Inferior Materials

 "One of the signs of a true artist is a willingness to work patiently and lovingly with even the most inferior materials."                    David James Duncan

Trolls with used pallet wood. When Thomas Dambo went to Japan to build a troll they gave him new pallets to use. He returned them and said the purpose was to use old worn out pallets. It took several days for them to find used pallets to build a troll. This is one of his trolls found in the Seattle, Washington area, but it is still with used pallets.

Another word for describing "inferior materials" is maybe recycled or previously loved.

Some years ago I attended an art show with recycled/used teabags. I was amazed at the beauty created on a little teabag. The thought stuck with me and so a few years ago when I decided to pick up my paint brush after 25 years I remembered those teabags. I had plenty of used teabag sources; so I started collecting. Now many of the cards I send have recycled teabags on the card. Here is my Christmas card this year.

I empty the used teabag of tea, open the seam, wash the paper, then lay it on my kitchen counter to dry for a few hours. Once I paint on the paper, I take Elmer's glue stick and put glue on the card, then attach the little pieces of art.

Do you create something from recycled or inferior material? Or have you seen something created that amazed you?

On a side note, I will be moving from my home of 22 years the first part of January. The move actually started this week. I will try to post twice a week, but if I am missing that is where I am. On each day of this month I hope you enjoy the season of JOY. Now I am off to hang a wreath on my home. There is also a wreath on my new apartment/home. I will try to share my wreath gathering next week.

Sending love,

Marilyn

 

Tea Bag Art

A few weeks ago I stepped into the frame and gift shop called, The Framer's Touch in Forest Grove, Oregon. Now I went there on a mission. I had heard they had a tea bag art show every April and I thought "wouldn't it be fun to have the owner come and speak in my tent at the tea festival this coming July". I did eventually get either the owner or the shop manager to come speak this coming summer, but it ended differently than I thought it would. As it turned out, they asked me to participate in their teabag art show as both a vendor and participant. What we decided was that I would be part of their presentation at the tea festival this summer. So we will be working together on this.

In the meantime, I enjoyed meeting the artists that participated in their art show and was able to promote the tea festival. Oh, and I sold a tea cozy too.

It was a fun day just visiting with people as they came to the opening day of their teabag art show. And Yes! All the art in these pictures had teabags incorporated into them.

I was particularly fascinated by the feather. The teabag was adhered to something like contact paper, then embroidered.

The one with the teacup was actually a ceramic cup and saucer cut in half.

There were several that had birds and now I want to try painting a few birds.

The top right one was the only one painted by a man. He had two entries. He wanted larger teabags, so ordered them special for the show. The paintings were very fine. The waves on the bottom left were made with crumpled up teabags. Sorry my pictures aren't better, but it intrigued me on how each person translated teabag art so uniquely.

 

This one was created by the shop manager. It was very creative. She used the teabag to also paint with and then made them into flowers, skirts and ruffles.

 

This was my entry, which seems rather simple after seeing some of the other creations.

Mine all go on cards, but I framed this one for the show. The woman that bought it was thrilled. 

I started painting on used teabag paper during the pandemic, as a creative outlet. I hadn't used my watercolors or paint brushes for a very long time and it felt really good to do so. I continue painting every week now and thoroughly enjoy it. Yesterday I started painting two birds. I am having fun with this creative outlet.

What are you doing for a creative outlet?

The main thing is just to have fun!!!

Have a great weekend, dear friends!!

Sending love, Marilyn

 

Latimer Quilt and Textile Center

 

In my last post I shared that my "live-in gardener" and I had taken a day adventure to the sea. The shortest drive is through Tillamook, Oregon. Now you may have heard of Tillamook Cheese; well it comes from here. There is even a factory tour you can take and the area is surrounded by dairy farms. We didn't stop there as there were too many people, but we did continue down the road to walk on the beach in Oceanside. We weren't the only ones escaping the heat. It was rather glorious, a respite from the hot weather.

 

And then for an added treat we decided to drive about a mile into the country, surrounded by dairy farms to this old school building. Many locals don't stop here; so we knew it would be quiet and always a delight.

 

This is the Latimer Quilt & Textile Center, a vibrant, living, working museum whose mission is to preserve, promote, display and facilitate the creation of and provide education about the textile arts.

Located in beautiful Tillamook, Oregon, the Latimer Quilt & Textile Center offers bi-monthly exhibits featuring vintage textiles or contemporary fiber and textile art by local and nationally recognized artists. They have a research library for on-site use, a gift shop full of handcrafted items, books, yarn and vintage fabrics.

 

I found a nice piece of fabric I couldn't resist. Now if you knew me for a long time you would know I used to have a huge stash of fabric, but when I retired I said no more sewing. My machine was worn out and no longer working. I got rid of 97% of my sewing things and said that was it. Then the pandemic hit and I wanted to sew some little things. I bought a small machine on Amazon and have done a few small projects. And here I am, I bought 4 yards of fabric!!! What was I thinking? Hopefully in a future post you will see what I think I will make.

 

Here is the fiber room for spinning fiber and weaving. I just love seeing the projects on the looms. It almost makes me itch to get back into fiber, at least a tiny bit.

This is typical of local American Indian art with button embellishments.

At first I thought the butterflies were felted wool, but actually they were painted fabric stretched over wire. I know one of my readers does felted wool occasionally and I am thinking it would be fun to try butterflies with some wool I have tucked safely in my freezer. Ha! You say "in your freezer?"  Yes, the wool is safe from moths in the freezer.

 

Having a degree in apparel design, I am always intrigued by apparel art.

And what's not to love in gorgeous quilts?

And we all love shiny things. Even the crow in this quilt loves shiny things.

Painted silk was so striking!

And one more apparel creation.

 

 The day we were visiting there was only two people in the building, the woman taking care of the center and a man learning to sew.

If you ever find yourself in Tillamook, Oregon the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center is a peaceful place to stop for awhile and fill your head with beauty.

 

Have a terrific weekend. Go out and find a little adventure in your part of the world.

Hugs!

Teabag Art

In 1985 I graduated from design school and went to work as an apparel patternmaker.

During design school I learned to move watercolor paint around the paper.

After I started to work and was also raising a family there was no time for painting,

so my paints dried up and others "borrowed" my art supplies.

Well during the pandemic I decided to take back what supplies I could gather together

and then ordered some new paints and brushes to add to the stash.

What made sense to me was to combine my love of tea by using the used teabags

as my painting palette and make cards.

It has been great fun to send them to friends.

The paintings above are works in progress.

It seems like I have about 5 in progress at one time.

The second picture is three that inspired me from a vintage tablecloth.

Most often I like painting from nature.

Sometimes there is a bit of whimsy.

And sometimes I like tucking something in a bag. This one has dried tea leaves.

Here is where I work while I can also gaze out to the back yard.

The artbox on the table was mine from school and still works for me today.

 It's felt good to be moving the paints and pens over the paper again.

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Creativity makes my Heart Happy

Many years ago I taught myself to crochet, but I didn't keep it up.

Thus, I forgot how to do it.

About 2 years ago I took a crochet class and learned to make granny squares,

but I didn't finish them.

I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with them; so they sat awhile.

Finally I decided to make a woolly neck scarf with them, but needed to figure

out how to pull them all together.

Thanks to Tracy at Simple Gifts Pictured,

she sent me some tips on attaching them together.

That spurred me on and I decided to wrap them with black.

Well black is what I wear a lot of and my coat is black;

so off to the yarn store for some black.

I think the scarf is going to have a 1970's vibe with lots of color.

I believe I will like it.

When it is done I will share again,

now back to that black yarn.

All my life I have known that my heart is happiest if I am creating something;

but in more recent years the days just slide by without doing anything about it.

So this is to let you know I love doing creative things

and posting this will encourage me to finish for I have another project in the wings.

Just since I took this picture more of the squares now have black.

Does creative adventures make your heart happy?

We had a Plan!

 My one and only grand child and I made a plan to celebrate Christmas.

Oh what fun we had.

The Portland Speedway has a light show so Saturday night we headed there.

We didn't know we would have to wait 2 hours to get in.

What a line!

 Finally we arrived!

What fun we had singing in the car.

A partridge and a pear tree were sung with gusto!

 A little know fact about me is that I never can remember

the words to songs; so I like to make them up.

Well by the end of singing this crazy song we were in full laughter.

 As we exited the light show we were definitely in the Christmas spirit.

 We hurried home and headed for bedtime with a story to read along the way to sleepy time.

Sunday morning and it was time to make the gingerbread house.

I cheated a bit this year and bought a kit at Costco.

It was definitely worth it.

I will say the icing was a bit drippy, but what counted was that

we had fun!

Here is the final product.

I know it was messy, but again it was all about

having fun and creating with laughter.

 The best things about the holiday spirit are JOY and LAUGHTER.

I am so thrilled to have this one little guy in my life.

He brings JOY to my heart all year long,

but with Christmas my heart just expands more and more.

I hope you are finding time to play this holiday season!

Make a plan to play!

Spinning - Colors of Love

 When I first moved to Oregon in 1975 I needed to find

a place for my creative spirit to soar.

This little historic school house in Damascus, Oregon

pulled at my heart strings.

I would pick up my spinning wheel once a week and

venture out to the country to sit by the wood stove on

a large round braided rug to spin the day away.

I loved it out there, but then life takes different twists

and turns; soon my children were old enough for me

to return to school and find a career.

 The spinning wheel became a decorative piece in the living room.

It sat idle for 40 years while I raised my two children,

got a degree in apparel design, and worked.

 Now with retirement and other life goals accomplished

I am returning to that creative spirit.

This spinning wheel was made just for me by a metal patternmaker

in Kansas many years ago.

It was made from aged cherry wood and I love it.

Though I just spun with no plan for the yarn, I just love the colors

all gathered together in this yarn.

I find my spinning wheel needs some tender loving care and repair,

but I can't believe I am spinning again.

Do you have something you had to give up

and your hearts desire is to resume?

Notice what you notice in your hearts desires.

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Flock and Fleece

Sunday on impulse my live-in gardener and I hopped

in the car and attended the Flock and Fleece event at the fairgrounds.

This booth particularly touched my heart as I use to take

spinning and natural dye classes there when we first moved

to Oregon in 1975.

Now that is a long time ago.

I went on to a career in the world of apparel 

and didn't keep up with all the creative pursuits.

Fast forward many years and my spinning wheel sits idle.

But my heart still yearns for creativity.

Aren't these colors amazing?

It was a bit over-whelming to see how the woolcraft industry has progressed.

The colors sang to my heart.

Yes, I came home with some wool.

I couldn't resist.

And look at these amazing sheep and goats.

That bag of wool just came off.

Hope he/she doesn't get cold with autumn coming.

This one is looking at me very suspiciously.

Judging was underway.

I thought this sweet one was smiling for me.

Isn't this wool amazing?

Well beside buying a bit of wool,

I signed up for a winter workshop in December.

Now I can't wait to get that wheel whirring again.