MAKE YOUR MARK!
And we’re off! Onto another blog hop for our newest Signature Series Artist, Lynn Krawcyzk! Lynn is a talented mark-maker, fabric artist, paint flinger, and all things creative. Not to mention author of newly released book “Intentional Printing: Simple Techniques for Inspired Fabric Art” and now, stencil designer, featuring her very own series, “Marked“! To learn more about Lynn, visit her website Smudged Textiles Studio. Of course, at the end of the post is the list of links for the blog hop, each artist is giving away a set of Lynn’s stencils!
My very first project using these stencils was a painted flowerpot using the X’s and O’s stencils. (Yes, I confess. I am a BIG XO person, as many of you know!) As soon as the weather was stable here in the midwest, I planted a herb garden on my little back patio using concrete blocks. Yeah, boring. Needed some color. So I grabbed some Terra Cotta pots from the garden center and painted them bright colors. Then I carefully stenciled Hugs and Kisses all around the pot. Of course it needed a label, so I painted a patch of black paint and stenciled “BLOOM” on it. (Pretend you never saw this word stencil, okay?)
I planted Mint in the pot, because Mint needs to be contained properly or it will take over your house and garden like an alien invader. Here is a “just planted” photo and a “took this ten minutes ago” photo.
And yes, the leaves are delicious in freshly brewed mint tea, probably because of the secret ingredient (X’s and O’s!)
I also grabbed my gelli plate and made some prints. These stencils work great with the gelli plate. I made a bunch of collage fodder and journaling backgrounds, which I couldn’t help doodling upon:
I also grabbed a canvas because I wanted to make a monochromatic abstract painting. Using only burnt umber, buff, black and white I painted an abstract background. I added the X’s in the bottom corner with molding paste, and the O’s in the top corner. Separating them is a tangled thread – painted with a fineline applicator and Golden High Flow Acrylic in Black. Later I added very subtle aqua and purple highlights, and used Inka Gold Silver to make the X’s and O’s stand out.
I also went to International Quilt Festival last weekend – combine that with a closer study of Lynn’s book and my fingers were twitching to make an art quilt of some sort. Lynn’s book has a lot of great projects and I decided to combine a few and make a gratuity quilt/wall hanging. (Because I don’t follow directions. I run with scissors. Swim after I eat. You get the idea.)
I pulled out some of my own hand dyed fabrics, stenciled the X’s and O’s on the bottom, (hand) sewed them together, put together a little machine quilted area that I painted white stripes on, and later wrote on – things I was especially grateful for. It is only just started… after taking a hand stitching class at IQF with the hilarious and talented Catherine Redmond (picture below) my plan is to add hand stitching and maybe some beadwork to the fabric.
I have plenty of space to “jazz it up” and I look forward to the meditative practice of hand stiching/embroidery!
Well, now it’s time to pass the baton to our next blog hopper, Melanie Testa. Also an author and fabric artist, this incredibly busy woman had to deal with a (surprise!) recent move to a new apartment and didn’t have a chance to play with the stencils yet (still in a box somewhere? I know how she feels!) but she still celebrates with us and is giving away a set of stencils. As am I and all the other artists, so be sure to leave a comment! Check with each individual blog to see when comments close, mine will close July 6th at midnight. Here is the link list:
- June 28th – Lisa Cousineau – www.artistcellar.com/wp
- June 29th – Melanie Testa – http://melanietesta.com/blog/
- June 30th – Lisa Chin – somethingcleveraboutnothing.
blogspot.com - July 1st – Jen Osborn – http://identityseven.typepad.
com/themessynest/ - July 2nd –
Deborah BoschertBelinda Spiwak – http://alteredbelly.blogspot.com/ - July 3rd – Kristin LaFlamme – http://kristinlaflamme.com/
musings - July 4th – Ingrid Dijkers – http://ingriddijkers.blogspot.
com/ - July 5th – Guadalupe Cabal – http://guadasartplace.
blogspot.com/ - July 6th – Lynn Krawczyk – http://smudgedtextilesstudio.
com/blog/
Ready? Set… go!