Raven Mavens at Artist's Haven

If you're out and about in the Grand Junction, Colorado area, be sure to stop by The Artist's Haven.  The Raven Mavens are exhibiting through December 29.  There will be an artist's reception on Saturday, December 6 from 1-4.  It's a great exhibit, with a variety of styles, colors and sizes.  Check it out!

 

Raven Challenge

The Raven Maven's latest challenge was "Ravens"......Imagine that!  This proved to be a great challenge for the group.  Our group is very flexible, and if someone is not inspired by a particular challenge, so be it.  Whoever wants to participate is free to do so.  I think we came up with some very creative "Raven" pieces!

Our pieces will be on exhibit at the Art Center in Grand Junction, Colorado for the month of November.  Stop in and check it out!

                                                                 

                               

 Ravens

Sociable, ingenious, mystical and comical are just a few words to describe the raven.  The raven is said to be the most intelligent of birds. These amazing birds thrive among humans, as well as in the wilderness.  They are so bold, playful and clever that they are very entertaining to watch as they perform aerobatics and play tricks on other creatures to steal food.  They are also amazing problem solvers. 

The raven has long been considered a bird of ill omen and of interest to creators of myths and legends. In Greek mythology ravens are associated with Apollo, the god of prophecy. They are said to be a symbol of good luck, and were the god's messengers in the mortal world.  Native people of the Pacific Northwest regard the raven as a trickster, bringing fire to people by stealing it from the sun.  There are many more interesting legends about the remarkable corvids.

 They walk with a swagger and talk with an attitude.  I think we humans could learn a thing or two from these creatures!

If you are interested in learning more about the raven there is a wonderful PBS documentary that you can watch on your computer.  Here is the link: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/ravens/video-full-episode/5577/


Posted by Nancy

Scorched Fabric

We had a creative time, scorching fabric, during our monthly meeting.  (Specific directions can be found in the June/July 2014 issue of Quilting Arts magazine.)

                                                 Susanne holding on of her scorched pieces.

                                               The possibilities for this technique are endless!

ALCOHOL AND SHARPIE MARKERS

A sharpie drawing that I did a number of years ago.  These small pieces can be matted and framed for a quick sale or quick gift.

BASIC DIRECTIONS:
DRAW AN IMAGE ONTO CARD STOCK WITH FAT TIPPED SHARPIE MARKERS.  TURN IMAGE FACE DOWN ONTO ONE OR SEVERAL LAYERS OF FABRIC AND THEN LIGHTLY DOUSE BACK OF CARD STOCK WITH RUBBING ALCOHOL. USE AN OLD CREDIT CARD OR ANY KIND OF BRAYER TO SQUEEGEE BACK OF CARD STOCK.  WAIT SEVERAL MINUTES, LIFT EDGE OF PAPER TO SEE IF INK HAS TRANSFERRED TO FABRIC AND VOILA !

PERHAPS YOU HAVE CREATED A PIECE OF FABRIC YOU MAY NEVER USE OR PERHAPS YOU CAN WORK IT INTO YOUR NEXT FIBER MASTERPIECE !


YOU CAN SEE BY PIECE BELOW THAT YOU CAN USE THE FRONT OR BACK OF THE FABRIC...WHATEVER SUITS YOUR FANCY.

AFTER ALCOHOL

JAN WARREN'S DRAWING BEFORE ALCOHOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JAN'S DRAWING AFTER ALCOHOL

ANGELA'S SHOW AND TELL OF "WHERE IS THAT AIRPLANE" INSPIRED BY MISSING AIRLINER THAT WENT DOWN SOMEWHERE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN....GREAT JOB ANGIE !

Art Journaling Class

ART JOURNALING CLASS:

We have all heard for years why we should keep a sketchbook.  Most of us have ignored that recommendation successfully but perhaps it is time we drop our fear of drawing and just go for it.

 I took a class on Art Journaling from Don West whose info can be found by looking up  the following: idleminutes.com/2011/02/23/why-sketch.

 He was very entertaining and suggested that we each live more of a "Dog's Life".  In other words, lay in the grass on your back and look at the clouds.  He expressed that all of our lives are so busy that we forget to look at the ordinary things around us.

I only took this thinking that it might jump start me to work on a sketchbook but had no idea how the words would flow into journal form once I started painting.

Don also said that when he first posted some of his sketches on his blog that he posted that if his images weren't good or were poorly drawn then the viewers would accept his apology right off the bat and he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.  So please accept my drawing being very amateurish and clumsy so I don't have to fret about it.

 Don supplied a very small plastic box intended for fishing flies in which he put 6 watercolor paints.  Cobalt Blue, Prussian Blue, Yellow, Red and Yellow Ochre.  We also got the coolest little watercolor brush gizmo that holds water in its reservoir as well as a 20 pg paper journal on heavy archival watercolor paper.  Wow !  So all I need is my little fly box with the paints, my super cool watercolor brush and my journal.

 It has been quite amazing to me how meditative and relaxing this whole sketching business can be and I am trying to sketch a little each week.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Angela's Dr's appt in Delta and while in the waiting room did observe a wheelchair.  Why sketch a wheelchair ?  Once I started drawing it, I began to think about MOBILITY as I had not done before.  It was a little conscious break through from my normal everyday life.

Don West insists that if we keep drawing our pieces will HAVE to improve !  Here's hoping that is right.

I really look forward to our weather turning nice so that I can go into the desert and really do some serious sketching and meditating.  I like the idea of slowing down and pondering my little world.

CHAINS, REBAR, SCREWS =ART?

Yes, these items can be used to make great fabric.

You just have to rust them with some vinegar, salt and water.  

Then they need to be wrapped tight and let set until 

you get the amount of rust that you desired.

This type of rusting gives you unexpected results.

The last post showed a more controlled type of rusting.

On the right side of this piece of fabric you can see

the results of wrapping the fabric around the

large chain in the first picture.

The other rusted spots are the result of placing

other rusted items on the fabric as well as some

of the rust that has fallen off the metal objects.

What can one do with this?

In the past I have dyed the fabric a georgeous 

turquoise and made it into small purses.

Unfortunately, they were given away before being photographed.

Sometimes you can see pictures in the rusted areas 

( like looking at pictures in clouds) and enhance them

with stitching.

But, I think that the most fun is in the doing.

I love to experiment with different surface designs

to see what can be created.

The one thing that it is important to understand

when using rusted fabric is that it is not archival.

The rusting could continue slowly over time.

I hope that you have enjoyed our little adventure into

rusting fabric.

THE "EARTH" WITHOUT ART IS JUST "EH."  unknown

gjeneve@gmail.com

RUSTING WITH DELIGHT

  This  month it is my turn to write about what we did.  I showed the group how to use iron powder to create rust exactly where we want it instead of the randomness of using rusted metals.  

  Before the meeting I mixed iron powder with sodium alginate creating thickened iron powder.  The first thing that we did was to screen the mixture onto fabric.  Some brought white fabric and others brought patterned fabric, giving us a variety of results.

Kathleen Malvern screening her first piece.

Sandra Hoefner and Angela Kenley intent on their project.

Jan Warren making her checkerboard prints.

The next step was to lightly spray our prints with a salt, vinegar, and water mixture  and be PATIENT while waiting for the chemical reaction to start.

Jan's checkerboard piece.

Sandra and her famous ladies.

And Jan's second piece,  more abstract.

Susan Strickland and her first piece.

 Angela,s tree, unfortunately backlit by the window.

Suzanne  Barnhart's piece screened on this great blue-green fabric.

And Suzanne, hiding behind her chickens.

Susan with her favorite crows.

Kathleen seems to be hiding.  She also did a screen on black fabric which I'm eager to see after it has had a chance to "rust" a little longer.

Before coming to the meeting I took a piece of fabric that I had painted in Mickey Lawler's class and did some screen printing on it with screen printing ink  and thermofax screen.

Then I added this fence with the rusting mixture.  The colors are somewhat different in person.  The group thought was that it looked like a park in Paris.  Sounds good to me.

This process can be used on paper as well, creating some interesting pieces for anyone doing mixed media.

All in all, a great learning experience, for me as well as for everyone else.  Now the challenge will be to use this technique in one of our upcoming group challenges.

The formulas and techniques that we used were from an article in Quilting Arts Magazine, Controlled Rusting by Barbata Triscari, O/N 2013.  

Anyone with questions can contact me at  gjeneve@gmail.com