Valentines- They're late but coming...

     This past weekend, I taught a watercolor workshop in Old Forge, NY. I had nine very interested students who worked real hard and made loads of progress. Because of this, my annual Valentine card creation and mailing did not happen. I do not multi-task well. I had to plan, prep and pack for the trip and have everything the beginning students needed. I wrote a handout and made kits for each one.
     I could not even think about making cards. I started Tuesday and will have them done by tomorrow morning. I make about 75. So if you normally receive one from me, you will get one. February is heart month and Feb. 7th is the 6th anniversary of surviving a heart attack that stopped it. So, I look at it like this- I get grace by getting the cards out in February celebrating heart month and six bonus years.

Gathering stuff

Packing van

Entering Park

Kurt's gallery as painting studio for the weekend

     All possible because Kurt, with his first painting, opened his gallery to the workshop and handled all the promotion and logistics. Please check out his excellent work. https://www.kurtgardnerphotography.com/  He ships his work packed very well. I have lots of his photos in my home and most were shipped. What makes his work unique, is that the photos are printed on aluminum sheets which makes them vivid with no frame needed, hook built into aluminum.

My easel with demo

     Iconic view of The Pond in Old Forge- the yellow boathouse. Unfortunately the warm weather is killing the Old Forge economy as it is the snowmobile capitol of NYS and no one can do it with no snow and melted lakes.

Taking a big chance out of the comfort zone

     It is no secret that my favorite place on earth is the Adirondacks, especially the Old Forge-Fulton Lakes area. We rent a place for a week in August with all the family, and 4 days in October for just the two of us. I shot many photos of the landscape for painting reference. Over the years, we bought photos and made friends with an extraordinary photographer, Kurt Gardner https://www.kurtgardnerphotography.com/. He has a gallery in Old Forge and I have taken a few photography classes with him shooting early morning landscapes.  In October, he asked me if I would teach a beginner watercolor class in his gallery as it is closed in February. I have never been to the ADK in winter. I live in Buffalo, NY which can have scary snow enough. Old Forge is looked at as the snowmobile capital of NYS, which is a reason I never went in winter. I did not really think people would want to go to Old Forge in February to take a watercolor class from some unknown artist. However, Kurt posted the class on his Facebook page, and what do you know, people have signed up. I am not on Facebook, so here is the link to see what I will be up to in Feb.: https://www.facebook.com/events/808432141293827/?ref=newsfeed 
     I have been pretty busy trying to prep the class, gather/buy supplies, and pull it together. I still think it is pretty funny some people are willing to go to the ADK in winter to learn watercolor painting. There are some sturdy people out there I guess.
     This is the painting we will do all together that I have sketched out for them. This photo does not show the colors as well as I hoped. The original photo we will work from is Kurt's that I cannot reproduce as it is his. All the paintings are quarter sheet Arches Cold Press 140 lb.which is about 10.5" x 14".

     Then after we work all together, they get to choose one of these three. The three paintings are mine from Kurt's photos.

Recent work- on paper

     I shared some of my Maine sketches a few posts ago, so I will be brave enough to post some recent watercolor paintings. I love waterlilies and I take photos of them in the Adirondacks around Old Forge, NY. I am ready to leave for our yearly one week stay. Last year's photographs were used as reference for this year's paintings. Keep in mind, I probably shoot over 200 photos, and maybe 10-20 of them are useful for paintings.

Painted on Arches paper that was brushed with gesso first.

Arches bright white cold press 140 lb paper

A half sheet of Arches cold press 300 lb paper. You think fabric is expensive. this paper is in that ballpark.

     Also, a dear friend's mother is going through a bad time with bladder cancer. My friend shared a photo of her mom two years ago from her 90th birthday holding her great granddaughter. I finally, after many sketches and attempts, girded myselft up, painted, framed and delivered it. They were happy with it.

      Keep in mind, I am a very amateur photographer and I cannot get the true colors of the paintings across in these posts. Transparent watercolor is hard to reproduce.

All delivered and scattered

      Every year I make my Christmas cards (an birthday cards, etc.) I could not get a good fabric idea in my head. I no longer silk screen. The idea I got in my head from an old Latin Hymn, "Creator of the Stars of Night" inspired an image, but the only way I knew to get it out of my head was to paint it. I knew if I painted it, I would have to paint many for all the cards I give. I tried one year to copy my painting and put it on the card, but the painting's effect did not translate well. So, I painted 100. 
     First, I had to use masking fluid with a brush to save the white paper for the star. Then I painted it, put kosher salt in the sky, let it dry, and rubbed the masking fluid off each card, double stick taped it to the cardstock and glued the hymn on the inside. I was very happy with the card and I have received very positive feedback. I used Arches 90 lb cold press paper and Winsor and Newton watercolors. Vicki posted a photo of the one I sent her on her blog. Thanks!

All spread out when done

Variations in the paintings

Some quilt progress

     Finally, the Red, White and blue quilt, 60 x 60, from the Cozy Quilt Pattern is done. I used the walking foot to do the straight line quilting in the diamond shape. I have difficulty with it because it has a tendency to put some pleats in the background fabric. I never have trouble when I FMQ. Any suggestions? I did the borders in free form red stars.

    I layed out all the blocks for the diagonal variation using the animal skin jelly rolls and numbered all the rows and blocks. I have two of them to piece, but I only took a photo of one because the other was on the floor. 

   I also finished a half sheet watercolor painting of my hydrangeas in the snow.

Cat in the woods

    After painting class, I put my snow scene (based on a photo from the Thanksgiving quilt retreat), on a chair. Unfortunately it was the favorite chair of Cassie and she climbed up as usual to nap. It was a big humorous, like she was in the woods. 
   

The painting looks washed out here from the flash, but you get the idea

     Last week was my baby girl's birthday. She is 28. Yikes, how did that happen? She loves the ADK, so I made her a scene on her card. Batik scraps, heavy weight interfacing, free motion quilting, variegated blue Isacord thread, metallic thread, yarn edging on cardstock. Wouldn't a whole quilt look great like this?

Work, work, work = fun, fun, fun

   Lots of different things going on. I labeled and bagged all my UFOs and put them standing up in a bin under the counter. I sewed all the blocks for the You've Got Mail quilts. One layer cake made 2 quilts, 4 blocks by 5. I tried to use all the cool color ones in one, and the mostly warm in the other. It was grey today, so I don't know how well I did. I used blue painters tape and labeled all the rows so I could stack them for sewing. One fit on the design wall, and I had to lay the other on the floor.

The warmer blocks

Cooler blocks

      All finished quilting Emma's Star! Ready to put in a tote bag and wait for someone who needs it. I have another one (Emma's Star) all cut out waiting to piece. I used patterns from Free Motion Quilting. Thank you, Leah Day. I would never be able to be the quilter I am today without your tutorials and blog! The designs I used were Bubble Wand, Flowing Lines, and Basic Chevron. I bought her book and use it to plan out what I am going to use on a quilt. Then I go to her site and watch the video to practice it out. I started using Isacord because of her, but now I also use Glide because it is USA made and works so well.
     I also want to thank Lori from The Inbox Jaunt for excellent FMQ tutorials that I have used at times.  And for sheer production of comfort quilts, Sarah is the queen to me at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Emma's Star

     I finally found fabric for my daughter's tote. It is probably not the first color choice she would take, but I think the design is and I think the color goes with her hair and being a chemistry college professor at Allegheny College (read proud mom).  The tote is going to be a challenge for me. It has a zipper (gasp) and I have to change up the pattern (yikes).

Local Quilt Store fabric comes through

     Last, I would like to show I finished the Christmas cactus watercolor. I always enjoy Wanda's photos of her cactus and I told her I would post a photo of this when done. I owe her gratitude for her knowledge and kindness to me.

Trying to stay warm!

    This isn't news to most anyone, but it is frigid! The sun is shining today, but the temperature is dropping. South of Buffalo got hammered last night with snow and wind and schools closed. I am north of Buffalo, and just got some snow. Makes me all the glad to sew more and those vintage machine foot controllers keep me warm. I am working on a bunch of stuff, as I have 5 machines set up, all with something different going. Hey, woodworkers have many machines set up as they all do different functions. I have a 301 set up for piecing, a 301 that has small comfort quilts being FMQ, a 301 with a large quilt being quilted, a 401 that does zig zag on fabric collages for cards, and my treadle for scrap crumb quilts. These all cost less than my ill bought $2200 P machine that could never quilt well (sold it). Yesterday, I worked on all of them doing a lot of different things.
    I hope some of you visited your local quilt store on Saturday for the national LQS Saturday. I did my part at Pine Grove. I got fabric for my daughter's tote bag and some great grey for putting together crumbs.
    On Friday, I helped my friend, Jan, continue on learning to quilt. We have been working on a dog themed quilt based on the free pattern Patience Corners from http://jellyrollfabric.net/  The plastic guide I bought from Nova Montgomery is a huge help for Jan to keep the seams even; it works much better than the foot with the blade. Here are the blocks on the wall ready to sew.

Blue tape show order of blocks for sewing

    Another quilt I started, You've Got Mail, free pattern and video from the Missouri Star Quilt company, is from a layer cake and 10" white squares cut from yardage. I layed out all the blocks and have 22 out of 42 sewn.The rest are pinned and waiting to be sewn. When they are all sewn, I will put them back on the design wall and break the blocks into two quilts, 4 by 5, for two comfort quilts.

Not in any order, just for pinning

All pinned for sewing

    Since the only kids comfort quilt I had was given away, I started another, because, unfortunately, I will get another request. I decided to do Disappearing Nine Patch, rotating all the kid prints to the center. I bought a pack of I Spy 5" squares on ebay, and am using my own 5" for the other squares. These are how many I have done now.

Needs three more rows

    I don't usually put my paintings on this blog but on my flickr site. However, it is so cold and I thought at least one newer one might brighten the day.

A bouquet from last year's Buffalo Garden Walk