Back in Verona

I am back in the wonderful city of Verona.

The view I see every day-
taken this afternoon- we had a little drizzle this morning.

My social calendar has started with a bang! Birthday party, aperetivo with friends, lunch with another friend, an italian lesson..

I was at a concert on Saturday evening listening to pianist Julian Gargiulo. You can hear his music here.

Teatro Ristori in Verona

He is Italian from Verona and was living in New York for many years. I met him when he was performing in Toronto.

Julian Gargiulo signing his CD's after the
performance.

I have unpacked my fabrics for sewing and yarn for knitting.

Judy Martin gave me a great idea for while I am away from my studio. She suggested I choose 3 of my daily postcards and re-make them. Copy them but larger. Go from 4"x 6" to 12" x 18". I can do that.

Four of my past postcards that I have chosen.

It will be an interesting experiment. I don't like copying. The part of art I like is the "doing". I like creating and thinking of how I want things to be and so when I make my daily postcards, I never go back to them. What I wanted to say is said. But I think I will enjoy re-making the postcards because I won't have my usual supplies with me. Looking for new materials I can use to express the same idea could be a fun challenge. Thanks Judy.

Today at the studio instead of sewing we cooked!

We had a friend from the province of Puglia (the heel of the boot) come in and teach us the tradition of orecchiette.

Orecchiette in the foreground.
The pasta in the background was made using a metal stick.
The stick isn't cylinder but square.
The pasta is rolled around that metal
 and then slips off creating a hole for the sauce to hide in.
 In the old days the ladies used
the metal spokes from an umbrella, also square.

Delicious!

Hand work. Tradition. Women's work. Creating of a different kind.

Dancing Woman

A 15-minute postcard.

I like it. There is movement.

I can feel her leaning back and swinging the fabric across her body.

I wrote a thank-you on the back and gave it away.

"Dancing Nude"
4" x 6"
fabric scraps, tea bag, thread drawing

Morning Practice

One of last week's post cards.

photo transfer onto painted fabric
paper
I took the picture (rt side) in Rossano, Calabria 

I use my post cards to write thank-you notes and such.

Postcards

I won't be seeing my neighbourhood for a while.

In about a week I go to Europe.

I don't really miss the neighbourhood much while I am away.

Does that mean it's time to sell? and move to Italy??

(postcard, 4"x6", free motion technique on photo transfer image of a cracked sidewalk)

Sketching Book

I always have a sketch book when I travel. Even though my schedule is packed I still find moments to make an entry.

Since I took Iris Häussler workshop at the TSA, I have begun to do more drawing in those journals.

My sketchbook isn't a big book but a simple small one that fits into my pocket and is ready anytime. I use a plain old pen. Sometimes I add colour afterwards but not often.

There is lots of good that comes out of your head when you are quiet, when you allow your thoughts to wander. There are good things that happen too when you are rushed to draw something or have a  second to capture a moment in words. That quick minute does not give you enough time to criticize your entry and that's good. That concept is really at the root of my daily postcard exercise. I suppose the sketch book replaces that when I am away from my studio.

I will be giving a sketch book to each of my Verona travellers so they can journal their trip.

I made a rubbing from a tomb stone using a branch

They can sketch or write their thoughts about what they see or glue in bits of things they collect.

It will be a great memory for them and a source of inspiration for future art work.

I am giving a class centred around this idea, in much more detail, this July in Italy. Click here for details.

Found Paper

I use found paper in my textile work.

My mineral piece,
Looking for Labradorite
detail showing paper

What is found paper? It's paper that is FOUND.

And you can find paper in some wonderful places.

The piece of paper in Looking for Labradorite is from Arles, in the south of France. I found it while I was there on a holiday.

me in Arles-it was so windy that day
I had to sit down so my dress wouldn't fly up!

Well... I didn't really find it. I ripped it.

view from the top of the Arles amphitheatre

The Arles amphitheatre measures 136 m x 107 m.
The Colosseum in Rome measures 188 m x 156 m

It was an advertisement for a film, I think, and with the rain it had become unglued and was draping off the wall. The event was over so I decided to "find" it and I ripped it off. The raw uneven edge is very interesting.

fossils from the stone of the Arles amphitheatre

I have also used found paper in "My City", a collage I created for takepART 2012. The paper is from an advertisement that was on a pole in downtown Toronto. I specifically tore off the part with the letters.

The best time to find that kind of paper is after a rain.

Found paper seen in the creating stage.

Your found paper does not have to be found outside. Found paper can be a stamp from an envelope, a school child's homework, a chocolate bar wrapper, a page from a book that is falling apart.

Keep your eyes open.

Today's Postcard

Today's 15-minute postcard
 foreground: made with hand-dyed fabric scraps,
detailed photograph of Toronto graffiti printed on paper
background: painting by Isabelle Reford

Today's Postcard

No, this isn't that self-portrait I was thinking of making. LOL

Bad Art

British photographer, Martin Parr, says he has to take many bad photographs in order to take one good one.

I have to make lots of bad art before I can be happy with a piece.

That is why I like working on my postcards. Click here for details on my postcard routine.

It's always difficult to make good postcards after I am away from my studio for long periods of time.

That is why one of my promises for 2013 is to DO more. More art- sewing- stitching- drawing.

Last year, I promised to host more parties at my house and I did that!! So fun!

More pictures from the ETQG

A member sent me a few pictures from the talk I gave at the East Toronto Quilter's Guild.

The topic was Beyond the Hobby Quilter and focused on marketing your work.

I showed some quilts related to the points I was making.

Scrap quilt-the only kind I ever make.
These kinds of bar quilts traditionally have an odd number of bars
 (not counting the background bars)
but this one has an even number.

I talked about the way I work. I don't sketch. I make postcards.
Member, Del, liked these cards.

People were interested in my contemporary work.

I showed a piece that is in progress.
It is hand dyed with natural dyes
(pomegranate and turmeric)
and stamped (paint). It will be part
of my "map" series.

And here is Bill holding up a piece I made at the Toronto School of Art.

What is with that piece?? It always gets photographed wrong! LOL
Here we see it upside down.
Click here to see it sideways!

My New Cups

My friend gave me some gorgeous tea cups made by an American artisan.

I love the colours.

Today's mini work.

raw edge applique, free-motion thread work

I will send it to her as a thank you.

blunder

I really blew it with my mini art work this morning.

don't look!

I believe even when things go wrong there is a positive lesson.

Find it.

art exercise

I am back to my art routine. I create a small piece every morning in 15 minutes! I put a timer and do finish it within the time span...well, sometimes I go over by a minute!

I do have the base pre-cut and ready to use. In that limited time, I just create. I may try something I have been thinking about or I may just go without any direction at all. I do not have time to question my art decisions.

I do this instead of sketching.

Today's mini work started with the new transfer paints I bought yesterday.

4"x6", morning exercise with past mini works behind

This is my inspiration for the quilt design.

window grate, Casa Mila, (also known as Casa Pedrera)
building designed by Gaudi
Barcelona, Spain