Category Archives: WIP

Challenge #15

This is a work in progress of a WATER mandala for Stretch Yourself Challenge #15 for July 2008. The challenge is to create works of art the represent the five elements; earth, wind/air, fire, water and Aether/the void. Since the five elements are a spiritual guide, I felt that representing them in mandala style was fitting.

So far this piece is comprised of recycled party and prom dresses, a silk kimono, carpet samples and a plain white sheet. All of the dress fabric is some kind of recycled scrap that I received from my late Aunt Minnie. I still have some sequined dress that I am trying to work in and I need way more blue. Going with swirls and curls to get a wave/water type feeling. I am also trying to really incorporate texture with the unusual combination and layering of the fabrics. I believe this might become a tote bag to take to the pool for my swim sessions.

I will share more when it is finished. And the other elements as they are created this month. Still working on techniques from my Fiber arts book too.

Jen’s Challenge Week 4: Citrus Collage

Citrus Fabric Mandala collage

So I too was feeling the COLD weather this week with every morning starting at 25 degrees F. For mild little Seattle that is pretty cold. The air is so dry that it crackles. I jumped at the IDEA Of Jen’s Challenge #4 this week… because I too wished I was somewhere warmer.

Right away I knew I wanted to make a mandala. I haven’t made any in awhile and they often look like flowers (another spring and summer icon) So I collected some citrus type images and started digitally slicing them. But then I looked at the challenge again and realized I wasn’t really PUSHING myself with this. SO I thought, “I haven’t even doing a fabric mandala.” although I have thought of it many times and dismissed it for the sake of difficulty. So I went half-way and decided to transfer my digital collage to fabric and then embellish it. But even after ironing it onto some fabric, I realized I still had not really PUSHED.

So I went ahead and dug out some citrus colored fabrics. (If I wasn’t on a supply diet I would have run to the store and bought some delicious citrus fabric prints.) Cut out many triangles, positioned them into a radial pattern then sewed away with many of the different cool stitches on my new(ish) machine. I had some tension issues so I am not totally happy with the results. But I am SO glad I finally did a fabric mandala! (the image is sliced off on the sides due to scanner limitations, when it is light again I will try some photos)

Check out what other artists have made for this challenge:

This is Stacy’s Citrus Entry for Jen’s Challenge #4

and here is Eliza’s Painting of fruit-goodness.

Purple Paper Quilt

purplepaperquilt01, originally uploaded by Charger’s Mommy.

Possibly for the True Colors in a Mixed-media Paper Quilt Challenge. 

This is still a work in progress. It is actually 12×12, but I scanned it and my scanner only does 10×12 so a few inches are missing. It is several layers of torn paper, many left over from my ArtErratica color tag swap including some dyed paper towels ala Collage Unleashed by Traci Bautista.

I am noticing several of my common themes in personal imagery (which I will post more on later)

What do you notice?

Thanks!

WOW, you are all fast to respond to my offer to adopt a R.I.P.!

I would like to thank Michelle, Marylin and Kath who were the first and certainly most worthy to accept the challenge of finishing my abandoned projects.

Stay tuned if you missed out, because I have a few more free things to purge from my studio this coming week!

RIP Purse #1 (taken)

WIP_UFO2008014.jpg

So this lovely little purse project is something that I actually inherited in its current unfinished state. In some grab bag of fabric from somewhere, there was some yardage of this vintage embroidered fabric. Part of the folds of fabric turned out to be this already started purse. It has pleats and a hemmed top that is perfectly suited for a wooden handle of some kind. There are several pins in it still, holding areas that need to be finished after a handle is added, but other than that it is finished. It could use a lining too. Again it seemed like a really great find at the time, but I wouldn’t even use this purse if I did finish it, not my style anymore. I think this item has only been sitting around since 2003. email me if you think this is your style! perhaps you even have a wooden handle lying around just waiting for a bag to attach to it. I would love to see it go to a good home!

Thanks to Michelle…who makes great aprons over at  rustedrhubarb this bag will get new life… maybe as an apron?

Jen’s Challenge Week 3

monoprint1, originally uploaded by Charger’s Mommy.

This is one of the monoprints I made last night as part of Jen’s Weekly Challenge. I used the stencil resist method and went with a heart theme for upcoming V-Day. The extra heart on the left side is the cut-out that was used as the resist for the print. Basically I had some pieces of plexi-glass in my collage bin, I smeared some blue and red acrylic paint on it and moved it around with my brushes. Then I placed a cut out heart on the paint and then printed with some pieces of paper that already had images or background printing on them. I wanted a very layered look. Finally, scanned this after over 30 mins of downloading new drivers and restarting numerous times to get my old scanner to work with the new vista computer… ahhhh technology!

RIP Clothing Pattern #1 (taken)

Where I share more documentation of my abandoned projects…. These are the ones that I have decided need to Rest in Pieces.

WIP_UFO2008022.jpgThis is an outfit that I started, mostly only cut-out, back in 1999! It was going to be my special outfit for the big 1999/2000 New Year’s Eve party! I never even started to sew. I think my machine was on the fritz or something. I have moved 3 times since I cut this out and have never finished or even progressed on the project. The saddest part, and what makes it truly ridiculous for me to still be packing it around, is that it is a SIZE that I currently cannot even begin to wear. (3 sizes too small at best) 

It is really pretty silver fabric with a same color floral pattern for the pants, and a sheer silver fabric for the blouse. It is a Vogue Pattern #1290. There is realistically no way I am ever going to make or wear this outfit. Even if it did fit, it is not a color that I can or want to wear anymore.

I think about keeping the fabric and putting it in my scrap bins that I use for fabric collage. But the silver is a very slippery silk-like fabric (who knows it might even be silk, but so long now since I bought it I don’t remember.) and these types of fabric are hard to work with in collage. Besides that, I do have extra of the same fabric already that didn’t get cut into pattern pieces.

So do you wear a size 10/12 Vogue? Do you look good in silver? Would you like to finish and wear this great outfit? send me an email and it can be yours for the low price of FREE!

So let’s see what is next on the chopping block!

Charger clay sculpture drying in progress

Charger clay sculpture drying in progress, originally uploaded by Charger’s Mommy.

One of the things I love about my job is the ability to create and explore art while working with the kids. I opened up the clay center for my 7th grade classes and they wanted to make some creatures…dogs and flamingos specifically. So to demonstrate and teach I ~HAD~ to make a Charger sculpture! hmmm… does the love of my dog influence my art? or what? So it is going well and I brought it home this 3-day weekend to fiddle with it some more. Check out more pics on my Flickr. Don’t worry I will post more when it is done!

WIP: Medusa Doll and Peacock

4315This is a doll I started…. let’s see right after I made my freak show doll, so that would be August-September 2005. The body all went according to plan but then I got stuck with the head. I wanted to have some really detailed and movable snakes for her hair and I bought all kinds of different thicknesses of wire to try and make it work….

I am pretty sure my intention was to enter it into the Classic Mythology Show  Depending on the prospectus, I might take a new direction with the head/hair and finish her in time enter her in the Creation Myths: An EBSQ Juried Artists Exhibit later this year.

4330

This one was started 02/2007 for the Wild Birds Show But I didn’t get very far before life, work and other projects became more important. I really have a fantastic vision for what I want this to become, I have all the proper fabrics collected, I even have many of the pieces cut-out. Each peacock feather eye is a 5 layer circle of different fabrics cut, ironed on and then sewn together. I had all these laying on my ironing board and an early Spring had me opening the windows. In a brisk breeze, all my small little circles (not yet attached to each other) blew all over the studio. This quickly discouraged anymore progress!

I have entered these both into the EBSQ WIP show… and also plan to put them at the top of my “want to finish” pile.