Playing with leaves

Since returning from Cleveland, I've been experiencing a bit of ennui. Well...not ennui exactly...more like...hmmm...my mind needed time to digest what was learned in the India Flint workshop and come up with a plan for how to use that knowledge in my own way, with my rusting and stitching and tea bags.

I'm still pondering and digesting over a week later and likely will be for some time to come. Today, though, the inactivity faded a bit and I found myself outside gathering maple leaves to bundle in a length of dyed linen.

Not sure what the yellow leaves are - birch, perhaps? - but they're from the backyard too. Their scent was pleasing so I'm following India's advice that if it smells good, it is safe to use.

I'll let it brew for a bit and throw in a rusty bit or tea bag, maybe a stone or two even or another handful of leaves for good measure.

For those following the search for Roy G Biv, tomorrow is indigo day. I've got to admit that this one has been hard.

Art math

Been cooking in the studio again. 

 Queen Ann's Lace + 

 rust on paper =

hints of snowflakes.

 Hydrangea +

 rust on paper =

 layers of patterns

and the essence of hydranea.

 Cleome + 

 a big rusted rectangle atop it = 

my favorite of the day.

Art math

It started with going out in the garden

and taking a look around.

 There was bee balm,

mint

 and lots of coreopsis

all just begging to join in the experiment.

 

On the way to the studio, pink roses caught my eye. 

Yes. They wanted to play too.

So I took a bit of this

and a bit of that,

 even a tad of this. 

Then put it all in the crock pot.

[adding more roses and coreopsis, of course]

The results were surprising...to me, at least. 

 Japanese red maple =  lots of potential

 Pink rose petals =  a soft, yet brilliant yellow

 Rust + layers of rose petals = one of my favorites

Coleus + rust = wonderful lines 

Coreopsis  = orange...lots of orange.

Can anyone tell me why it works this way?

Round 2 of experimenting with my garden took place Monday night. Less coreopsis this time, more coleus, bee balm and ferns. Need to get better photos before showing you those results. I played with folding the paper first - quadruple and quintuple folds, in fact, just right for cards or accordion books.

Tomorrow is Thursday and that means boarding an airplane for London in the evening. My trusty iPad is accompanying me. Lap top too to store the zillions of photos I'll no doubt take. My husband showed me how to take a photo on the iPad and instantly upload to Facebook. So...if you'd like to follow my jaunt kind of in real time, just click here or on the Facebook link to the left and like my artist page.

Next post from London...