I had to go to New Harmony yesterday for a meeting about our annual studio tour. I left early so that I could spend some time wandering the town and taking pictures for future collages. I came upon this. I had never noticed it before.
Something to think about, eh?
Two more collages finished today.
Last week I was working on getting some things ready to sell. I often do events in New Harmony, IN and have a lot of photographs from that historic tourist town. I decided to start a series of collages from photographs that might be appealing to visitors to the area.
Stories of New Harmony: Brick, log cabins mixed with modernity.
I made these little cell phone/credit card pouches last week.
I had 6 of them…before a nice new Facebook friend purchased 4 of them. Then I went to the New Harmony fair and sold 1. The other one sold yesterday in my Etsy shop. So last night I was scrambling around trying to make a few more. You see, these bags came out of playtime in my sewing room last week just using the scraps from the other bags I made. The scrap pieces were already layered and stitched; they just needed to be pieced together and then sew the bags. That made it easy. To make more, I have to layer and quilt a piece of cloth, maybe add more stuff to the cloth, then make the bag. I was scrounging around through my unfinished pile last night to see if I could find something already quilted…and I did. These were made from a collage that just never did work for me. I loved the cloth, but never could get it to come together so I cut it up last night and made these…
The bottom one is sold and I am awaiting her buttons to sew on it. The other two are in my etsy shop. One has a cool dark green antique button on it and the other has a dark brown one.
The Artisan’s Fair at New Harmony was better than last year in sales. Maybe everyone was really scared last year and they aren’t so much this year. The crowd wasn’t massive, but there was a fairly steady flow of people and they were buying. I sold several scarves each day. Although not blockbuster, I am pleased with my sales.
To purchase one of the two bags in the last picture, click here.
Ahhh…..it feels good to be home and working in the, ahem, “studio” (aka the 9’x 9′ shrinking spare bedroom). The Arts In Harmony art festival is this coming weekend. I have been experimenting with some ideas, altering fabric, and going back to some pieces that have been started, but somewhere along the way I had gotten lost and did not finish it. First, the cloth, because it led to what I did with an unfinished piece.
I took this rather dark clean-the-brush-cloth….
….and turned it into this….
…took this fabric….
…and turned it into this.
See my new stamps in there?
I started this piece back in the winter (not so long ago). It is mostly painted dryer sheets, but there is some cheesecloth and scrim and painted fusible web in it too. I got to a place where I was not satisfied, but lost interest or got busy with other things. It needed more….more depth…more something.
Yesterday, I gave it a go using the same technique I did on the cloth. When you are a week away from a show, starting new work is not an option because of the time factor, but pulling out unfinished pieces and finishing them is! A show is a great motivator for getting stuff done.
I am much happier with it. I’m not sure it is done, but it sure is better!
Art Journal---A Creative Journey 