Join Me in Lake City, Colorado. April 26 & 27, 2019 Animal Portrait Creating Your Own Pattern from a Photograph This is your chance for a unique experience in the most remote county in the lower 48. During the day, 9:30 — 4:30, we will be working on creating your vision for the animal portrait […]
There can be drawbacks to working in a room with just yourself and a dog. I tend to lose myself in a very specific part of the piece I’m working on, even to the point that I don’t see the whole piece when I step across the room. This happened with the bison. What drew […]
It is amazing what a deep breath will do for your body and soul. Lately I haven’t been taking the time to really breathe. Instead I have been rushing from one hot spot to another just in time to put out the fire that is starting. Or at least that is what it feels like. […]
Why would anyone just 25 minuets up U.S. 36 in Boulder shell out the money to stay in a hotel in Denver? I can tell you: to totally immerse yourself in the experience that was Artmakers Denver, 2014. I took a three-day class with Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson. It was so wonderful to be totally […]
You’ve seen the art in progress in the Up-Close and Personal post. Now see them all together. This 8″ x 8″ calendar will keep you entertained throughout the year with 13 colorful creatures. Liz graces the cover and is followed by 12 more up-close and personal portraits of her friends. Invite them into your home […]
I’ve been working furiously in the studio. Too bad you can’t see what I’ve been doing. I have completed the first, and now I’m working on the second quilt, to submit to Raining Cats and Dogs in Houston. This is the same show that Drew was in last year with Best Friend. Since the show […]
Over time I have accumulated many photos that lend themselves to more intimate portraits. It is my intention to complete at least 12 of these up-close headshots in time for a 2015 calendar. Right now, I’m finishing up the fifth one of the series, and Sharif the Camel. So far I have Arturo the […]
Sometimes I’ll make a design decision seemingly without thought, only to realize later there really was a reason for the madness. When designing Tiger Eyes, I had a huge constraint on my method of working. The fusible web I prefer, Lite Steam-a-Seam 2, had been on backorder for months with no ship date in sight. […]
One of the most common questions I am asked is, “Why did you pick that particular fabric?” I find that to be a hard question to answer most of the time. It always depends on the piece and what is in my stash at the time. Although I do gravitate toward certain colors, purple in […]
I love doing commissions. No matter how straightforward the project seems at first, there is always a challenge somewhere along the way. I am finding the challenges to be some of the most frustrating yet most rewarding parts of the job. Take my latest commission. Although I can’t go into great detail (it is a […]
There are times when being a full-time artist can be a tad quiet. I may go for days seeing only my husband and my dog. I have a radio and CD player in the studio, but I don’t always turn them on. I enjoy the quiet. It gives me a chance to contemplate what I’m […]
I was once told that I was stubborn as a mule . . . actually, truth be told, more than once. Not everyone would consider that a compliment, but I do. I have a habit of talking to the animals that I photograph for reference. So at the National Western Stock Show as I was […]
When the speaker at a recent meeting advised “taking the leap,” it struck a chord with me because of where I was in the process of completing “Indian Summer.” The top was completed and ready to layer and stitch, but I wasn’t completely happy with it yet. Through trial and error, I have learned […]
Leo will be a surprise birthday gift from the recipients children.
I was in Cincinnati for the International Quilt Festival when my friend Liz Kettle handed me a bag of goodies and declared, “You need to do this.” The bag contained samples of men’s suiting and shirting fabrics, a tie, buttons, and the challenge to make an 18 x 18-inch art quilt based on what a […]
I’m coming up for air after spending untold hours in the studio this weekend. There is a new black sheep, Bubba, taking form on the design wall. He’s bit colorful for a black sheep. My animals have a way of telling me their names, just like Bubba did. I was trying to call him Baa […]
