Post Cards coming out

I am pushing post cards since they are due by 12-15-06. They are very small art pieces
but they have ideas I can enlarge and go further.

I sent a message to quiltart.com that I wanted to pass on to those of you who read my blog
The subject is inspiration and art themes.
Inspiration comes in an instant and when you least expect it. It impels you to see the idea.
It begins with fabric and then it grows as you see that creative idea blossom.-- never knowing where it will take you. There is a special joy for you to suddenly yes- there it is. It comes in a
dream and you wake and there it is- it wont go away.

Art Themes are sometimes easy and sometimes hard. I believe for me art themes come easy from those "dreams". I find for me abstract challenges are difficult to visualize since my mind
works best in reality than the abstract. Visits to the Guggenheim Museum or the Whitney in NYC display more abstract or modern art and each time I find them difficult to appreciate. Yet the art at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC or the National Gallery in Washington DC reveals paintings which are beautiful. Art themes work best in those areas where your creative inspiration thrives.

Post Card Fall Tree#2 11-2006

This is the second one of the "Fall Tree" series. In reality it is the first one I made.
The inspiration came from a walk around the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park NY
where the fall trees were raining down leaves. I tried photographing it but the
raining effect just didnt come out as I had visualized it. It seems to me this could be
expanded into a Journal Quilt for November with the falling leaves floating down. 

Post Cards Fall Tree 11-2006

This is another example of postcards going out in the next swap- Post L'Arte 4. This will be
done as a series. Let me know which one you prefer. Ultimately they will all be going out but I
intended on keeping a few of my better ones for the web site.-- www.jeanneoberrieth.com 

Fall Leaf Post Card 11-2006

I just started my post cards for the Post L'Arte round 4 and came up with a quandry. I dont know which one I like better. A and C were done with light backgrounds and one bar of black. B' was done with black as the background and the light accent fabric as the bar. Also B' has been outlined in gold accent thread where the other two have not. So here is question- which one do you like- A' - B' - or C'?

Been Busy

Its been a while since I came by. This last month I started a new job that is filled with tension and stress. It has taken all this time to relax with it and feel that I can cope. Now on the weekend I can devote myself again to sewing. I completed my monthly journal quilt for October. This has been an effort to make all 10 of them different. Personally I thought that would push me ahead creatively. The "Walk in the Woods" is developing an original artistic rendition instead of using just my photography.
At present there is an enlargement of my echinecia's (from the garden)-- it measures 30" x 28" and it takes time till I see where I want it to go. I start it and then go back and work a little more and walk away and see if I like it. I'm sure there are others of you who use that artistic method. "Dandeneau's Garden" was like that. Its almost there.
Post cards are due for another swap group and is on my table to get started. My quilting- and creative sewing projects are good medicine for me. I keep coming back to them.
Let me know what you think of the the last two.

A Walk in the Woods- Journal Quilt Challenge 10-2006

I'm late for this one but the inspiration came last weekend when my son and his wife came by. We were walking in the woods with the 4 dogs and I saw bits of this piece. It came together after a few days.- sort of works on the brain. I hope you like it.

Latest work

This past weekend I went to a 2.5 day quilt retreat held at the Interlaken Inn in Ct. It was great fun seeing my friends who are crazy like me. I noticed that I was one of 3 ladies who is
into quilt art vs traditional work. This has been my graduation of sorts. Below are two pieces that were pushed ahead. Fish Tales..... is for the Tiny Treasures which is another challenge. This time I worked at using beads to embellish my work along with some free motion stitching and applique. This piece was an extension of the previous birthday card. I have another one in my head with another fabric which is even more interesting as fish scales. Maybe this time I can try sheers which I saw on the fabulous web site of Rosemary Claus Gray.
The second piece Dandeneaus Garden has had a little more work and closer to its end. The sun rays thru the clouds still need help. Maybe some sequins or hand stitching of metallic thread will help. Any ideas will be appreciated. This week I have to work on October's journal quilt.
I am working full time now and finding quiet time to work is harder.
See ya.
Jeanne

Fish Tales.......

 

Dandeneau's Fields

This has had some improvement over the weekend. The light rays over the house and field are not as evident in this picture as I would have hoped. My husband believes that I should add a few more trees in the dip of the right side. Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

New idea

This idea comes from an exhibit at a craft show in Rhinebeck NY held last week. The artist told me the idea could be used again with different artistic themes/scenes. He is a retired art teacher who sells his small acrylic paintings at various craft shows. The exhibit is built of two wood rails (painted black) that have a groove (on top and bottom) to allow slats to slide along. Each slat (4" x 10") is canvasboard that has been been painted (acrylic paint) each in a different color scheme of a city scape. He had prepared enough slats so it measured 2ft across. You can interchange the slats by sliding them along the board -- one in front of the other. These scenarios can be changed for the fall or the summer or the spring or fall. You could prepare slats with mountain scenes or sea scapes showing sunrise or sunset. My thought was fish swimming by in a window pane. As they swim by they change color. This example was my first attempt and it really is a birthday card for my neighbor. It measures 4" x 8" and fits a legal envelope. You could mail out your own birthday card to family or friends. Of course it is made of fabric. So what do you think of my "Fish Card"? There are so many possiblities to this idea. The whole rack of slats could be set up on a mantel or a shelf in the living room. I do have another fish piece in the works right now for another challenge which is asking for a work 10" square. When I do these the hard part is the background.

Birthday card

 

Echinacea from my garden

 

Journal Quilt Challenge September 2006- Echinacea

 

New Journal quilt for September 2006

When I put in the post cards there was one that I just had to do again- echinacea. Well my husband's garden served as a reference and here is the result. I have some dyed fabric with the sharp pink that called to me. Just do it. Please let me know what you think.

Overdue Journal Quilt

This is a catch up day. Just finished this journal quilt for August. I had this upholstery fabric that was very interesting. Sometimes the fabric just talks to me. I do have another one in my head- the echinacea in the post card should be developed again. I still have more of the dyed fabric from Judy Robertson. She sends me a beautiful yard each month and each time I have a hard time cutting it. Right now we have Jax- sheltie puppy running around so it 's tough finding a quiet time to work. I think I will give you his picture- then you can see how cute he is. Talk to you later

Journal Quilt Challenge August 2006- Safari

 

Post Cards ready

This morning was the last push for 5 post cards for Virginia Spiegel's worthy cause. They should go out in the mail today. I am a cancer survivor (last year) so for me this has a special meaning. I still have a few more ideas in my head which will go out next week.

For this week there still is another journal quilt for August due. There are two pieces going out for "Doing Small Things" a Fiberarts Challenge -- also this week. They need sleeves and labels but the entry forms and fee have been turned in on time. Amidst that I have a twin bed quilt top in the works for my nephew Tommy and today I am hoping to pick up a new puppy. So how much more can you pack into a few days.

The puppy looks so sweet. We have a springer spaniel Chico at home (see the "Many Modes of Chico" on web site-- www.jeanneoberrieth.com) ; he is alone and needs a buddy. I've been searching on the internet for sheltie's and found this one 3.5 hrs away. My husband and I have had dogs as pets for 15yrs since my only son left home for college. They are part of the family and have been there for us during good times and bad. Dogs just love you.

Post Card -- Fiberart for a Cause August 2006

 

Post Cards Fiberart for a Cause August 2006

 

Post Cards for FFA August 2006

 

Barn and Silo 8/2006 Virginia

 

Old Doors 8/2006 Virginia

 

Locust Wood Pile 8/2006 Virginia

 

Vineyard Trellis 8/2006 Hillsborough Virginia

 

A Month has past

Well lots has happened- travels mostly and a bad cold. From the travels there are photos that inspire. There are a couple I want to share with you. We went to Virginia to visit my son and his wife and several shots came back either from the Nikon 35mm or from the digital camera (it surprises every time how good pictures come out). The first one I call Vineyard Trellis and was taken at the Hillsborough Vineyard where my son and his wife were married in 9/2004. It talks to me to reproduce it in fabric yet creatively I am still pondering the color of the timbers in the trellis or the shadows in the gravel. The second shot was taken of an old barn door- that could be re-produced in different shades to exemplify the old decay wood. This needs fabric that is dyed to show the old stains. There is a whole series of barn and silo shots as well. Then there is the pile of locust wood which in my head I see in black with dotted thin lines and orange for the centers with tourquoise shades as the contrast. There are several shots of the wood pile that could be appliqued in my own drawing and then enlarged on to larger back ground sheets of paper. The wood pile is interesting to me since it has different lighting and bark textures that could be expressed in fabric.

In the between all of that I started a twin bed quilt for my nephew Tommy who started college. Not done -- in progress. Then in this last week I was completely flattened by laryngitis and a full chest cold. It has taken till now to feel human again. Of course to add salt to the wound the air conditioning went out and it has been difficult to even enter my sewing room in this heat. The repair man is due tomorrow. I have post cards to make, a Journal quilt for August is due and now there are a couple of quilt art pieces (described above) that are pushing at the brain.

There is one shot of the rear end of my son's new puppy Jelli- which I would like to re-create as a pair to the other Blue Baby's Bottom. I havent come up with a good name but it will be similar -- maybe in another color family. Let me know if you have any ideas.

I hope you enjoy my photography. Some new pieces should be out this week.
Happy Summer!
Jeanne

A Month has past

Well lots has happened- travels mostly and a bad cold. From the travels there are photos that inspire. There are a couple I want to share with you. We went to Virginia to visit my son and his wife and several shots came back either from the Nikon 35mm or from the digital camera (it surprises every time how good pictures come out). The first one I call Vineyard Trellis and was taken at the Hillsborough Vineyard where my son and his wife were married in 9/2004. It talks to me to reproduce it in fabric yet creatively I am still pondering the color of the timbers in the trellis or the shadows in the gravel. The second shot was taken of an old barn door- that could be re-produced in different shades to exemplify the old decay wood. This needs fabric that is dyed to show the old stains. There is a whole series of barn and silo shots as well. Then there is the pile of locust wood which in my head I see in black with dotted thin lines and orange for the centers with tourquoise shades as the contrast. There are several shots of the wood pile that could be appliqued in my own drawing and then enlarged on to larger back ground sheets of paper. The wood pile is interesting to me since it has different lighting and bark textures that could be expressed in fabric.

In the between all of that I started a twin bed quilt for my nephew Tommy who started college. Not done -- in progress. Then in this last week I was completely flattened by laryngitis and a full chest cold. It has taken till now to feel human again. Of course to add salt to the wound the air conditioning went out and it has been difficult to even enter my sewing room in this heat. The repair man is due tomorrow. I have post cards to make, a Journal quilt for August is due and now there are a couple of quilt art pieces (described above) that are pushing at the brain.

There is one shot of the rear end of my son's new puppy Jelli- which I would like to re-create as a pair to the other Blue Baby's Bottom. I havent come up with a good name but it will be similar -- maybe in another color family. Let me know if you have any ideas.

I hope you enjoy my photography. Some new pieces should be out this week.
Happy Summer!
Jeanne

Dandeneau's Field - in Progress

This art piece is still in the working stages- The inside measurements are 12"h x 34"wide. I was drving by this corn field near my house when I saw these heavy grey storm clouds. I went home and started sketching what I saw. The actual scene has a farm house and trees along the horizon. This is my interpretation but there is something missing. The lines on the white image are green. In the clouds there is silver free hand stitching which may be hard to see. I know this is my interpretation- but I'm stuck and open to suggestion. 

Photograph of Bandeleirs Ladder

This was taken in May 2006 while on vacation in Santa Fe 

Bandeleir's Ladder- Journal Challenge 2006 for July

This is my interpretation of my own photograph taken at Bandeleir National Monument - New Mexico. The actual cave area is in sandstone and browns-- yet the camera took it as a black and white, which I love to do. 

June 2006 Journal Quilt Challenge

This could have one of three names- "Baby's Blue Bottom"-- "Blue Bottom Baby" or " Blue Baby's Bottom". Let me know which one you like. We could have a vote. This was great fun. The rose fabric on the left fanny could be considered -- "a fanny smelling like roses"". It is my artistic license. Each of my journals teach me something new- this time it was color value. But I enjoyed this one the best of all the journal quilts. 

Posta L'Arte 3c

This is the third batch of post cards which completes the required number for this swap. Again another variety of design -- long and narrow-- brings out new possibilities. 

Posta L'Arte3b

This is the second batch of postcards for this swap. Here a different set of fabrics was used and experimenting with the stripes and green dots came up with a another variety on the theme. 

Posta L'Arte3a

This is the first of three batches of post cards completed for the latest post card swap. Reviewing each batch shows that some changes occured- improvements on the style. 

Yellow Blossom