Done!

This piece is about honoring life, our God given spirit. And taking time to be grateful for this walk on this planet.  What better time than the holidays to 'rejoice and be glad'?

Everyday, I find joy in all that I do and my work is an expression of that.  Oh my, I am getting too serious and philosophical and I haven't even had too much eggnog!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and live in the 'knowing'.  D

Moments in the Studio!

Time in the studio is hard to find when dealing with the holiday season!  I now have a two week period that I can steal some time here and there to work in my art space.  Just finished this small painting (8x10) and have a larger piece blocked in and ready to develop.  I miss daily time creating but I try to remember to live in the moment and enjoy all that is going on with my family and friends.  Life is a gift and every day a blessing.

Great News!!

This art quilt I named "Boogie Nights" made it's debut at the International Quilt Show in Houston in October.  It was a part of SAQA's exhibit, Wild Fabrications.  It is always an honor to be in a SAQA show AND it sold on the opening day!

I love the piece and part of me hates to see it go, but I love my work finding homes.  The new owner will not even take possession of the piece until it finishes traveling with the exhibit.

An apology for not posting lately, Just finished doing two big shows, an open studio tour, and heading deep into the holiday season.

Next year be looking for me to open an ETSY shop, so that those of you who have inquired about purchasing some of my art work will be able to do so very easily.

Have a glorious holiday season, filled with family and friends.
Love to all......Diana

Studio Tour....Check, Ready!

Tomorrow is a studio tour for the Gallery downtown and I am ready.  Life is busy and getting busier!  The tour will be wonderful, because times are few when you can talk about your work.  Yes, it is all about me, me, me, tomorrow ( and of course, the seven other artists on the tour :-(  ). And then I head to Asheville, NC, for a four day show and have to talk about me, me, me, AGAIN.  That will be enough 'ME' for the whole year!

Wish me luck....I have no studio time and that is not a good thing!  I get a little grouchy.......

Two shows this fall so to back to work I go!

It is not really 'work' when I am creating stuff but every once in a while deadlines loom and I have to get my act together.  So....I sew!..... and finish up stuff.  I try not to think about the holiday season that is on the horizon....oh my..  Good thing I do not stress easily  :-)

My little world.....

I am starting a series of paintings that I am going to refer to as my 'village' paintings.  They will be full of imaginary characters, mystery, and magic.  If you ask me to explain them, I won't.  The narrative is up to you.  However, I will give you titles, so that is really  kind of a hint to my brain.  This piece is called, "the gift," and you will see repetition of many objects in this painting in the upcoming paintings.

I am energized and enjoying this whole process.  I  randomly sketched for about 2 months before I decided what the new paintings would be about.   Some of those sketches are posted on my  facebook's page, Difergi's.

Hope you enjoy these as I post them and that your narrative is happy and full of joy.  This piece is 24x36" and painted with acrylic paint.

Back from Vacation and trying to get in the grove again!

I am at a stumbling place.  A place where I have two loves pulling against each other.  Painting and textiles are both passions of mine.  For the last 10 years I have focused on textiles and for 26+  years before that I painted.  (I think that means I am old when you add that up!!, but that is a trauma for another day....).
I am having a strong urge to return to my painting roots and have been doing a lot of drawing lately. I feel VERY guilty about wanting to leave the textiles because of the time I have invested in developing my work and following.  So.... for right now I am keeping fingers in both mediums which will not work for very long.  Time will tell!  I have two textile shows coming up, therefore, I stitch until at least December.  Here are some of the drawings I have been working on.  Today, I am going to open up the paint jars and start a sizable painting.  Change, the one certainty in life....

That time of the year again!

Will be seeing my granddaughters soon and of course that means making some dresses!  They have really grown.  Apparently, where they live 'long' skirts are the best.  It is a slight detour in my daily routine but time well spent.  I just pray that the clothes fit.  If not we can adjust.......Can't wait for their hugs..... (of course I made them some silk 'gypsy skirts'....now if I could only find them some kid size bangles :-))

Sketchbook fun....

I have so much fun doing these that I just want to share!...Husband says, "Why are you doing these in a sketchbook?".  I am just exploring. For me when I work in my sketch book I just can't take myself too seriously....it is just pure creation and fun...If you have never tried this type of play--  try it, you will like it :-)

Work goes on, in spite of the beautiful weather.....

The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, and it is just a beautiful day in east Tennessee.  Later this afternoon I plan to enjoy the weather on our porch.  I might even cut the grass in the back yard!

But until then, I am working on smalls that will be matted and wrapped for sale.  I try to have levels of price points for my work so that everyone can afford something.  I realize that artwork is a luxury....and not everyone can have Picasso hanging on their walls.  My personal art collection has been developed over many years and I did a lot of trading with artists who I admired their work. I find it to be pure joy to be surrounded by the work and spirit of many talented creators.

On my docket next week is to get back to the big quilt I am working on, and I really need to open an ETSY shop.  I am only sharing this in hopes that it will get me moving in the right direction.  Sooo...stop and smell the roses and if they haven't bloomed yet, smell the irises...Have a blessed day....di

(The four pieces on the wall are in line for quilting next)

New page in the sketchbook...

enjoy!! And Happy Easter...

Oceans and more....

Next large piece started and can you tell it has part of an ocean in it?  Blues are so pretty.  This is just the background for everything else to go on top.  The quilt  is not due until October so I am well ahead of schedule.  The theme for the exhibit is 'Diaspora", and for some reason that really spoke to me (okay, I admit I had to look it up!).  So here we go-I always find themes that I want to express visually so if it is not accepted, I never regret the journey.

starting new smalls....so fun!

Life is simple when one gets excited by color.  Take me to a museum, paint store, whatever, and if it is full of glorious hues, I am in heaven.  Just started to intensify some smalls with inks and the colors are fabulous... it is a.good day and yes I am easy

Quilt accepted into PAQA show

My quilt, "Life's Brew," has been accepted into the PAQA show "Reminisce" which will be opening on April 22 at the Page-Walker Arts and History Center in Cary, North Carolina. The show runs until June 22.   Hope to see you there!

Exercising the Brain Matter....

Am taking a month long drawing class online with Susan Shie.  The first big assignment is to draw your closet with a surprise in it.  Having literally not drawn anything other than quick sketches for compositions of quilts in the last 12 years this is a challenge.  I love to draw, just do not make time for it anymore.  So here is my closet on the way (it is due Monday!).....one misconception about drawing is that it is always a quick procedure but let me assure you that colored pencils are sloooow....

View outside of my studio window.....

What a beautiful and peaceful day to work in my studio....the earth blanketed in white, no footprints, and silence....

Finished up a piece for the SacredThreads show.  Have to get professional pictures made and then I am ready to enter it.  I usually will not show a piece until it is accepted (or not), but I decided to go ahead and post this.  It's title is 'The Clarion Call', and it is about how we are called to praise, give thanks, and lift our hearts up in joy.  Those of you who have know me for awhile will see the connection to the paintings I use to do.  I have been feeling the need to connect back to my core.

This is where it gets scary....

This piece is  halfway composed and before I go any further in the sky I have to do some dying/inking.  Now why is this scary?  The answer is because I have already input many hours to get this far, the pieces are quilted together and some embellishment has already been added. The ink is applied on a wet surface and can very easily bleed into areas where it is unwanted.  So, my self-taught technique is, I have an iron right next to where I am inking and just work in small areas at a time..Drying and setting the ink with the heat ...works most of the time  ;-), of course I also use the crossed fingers technique....it is the times it doesn't work that make it scary...

Three of Three...done!

Blue indigo done.....IF I had to pick my very, very, favorite color, it might just be indigo blue.  I am a blue person and have always been drawn to it.  On the right,  the next small to be done and then of course I have a larger 30"x 30" piece I need to get done in the next 2 weeks....I do keep busy but making art is what makes me happy and keeps me sane....sane being a subjective thing....

I must be getting old-because I now love purple....

This is the second of three that have been waiting since Christmas to be finished.  The third one will be done tomorrow.  I do not know if it is my age or what but I have been really drawn to purple lately.  Is it hormones??????

Back in the normal routine....ahhhhh

Finished a long list of things 'to do' this month and now I can get back to the daily pick and choose of what I am going to work on today.  I finally finished a collage vase of flowers, not my normal subject matter but it was fun to do.  It is a vahhh-se, instead of a vase because it costs more than $25...lol.  One this size (16"x 22") unframed goes for $350, so it is a vahhh-se.  Now, I have to get back to work because I have two more that need to be completed....I love my life !!!!!  PS you can not see it in this picture but there is some beading in the flowers.  What? you say, use bigger beads so they show up....hmmmm

Long----week

It seems all I did this week was art related computer work....I shall go MAAAD.  All a necessary evil in a professional world.  I think I prefer living under the rock...

A Peek.....

This is all that I can reveal to you at this time.  I am doing this piece for something specific. Many shows request that you do not show your entered work before the show opens.  So, I make it a rule not to show any of my big pieces until they are opening in a show.  This was inspired by a painting I made  years ago.  Today, the jungle is being added and then the inking begins.  Let us hope that it is accepted in the exhibit I intend it to go in.  No matter, if it is rejected by one, it can be accepted in another.  That is the game of art!

New Year-New Work on the way....

This is how I create a larger piece (over 40")...I plan the design, draw on muslin, load up on a mid-arm, surround myself with fabric of all colors and sizes, and then go to town.  Not anything mysterious to the process, it just takes time!  My mid-arm gives me  a lot of trouble so sometimes the process is wrought with frustration.  I scream, yell, curse, and then prevail as I refuse to have a machine limit me.  The fun part of this process is I don't get to see the whole piece until I unroll it off the machine...so it is sort of like Christmas and getting a present, (I might like it, I might not).  Of course, I can always reload it on the machine and finesse the whole thing. until it is right. 

A Happy New Year to all...may it be filled with laughter and joy....di

(I forgot to add the part where I paint, ink, and embellish.....after the composition is done....
Minor details...)