Monotype Mania!

 
Even Lyric Kinard's parakeet likes my work!

Just added these to JaneVille Etsy shop!

Inspiration

So, here's my plan. I'm going to create a special big book with images of industrial stuff, and then use it to inspire and create a fabulous textile piece. You know I've been obsessing with rusty circles and I want to have all the inspiration in one place...so we'll see. Meanwhile the background of this 5x7" watercolor was done like this layered journal tutorial I showed you.

Ebay

Forgive this commercial announcement. I just put this set of Spode Christmas Tree china on Ebay.

Sage

Here's the start of a painting I did on Saturday, in friend Jill's studio. To create the background, I started with an old painting on watercolor paper, and I collaged torn squares of paper maps and images using liquid matte medium. Then I painted some gesso and blue and green acylic paint, and let it dry. Once it was dry, I drew with a water soluble Tombow pen (straight to pen, no pencil first) and then blended the ink witha paint brush and clear water.

In this stage, I added some more gesso, for the highlights on the leaves and side of the vase.

I finished it at home by adding a little lavendar and blue water soluble Neocolor II crayons









You can tell where I was sitting, by the vase of sage! We were all working on different things, in Jill's beautiful new studio.

Inspiration

    
All this gorgeous color in one morning's 3 mile walk.

  Love these shapes! Soon to be hand-carved stamp or free motion stitching pattern.
  




and my favorite--love the color palette, love the shapes...

Nostalgia Series

I've been working on these, since reading Cas Holmes fabulous book, The Found Object in Textile Art. 


I'd made the fabric in Melly Testa's soywax and monoprint workshop a while ago, and found the lace, map and letter scraps in my stash. The other item that inspired me to go with this color palette was some dusty rose silk sari ribbon I'd bought at Random Arts when I was in North Carolina.


The lace piece in the lower left was from Kathleen Mahoney, stage manager at Oregon Cabaret Theatre. (maybe she'll read this and send more :-) The letter bit is a encaustic photocopy from Ralph's Letters.

Did some reverse applique on the left side of this, with the dusty rose ribbon showing through. (sorry about the blurry photo)


I found these sweet smelling tuber roses at the farmers market today and they demanded to be in this post. I think I'll print these photos on fabric and incorporate them into future Nostalgia pieces.


And of course lots and lots of hand stitching.










I've got one other, nearly done that is part of this series, that I'll show you next week.

A note from Danny

I received this in the mail yesterday, from  the wonderful Danny Gregory. After I wiped the tears from my eyes, I decided I will do just want Danny suggests. Write a few notes to people I love, who I haven't talked to in a while. So, I'll take the next few days off and do just that.

Thankful for my husb, my life, my art, Danny and you, dear readers.

Broom Collection

Last year, I admired Judith Content's broom collection last year, so I started my own collection. I have 4, but drawing two was enough! (Sketching & Watercolor: Journal Style on an old cookbook page)
I used Twinkling H2Os by Luminart. Even though the sparkle really wasn't neccessary for this, the colors are lovely and rich. I'm going to use these paints again when I paint pics of my Christmas Ornaments.

Studio Box Tutorial!

Studio Box ~ created by Jane LaFazio

Left over blue jeans and some cloth? create a cool and useful Studio Box.


On Peltex or Timtex, I measured a grid of 6 inch squares.


I cut out 4 sides and the bottom, as one piece.


Using some hand painted fabrics and my blue jean scraps, I collaged them to one of the 4 sides. Use a touch of glue stick to hold the smaller pieces in place before sewing. (I worked one side at a time, then the bottom of the box.)


Using black thread, I free-motion machine stitch the pieces down.




The peltex I was using, has a fusible side, so I ironed the larger pieces down, before stitching on them.






I had a jeans pocket, so I stitched it to one side of my box. I didn't think my machine could go through the french seam thickness, so I sewed just inside the pocket through just two layers of denim, onto a piece of fabric and  through to the peltex.








More stitching, hand and machine stitching, working one side at a time.



I did some hand stitching, on the 4 sides, before I added the backing. You can add buttons, beads too!


For the lining of the box, I used more denim. (I'd spray painted it, with lace as a stencil, using spray gesso.) I used a fusible webbing to hold down the deninm. You can see my stitching on the right, so the denim interior will cover all that up.

Buddy was quite impressed!


I finished with the box adornments and lining, I zig-zagged all the edges. I only did one pass on the machine, you could do more, or a more dense stitch to make it more perfect.

Since I had two interior seams on the denim, I straight stitched those, to secure them.

Studio Box ~ created by Jane LaFazio

Pinned together, I hand stitched one side at a time.

Studio Box ~ created by Jane LaFazio

Be sure to make a knot every once in a while, as you stitch up the sides, just to secure your stitching.


A impulsive, but excellent addition! I stamped some acrylic turquoise circles on all four sides!

detail of Studio Box ~ created by Jane LaFazio

You can see the red hand stitching here.

Studio Box ~ created by Jane LaFazio

Studio Box ~ created by Jane LaFazio

Studio Box ~ created by Jane LaFazio

A wonderful Studio Box! and no worries if I splatter paint on it!

Studio Box ~ created by Jane LaFazio

a pocket for pencils...

detail of Studio Box ~ created by Jane LaFazio

Studio Box ~ created by Jane LaFazio

and I could even store my yarn and knitting needles in it. I'd better make some more!

Studio Box ~ created by Jane LaFazio