Arts in the Cards, my ATC (artist trading card) group, had grateful for this month's challenge. I had played with Wordle, a site where you can write in words and it gives you different options for arrangements. Lots of fun! I was going to use the arrangement for my background, paint the card with Fluid acrylics and add a drawing I did of a woman jumping for joy. Well, Wanda did something similar so it was back to the drawing board for me. After a few days of thought, I decided to make my Grateful ATC about one thing instead of many. I just Nevr-Dull, a metal polish, to create the paper (pages from National Geographic) for the background. The images are photographs of women in native clothing that I copied with a laser printer. Next I scanned the image, sized it to be 2.5 x 3.5 inches and printed it on cloth. I fused the cloth to Timtex for the middle layer. Since I was able to meet some incredible felting artist during my visit, I wanted to include a little felt so I needle felted (not what they do) a heart. I also put a copy of one of the wonderful postage stamps. This served two purposes--one to simply share and another to cover the felting that showed through the white fabric I put on the back.Kyrgyzstan was full of life changing experiences. Some of them I share in my lecture. There were plans to have me return, but it never happened. I am so grateful that I had the experience. Kyrgyzstan will always be near and dear to my heart.
I'll give up this ATC next Monday (November 21). Remember you must answer the question. Followers get three chances to win because I love my followers!
What place is near and dear to you? Why?
The place that is near and dear to me is the place where now I live; the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. For nearly all of my life I lived on the west coast of the US...always near the Pacific Ocean. I love to fish and to walk on beaches and gather rocks and shells and explore tide pools. I never imagined that there was any other place on earth for me that was not near the ocean. In 1989 as I drove a moving truck towing my old Volvo and came into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains my whole body began to come alive with an excitement I had never felt before. Every chance I had to pull over, get out and just look at the Clark Fork River and the streams, and the trees; it was a time of personal transformation. I lived on the east slope of the Rockies for 10 years then returned to the West Coast for employment for 12 years. When I retired there was only one place for me, Missoula Montana. Here now 5 months My spirit is alive, my self content and thankful for every day. This, the garden city, is where I am at peace with the journey of my life.
ReplyDeleteThis ATC is beautiful! My near-and-dear place is any spot on the water here in Milwaukee. There is a vast expanse of Lake Michaigan, alog with several rivers running through town. Watching the water and those enjoying it, in all seasons, is at once very soothing and inspirational.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the give-away. It's a nice thing to do.
Hi!
ReplyDeleteThere are many places that are near-and-dear to my heart for dozens of diverse reasons ... Venice, Salzburg, and walking through my family's former fields in rural Hungary ... but, for art quilting it has to be the MacNamara Foundation's barn on Westport Island, Maine. It was a most precious gift of time and a most challenging situation as a non-academically trained fiber artist in the midst of "historical greatness". I was lent Robert Shaw's "The Art Quilt" for my late night reading, picked up Jeanne Williamson's "The Uncommon Quilter" on laundry day in Damariscotta, met you and a friend who participated in my Decision Portrait Series as "Pet Owner", and surprisingly emerged an art quilter. Recently (like less than two months ago), I found the art quilt lists. It was nice to see a familiar name posting.
I love the North woods. We built a house on a beautiful lake in the middle of a national forest. We face an island with 2 eagle nests on it. This year the one facing our house seems to have been a weekend condo for the eagle family. They would visit occasionally, but did not stay there to raise their family. We missed them, though we heard their chatter all the time. Anyway, the woods, the water and the wonderful wildlife bring peace to my being, fresh air to my lungs, and a deep satisfaction to my soul. Thanks for this opportunity.
ReplyDeleteLynn Kunz
My home state of Washington is near and dear to me. I am always astounded by its beauty, even on the grayest and rainiest of days. You can be especially embraced by its beauty if you travel across it by train...rivers, lakes, mountains, rolling fields and near desert stretches...we have it all.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many places that have affected my life throughout my life but I think the most influential was and still is, Japan. I went there in 1976. I was 17 years old. Everything was so exciting, the arts, the crafts, the technology. Japan still influences my "style" in so many ways. Much of my home has a Japanese influence to this day. I love the colors, the shapes, the tradition that still looks so modern. I still want to go back, see the changes, renew the memories of the ancient. I still have time
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