A little feathery fluff

Hey Susan! These are for you.

Just couldn't resist after re-reading Susan's post titled a bit of fluff and frivol. It's about feathers, tea bags and books. Three of my most favorite things.

3rd Annual Artist Retreat - Friday part 1

Friday was a day of accomplishments. A day of what ifs, just do it, keep it simple, focus and crop it. All my mantras [plus a new one] rolled into one delicious day.

 Friday morning's screensaver compliments of Pam's husband. 

 A bit of rusty tea exploration on paper.

 Figuring out what to do with these.

Pam's first completed piece outside the annex.

2 lengths of 16 feet each drying inside.

 My view from the shared work table. 

Love the play of the colors.

 Pam's luscious water fabric.

 Feather from Julie. 

 Light and shadows.

 A sliver of sunlight gracing my rusts.

 The sound of water moving will be missed.

Need one in my studio.

 Hmmm....what to do?

 Crop it.

 Then crop it again.

Esmerelda approved.

Green tea #1

 Green tea #1 is now 3

 My halogens [photo above] need to be replaced with sunlight or color correct lights.

Isn't the color here wonderful?

 Pam's water fabric stretched on canvases.

 My rusty remnants after going on a tear

and cropping oh! so many.

 3 rusty thread nests for Jeanne

135 rusty squares of varying sizes waiting to be stretched onto canvases

Feathers

As I wrote my last post on August 27, Hurricane Irene was moving up the east coast of the US leaving various levels of destruction in her wake. In fact, about 5 seconds after sending a note to Fiona of Paper Ponderings saying that we were all ok and still had power...well...the power went out...for 2 days. How's that for timing?

Once power was restored, I spent a day cleaning out the refrigerator and the next day packing for our vacation to Ann Arbor, Michigan. More on the art scene around here soon...probably after we return home because the girls keep confiscating my computer to watch movies.

Yesterday we ended up on the grounds of Cranbrook, where my husband went to school and also home of the Cranbrook Academy of Art. We wondered the grounds enjoying the trails, lawns, ponds, gardens, etc. It was on one of the trails that I happened to look down just in time to keep from stepping on a bluejay feather.

This lovely one will be added to my feather collection. 

 Wonder what treasure will be found on today's stroll?

Visitors

Hurrican Irene is battering the east coast of the US this weekend. She's currently hanging out around the Carolina's, but is on her way in our direction. She's predicted to arrive tonight, stay all day tomorrow and move out tomorrow night sometime. Personally, I'm hoping Irene gets tired well before she reaches us.

Wanting to enjoy a bit of fresh air this morning, I opened a studio window and heard a now familiar sound coming from below it.

The neighborhood wild turkey family was out for its morning stroll. The proud mom and dad have 9 little ones...which actually aren't so little anymore. They venture through the yard a couple times a day searching for food and leaving me gifts of feathers in return for birdseed.

Speaking of feathers, Jude Hill, cloth whisperer and author of the Spirit Cloth blog, has a wonderful project called The Magic Feather Project. In her own words, 

The magic feather Project. What is it?

The Magic Feather Project is a collective stitching project focused on creative sharing and giving. The magic feather has been my personal symbol for almost forever.  With the idea of making it a symbol of something bigger than just myself, I thought I would share it with you and you in turn might stitch one (at least) and send it to me so I might, in turn, sew a bunch together and put the larger cloth to some charitable use.

Like with the Sketchbook Project last year, I've been following Jude's blog, oohing and aahing over the feathers others have sent in, viewing blog posts about creating them and all the while thinking what a great project to be part of. Sometime soon...maybe after Irene rolls through...my own feather will be stitched and sent off to Jude.

Wherever you find yourself this weekend, be safe. Enjoy.