I finally got around to cleaning, lowering, and changing the angle of my drafting table in the studio. The result is a large space to pile my books and notes, sketching, reading light, beverage, computer and cats. I also imagine this will be a better place to work on watercolor painting – safe from oil paint residue.
I expect much mind expansion as a result.
ps. Can you see one of the reasons I named my cat Dragon?
pps. Please excuse my ill-fitting old t-shirt and zebra-print chair-fur-control-system
I’m excited to announce the test-knitting phase of my latest pattern is complete and the stuffed-toy pattern, (complete with video tutorials) is now available on ravelry.com and the Multicraftual etsy shop! For more information on this pattern and to see pictures of completed projects, visit the multicrafual blog.
This brings my total number of published knitting designs up to 5 with two more shawls in the test-knitting phase. Stay tuned for more pattern releases!
My designer page on ravelry.comChaz one of the four feline co-hosts of the Multicraftual video podcast meets his new friend
It’s been a few filled-to-the-brim art weeks… so much so that I haven’t had the energy or will to post about my progress on the blog by the time evening rolls around. Sorry!
The activity responsible for all the successful art-making? Morning sketching.
I’ve been spending every weekday morning after Spanish class driving around town and sketching from the comfort of the car. Drawing from life brings me such a feeling of safety and contentment. And, I believe I need those feelings before I can feel inspired. Sooo… naturally, all these mornings drawing have led to many afternoons in the real studio oil painting. Hopefully I will share my oil painting progress with you soon!
Here’s a fun pic of my morning studio – the precious Mazda – complete with audiobook cds and a pear for a snack! Also note that my water dish for making watercolors is a tennis ball canister. Nice and tall to hold lots of water and yet narrow enough to fit the cup-holder well.
I’m working on illustrations for a biology textbook today, while the kitten is hard at work grooming.
Can you see the beetle on the computer screen? I totally took a picture of that beast yesterday… it was very dead and preserved nicely in the ENMU biology lair of course… but it was still fantastically cool.
It’s the good life.
Yes, that is a drafting table to the right… I just haven’t quite made the transition to drawing on it full-time yet… it takes some getting used to after more than 25 years drawing on flat surfaces. That, and who could kick that adorable kitten off the drafting chair? Not me, no.
I took the free “Block of the Month” quilting class on Craftsy.com and loved it. The video-tutorial style class teaches you how to piece more than 12 different quilt blocks, how to do basic machine quilting techniques and how to finish your quilt. For free. wowza.
I decided after making 10 or 11 blocks that I should stop there and make a small quilt to start. As my first quilting project ever (not counting the tiny bit of hand-stitching I used to do with my mom back in the day) it was far less intimidating than a full-sized quilt.
The result is a colorful, kinda sloppy and kinda lovely lap quilt. Was it a success? The ultimate test was giving Dragon access to it…
Hm… then I suppose I just got side-tracked and obsessed with her cuteness because there are more pictures of the kitty than the quilt! oops.
Well, you’ll likely see more of this quilt pop up in future paintings, but I will also try to post a picture of the entire quilt in the near future.
Yup, she loves it… … and I love her…Check out my free-motion stipple stitch action in the border.Quilts double as caves… in case you didn’t know.
Here is the sewing workshop at elsewhere, where I spent a lot of time. Can you find me in the picture?
where's waldo in the sewing workshop?
This is the newly painted cart with my sewn puppet-theatre curtains:
Puppet theatre!
and here are the puppets I made sitting on the newly-sewn bench cushion. We have a mouse, a duck, a turtle, an owl, a badger and a one-eyed brontosaurus – in that order.
Here are some pictures from my most recent day in the studio. An elaborate, crafty valentine was the result. You don’t get to see it though, only my valentine does.
And for those of you in New Brunswick, Canada, go to the Sweetest Little Thing tonight and place a bid in the auction of some beautiful art! I didn’t donate a piece this year, and I sorely regret not making the time to do so. It is a fabulous event to raise money for Struts Gallery and the Owens Art Gallery.
Have a lovely day lovers.
Sometimes the table gets a little out of hand...The ancient Tim's cup dutifully holding my markersOld sketches, gift wrap, letters and magazines all provide source material
JESSIE DODINGTON ART 