Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Book Review: Textile Landscapes


It was such a nice surprise to find this fairly new (2018) book by Cas Holmes at my library.
The title says it all “Textile Landscape: Painting With Cloth in Mixed Media “

A very well written introduction to how fiber artists are utilizing the wide range of mixed media techniques to create pieces of landscapes real and imagined. She covers the use of creating an intentional sketchbook just for this landscape work. Capturing the details of a place that you visit, by making closeup sketches of things, animals, structures, etc. is a focus in these sketchbooks.  She demonstrates how creating a series of quick sketches of the same places at various times of day or even different seasons (think Monet’s haystack paintings) can inform your work. Or even give you the basis for a series of larger works. Different sketchbook types are shown too, which is intriguing, from making your own by hand sewing into a book or working with a scroll format.

I think the pictures in this book are the best part of it, so well photographed, the texture jumps off the page. The range of styles is great too, very inspirational.
This not a how-to book but more of a “why” book, which I found to be quite refreshing. Lots of new ideas, some exercises and specific techniques demonstrated.

Now that I’ve checked this book out twice from the library, I’m considering adding this book to my personal library.

Friday, August 09, 2019

Oh Gerry

I love fonts and font creation and politics and this combines all of the above, a new font called "Gerry" based on maps of torturously gerrymandered political districts.

Perfect.

Be sure and check out the Constitution made truly illegible by the use of this font, now to me that's art.

Sunday, August 04, 2019

2019 ICAD Video

Here's a video I made utilizing all my ICAD cards for this year.
I find that it's fun looking at them in this way. I see more things about them when they're randomly grouped and presented instead of in the order that I created them. There's also the two-step remove from holding the piece in my hand, I took a picture and then it's in this video, so it changes the impact of the individual line markings or brushstrokes.

Saturday, August 03, 2019

Final ICAD

 The final ICAD, it was a good finish to this year's effort.






Wise fortune cookie words: "All the darkness in the world cannot put out a single candle."
So that's it for this year's ICAD, I'm glad I did it again. And who knows, maybe next year I'll also participate.

Friday, August 02, 2019

Cornucopia of Random

A Very Random Assortment of Goodies that I've been saving up for a Cornucopia Post:

These little videos of quilting motifs are very useful (especially if you're a kinetic/visual learner) 😺😺Handi-Quilter Minute Motifs.
~~~~
You might have already seen this video on The Quilt Show, but just in case you missed it: Black Books - Favorite Place. One of the most creative music videos I've seen in a long long time, made entirely with quilting notions.
~~~~
This video made me cry😢, it's such a beautiful performance of a beautiful song. Two of the members of Radiohead play Present Tense
~~~~
A video of the actor, Benedict Cumberbatch reading a letter that artist Sol LeWitt wrote to his friend the sculptor Eva Hesse. A marvelous reminder for artists and creatives to DO.

~~~~
Speaking of Doing...
I really want to try this technique of Water Soluble Wax Pastels on a Thermofax screen. Looks like fun.

~~~~
And more doing, something I want to remember is this no-bulk elastic join, so here's the very useful video that shows a great method to get it done.
~~~~
And my new favorite musical artist right now is Lizzo, she's so talented and such a joyful performer, I  thoroughly enjoyed her tiny desk NPR concert. Like she says after she's done singing for a packed office: "If you can love me, you can love yourself...every single day.  If you can love my big, black ass at this tiny, tiny little desk, then you can love yourself."  Her confidence is such a breath of fresh air, here she is wearing a killer zillion $ Marc Jacobs coat after the Met Gala to the airport. Love. Her.


Thursday, August 01, 2019

Happy August

Happy August!

I've been playing around with a new picture editing app, SnapSeed (for android and iOs)and made myself this monthly header picture.
It's a picture of our Happiness Tree (Mimosa) which is currently blooming and looking sort of tropical, combined with a selfie I took at the doctor's office the other day when I was bored and waiting.
Really fun app with a whole lot of options.