WHAT??!!?? AGAIN???

Not possible! Two posts in one week. And maybe more to come. Good grief!

I've spent the last couple of days chained to my sewing machine, as usual, and have finished another piece.  This past summer my husband Adrian and I were walking along the river bank and came across some terrific boulders. There were several of them clinging to the side of the slope and being rock lovers, we stopped to visit and took several photos.  The contrast of the rock lying in a bed of flowers was just too beautiful.  They all had good coverings of lichen as well.  So, I decided that this would be one that I would stitch, and here it is. 

After much thought, I've named this "Boulder in the Bedstraw".  I had a hard time with a name - usually they just pop into my head, but not this time.  I even googled "naming artwork" and found lots of good suggestions, like choosing a name based on what it is, or where it is, even what emotions you were feeling when you encountered it. So, going by these guidelines, I considered such things as "Rock", "On the river bank", "Boy, am I thirsty", but alas, none of these seemed quite right.  I finally decided on "Boulder in the Bedstraw".  It measures 10" x 8".  This naming of art is hard work!

I have another piece that I haven't shown yet.  The original photo for this was taken at Blackstrap this past summer on a glorious day as can only be experienced here on the prairies. It was hot, clear skies with a gentle breeze. What more could one ask for. 

This then is The Summer Meadow.  It measures 10" x 8" also and is framed.

I get a lot of questions about doing commissions for people and lately, have had a lot of interest in pet portraits. I do pet portraits and quite enjoy them. I work from photos (Fido just won't sit still!!). As for pricing, this generally ranges depending on the size of the finished piece. I can use one of your existing photos, assuming it will work well, or could come out and take my own photo. I've stitched dogs, cats and birds so far. These make great gifts and with Christmas coming up, it could be the answer to what to get good old Dad - beats socks every time!  An example of one of my stitched pets is below:

This is Crystal and she measures 8" square.  I did the eyes first by hand, and once they were satisfactory, I stitched the rest by machine.  The picture used was one taken by Judy Wood, who does exceptionally good photos, especially critter photos. Crystal looked pretty much just like this, so I was quite proud of this one. Anyway, this is one pet portrait that I've done. 

Crystal

If you're interested in having me stitch your pet, contact me at:

306-665-9182 or email acdc@sasktel.net (no, we're not heavy metal fans-those are just our initials).

Alright - that's it for this time. Hooking up to the Needle and Thread Network......donna

Back.....finally.....

Well after another long absence, I'm finally getting back to this.  I've been incredibly busy for the last couple of months and this will continue until after Sundog in December.  

To summarize, in September, I attended Art at Solar Gardens.  This show/sale used to be Art at Agar's, but after losing our venue, Roger and Chris at Solar Gardens stepped up and suggested the show be held there. This turned out to be a fantastic suggestion. Not only did these guys knock themselves out preparing the site, which incidentally is also their home, but the turnout was excellent. Even the weather cooperated, except for it being very windy, but considering that it could have just about anything from snow (heaven forbid!) to pouring rain, it was a glorious, sunny day. People strolled around the grounds going from tent to tent, nibbling on goodies, eating pizza and generally enjoying themselves.  I had prepared several new pieces for this show and am happy to report that a great many of them sold. 

I'm now madly stitching for Artisan - the next show on the "circuit".  This year, Artisan will be held at the Concordia Club (German Club) on Lorne Ave. South/Hwy. 219. This is a bonus for everyone as it allows vastly better parking (free too!!) and easier access all around.  The show will be held on Nov. 7 & 8, the Friday and Saturday this year and will be only the two days.  I've got lots of new work for this one too and if my new computer/camera/photoshop program cooperates, I'll show a couple below. 

 This first picture doesn't show the piece very well because it's the largest I've ever stitched, measuring around the 13" x 17" with every single mm stitched. It looks best viewed from a distance.  It's a hillside at Blackstrap and I still have to find a name for this one. It will be in a 20" x 16" frame.

This one is The Wagon Wheel, which was photographed with the one beneath it.  These two pieces were photographed at an abandoned house west of Saskatoon. The artwork measures 8"x8" and is framed.

This is called The Hay Wagon. It's a 7" x 5" framed piece.

Hopefully I'll have a few more to include in next week's blog post, but for now, I have to get back to my sewing machine!  I don't yet think I have enough pieces for the coming show and so, will likely be spending every available second stitching like a mad woman! See you next week......donna

New Pictures from my New Camera!!!

I've been taking time off artwork for the last few weeks trying to get some things done around the house and yard, but have managed to get out and take some new pictures for future artwork and especially, for a solo show coming in autumn of 2015. My birthday is also coming up in September and my husband Adrian bought me an early birthday present - a NEW CAMERA and a zoom lens.  I had been using his old camera - one of the first digital cameras by Canon.  This has served us both very well, but it's a fixed lens camera and I desperately wanted my own, brand new camera with a zoom lens. So, all of these pictures have been snapped with the new one.

Ok - here goes:  The first two pictures are from when I accompanied my friend Judy to a photo shoot west of the city last week. On the way, we encountered this old deserted house and out-buildings - the whole area was rich with wonderful wildflowers.

Don't you just LOVE thistles?!  This guy will definitely end up on one of my Art Cards. I really like the white tips on the ends of the flower spikes. There were several patches of these right around the old house above.

On a very windy day, what are the chances of getting a picture in focus, let alone the visitor that happened by just at the right time. 

Last week I went to visit my daughter and came across this most incredible flax field. I nearly drove right past and just caught a flash of blue - hit the brakes and stopped to take as many pictures as I could. It was soooo very very blue and I was surprised that I was the only person who even seemed to notice. Flax fields seem to be few and far between, so when I happen on one, I take dozens of pictures.

Another shot of the same flax field. My husband and I drove past it again a couple of days later and the blue had faded to a very pale, almost unnoticeable color. I guess I was just lucky!

The same day that Adrian and I were out with our cameras, we happened on a wonderful slough. This place was off a road off a road off the highway and I seriously doubt if we could ever find it again, but caught a good few pictures of the water birds. This is an American Avocet. There were several species of water fowl enjoying the bugs on offer. yum!

For anyone interested in insects, in particular dragonflies, damselflies, etc., this seems to be the year. Despite the wind, my camera managed to get several good captures of this guy. I managed to find a really good book on these wonderful creatures at McNally in Saskatoon. I had no idea there were so many different types. 

And the last one for today is yet another slough taken when I was out with Judy.  I adore bull rushes and this site was loaded!

That's all for this post. I'm going to be quite busy in the next few weeks madly stitching for the upcoming show season. I have very little completed artwork in stock, and have 4 committments between September and December, so will have to put my nose to the grindstone and get it done! (where did that expression come from anyway-wouldn't you have a skinned nose??)

Ok - till next time........................donna

Back to work.......

.. or just back to normal.  My husband has been on holidays the last couple of weeks, so we've taken the opportunity to drive around and take lots of pictures from our favourite spots.  We're lucky enough to live almost across the road from the Beaver Creek Conservation Area, and just down the road from Cranberry Flats, so it's easy to drop in and check out what's blooming - and right now, there's lots blooming! 

Aren't these pretty?  These are Gaillardia and right now, there are several large patches blooming.

This is a mixture happily growing together on a sandy slope. There were also lots of butterflies, but none cooperated for a photo op!  Here you can see wild Bergamot,  Prairie Coneflowers (Ratibida) and wild Flax.

 


More Bergamot - I love stitching these.

This little guy is Scarlet Gaura, or Gaura coccinea. You can easily miss this charming little plant. The newer flowers are light pink and they turn quite red-scarlet as they mature. The blossoms open a few at a time and are almost white, but within a few hours, they turn this gorgeous red.

 This is my stitched version of Liatris punctata, or Dotted Blazingstar.  It's just starting to appear but soon the fields will be full of it. 

And this is a stitched lily growing in my garden! 

Out at Blackstrap - just down from the Retreat is this "housing development" that really begged to be photographed.  The grass in the ditch was almost taller than I was! 

 

This is a stitched version of the path down to the lookout at Cranberry Flats.  This is from last autumn. I especially like this piece.

Are these not the cutest little things?? They're Eriogonum flavum, or Yellow Umbrellaplant and are growing happily on the banks of the river.  We hadn't seen these before, so naturally took a dozen or more pictures. Excess is good, especially when it's botanical excess!

My husband Adrian took this one. The riverbank, in one spot, is riddled with enormous rocks that are covered in lichen. They're stunning, as this one clearly shows.

And finally, we hit paydirt when it comes to wild flowers!  We found a large patch of wild Lilies. It was off the regular path and we very nearly missed them, but fortunately Adrian picked up a haze of orange and investigated.  Once we found this patch, we found quite a few more scattered throughout the area. I'm soooo very glad these are in a protected area and not at the mercy of well-meaning gardeners with shovels!  These plants don't like to be disturbed and when they are, they usually don't survive, so PLEASE - leave them where they grow so we can all enjoy their beauty.

Well, that's just a tiny sample of the pictures we took over the past couple of weeks. Most of what you see above will be stitched, so I'll post those when they are completed.  I'm already thinking about my next show/sale, which will be September 20th at Solar Gardens.  If you haven't visited Solar Gardens yet, you really must go and have a look at this place. You won't believe your eyes - I promise!!! It's rather like being in the tropics in the middle of the Canadian prairie! It's run by two very ambitious, not to mention talented guys who grow masses and masses of succulents, have a tasting room for all kinds of yummy goodies, and now have a restaurant called the Firesticks Cafe where you can stuff yourself on the most delicious pizza anywhere. This show/sale promises to be really great - lots of very well known artists will be in attendance, so watch for the poster. It's only one day so you won't want to miss it.  I'm planning on having my new cards there (Art in a Card) and also some rather large stitched pieces.  I've been experimenting with getting out of the 5" x 7" and 8" x 10" rut and going BIG - how big remains to be seen, but so far an looking at around the 24"-30" range.

Ok - back to work.  Enjoy this fabulous weather!!! .............................. donna

Home from Moose Jaw

....and this is what followed us back to S'toon. From the time we left Moose Jaw to the time we opened our door at home, this was on our tail. That's my husband hurrying back to the car after taking several pictures. This was the sky in all four directions and just when we thought we were driving out of it, it caught up to us again. Driving through the valley by Blackstrap, it rained so hard that the wipers couldn't keep up. Very scary at times-you couldn't see the road at all and didn't dare stop in case the car behind you couldn't see you! I really hope Regina and Davidson are still there!!!


But over and above the storm, I was at Anna Hergert's Open Studio on Friday and Saturday as an invited artist. There were a great many people through her home and studio those two days - I think the final count was around the 200 mark. It was a terrific opportunity for me to get my artwork to that part of the province. And I saw so many people I knew: the women who were in my workshop in Moose Jaw in March, lots and lots from the S'toon Quilt Guild, not to mention that I met so many new people - a special hi to Jennifer (she's Jenny Penny Poppy on her blog - have a peek - she does fabulous work) and Cathy from Davidson (we'll figure something out for the near future). And the food - OMG the cakes were unbelievable and sooooo plentiful. Anna had baked for something like 3 days and the table was piled high with with goodies. I literally ate my way through both days - cream cakes. oh dear.... So thank you so very much for all your wonderful comments about my work. It's great to hear that people like what I do.  And a huge thank you to Anna for inviting me down. I hope you get at least a couple of days to relax before you head off to your next destination.

My set-up at Anna's.

This is a shot of the rest area just off the highway by the Lake - looked like an ocean shot! I can't wait to stitch this one!






 
Speaking of new work, I've finally developed a card. Most artists these days seem to have some kind of card, be it a postcard or a type of greeting card. So, I've come up with this:

I'm calling these "Art in a Card" and they consist of a blank card with a small artwork inside at about 3" x 5" that could easily be framed.  I took a couple of these to Anna's Open Studio to see what people thought of them and the reaction was totally favourable. So - I'll be producing these for my next show/sale, which will be in September. I would do commissions of these also and could insert whatever picture you'd prefer inside. The ones that I'll make will have lots of flower pictures, birds, wildflowers - that sort of thing. But I could just as easily stitch something that you would like. I'd sell the Iris at left for around the $50 mark-they would likely range from around $30 to $50, depending on the complexity of the picture. I thought these would be a good special-type card that could be purchased for a special person.


The new work I took to Anna's is as follows: (most of my work is in the $200-$350 range for a 5"x7" to 8"x10" framed).

This is Top of the Lake and was taken from basically the same location as the stormy picture above. This is the first time I've ever stitched water and am very pleased with the result.

  This is The Fairy's Foxtails and was taken last year on a photo outing with my pal Judy. We happened on a field off a road and I couldn't begin to tell you how we got there, but the scene was magical, right out of a story book. In this field was dock-not just brown dock, but red, pink, beautiful (you might have gathered that I'm a dock fan). Down the middle of the field was a path that had been used to drive on at one time, but was now completely filled in with these lovely pink foxtails. They were a color that I've never seen - bright pink and green. I've only stitched two of these and this one is the larger at 8"x8" for the artwork, 12"x12" framed.   

And finally, speaking of  Dock, is this one:

 This is called What's Up Rumex occidentalis? Ok - sorry 'bout that! After days and days at the sewing machine, I was finally finished and was struggling with names for my pieces. I enlisted my long-suffering husband to help me decide on names and after many false starts, we decided on the above. I realize this is kinda dumb, but at that point, so were we. You know what I mean.....kind of punchy and glad to be finished, and with a brain of jello. So - there is it. For those of you not versed in botanical Latin, rumex occidentalis is the botanical name for Dock. And this was the REAL color of this plant. I nearly drove into the ditch when I saw it lounging in a slough right beside the road. Must have something to do with all that rain!!! 

One final point.  In my last post I showed a picture of three small shacks on a hill and asked for name suggestions. This piece is now called Sentinels - thank you to Jo Ferguson for the suggestion. It was perfect.

I'm going to take the next couple of weeks off  blogging, stitching, and working in general and will be out with my husband taking pictures of wonderful things to stitch. I should have lots to show you after that time (promise to post, hopefully every Friday). Have a great couple of weeks and I'll see you all later......donna

Just a Quick Note .......

First, a sincere thank you to the SK Craft Council's Talking Craft Blog for their profile of my work.  I appreciate this very much. The resolution on the pictures is incredibly clear!  talkingcraftscc.blogspot.ca - check it out.  It's also on Facebook.

Also, I have a couple of new pieces that I'll be taking with me to Anna Hergert's Open Studio, which will be held June 27 & 28 in her studio on the lake.  This is a terrific event to attend.  You'll get to see what her students have created over the winter months, as well as what Anna's been up to. Not to mention, there are treats and goodies to die for!! After spending two days there, I will no doubt need to seriously diet! My husband and I are taking a few extra days and having a bit of a break. Living on an acreage is a lot of work and days off are few and far between.

View across the lake - this is a little piece at 5" x 5"

These three shacks are on the highway to Calgary. I think pretty well everyone has seen them at one time or another.  I don't have a name for this piece.  Any suggestions???



Well, that's it for today.  I'll try and add more pictures if I can before going to Anna's. If not, I'll have lots from her Open Studio and lots more new work to show you.  See you at the beginning of July..........donna

Back Again.............

This has been a very busy few weeks. As well as my artwork, I'm on the board of the local Perennial Society and their big Plant Sale/Exchange is coming up on May 27/14 at the Forestry Farm. I'm the coordinator of this sale, so there's been quite a bit to do. Also, lucky me, I picked up the worst case of the flu I've ever had in my entire life. I won't go into the details but at one point, my husband had to hold me up so I could get from one room to another. This went on for what seemed like forever, but I finally started feeling human again about a week or 10 days later. This put me so far behind with everything that I was in a panic.  

I had been invited by the S'toon Quilters Guild to give a talk, which was scheduled for May 12. I had still been feeling a bit off, but hanging out with these ladies cured anything that was remaining. I gave my talk and had also brought along a couple of tables of goodies for them to see, everything from products/techniques that I use to a few pieces of my more recent work. They were so enthusiastic - there were many questions about my "stuff", about teaching, about everything. The entire experience was the high point of the week to that point. I want to thank the SQG once again for inviting me.

The next day I met with June Jacobs of Handwave Gallery and handed over several of my pieces for her to hang in her gallery. Ever since I started doing artwork in a more serious way, long before I started this kind of fiber art, I had always wanted to show at the Artisan Faire and have pieces in the Handwave Gallery. Never did I believe that after only one year of showing, I've managed to accomplish both of these things. Being in Handwave is a humbling experience to be sure. Have a look at their website and check out the caliber of artists there.....humbling for sure!  The following are some of the pieces that are at Handwave Gallery: Thank you June!!

 This is Bergenia and is based on a clump growing in my front yard. This is my newest piece.

This is Cranberry Flats Autumn. 

Dotted Blazingstar. A SK wildflower. Beaver Creek Conservation Area is packed with these guys in the summer.

Looking Up Through Autumn Leaves. This is from last autumn taken at Blackstrap. 








Also, hopefully within the next couple of weeks, I'll have two new pieces at the Craft Council Boutique. The Boutique has been remodeled and thanks to the hard work of Donna Potter and the other staff members, it looks amazing! They've opened up the back room and it's larger, brighter and everything has breathing room. They've done an excellent job. So - looking for a gift? That's a very good place to start.  These are some of the pieces that I have in the Boutique right now:

 On the Open Prairie. This looks a bit "orangy" on my screen - it isn't in person. 

Autumn Birches. This one has a bit of hand work in it.

 

Gone To Seed. This is one of the new pieces that will be at the Boutique in the next couple of weeks.











Well that's about it for today.  I really really will try to post more often in the future.  I now have virtually nothing in my inventory, so will have to work like a mad woman for the next few weeks.  I have been asked to be one of the Featured Artists at Anna Hergert's Open Studio at the end of June, so will now have all new work for that. I'm looking forward to this very much. It's always a really fun event and this time, my husband and I are considering making a bit of a holiday out of it. Let's hope for nice weather. 

See you soon................................donna