Well after the fair was over.....

ARTISTS Of ALL AGES

enjoyed the Haleiwa Art Festival !!

This sweet little girl came through my tent early 
on a Sunday morning with her grandma
and was fingering some of my hand painted fabric. Her grandma said to her,  "You  know you can have only one choice from one of the 5 booths we have been to recently." The girl nodded while narrowing her choices in her mind no doubt. Not much time passed  before i saw her walking towards me with a bright smile. I had a feeling she just might be an artist in the making 
as she selected one of my hand painted aprons,
the one with lots of vibrant colors circling about.
Here she is modeling the apron while i tie it up. After the the girl handed me the denero, i folded up the apron and placed into one of my hand painted lunch sacks i use for smaller items and handed it to Haley.
 She gave me a big hug ! What a way to start the day!!
then i thought of this string of words....

" So without imagination and paint

upon cloth, dried and  then manipulated.....

there would be nothing to see HERE! "

sonja hagemann

HAF  participant  since 1999

Aloha!I 

 I could be showing, feeling my age as it is 2 weeks past the HAF so i am almost up to energy level that i think is the new normal.....for a person my size! At the fair i had a sign up sheet for folks that ask if i have a painting class. i  say,  I do when i can get a few folks to agree on a day to gather.  We have a group  next month that will learn a bit about mixing colorful inks for fabric painting, sketching flowers, looking and seeing, experimenting and having fun  with color. Seams  that many of the folks that show up are quilters 

that like the colors i get into my fabrics and  

how i use the the transformed fabric that started out as a 
plain vanilla hued cotton. 
 In a class setting, I  can share my paints, brushes and tools and ideas as i have a  history of painting upon  things that do not move fast. Flowers get my focus and because you have to put the color somewhere, a good place to start and  because i love leaves
 and all the many shades of green that shows up in green!
I have plans for these lovely blossoms  below. 

                                                                            magnolia

"To create one's own world in any of the arts

Takes courage."

Georgia O'Keeffe

• What do i do when i empty a jar of possibilities??
•              Here are some  brushes standing  in a jar that once contained inks and now wrapped in a bit of painted cloth.
• 
  
• I hope you are having a colorful summer
•  and  finding  cool shady spots to sit  and  sip  a cool ice tea!
• be well, 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

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 !

Pumpkin painting people

Hello  October  Pumpkin  lovers!

Some autumnal  color for you!

pumpkin colored October sunset close up 

 why are these fine ladies smiling under a shady tree?? (see below)

they just painted up a patch/batch of pumpkins on fabric about the size of a postcard. i asked  them to make several after we practiced a bit of sketching on paper to loosen up. 

 they made some  to send and  some to keep .

 (even if folks don't sew one can always glue the

small original painting

 onto a card stock to make a greeting card ) 

 we also made sunsets on water and mountains and got more paint on fabric squares  than on our clothes. 

I love to demo and in doing so usually get the most paint on myself.  

oh,  i don't mind as  it eventually washes off my skin and i do wear painting clothes to class,well usually. it takes about a year to get a shirt painted good and i help it out by  often wiping my paint brushes directly on my shirt in class. 

 Erin,  Beth,  Heather,  Becky, and Aliea  shine!   

             

           a palette, a yogurt lid really, with paint on it will be applied to fabric  soon as i wind down.

after the painting class leaves,

i like to clean up the left behind paint onto pieces of fabric close at hand.

below are a few sections of cloth left to dry.

tomorrow i will iron them flat and eventually wash/iron them as i design, play, quilt and collage with these random colored cloth bits.

art cloth in the making, step one ..... above

 ironed flat fabric of  many colors to ready to inspire

After a painting session,  i wash my brushes and then let them dry flat on table before stashing them upright again

 in jars or cups for storage. 

i have some  brushes that are 30 plus years old that i still reach for!

my favorite paint to use on fabric is a screen printing inks by Versatex,

i have used these  for many decades and love them much .

i get them from dharmatrading.com

 bushes come from dick blick , my favorite one is the angled shader brush .

and i 

found one more use for my painted and clean up coffee filters.( some  colorful filters are shown in the previous Pear  Blossom post.)

 this time i did a little gathering stitch around the circumference , gathering it up with care, stuffed it with a bit of fluff, cinched closed after  inserting a  dried stem from an avocado dipped in a bit of glue. a scrap of green fabric cut in leaf shape slipped over stem and let dry.  paint more color onto finished pumpkin if you like.  might take some of that fabric of random colors and make some more. i usually make them out of fabric but that coffee filter said...pick me! and it worked!