Ruby's first Christmas, some flat angels and a winter sunset

 

 

What can  I do with strips of painted fabric and just a winkling  of AN IDEA

and A CHALLENGE?

why I can sew them together with joy! 

and cut out wedges

 

and make heads and wings and hair and

 call them flat angels and send them away to some of my art making pals

 

"Look, I found more fabric for you to paint upon!"

this is Ruby's first Christmas and it turns out she is very helpful in the studio!  

"later I can press it for you, while I sleep!"

said the kitty that snores.

peaceful dreams

 

Happy holidays to you and to all a good night!

painters of summer August 2013

Who knows where the times goes?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNJmDuNOMxs

 Sandy Denny, who was in an English  group called Fairport Convention,  wrote decades ago a song with a lovely and haunting melody

and words to ponder that for me is  still without answer. Perhaps  because there is none, only thoughts and theories. Judy Collins also recorded this Timeless song.   if time allows, drift over for a listen.

 when painting or arting , time seems to evaporate into nows of a different color, many colors. last summer  we had yet another great paint class gathered with the interesting combo of 3 new  folk and 3 repeaters. an ideal blend in my estimation. we gathered on  a sunny  morning of late August to explore and experiment and make colors from a jar into inspiring  ideas and designs of our own minds.  I invite  painters to look at favored photos, flowers and leaves, oh the leaves! and to make sketches  and  expand their possibilities.  I also ask to them suspend doubt and any lack of skill thoughts that floats up.
 just for the day.
A good practice any time you start a new project,
revisit a challenge or  otherwise problem solve.

     

    two  leaves from the croton plant and one i painted,
 that I  could paint every day
 as they are so colorful and full o patterns. center one is my quick painting
 on a used coffee filter.

the painters

Mary, Stanka and Barb  are now  deep into paint and
the magic of waving paint brushes

now we are having Fun!

 

Mary deep into painting from a photo she took
and a sketch she made from her photo.
Lovely!

Michelle paints a grand  rooster.
welcome back M!
(the rocks and all the blue painters tape are useful
to keep painted  fabrics from escaping in a breeze)

Barb's red heliconia takes shape

Erin concentrates on color!

Norma  had great design ideas brewing

Erin  and Norma  are new ladies
to my paint sessions
and they take to painting with ease! 

Stanka takes on Anthurims  in a big and colorful way.

she is also  new to the paint class folk this year.

Mid day, after a painting session,

 we relax under a shade tree for a light  potluck lunch.

Here is a fruit salad palm tree plate  I made 

sprouting  from  sea o sweet strawberries.

.

after the painting day as I clean up class area, I collect discarded paint pallets and make a little color of my own upon fabric.

some will find their way into quilts and some into smaller projects like postcards.

Thank you to ALL my painters of last August

and in past decade,

for making  for a  wonderful and colorful day,

my favorite way to spend a day !

circle revisited

"Circle Heat"  33''x 33'' 

by Sonja Hagemann  2013

 

I started this quilt with circles of color in mind.

 a shape that I return to time and time again, especially as  just finished one

 that was composed of many many squares. 

 I painted up a batch, perhaps a dozen circles, from center outwards on pieces of

fabric about 10 inches square.

 

 

 then I  sliced the  circles in half and rearranged them

 in a manner that pleased me

 

 

I played around with placement until I got a harmonious combo before joining blocks together.  this above photo also shows possible boarders and binding  materials.

 I have a flannel covered stretch canvas so I can place quilt parts on it  

and step away to see if  I like arrangement.

sometimes walking back into a room,  at glance I can tell  that I need to

 move things about or away.

 

 

I painted circles on the fabric that was to become the back of this quilt.
(more circles !)
this shows the free motion quilting  done on my Bernina 830 Record.

 

(Ruby is inspecting the Bernina and a painted fabric .)

 

this

shows both sides now with back flipped over onto front.

 I have  often thought of my quilts as two sided and for decades have painted or joined up orphaned blocks or a combination of  to create a backing.

Why not have the fun of  surprise and choice!

 

 

  the completed "Circle Heat" quilt.

It has been hot this summer/fall and my colors and quilting repeat those

waves of warmth.

 I hope you enjoyed my short version of my journey of composing a circle quilt,

surely it is not the last.
 

be well, Sonja

I am linking  this post up to ninamarie's off the wall Friday
gathering of art bloggers .
 

 http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/

Happiness Runs...

  

"I paint on fabric while singing  a song

 and I can't go wrong.....

'cause if  you can't recall the words,

 make up some new ones 

as you hum along! "

Sonja   sept 17, 2013

 with music as theme for ATC this month in

heARTisttradngcards,

I  thought about a song I  have loved for a long time
 by Donovan

called Happiness Runs.

You may have heard it in commercials with breakfast cereal a while back

with kids in colorful inner tubes floating about in what appeared to be milk.

  Recently I heard it in a cat food commercial with a big red tabby like Morris.

It is one that gets in your head and plays there. again.

 Recently while conducting a painting class I looked up to see a boat on the water

 with red sails, Again.

I  am apt to say  "paint what you see " to myself as well as folks
 with paint and brushes and fabric before them.

and that is not the first year that boat has appeared  during class time.

we saw this a year or two back as well,
 those same deep reddish sails on a little boat
 upon the blue Pacific!

 the words from Donovan are here if you aren't familiar with them .

the short version goes;

"Happiness runs in a circular motion

Thought is like a little boat upon the sea

Everybody is a part of everything anyway

you can have everything if you let yourself be

Happiness runs  happiness runs. "
 If you have interest, 
Read more: Donovan - Happiness Runs Lyrics | MetroLyrics

if you are my age or older, you might also enjoy singing

" Red sails in the Sunset "!

 Bing Crosby (1935) was first to record it I think,
 and many artists  have covered this song, many !
So what is on your hit parade?
   

Happiness Runs!

here's Ruby enjoying boxes of fabric

Prayer flags of August

 

Here are some of my latest flags made this August that are a  part of an exchange

 with a trading group I belong to

 http://heartisttradingcards.blogspot.com/
 

I continue to paint and hand stitch on humble pieces of cloth

and make  these small bits of art and hope
 in little bits of time.

  When I make art my world is centered and calm.
Because every  moment  counts.

Wordless Wednesday

Sweet smelling Saturday

Saturday's  sweet smelling surprises

 

Often the white flowers are very fragrant and heady to make up for their lack of color or did I read that or dream that ?

or perhaps learned in Dr Horace Clay's Botany class in 1980 something?

 what about the white pluemria lei that was placed around my shoulders the first time I set foot in the Hawaiian Islands, the one that said welcome home

 in invisible words only I could hear.

 

Even the papaya blossom so fragrant and enticing to the bee

smells like heaven on earth to me.

 

Spider Lily 's  white flower with stamens of a pinkish hue gives off a perfume not yet possible in bottles.

 

White or butterfly ginger ( Hedychium coronarium)

 

 

When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else.
Georgia O'Keeffe

 

Butterfly or white ginger is another favored and fragile flower found in my yard

this time of year.

Each evening we pick a handful and fill the house with the most divine fragrance.

 

I am recovering from  last weekend showing at the

Hale'iwa Arts Festival

  taking  plenty of time to smell the flowers deeply.

Mahalo to all
new and returning folk, who came by to say HI

 and visit and to purchase  my fabric art!

Aloha, Sonja

Hale'iwa Arts Festival 2013

the Hale'iwa Arts Festival

                         

(poster art by Mark Howard)

 

It's that time again!

And I can hardly wait! 

 the Hale'iwa Arts Festival

 at Haleiwa Beach Park on the beautiful North shore of Oahu.

(near the war memorial )

 

 

 Sat July  20th   10 am to 6 pm

Sun  July 21th 10 am to 5 pm!

 

It's the 16th annual of that wonderful juried visual arts show.

Both traditional and contemporary  art will be  displayed and for sale.

It is the  15 th time for me

to set up my fabric arts, it is like Christmas on July !

SO  much art in the tents under the shady trees, as well as

 musicians, singers, dancers and  keike art activities .

Entertainment is scheduled for every hour both days

and

 a  wide selection of ono foods and beverages are offered.

Bring family and friends and visitors to enjoy the day

in the country! 

 I shall be manning  booth #109

 near the front of the fair and  near first aid tent.

So come by and

see

 .

what

I  have been thinking and painting and quilting and making 

 since last time.

 

 

 

So   come  by  and   say  HI!

see you soon, that's this weekend!!!

 

Aloha, Sonja