Spunky

Spunky: Pet Portrait. 15 X 15. It seems that I have become the official Pet Portrait Artist of the family. This time it is my daughter's Schnauzer, Spunky. A couple of years ago, Spunky crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, and is waiting for us on the other side. He was my daughter's all time favorite pet. He lived to a good old age, and was well loved. But this collage needs some explaining. When I asked her to tell me the things she remember most about him, She gave me 5 memories. First and foremost; he was a faithful and loving pet. He loved to sit on her lap and snuggle up with her. So I added the poem about Faithfulness. Next, she told me that he always took a stuffed animal to bed with him. So I added a stuffed lamb. Her favorite picture of him is one wearing a chef's hat. Her daughter made the hat in her high school sewing class. But then she added the story about how he had a special talent for finding the turkey carcass that was bagged for the trash. This happened more than once and they had to be on suicide watch for several days after he ate the whole carcass. He always came through. And last is how much he loved to eat bell peppers when scraps would come his way. This collage can be seen on Off The Wall Fridays For closeup, right click on image and open in new window. 

For Such A Time As This

For Such A Time As This: Queen Esther. The inspiration for this mixed media work is the biblical story of Queen Esther. You can see the anticipation on her face, as she looks into the room. If she enters the chamber of the king uninvited, she could be put to death. But she is on a mission to save her people. She knows that God has placed her in this position "for such a time as this." In the ancient world, the peacock is the symbol of royalty. This took months to complete. The face of Esther was painted with acrylic and oil paint on canvas paper. The inspiration came from a photo of a model that I found on the internet. Antique jewelry was found at thrift shops. Hundreds of beads were hand sewn to the fabric. I created the beaded ornamentation on her head, using peltex as a base. The branch and the peacock are painted onto black canvas with acrylic and oil paints. This was accepted into the Missouri State University Gerontology Exhibit for artists 55 and older. FOR LARGER VIEW, RIGHT CLICK ON IMAGE AND OPEN IN A NEW WINDOW. This work can also be seen on Off The Wall Fridays

Snickers

Snickers: A 15 X 15 pet portrait. Snickers is a Rat Terrier. She is no ordinary dog. My daughter's family belongs to her. Her eyes tell you that she is an old soul with much wisdom and energy. The first time I belonged to her, she stood on all fours on my lap and looked deeply into my eyes. She was reading me to see if I was worthy of her trust. Once she determined that I could be manipulated, she curled up and took her nap. Snickers (or Snicker Doddle as she is affectionately known) loves snacks. One of her favorites is the Milk Bones. When you ask her if she wants a snack, she begins to prance around and get excited. The family had resorted to spelling the word S-N-A-C-K, but she soon learned the spelling and that no longer worked. Her favorite sport is to steal the toys of the grandchildren and make them chase her. But she is considerate, and will finally hesitate long enough for them to catch her. Many Snicker's bars were destroyed by my husband so that I could copy the wrappers onto photo fabric. He said he was happy to sacrifice himself to the cause. For Closer View, Right Click on Image and Open In New Window. This portrait can be seen on Off The Wall Fridays

The Memory of Trees

The Memory of Trees is a small experiment in needle felting. Wool roving is placed on a base of organza. An Embellisher is a machine that looks very much like a sewing machine, but has no thread and does not sew. Instead, it has a group of barbed needles that are enclosed in a shield that moves up and down. The needles pierce the organza, pushing the wool through to the back. By moving your hands, you can guide the punching process until you get the results that you want. I used organza that had some shimmer to it, in order to get a more lustrous look. On top of the felted background, I used my sewing machine to do a little thread painting using my free motion foot attachment. A tree trunk with branches were sewn to prepare for the hand stitches. The leaves are hand stitched using embroidery threads. I wanted to keep this composition simple and not overwork it. So much texture can over dominate, if you don't know when to stop. I placed the circle on a felt background that I had found at a craft sale, and glued down a key that says "Memory." This can be seen on Off The Wall Fridays Right Click on Image and Open in New Window for a close up view.

Wiggle Waggle

Wiggle Waggle: Mixed Media. This is just another experiment to add to my collection of mixed media wanderings. It is a non objective abstract composition, made up of scraps of needle felted wool, beads, buttons and hand dyed papers. The papers were done in the low water immersion style using Rit dyes. Once the papers are dyed, I coated them with a PVA or wood glue. This gives the paper the strength needed to hold up under manipulation and it has the feel of fabric. The wool roving and the needle felted wool scraps are leftovers from other projects. I used a few antique buttons for a little sparkle and some beads. A few metal washers are attached with embroider threads. I used a small strip of fabric from South America that my grandson brought me for color. I stamped a crow onto fun foam, and placed him on top to overlook the whole project. This is mounted onto a wood panel that was painted black. I used a product called Bindex to attach the collage to the wood panel. I found the words "Wiggle Waggle" printed on the selvage edge of some fabric, and it seemed appropriate for such an odd combination of elements. This, and other works can be seen on Off The Wall Fridays and if you need a closeup view; Right Click on Image and Open In New Window. 

Dewey

Dewey: A fine cockatiel. This is my granddaughter's cockatiel. He announces his name over and over again to make sure that you notice him when you enter his space. He also announces that he is a "pretty bird, just in case you did not notice that fact. He also can entertain you with a long repertoire of songs like "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," and "The Colonial Bogey March" (oh yes, from beginning to end) and even "Dixie." If you are there all day, you may hear these songs intertwined with each other and even his own made up renditions. Dewey has a large array of toys. Far too many to represent on one wall hanging. These toys often hang from the top of his cage and he entertains himself by swinging them around roughly and even chewing up the string. Down the right side is a series of mirrors, although you can't tell in this picture. Dewey admires himself for hours. This is his favorite passtime. His other passtime is seeing his shadow on the wall. (we call it shadowbird) This causes him to insist on spreading his wings and dancing on his perch. This may not be great art, but he is a great bird.
Close Up? Right Click on photo. Choose "Open In New Window." Off The Wall Fridays
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January Thaw II

January Thaw II is a 36 X 36 rework of an older fabric art. I have expanded the story by painting the rabbit and the evergreen tree on canvas. I wanted to use elements that would be compatible with the subject matter. This is another typical scene from the Ozark mountains. Maybe a cabin hideaway by a stream.  The fiber art is done in the style of a textural tapestry. Fabric pieces are cut free form with scissors and then placed on a muslin foundation. The piece is heavily quilted with variegated cotton thread. The whole thing is put into the washing machine and dryer. This gives it a highly textured appearance. It is then placed on batting and backing, and quilted again. I mount the finished tapestry onto painted canvas. The horizontal stripes are added as a design element. Click on image for closer view. See This Post on Nina Marie's Off The Wall Fridays.  http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/