate my tips with underline, stars and pink letters. I know many people already know most of what I am learning - but maybe it will help someone. I know others have helped me by sharing little things that make a huge difference. 

I welcome your comments anytime.  /Deb

Art Journaling

A few weeks ago I found out about art journaling. I have many many "journals" where I started writing my thoughts and feelings and after a few pages I guess I got everything expressed and quit; then, some time later, I would start another journal.

BUT - ART journal - now that is very interesting. It serves many purposes. Sometimes I find a picture in a magazine that I like, or it may represent something important to me, so I cut it out and put it in my journal. Sometimes I write entries while sitting outside in the fresh spring air. Then I use watercolors to decorate the page. 

I will share my journal pages in my blog.  Also, I will try to explain some of the new ideas I am working on with my creativity. 

I have two graduate degrees in life:  1. Hard knocks 2. You-Tube.  You-tube is one of the best things in this new age of electronics. So many people share their knowledge. I hope to share some of the tips I have learned as I work in my blog. 

Here is the cover of my first art journal.  I applied gesso, sprinkled colors of watercolor paint, pressed a piece of wax paper onto it and when I peeled off the wax paper, it left a neat appearance.

 

 

 

The Beginning of the Middle

It's not the beginning
Surely it's not the ending
It's the middle - the beginning of the middle

Today I summarized what I have known for a long time, but it just sorta hit me in one realization moment.

I have been creating since age 35 - I am now 64.  I truly enjoy all forms of creating - thinking about it, trying new things and especially learning new avenues to express myself.  My "problem" has always been not being able to do anything more than once - I have to more on to something new.  Do I ever become an "expert" - no but as soon as I "get it" - I want to try something else. 

Meanwhile - all these years, the main question has been - what can I make that people would like and that people would buy?  

I don't think those two things go together. It seems most people do one thing, using one medium. If someone makes dolls - they makes dolls. If some one does pottery - they make pottery.  Well, that's just not me.

Same with blogging.  This blog is my muse, my journal, just talking, showing any pictures of my work, just anything I feel like.  I don't plan on anyone following me every day, if ever.  Just do it, I say, and see what happens.

Most of all I want to say that if anyone is trying to learn an art form, or has a question about an art form, I will be glad to help in any way I can - give suggestions, helpful hints in the things I have learned over the years.  

Let me try to insert a picture.

 

This is my "MUSE GYPSY"

 

 

My latest thing is needle felting - My Muse Gypsy is my first attempt at a doll.  She sits on my felting pad and inspires me as I work on my wool paintings.  Here is my first wool art.

no name yet

9"x9"

 

I began with a wool yarn outline, making several passes with yarn, then I put in more yarn for the hair, made the eyes and decided to try to make a clown.  She looks really serious, in much thought - maybe a good name.

If you do drop in by chance - hope you will chat with me.  I may write this blog forever or just a few days - who knows!  Now I need to figure out how blogspot works. 
/debR
PS: BTW I have some of my art on etsy  http:www.debreardonsart.etsy.com