from sketchbook to stencil to art quilt

  Eucalyptus Blooms (27.5 x 13 inches) by Jane LaFazio

I completed this art quilt, Eucalyptus Blooms. I showed you the progress of the piece in this blog post. 

The quilt was inspired by this page from my sketchbook:

Jane LaFazio on instagram 

...and my love of the eucalyptus that I see on my neighborhood walks.

Jane LaFazio on instagram 

Eucalyptus Blooms Stencil designed my Jane LaFazio

I've designed 7 stencils for StencilGirl Products and you can find them here.

You can take a look at all my sketchbook pages here and all my art quilts here.
(That's a lot to look at! I'd suggest packing a lunch :-)

Danny Gregory's Sketchbook Skool is open now!

Me and Danny Gregory (in New York last September)

I'm proud and thrilled to announce that I will be teaching the first session of Sketchbook Skool, an online school created by Danny Gregory and Koosje Koene. Six lessons with six teachers. Classes begin April 4, you can register now and read all about it at SketchbookSkool.com. Woohoo!!

blog to book

If you followed my blog for a while, you know I put a lot of work into it. I love blogging and hope you all appreciate my sharing and photos and artwork. I love reading your comments (please, more please). I have learned that to keep up the every-other day blogging, that I do, I have to do it because I enjoy it. (Not for fame or fortune...at least not yet!) That said, I love publishing my blog into a solid book form that I can hold in my hand. I've been doing it for the last few years, so I actually have a library of JaneVille. (I use blog to print and have been very happy with the quality)

from sketch to stitch

"Hope" is the thing with feathers - 

BY EMILY DICKINSON

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chilliest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

Here's a little VIDEO of the sketch to stitch process:

Mosaics in my house

I love making mosaics from treasures I've collected. I've got them all over my house~ all created by me, I'll give you a little tour, okay?



I collected all these celedon pieces of tiles and rocks over a period of years. I didn't know why or what for, other than I was so attracted to celadon green. I got many of these green pieces at a store in San Diego.



I had a blank space above the fireplace, so I created the mosaic on a board, exactly cut to the size of the space, then just slid it in. (It's not very well lit, under the mantle, so I added the christmas lights on a timer)

mosaic above the fireplace

The wall quilt is by Cas Holmes, the framed pieces by Chad Alice Hagen and Cathy Cullis. (ha! do I only like artwork by women whose first names start with a 'C'?)

one of my first mosaics, a table top

When we got a new stove, there was a unfinished space on the wall, so I make a mosaic on a board and attached it to the wall. 



The entry hall was my biggest job, (and the last time I mosaiced!) It's made from broken slate, found rocks and tiles. It took weeks to lay, lots of hard, physical work. Thankfully, I hired someone to grout and seal it. 



This mirror was my very first mosaic. I took a class from my friend, Jill Hall, to learn the techniques and materials needed. I asked my friend, Jose, to cut the wood frame. I used pieces from our lives and travels, so many memories in this mirror. It hangs in our guest bathroom.

When we first married, I had this coffee cup made for my husband, Don Strom.

Our first kitty was named 'Cinzano.' Don's brother got this ashtray
from a bar in San Francisco for us.

We lived and traveled in Asia

The little character is a chop stick rest, and reminds me of my older brother.

A cup handle and a pepper cannister

Sweet peter rabbit dishes.

Ain't it the truth?

When my husb and I cleaned out our garage last week, I ran across a giant container of broken tiles and dishes that I've been collecting to mosaic a bench for our patio. I promised him I'd do it in 2014. for sure. Really. I'll keep you posted!

Do you do project like this for your home? I love DIY projects! As long as they're are creative and don't involve precision. 

from my sketchbook ~ holiday bouquet

Working hard on my revamped ONLINE class "Watercolor Sketchbook: Designs from Life.






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Throw back Thursday!

"Colorado" watercolor circa 2001 ~ by Jane LaFazio

I was going through some storage disks, looking for a particular image, and I found these two paintings from around 2001. They are watercolors, about 11x14 inch. They were done in Colorado on location---looking out the window, of course! It's fun to look back on my earlier work (sometimes) and the painting above is quite similar to my present sketchbook work, a precursor to my current style!

(I still tell the story, to my students, about the lower right image on the top. My friend Helen Shafer Garcia, an excellent artist, said that my rocks looked like baked potatoes! Not that I took it personally...haha, since I still talk about it 12 years later!)

"Colorado view" watercolor circa 2001 ~ by Jane LaFazio

" Tuscan Hills" watercolor circa 1998 ~ by Jane LaFazio

The Tuscan scene, above, was done on location, in Tuscany, and the one below, was done in my studio from a photo I'd taken. Both from around 1998. (Both are probably 20x16 inches or so.)

I took my first watercolor class (at a community ed center) in 1993. 

"Silvia's fruit stand, Italy"  watercolor circa 1998 ~ by Jane LaFazio

This one below, titled "A Walk Around Greenlake" is actually one of my faves. It was done in sketchbook style. Each day, while staying in Seattle, I'd walk around Greenlake, bring something back, and draw it. You can see bits of map and collage and some real sticks too. Yes, I like this one, and I think I'll let it influence my current work.

"A Walk around Greenlake" watercolor circa 2000 ~ by Jane LaFazio

All these watercolors were framed and sold long ago...Thanks for taking a look back with me.