January at the OBX....

Lots of clouds, lots of sea foam, lots of shells.

We missed you Toby.

Oh how you loved the beach.

Glad for some company....

...In the studio today. 

Got out some hand stitching and my sketchbook. 

Haven't felt much like doing anything the past few weeks.

Trying to conjure up some creative energy.

It's going down below zero tonight, but no snow in the forecast.

Cold.  Just Bitter cold.  Worried about the herd of deer that frequent our property.

THIS GUY... 

has the right idea.  

All that's missing ...

    is Toby.

Happy Monday....

Life is good.

Do Corgis LOVE the beach?

....why YES...

Yes they do.

I'm Dyeing…..

to get back into the studio.  It's been quite a while since I've either had paint or dye on my hands. It seems they've been more in the dirt this summer than anything else.  Lots of planting, digging and reworking this summer going on around the homestead in an attempt to spruce up the place for Autumn.

After a long trip up to CT, PA and NYC, it's
good to be home and back in the studio.
And while I really, really don't like NYC, I did enjoy visiting Central Park, Strawberry Fields, the Dakota and the NY Public Library.  I've come to the conclusion that I just don't like the Northeast and all it represents.

 I don't think I will be going back there again - so I was glad to see it one last time.

On the creative front…. I plan on submitting a piece for consideration to be placed in the  Reminiscience exhibit in the winter so I'm working on coloring some silk, cotton and gauze for this project with natural dyes I bought during my journey to Alaska.

My outdoor dye space

On the way home we stopped in Vancouver, Canada and I had the pleasure of stumbling upon Maiwa at the marketplace.  Very cool store run by a super knowledgeable and informed mother daughter team - geared toward natural dyestuffs and education.  I have two vats of  heir indigo fermenting, and various jars of earthy colors  (henna, madder, walnut, pomegranate, and tannins) brewing.

Flour Paste Resist - my FAVORITE

While that's going on - I have been scouring fabrics and preparing various resists of Cleanline (which is some kind of "root",) flour, and glue gel (which is hands down my favorite). I have a nice stack of stuff ready to go into the dye baths and as soon as our weather dries out (hopefully by tomorrow) they will be taking the plunge. But because I couldn't wait, I used some Liquitex Inks and Jacquard Dyes that I thickened with sodium alginate.  Love how these came out.  A nice preview of things to come.

clean line resist -nice results

Fabrics with flour paste resist
still on, and dye painted over

On the home front: Brina is going back to college this week but she will be commuting, as she now has her own home and will not be living in the dorm.  Dorm life wasn't for her (which I knew it wouldn't be.)  Too noisy, too hot, too chaotic, etc., etc.





Like her mom, she appreciates peace, quiet and order and  has really turned into quite the  homemaker.  So proud of her.  I see so much of my mom in both my kids.  THAT makes me happy.

Life has been upside down for quite a few months.  I am looking forward to settling in to Fall and all the good stuff that comes along with that - including a trip to the Upper Pensinsula of Michigan,  and a few trips offshore for some deep sea fishing before the big ones head out when our coastline turns cold.  Really want to catch some Dolphin.

I depart here with a picture of Gizmo (and Toby) that Sabrina took as she was taking him out of  the back of her Mini Cooper after she picked him up to babysit while we were traveling North.

Goofy dog.  

YOU make me smile...

You always seem to know when I am sad.

Silly dog.

I do love you.

Corgi Rules....

I publish this every once in a while.  It makes me laugh every time I read it.

It IS GIZMO.

But this weekend I witnessed something...

the tables have turned....

there's a new sheriff in town...

Yes...  This is an uneaten Jambone.

Meaty....

Delicious....

And it's Toby's.

Sorry Gizmo.  

.....you already ate yours.

I

Good Morning.....

Not a bad way to start the day....

Gizmo and a Green Protein Superfood Smoothie .

Oh Gizmooooo….

I love you sooooooo.

Happy Thanksgiving...

....Corgi style!

Outer Banks Corgis....

Play..,..

Rest.,,,

Sleep.,,,

Repeat.....

Mark Making...

Mark making. I've been thinking a lot about this lately - because really, that is what it all boils down to - mark making. And  not only stitch, but in painting,  too.

Mark making in stitch - the vocabulary is endless.  In watercolor painting, the mark making translates into primarily - washes, linear strokes and  dry brush marks.

Mark making - and how all those marks come together - to transmit shape, emotion, and depth...
is art.

I now pay attention marks.  I really pay attention.  Once I stopped simply appreciating the picture, or scene, or design of a piece of work (whatever the media) and started looking deeper, looking at the 'marks,' the relationships of color, the light, the distance,  etc. it was like taking blinders off.   Like opening the flood gates.

I stumbled upon a really great book by Helen Parrott, mark making - fresh inspiration for quilt and fiber artists.  What I absolutely love most about this book as that Parrott really focuses on training the eye, the brain to "disconnect" from the vision as a whole. Eliminate the background noise - and imagine (see, really see) the surface image as a free standing object and translate that image onto your surface with a series of marks.  I'm really getting alot out of it.

Today - I'm mixing up my indigo vat. Finally.

And YES, Gizmo... as promised,  I'm taking you  to the park where we will look up into the trees while we walk, for evidence of Autumn.

The simple things.
Yes. The simple things.

Corgi Tuesday....

"You Think Dogs Will Not Be in Heaven??

...I tell you, they will be there before ANY of us."

                                      - Robert Louis Stevenson

P.S.  So much for trying to take a nap.