Leaves

Leaf Rug, 2012

Wool strips and wool yarn on linen, 14" x 14"

This is a pillow top made during the Deanne Fitzpatrick course.  Now.... to put the pillow together.

Winter Night Rug

Winter Night Mat, 2012

Wool strips on linen backing, 10" x 9"
Private collection

I'm enrolled in Deanne Fitzpatrick's new online course, "Getting Wild with Style". This piece was created with a Van Gogh influence and my fascination with vast expanses and "big" skies. I love the color of snow on a moonlit night.  I might be standing in the darkened room in the farmhouse looking out the window.
The wool for the snow was dyed in a roll.  I sandwiched together different colors of wool, rolled them like a jelly roll, and tied it with string.  I put the roll in water in the dye pot with soap, put it on the stove, and let the colors bleed out of the pieces.  After a while, I added vinegar and the color reabsorbed.  I like the result, but I can't replicate it.

Pillow

Rug Hooked Pillow

Hand dyed wool, 14", 2012

This pillow is made from an old Karlkraft pattern that I bought on Ebay.  The pattern is the rooster with a plain background. Not wanting to hook the background in one color, I took my Sharpie and drew a landscape.  I used the colors from the bird in the background. 

I put the pillow together 4 days ago and already had to take it apart and repair "the cat" pulls.  Guess I'll have to put it away for now.

Penny Rug

Penny Rug

Hand dyed wool, 29" x 21 1/2"

Private collection

I completed this penny rug in a class at The Quilted Crow in Boxborough, MA with Diane Daniels.  This is her design and it is made with hand dyed wool. I cut each applique and basted it to the base fabric before doing the decorative stitches to attach the pieces. All the tongues are backed for a neat appearance. The back is covered with a pumpkin colored cotton.

Library Project

Library Doors

Micron pen on Strathmore bristol, 8.5" x 11"
Private collection

Our library is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2013.  I've been working on some illustrations for a coloring book.  This is one of the 17 illustrations I've done.

Barn Owl

Barn Owl, May 2012

Acrylic on canvas, 4" x 6"

ps. September 8, 2014.  The Barn Owl was entered in the 2014 Sterling Fair and received a first prize blue ribbon.

Negative Space

Trees, May 2012

Watercolor on Strathmore Bristol, 5" x 7"

After reading Watercolor Painting Outside the Lines by Linda Kemp, I thought I would try painting only the negative spaces.  So.... I didn't paint the trees.  I painted the spaces between the trees.  It was a fun exercise, one in warm colors, one cool.

Hooked Miniatures

Hooked Miniatures

Wool Strips on Linen, 2012
each 2 3/4" x 3 3/4"

These pieces began with the idea they would become hooked Artist Trading Cards.  However, when I designed the patterns, I didn't consider that the hooking would enlarge the design.  ATCs are supposed to be 2 1/2" x 3 1/2", so I decided to finish these as ornaments.  Each piece has a strip for hanging, a wool backing (to cover the backside of the hooking), and a strip around the edge to neaten the sides. The cat's eyes and nose and the crabs eyes are glass beads.

Zentangle Snowflake with Color

Zentangle Snowflake, 2012

Micron Pen on Bristol, 10" x 10"

Derwent Inktense Pencils

This zentangle is colored with Inktense pencils. They are water soluble and the color is more vibrant than watercolor pencil. Some areas I colored and went over the pencil with clear water and a fine brush, and other areas I used the wet brush to take color off the pencil point.

Zentangle Snowflake

Zentangle Snowflake, 2012

Micron Pen on Bristol, 10" x 10"

This zentangle started with a folded paper snowflake (like the ones I did in grade school). First I folded the paper and then cut into the folded edges and the outer edge. I know that in nature snowflakes have 6 sides. I just wanted more areas to tangle. I lightly traced parts of the cutouts as they were and connected the lines to make a new design. The idea came from Zen Mandalas. The author admits to getting the idea online. Now, I'm off to color the piece.

Asters

Asters, 2012

Wool strips and yarn on linen, 15" x 20"

Original Design

This is the latest rug. I'm off in a new direction, a lot of different fibers and design elements. The change is due to the influence of Deanne Fitzpatrick from Canada (Amherst, Nova Scotia). I took a 5 week on-line course with her called Wild with Wool. It was well worth the time and money. She developed a site that students entered by password with video demonstrations, audio recordings, activities, and critiques of student work. She includes her technique, her philosophy, and personal anecdotes. She encourages each student not to hook like her, but to find their own artistic voice. Participants were able to interact with one another and upload photos of work and questions, if you chose to do so. She's offering the same class again in April.

Landscape

Landscape, 2012

Wool strips and yarn on linen, 6.75" x 7.75"

A simple mat using a single color palette. Green was a challenge, but good practice. There are many times I look at a landscape I want to paint and there are so many shades of green. This is an original design.

Flower Design

Flower Pattern, 2012

Wool strips and yarn on linen, 6.5" x 6.5"

A simple mat in a limited palette. This is an original design.

Home Fires

Home Fires, 2012

Wool strips and yarn on linen, 8.5" x 8.5"

This was an exercise in making a night sky. I enjoyed adding all the movement. This is an original design.

Self Portrait

Self Portrait, 2012

Colored Pencil on Strathmore, 5" x 5"

A quick sketch done with Prismacolor colored pencil.

Seascape

Seascape, 2012

Various fibers on linen, 5" x 6"

This little mat was made as a learning tool, how to hook water. This is an original design.

Sampler Rug

Sampler Rug, 2012

Assorted fibers on linen, 14.5" x 25.5"

This small rug is a sampler of various fibers; yarn, felted sweater, ribbon, cording, and wool strips. It is a way to understand what different types of fiber look like when hooked. (and it serves as a reminder to me) I then hooked an over dyed wool background.

Hooking with T-shirts

T-shirt Hooking on linen, 2012

7.5" x 7.5"

This piece is an exercise in hooking with something I never used before. The little hooked mat is made of strips of old t-shirts. I cut the 1" strips horizontally with a rotary cutter and then pulled them to make them roll. Some strips I hooked close, some I hooked high, and some of the high finished loops I cut with scissors.

Punch Needle

Home, 2011

Miniature Punch Needle on weaver's cloth

Private Collection

This punch needle piece was done with 3 strand embroidery floss (DCM). I use a needle with precut gauges that is made by CTR, Inc.. The needle comes with a threader and instructions

(purchased at The Quilted Crow in Boxborough, MA). I use a hand-held gripper frame as it holds the cloth very taut and it doesn't slip.

Deer, 2012

Miniature Punch Needle on weaver's cloth with a woolen cloth mat, 4 1/2" X 4 1/2 "

Private Collection

This piece was done with 3 strand embroidery thread (DCM and Weeks Dye Works). The Weeks embroidery thread is hand over dyed and has beautiful color variations that add interest. I cut the mat from a piece of plaid wool and sewed it to the weavers cloth, sewing as close as possible to the punch needle work.

Sheep Rug

Sheep, 2012

1/4" wool strips on linen

Private Collection

A goal for 2012 is to finish some of my many uncompleted projects. This rug was actually my second rug. I hooked the sheep and then found after completing 1/2 of the background, I didn't have enough brown wool to finish. My option was to undue some of the hooked background, add a mix of other brown wool, and then rehook and finish the background. It was discouraging to have to unhook what I had already completed, so it was rolled up and put in a closet. I decided to finish the rug in December. The swirly white lines in the background were hooked with temporary strips. When the background was complete, I removed the wool and rehooked the swirls (can you believe it?) with a little wider strip. I made sure that I pulled the strips a little higher, so the design would be clear.

Under the Sea

Under the Sea, 2012

Water color pencil, 11.5" X 5"

Here's a second water color pencil piece on watercolor paper. These are Crayola and Prismacolor water color pencils. The scene is imaginary.

Marsh

Sunset Marsh, 2012

Crayola water color pencil on paper

Private Collection

This triptych is a first attempt at using water color pencil to do a painting. These are inexpensive Crayola water color pencils on water color paper and the scene is imaginary.