Watching out my window

I think we will have an early winter. The migration has started about two weeks early.

I'm having to fill this feeder every day and if I were home during the day probably twice a day.

They stack up and wait in line.

Left her this way Saturday.

Haven't shown a work-in-progress in a while. Here is my morning-art today.

The coffee is gone, so time was up.

She is here enduring the "stare" procedure today.

This guy was watching my birds Saturday.

And I was watching him.
I think he is known as a brown shouldered hawk.

See ya.

Expect it,

Sharon

Importancy

Since I crashed last night on the couch way too early....sorta like a pre-sleep nap, well then, I got up way too early this morning and finished this painting I started Saturday with my friend Susan.

Sometimes I have trouble going back to an unfinished painting. Something about the inspiration is lost. The spontaneity of creating is lost and has to be found again. But yesterday I brought the unfinished painting to this desk and put it through my "stare" procedure. So I was ready this morning to go with it.

Morning ART always makes me happy.

Expect,

Sharon

Desk Drawer Inspiration

I collected these items from 10 different "keeping places" in the studio.

Can you believe it?

Now they are all together and Norah'S eyes didn't miss a thing.

She immediately planted that little what if you ...........

........colored on fabric with Fabric Colors?

So I did.

It was just like a coloring book.

But then I ironed the fabric.

And then,

she nudged me to use Cray-pas on top of the fabric colors.

Because Cray-pas has a nice flesh and white color.

and

I ironed it again.

and

That little bit of morning art inspired by my organized desk drawer made me so happy.

Expect,

Sharon

Invitation Accepted

Saturday, my friend Susan accepted the invitation to come play ART with me.
I gave a little lesson on painting "Sassy Faces"with Claudine Helmuth paints.
We each worked on two.

Susan finished one.

But I didn't.

ART by Susan.

(and just so you know, she has never painted a face before)

I'm jumping up and down clapping and clapping!

Soon as I finish mine, oh you know, I'll show ya.

Expect it,

Sharon

Function and Beauty

Collage by dj Pettitt

I don't think I have shared this story but now is a good time. It's all about "function" and "beauty". Almost half of my married life ago, around 1986, maybe a little later, my dear husband and I were clearing brush and trees around our tank dam. He explained to me how the beautiful willow trees just sucked up the water from the tank and we needed to clear them. I was all for clearing the brush and making it pretty; however, there was one little stand of willow trees that I had been clearing around without his help and it gave a beautiful view from my kitchen window. I ask him to please not cut them down. I showed him exactly which ones I wanted to be left. We worked. I had no idea that he would not honor my wish and suddenly there he was with his chain saw cutting the very trees that I had pointed out. I was crushed to tears. I could not understand why. Why would he go against my wish. It felt like he did it on purpose and with malice. Like I said, crushed to tears. His explanations was so simple. He said, "Sharon, I can't cast my rod standing there because my fishing line gets caught in those trees."

About two seconds after he told me that, I had a life changing understanding of our relationship. He is all about "function" and I am all about "beauty". Many many times since that day I have needed to know this and reflected on that moment and grateful for the understanding.

Actually, the truth is, I am about beauty with function. My ART studio is a place of function. I need things in order to function and I need them to be organized. So, I have taken care of the "function" part of this Studio project. But in order to reflect "me", there has to be "beauty" in the studio. That is the stage I am working on now.

I have quite a few pieces of art and art prints that were stacked on the floor along with various frames that I have collected. The time finally came for me to put the beauty on the studio walls.

A few of my ART pieces needed special cut mats or frames. Earlier this week I went to Michaels for that purpose. After I selected mats for four pieces and placed that order, I realized how knowledgeable the frame lady on duty was, I ask her if I could ask her opinion about some problem pieces of art. She grinned great big and said, "Oh, I always have lots of opinions." So the first piece I pulled out was a beautiful collage by dj Pettitt, (the first photo at the top). She quickly took it to the section of "floating" frames and I knew immediately that was a perfect solution.

original art by Ro Bruhn
Next was a beautiful original by Ro. I didn't want to mat over the edges and her solution was this little narrow black frame with the art mounted on top of black card stock. Great solution.
art print by Misty Mawn

Then, I had this Misty print that I intended to get special cut mat for. She felt it would work in one of their precut mats. Sure enough the top mat in a double mat package was perfect.

art print by Vanessa Valencia

and I used the creamy bottom mat with this art print.

So, I'm very excited about the "beauty" and with "function" in my studio. Just as soon as I get it all on the walls, you know I will share.

Expect it,

Sharon

You Are Invited

Remember this view from the Studio Tour Video?

Can I just say that box at the end of the table has been sitting there for no less than 5 years.

For real.

You are invited to come play ART with me.

Can you?

When?

I just had to show my table and invite someone to come and make ART with me.

Anyone.

By the time you get here, I will have all these organized, framed and decorating the wall.

Sorry, I know you are probably tired of seeing my studio organization project.

But I just had to show my table.

I covered with Red Rosin paper because Katie said she did that and then when the paper is all juicy with paint and stuff, she uses it for journal pages.

Doesn't that sound like fun?

I'll be expecting you,

Sharon

Nosey Peeps

Yes, I do have some nosey peeps. And I love that. Because you ask, here is the inside of the big doors after reorganizing. I only lack the utility sink section.

I have felt driven this weekend to get this done. I'm getting so close being finished with the ART studio. Then I will tackle the Sewing studio where a lot of stuff has been relocated and is "in holding" for me.

Hope you all had a great weekend doing just what ever you wished to do.
Sharon

Studio Cleaning Mode

First things first. Right? So, this is the corner that I have been working on and I'm so very excited about my progress. Most of these things have found new "keeping places" and when that was happening, I became inspired to move my CDs from the opposite end of this little shelf and to relocate my little boom box that was sitting on the counter by the utility sink. What? What was I thinking? By the sink?

PROGRESS !!

During my one hour this morning I finished up this new music corner and I just can't stop looking at it. Truth is I haven't reorganized the little three drawer boxes that fit so perfectly under the shelf. But that is next and on my way to work I stopped by and purchased two more. They hold little things and yet are right out there where I won't forget about my little stuff.

Yesterday Lynne Hoppe mentioned using Portfolio Oil Pastels in her fabric journal and I tell you bells went off in my head. I just recently purchased mine and this morning slipped right from "cleaning mode" to "experimenting mode".....again.

I wondered how they would work on fabric and specifically how they would wash. I wanted to compare them to Caran d'Ache which is what I have been using on fabric for my slow cloth.

Before washing, I did heat set with the iron. Here she is after washing. I washed with cold water first and then switched to hot and noticed that some of the color washed away with the hot.

However as you can see, she still has nice color.

If you are using fabric for a wall hanging washing it would not be an issue; however, I am using it on a quilt which will get washed. When I get home this afternoon, I will add more color to her. I ran out of time even after calling in late but I got an extra hour today. Sure makes me happy to start the day in "cleaning mode" and "experimenting mode"

Expect,

Sharon

Garden Journal

I have a really cool store bought garden journal that I have had over 10 years. The very cool part is that it is divided by months and there are several pages for each month. So, this is the first gardening I have done or journaled in the month of August. The leftover blank pages for each month are then used the next year and the next year. I date each entry and it is really interesting to read back to see what I panted and when. I also make quick sketches to help me remember what I planted and where and write down the germination period and days to harvest as a way to watch what should be happening.

I have found a little balance, OK three days might not be balance, but I am happy about doing a little gardening. More on that in another post.

Expect it,

Sharon

PS For details of what I did, just click on the photo. I left it big......I think

PSS Yes, I'm on the couch again.

Goofy Girls

For the most part, I sat on the couch all day Sunday and colored/painted these goofy girls that will eventually become a part of this bit of "Confusion". I really do not know what I'm doing but it sure is fun.

Just so you know, my inspiration is Spirit Cloth blog. She does amazing things with bits of cloth.

Expect,

Sharon