wordless wednesday

The turning

Where has the summer gone?

 I live in the land of endless summer (to some), yet there are the subtle changes i see, smell, sense
 that tell me  it is time to turn the calendar page  once again.
Like
the angle of the sunlight
the foliage
the way the light is seemingly cooler than it was in June
 lessening of the traffic as school reopens and tourist  thin out in the stores i shop.

Here the colors of  the harvest season  can be seen

at sunset and in the  birds of paradise framed.
 lovely

here is Ruby in the sink, again
 where she like to drink moving water...

" If it fits, I sits! "

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

thoughtful thursdays

Good morning!

These tiny yellow guys

 sprang up after our many rainy days and 

they look so sunny with leaves clover like leaves and tiny yellow anthurium -like flowers.

 they shimmer in the light breezes. 

They are a weed that spreads after a rain like thrown paint from a gallon can.
a great ground cover that takes the drought and occasional mowing.

  

perennial peanut(arachis glabrata)

Croton leaves already dressed for autumn

Some fiery spikes of a bromeliad plant

 and more bromeliad spikes reaching for the sky

Strawberry guavas shot through a window screen

 

strawberry guavas outside shot 

 a royal poinciana  flower.

Here Thursdays are senior citizen discount day at the  local super market.
So when i find my list i shall venture forth and shop locally, thoughtfully.
 Be well, Sonja

wednesday without words

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 !

A Painting class from Japan

My first painting class this summer came all the way from Yokohama Japan!

they have visited my booth at quilt shows for many years

 and this was the year they wanted lessons.

fortunately art is a lot like laughing to me .

 we all do it in the same language, mostly.

they wanted to paint flowers and fabric and so we did.

 for two days.

 each day they took the bus out from Waikiki and we painted up a storm.

 i did allot of demos instead of words and they did a great job, as you can see.

 now these ladies have fabric that they painted to use in their own quilt designs.

they also now have good brushes, little pots of paint, and many, many ideas to play with.

these  sessions  are  my  most  favorite  kind  of  days!

  

                                

nice palette!

Which one is yours?

Color in many forms

                                                       finger painting fabric dots


   

Aloha ! Sonja