WINTER SUNFLOWER

 Sunflowers are gorgeous in the summer time.  So vibrant and strong in their stance.  However, winter sunflowers are quiet, dark and bent.  They have lived their lives and are now left to feed wildlife during the cold winter days before the seeds they drop begin anew in spring.  I photographed this one in a field nearby.  It is the subject of "Winter Sunflower".

I sketched it out on tissue paper the size that I wanted it to be.

Construction begins with quilting the background.  Then the stem and the pod are added.

More leaves are added.  It begins to take shape.   More will be coming I hope you will take this journey with me once again.

ROOSTER HEAD

Did not expect to post twice in the same day but thought since time is allowing me this gift then I should take advantage of it.  

Here you will see the tissue paper drawing over the pieces of fabric I chose to construct this Rooster's head.  Once I am happy with them I fuse them down on my black teflon sheet.

I finished his head and now will start with the feathers....I will not fuse this onto my background until completely finished but like to pin it on to keep it safe overnight and to see how it will contrast with it.  Remember that once quilted all these shadows will blend in a bit better then raw like this.  I am happy with it so far.

FUSIBLE

Sometimes life just does not want to cooperate with your artistic endeavors and this week has been that way for me.  Many distractions, some good some not so good, but all keeping me out of the studio.   It happens, there is nothing you can do about it but wait until "the dust settles" and move on.   Today I finally have time to begin again.

I selected all the fabrics I will use for this rooster and then decided to work on the head first even though it is one of the last things to go on.   I think it will motivate me, knowing it is finished, as it is what gives this guy life. 

Then I traced all the parts to the head from my drawing to my fusible...of course they are are the reverse side of the drawing so that once fused onto the fabric they will face the right direction.

As you can see, there are many parts...most of them are shadows or light.  Now to put them all together and find out what he looks like and what personality he has.

HELP IT'S KELP!

Could not resist the title to this post!   Had the day in the studio so thought I should just post this now since with Easter coming up there will not be a lot of time in the next few days for this kind of progress in a full day.   Love the movement the Kelp added.  Lots more coming but it is starting to take shape now and I am happy with it.

MORE SUNFLOWERS

Now all the sunflowers are added.    They still need to be quilted but then I will move on to the main subject matter.   You will find out what it is soon....a challenge for sure...but hopefully will be all that I hope for.  Stay tuned.

HICKORY TREE BACKGROUND

 

I like to make my large trees with a background fabric all fused and cutout first.  Then I can place the smaller pieces of bark on top of the background using it as the shading and outlining of each piece.  I have pinned it on to the quilts background where I like it.  I have left the fusible paper on it because I first want to put on leaves and nuts That will be behind the trunk and some of the branches.  Only then will I fuse it on and begin the bark.   So leaves next.  

NEW BEGINNING

 

 Felt like diving into a new piece I had been thinking of doing while working on "The Farmhouse".

So chose my fabrics and put fusible on these pieces so they were ready to go.

I cut them randomly into strips and assembled them from dark to light for my sky.  Then quilted them down.   I like using this technique again.....it is the most like painting to me.....Sometimes I use larger pieces...sometimes strips like this.....but it is always fun to do.