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

How long did it take you....pinkly sqaures quilt in progress

I don't know how often i am asked, 

How long did that take you to make that?

 They might be looking at a quilt perhaps ,one that i made. 

Today i am working on one, I am calling her "Pinkly Squared! so far.

 here is a shot of the backing using  some my splattered hand painted fabric, pieced

                                   back and  front squared off, showing quilting using variegated threads.

In  block closeup i use random stitching, what comes to mind for that area, quilted .
 No marking, just seat of the pants, on the spot choices.

You have seen this pile of color in other post if you are a reader,

 This is where i start with strips of color painted on cloth that have been trimmed and saved for just such an occasion. i use some batiks but about 90-95 percent are my hand paints.

The squares are trimmed up to 5 and a half inches here.

 i will add a long cabin strips on all  4 sides next

 Here the log cabin surround pairs strips have been added  to
front and back shot of the next quilt in the pipeline of my life.

 For my bindings i often like a fabric like this one, one that has been languishing on the shelf,
as an overall floral decorator type of fabric. i will add color to them.

Now painted in the  pinkish tones in the quilt body, now transformed,

now drying in the sun .

Here we are now watching paint dry....

So how does one answer such a question such as 

How long did that take you to make that?
I don't know how long.

It takes All the time!
I DO know my work takes many decisions and processes, many, many.

I  would prefer to tell you the Why, the story behind the ideas that propelled me to Here!

I don't know how long. I'm not sure it's finished Yet!!

Be well and enjoy  the journey!!

Sonja

Quote collector that i am and post #100

Oscar Wilde often said words i can't forget.

 Words that rang a bell that still can ring. i ran across a new one today 

to add to my growing collection.

if you read my blog you will find some favorite quotes peppered down the right margin. new ones appear, some disappear or are rearranged as a pattern appears. 
Perhaps soon they will need their own blog!

"Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways."

Oscar Wilde
I came across this quote above on a blog i read recently, lo i can't recall which..
there are so many talented and artistic blogs out there just in the fabric
category!

Back in 2007 I made the post card below for an exchange with theme of quotes!

Boy Howdy, I'm in I said !!

with a childhood photo, 
fabrics, paints, button, machine free motion,threads and lace,
i brought into being this 4"x 6" postcard 

of what that quote meant to me at that moment and looked like.

  "Be yourself. everyone else is already taken "  O.W. again! WOW!!

I think i respond to certain quotes because of the kernel of truth and often  humor embedded in those few words that i hear.  I often find them to be a jumping off point for my imagination to leap into a project.  or a smile.

do you respond to quotes?

what are your favorites ? 

And as this is post number 100 

 and 

if you are a reader that might like a piece of my hand painted fabric, 

leave a comment  by Feb 28 and

 if Ruby the studio cat helper pulls your name from the basket,

i'll send out a  painted fat quarter of my choice 
or Ruby's as you can see above she is very interested in investigating fabric!. 
How's that for a helper !

have a great weekend !

Sonja