while I was gone....

for a week with my son to visit a friend, this came in the mail.  

there are over 6000 little eyes in here...all without the hooks.  I am just about ready to start sewing.  

a little more drawing...

was done this week.  I have had more than a handful of images of 1950's ladies in a folder, just waiting to come out.  I thought one of these little ladies would be lovely as a deer, so that is how this came about.  I like how she is looking at you, but being waited on by someone else off stage. I, of course, see all the awkwardness of a leg, the hands, the value....but I am letting that go and enjoying the process of seeing what comes. 

so good...

again, with the embroideries.  I just love this work by Michelle Kingdom.  The images are so painterly, textured and detailed.  I dearly want one for my own.  Her little dreamscapes are full of mystery.  You can see her work on her website, she is one of Designsponge.com 18 embroidery artists to watch on instagram, and she has been featured on thisiscolossal.com.  

"Some imagined future" by Michelle Kingdom.

"What is done cannot be undone" by Michelle Kingdom

"Life will divide us" by Michelle Kingdom

"Duties of gossamer" by Michelle Kingdom

a little bit of drawing...

was done this week.  I would like to have a new drawing/print for my Etsy.com shop at least once a week until I reach 100 listings.  I know.  But it can't hurt to draw and I am curious to see what comes.  This is the first!

Just wanted to mention....

That I visited my friend Keren Kroul's two person exhibition at Artistry in Bloomington, Minnesota on Friday night.  It is a spectacular show!  Of course I love my friend's gorgeous work, but I also discovered a fabulous sculptor, Nathan Hatch.  

Brilliant Absorption by Keren Kroul

Implement Landscape by Nathan Hatch

It is up until August 19...Hope you might have a chance to see it!

I am slightly obsessed...

with embroidery right now.  I just found this artist, Willemien De Villiers, when googling contemporary embroidery...one of my favorite things to do when I am looking to be inspired.  

Willimien De Villiers - The Mysteries

Willimien De Villiers - No Beginning, No End

Willimien De Villiers - Prayers for Atoms

She is a South African artist living in Cape Town.  All of these are embroidered on found linens.  And you have got to check out her website for the paintings!  

beautiful embroidery....

By UK artist Alice Kettle

Alice Kettle – #1 800 7948 ed

Alice Kettle – Odyssey Detail

Alice Kettle - Timthumb

I love how painterly these images are.  And they are BIG!  Just lovely.  

going through the portfolio...

to find items that could work in my Etsy.com shop.  This is an oldie!  A million years ago I taught a relief Printmaking class at Adrian College.  It was one of my favorite classes to teach.  It was often my second or third class with the students,...it was a small class...and we always had a lovely time.  And rarely did someone contaminate a can of ink with another color!

At the end of the semester, we would do a print exchange.  I made this little image of a dish rag doll I was given by a little girl I used to babysit.  The doll is one of my favorite things. I have a bunch of different artist proofs around with varying background colors.  It was a delight to see again.