Newest "painters of the pacific" 2018

Here are the very newest painters of the Pacific!  Glowing!

The bird of paradise, orchids, hibiscus and plumeria  flowers are represented and shown here by the artists who designed and painted them. How cool is that!. They were a wonderful group who didn't know one another previously and now have new art buddies with  lots to share

 and learn from each other.  One kind lady offered to help with Hawaiian quilting to a woman that had recently arrived to the islands.That is so kind!!

Many folks wandered through my big white tent at Haleiwa Arts Festival last July.

 I attempt to field a lot of questions from some,  explaining  my kind of  fabric manipulations  and use of paints and inks. Art is really hard if not impossible to put into words for me  so i talk mostly about process. Some are curious enough to ask if i have classes on how I get my  fabric those colors.

 I have a clip board handy for information and if they wish to sign up. When i get several interested, i will contact them shortly to get a group together on a day that works of everyone.

And these ladies were brave enough to come back out to the country last Saturday to spend the day looking at flowers and leaves, seeing what they are looking at, sketching the  many wondrous shapes of nature, refining, and mixing paint to get colors that please....ripping up fabric into usable sizes from fat quarters to post card sizes, drawing and finally painting.  They eventually commit to paper a sketch, several actually and then  they transfer image to  fabric and  then the  painting begins.

  There is a lot to do and think about  and  since I've been at this colorful fabric journey of curiosity  for long time, i'm old,  I can answer many a question, except perhaps how long anything takes . 

It takes until it is done is best i can offer, mostly 

black orchid 

 (trichoglottis bronchial)

  Most of us are attracted to color and fragrance and the flowers of Hawaii do not disappoint! This time of year i am blessed with an  amazing abundance of the black orchid shown above..(i still think it is more of a Merlot or Cab color...) For the class  i also I gathered leaves and flowers that i brought to the table to view, smell, see and enjoy, to sketch and paint.

 After the class is over, these very same flowers and leaves that inspired painters inspire me to make a sort of arrangement , much like the very first flowers and leaves 

i painted in the "80's to quilt up in a pillow form.

                                              arrangement  of leaves and flowers

 

                             a fabric post card i made for a trade in a mailing art online group 
                                                                     art2mail  i think


                                         After the class was over, I painted up some remnant fabric, 
using palettes of paint left over  and yes that is a  glass of Merlot next to a  6 pack tray of paint!

                                             i call this painting  above a seascape of the imagination
  

this is what remained after cloth painted dried on the freezer paper under it

one of the painters left her enhanced flower sketch behind

i mailed Sarah her post card fronts that she painted and left in my studio to dry!

What a wonderful way to spend a day! 

 Mahalo to Sarah, Dorita, Jeannie and Cindy

for sharing a colorful day in the country!!

Be well, see well,
 Sonja

palette love

Haleiwa Arts Festival 2018

The Haleiwa Arts Festival 2018

is now less than a month away.....
 so I am preparing fabrics and  projects to share at the 21 th  annual HAF. Lately I  am  sort  of  slow at pulling together concepts, start ups with colorful bits of cloth with intention of  making a solid item to reflect what i was  feeling or thinking; a collection of ideas born out of previous "what ifs" and mind changes, then turning that into something that did not exist  before and that you and I can consider and turn over in our hands.

There is a bit of magic in doing the work. i am a transformer it turns out!!

watching paint dry

cut up, sew, quilt  

make!

Some things only happen once !

as in this notebook cover with its colors and arrangement.

           For a  wonderfully  colorful  day,

save the dates   July 14  and 15  2018

          10 am to 5 pm  on Saturday the 14th
  10 am to 5 pm on Sunday the 15th

                                                      www.HaleiwaArtsFestival.org

i am booth  #96
 near the front entry / information tent/ kids art tent

                                                     

Shine On !

Shine on! 

Here are a few more flags of hope that i made recently.

It is a wonderful process of sifting through pieces of painted fabrics and torn strips while the mind sorts words to stitch upon them, words that turn my mind to hopeful ideas and thoughts in this seemingly world gone nuts. This process is best for me  with classical music softly playing in the next room or bird song or the sound of wind in the trees or light rainfall are also wonderful 

as is silence.

Shine on .  "And we all shine on!" 

i can almost hear John Lennon singing this...

After words have been selected and embroidery threads selected from the nest they have become in colorful storage, i sit and stitch with a large eyed needle and all six strands of floss. Big stitch, back stitch, stem stitch, it has been awhile and i am rusty with the names so i just stitch over the light penciled letters. When words are done i add colorful torn strips of my painted fabric at bottom with a simple tacking . One of the strips will attach  with simple knots to the painted chop stick that i thread through the large sleeve at top of flag that i make before the words are stitched. one of the wonderful aspects of these flags is that there are no rules, only do what comes to mind  with what materials are handy and just see what results!

 BE Kind!

Let Love, Shine on, Grace and Kindness find their way to where needed.

So, how do you center yourself in this busy world?

And is art a part of your way?? 

be well, Sonja

.  "And we all shine on!" 

i can almost hear John Lennon singing this..

Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)

time out for a little art

Last week i had a few ladies up for a visit and had art supplies handy as they had  an interest in making from cloth some prayer flags, in the mood of some displayed in my studio,

 an assortment of flags I exchanged some time ago in a online art group.

The morning gave us a rainbow greeting!

i had tools for coloring, marking and hand stitching flags available.

As we sat around my painting table we shared stories and light refreshments.  

~Jan and Ilona dressed for fun and paint~

One lady had to leave early and left her flags to dry in the salty air!

A nice start I would say!

These flags, dedicated to loved ones, 

may not be done yet. Perhaps more contrast 

between thread and cloth, plus embellishment....i'll have to wait and see!

You must have rain to have rainbows!

be well, see well, sonja  

Oh Socks!

i have a habit of painting things that come into my sight and here is just one more example. Take a pair of ordinary white socks, the kind you might put on before your tennis/walking/running shoes. i was thinking i might need them as i was going to an outdoor wedding and it had been raining and  i thought i would wear my new purple clogs. but white socks are so ,well, pedestrian really, especially to artists as the bride to be was/is.  I got out my textile inks, already  slightly watered down from last paint class, inks that i have used since since 198 something , usually used for transforming  plain vanilla  fabric or boring tapestry fabric or  ancient commercial prints into the colors of my ideas. 

 i sprayed the socks with water and squirted out the colors and smooshed them in with a stiff brush and then with my fingers and  t6hen added even more water as the cotton was soaking up the moisture like a pair of old socks. Now i am in a bit of a time compress as the wedding is in a few hours and the  sun is not shinning. i got the hair dryer out to hasten the project along when i usually air dry or set pieces out in the noonday sun .

i have been admiring crazy with color socks in Christmas catalogues but these ain't it or even close.

 i can't knit, well i have never wanted to until i saw the fun stockings some  arty people have whipped up from the remains of sweaters and things.  i will try again with older socks perhaps soaked rather than sprayed as the moister the more the colors travel and that is what i was thinking of and that is  my story so far. Be well happy feet! sonja

after the paint has dried......

After the paint has long since dried and sewing has been done by this painter of my recent class according to her plan...this photo of Sheryl's mango painting  project arrived! i am always so happy to see where the person has taken  her painting, her work to the next step, to the real piece that you can pick up and hug! And then took the time to share with all of us.

 this is an amazing pillow, I am proud of her. 

Next came  the photo  below of Suzie's tote bag with her graceful hand painted Heliconia featured below. I wish you could see the plumeria she painted with the most beautiful background of blue. I wonder what she made with it ? Just pinning it up on a bulletin board to enjoy each time you pass it is a real good place to start, then one day you walk by and say,
 "Oh that's what I'll do!"

 Thank you Suzie and Sheryl for painting with me last summer

 and sharing where the paint took you!.

 I am thankful for the folks that come up to paint and surprise themselves !

 I think that having  the art supplies gathered and a sunny day and good company and encouragement help a great deal with the success and fun generated. Making time for such days is also essential,  because you make the time for things that are important to you.
 Learning a new or improving a technique are  some important ways to spend
your precious time to your best outcome I think.
Just do it!

So, what did you do last summer that is outstanding in your fond memories? 

i collaged  a day of mine in picasa program !

aloha, sonja 

Fabric painting with new and old acquaintances, August 2, 2015

Aloha,
 Last Sunday was a  lovely painting day with a few new folks,
and one lady that painted with me atleast a decade ago.

 She recognized my style of work at the Haleiwa Art Festival recently in July

where some other folks asked if i teach and so i handed them my sign up sheet.
Occasionally i will teach a class.

Sheryl, Suzie and Mei at art making in August 2015.

Upon their early morning arrival and before we  sat down to sketch and paint however,
we walked about the yard and took pictures of  trees and leaves, flowers and the orchids, oh the orchids!!!,  and the  mangoes in full summer blush in their colors of greens, red, orange and purple, and small flecks of white and hanging like ornaments from the tree's canopy.
All those devices that take photos and enlarge and crop for color, shape, and composition reference came out and soaked in the images of natures' beauty.
From these photos and my collection of floral calendars and  other inspirations,
 i asked them to make  quick sketches on paper of what they see/saw.
( looking and seeing are quite different to me as i explain,often),
and then to  make a few more sketches.
I see the mangoes and orchids  were on everyone's radar yesterday!

 

As a painter i feel that there is no better inspiration and information than the real deal.
 A photo is a wonderful reference but has not dimension nor fragrance to share with you.
One must remember many things when looking at the photo you took to inspire
 and later pick out what you need.
Some elements will not appear in sketch. Then there are addition and color changes.
leaves moved around as you compose a balance sketch.
 That is why this is such a good way to start a session
and why folks go on location
to the ocean, to Portugal (or any exotic place you can think of), or your back yard, to paint, to absorb, to really see and tell about what you experienced with out words,
 to  show me with paint.
And  they surprised themselves!

i also bring in leaves and flowers for the table for folks to look at and SEE.
flowers and leaves to inspire the eye and nose!

paint mixing on yogurt lids and test coaster below
 

Now
let's peek over the shoulders and see what is happening.

Suzie's plumerias, especially the one she later painted with a blue background
came out amazing!

 Sheryl's mango  photo to sketch to cartoon to paint testing with leaves samples is below.
Her fabric  mango came out lovely and went home with her before  my camera was ready.

then,
Sheryl sent a photo this morning of her painted yardage already
now heat treated, washed and ironed and folded. This woman was inspired!

Such yummy colors to inspire more arty fun!

 Every one's  flower paintings on fabric came out So Amazing ! 

here is one,

painted by Mei from a drawing she made from a photo she took.

Mei said she had never painted before. this is hard to believe as

her orchid painting looks lovely and came out Amazing!!

  i will make a photo of  her inspiration growing in the yard and apply it here!

Today i got a note from Mei saying," 

Thanks, Sonja! I do like to paint some more.

Thanks for introducing me to painting and I love it!!!

 And like to paint more! I didn't know I could DO IT!" 

 Mei

 trichoglottis brachiata

  I love summertime, summertime and the  many, many  orchids that are blooming now!

Theses above and below are the black orchids

 i posted a year ago in the post 

Ruby Ruby Ruby 

thank you ladies
  for spending the day with paint brushes in your hands
and smiles on your faces!
Mahalo to ALL the folks that painted all these 20  plus years with me
and were encouraged  to SEE!

Be well, See well,
aloha, Sonja

Now i will attempt to link to :
Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever by Nina-Marie Sayre