Super Moon

I would be remiss if I didn't post a few shots of the Super Moon.  The first one was taken last night.  The balance were taken tonight thru the clouds. Both fabulous nights.  While at Tonka Bay Park, a guy on a bike parked his bike in the dark, just to look out at the moon.  He was there earlier, but the moon was behind the clouds so he left.  But he came back to see her appearance.

Super Moon  11.13.16

Tonka Bay Marina 11.14.16

Tonka Bay Marina 11.14.16

Big Island 11.14.16

Cottonwood 11.14.16

beauty of the barn

Every once in awhile when I'm driving around out in the country,  I run across a cool old barn.   I especially like the arched hooded windows, the shed dormers, and the cupolas of this historic barn.

Woodland Creatures Stockings

I've been working on these stockings for my twin nephews.  I made the animals somewhat 3 dimensional.   The fox started out looking a little creepy, but turned out pretty cute.  Jack gave me the idea of the birch, which added a lot to the fox stocking.  I may redo the little bird, as I think it may be too big.   But that's a quick fix.  Then onto adding snowflakes - another tip from Jack, although I was already thinking that.   Great minds think alike.

The Toad and his Moon

The other night, I ran across this little guy as I was taking the garbage out around 10:15.  He was mesmerized by the glow of the willow orb.  Enough so that I took the garbage out, walked past him again into the house, grabbed my camera and took a few shots.  Maybe not the moon, but then again, maybe it is to him.

A Full Moon Rises 07.19.2016

The Rise of another Full Moon as seen from our deck on 07.19.2016.  Stunning.

Summer Solstice minus one

And then it was gone.  Unfiltered. 

Waiting on the Moon

1st day of summer, waiting on the moonrise.   Nothing more to say.

The Gift

I decided to title my piece The Gift.  I began this piece on 15 February,  2015 and completed it on 1 June,  2016. Here's the final piece along with a few additional pics in between.   There's a couple other posts further back in the blog with earlier pics.

Day 100 of the 100 Day Project

While I'm posting this a little late,  I did complete my 100 Day Project in 100 Days. I have titled it "Whispers of My Garden".  The title came to me one of the last few days of the project.  I sit in this spot and enjoy dragonflies, butterflies, the zinnias, and the Spiderwort that inspired this piece. 

Magnolia Moon

Taken last week,  but I'm viewing the last of the blooms as I post this.

Day 90 of the 100 Day Project

I've been adding some beadwork to the piece and also made the dahlias,  which the butterflies love.   I usually grow both varieties of dahlias in my garden from seed,  so I think I will use one of each.   In down to the last 10 days,  so now it will be doing the finishing touches.

Day 80 of the 100 Day Project

Well, why I am posting this a day late,  this pic was taken after Day 80.  I completed the dragonflies with the the silk yarn work.  I also wanted a little glistening in the wings,  so I placed the wing down, beaded on top of the wing,  and then put another wing overlay to give the wings a little more depth.  Not sure if I will further tweak these gossamer wings.   Next job is to complete the sepal leaves on the Spiderwort  flowers

Day 70 of the 100 Day Project

Well, while another 30 days seems like a long time, I am starting to feel the clock tick, tick, tick.   Every 10 days,  it seems like the project turns a new direction.  The last week have been spent creating the Blue Eyed Darner Dragonflies.  I have been attempting to create the translucent wings by doing a very loose wet felting of a silvery grey wool.  I decided to add some beadwork to the wings to create a shimmer and are considering two different size of blue beads.  I have them dancing around the swallowtail, which I think is appropriate.  I am also pondering the additional of the mother of pearl stones around the sun.  We'll see what the next 10 days bring.

Day 70 of the 100 Day Project

Day 60 of the 100 Day Project

Completed Day 60.  I finished the Swallowtail and then worked on the pistols and stamens of the flowers along with the base leaves.  It took me awhile to figure out how to do the pistols and stamens but I'm pleased with how they turned out.  Still not quite sure on the two side pieces.   I am thinking dragonflies.

Day 50 of the 100 Day Project

Well,  I have reached the 1/2 way point on the 100 Day Project.  Day 50 complete. 

The last 10 days have been spent with the reworking of the Spiderwort petals.  When I looked at the last shot I took 10 days ago and compared it to the pic that I had taken last summer, I felt the petals were too perfect and needed to be rounded out, in addition to having a touch more color.  I wet felted the petals to stabilize them and as they are not attached yet to the base, I can still play with the placement of them.  I also changed directions and decided to put a Black Swallowtail Butterfly in the center (my original drawing and thought was to do a Raven).  We'll see what the next ten days brings. 

Day 41 of 100 Day Project

Well I miscounted and am off by 1 day.  This is after Day 41.  But since I missed one day while traveling to Bisbee, AZ, I guess this really is after Day 40.  I've been working on the Spiderwort flowers since my last post.  They are one of my favorite plants in my garden.   The foliage is a bright lime green and the velvety purple petals are strikingly  beautiful against the green.  Mark made me a flower press last summer and as I was doing my fall garden clean up, there were a few last blooms of the season that I grabbed and put in the press.  The turned out like stained glass.  I just pulled the pressed flowers out and I can see I have a little work to do on the petals.  But overall,  not bad.

Pic from my garden.

The pressed Spiderwort flowers, along with one blush peony that I pressed.

Day 30 of the 100 Day Project

Day 30 was completed by wet felting the base to strengthen it.  20 minutes of rolling, then a check to reposition the piece,  and another 10 minutes of rolling. During the last 10 days, the piece took another direction than the original plan.   I created various color squares and laid them out to determine what I wanted to use.  Here's where it's at now, along with a few of the other possibilities of color blocks. 

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Hands of Life III; A Year in the Making....

A year ago today,  I traced our hands on the fabric, thus beginning this expression of gifts in my life.   This evening,  I finished sewing the beads around Jack's hands.   Still work to do but my goal is to finish this before the onset of summer.  

Day 20 of the 100 Day Project

Day 20 completed on the 100 Day Project.  It's a commitment to work on this every day, but also is kind of cool because it's forcing me to make time for art.  I like how the swirls in the felt are turning out.  Not sure if they will stay when I wet felt the base.   I hope they do,  but with wet felting,  you are at the mercy of the process.  Let go and let art happen.

Day 10 of the 100 Day Project

Today is Day 10 of the 100 Day Project.  I have entered the Grand Marais 100 Day Project and have committed to work on a this piece every day.  It is a big commitment but it is causing me to take time to create.   I have a general idea of what I'm going for,  but things may shift as I continue to work on it.