AN ARTISTIC NOURISHMENT***

A Unified front of creativity, experience, tools & supplies, beautiful expansive space, energy & drive… A Fearless Stitch Coalition for body, mind, & spirit…

ARE YOU READY TO BLOW THE DOORS OFF YOUR CREATIVE VEHICLE? It’s fabric&paper… fiber&floss… freestyle&precision… figurative&abstract… books&canvases… IT’S THE BIRTH OF OUR CREATIVE TRIBE… ARE YOU READY TO BE BORN? Workshops, meetups, pow wows to summons your creative mojo. Together we will Be Fearless… We will be artists.

Detailed schedule coming in October 2010 — Themed StitchDowns featuring in-house stitchtagging & social graffiti jams (all artists welcome), LifeStitch-n-Spin featuring live models to stitch & djs to keep the threads spinning –

AND  Introducing the Spring 2011 Scavenger Stitch event to kick-off the monthly Dirty Hands Garden Book Project ***

Workshops include: ‘Get Up Off of That’ Stitch: exploring dimensional & stumpwork — ‘Mood Booking’: creating stitched personal journals — ‘Stitching Without a Net’: a mixed media sketchbook retreat to nourish body, soul, and creativity — Play With Needles: ft kid stitch projects — and MORE MORE MORE….. Don’t Sign Up Unless You MEAN it ;0} Also scheduling: ****METAMORPHOSTITCH™*** Spring 2011 (Remember what happens when exquisite corpse gets friendly with mixed media stitch – woo, and hoo!)  Preview in **Link To Metamorphostitch**

Also: if you Twitter, follow @freedomofstitch (or click my join in the right sidebar) and follow me to receive your StitchTweets which are little quickie missives I tweet out to get you thinking creatively for just a moment during your day!

I’m  building the organizational structure for the Fearless Stitch Coalition — I’ll say more when we get some things together…

I’m also installing some artwork including The Roots at Dusk from my Campanella Gallery show:

It’s going to be a GREAT adventure! (& thanks to all who have supported and cheered me this year — these wonderful advancements belong to YOU as well!)

]]> http://freedomofstitch.com/?feed=rss2&p=2271 1 http://freedomofstitch.com/?p=2266 http://freedomofstitch.com/?p=2266#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:38:52 +0000 Victoria Payne http://freedomofstitch.com/?p=2266 Oh yes… freedom of stitch has just tripped to bringing all y’all in to the studio: introducing the Stitch Tweet is about deploying a little stealthy art command to 1. inspire  2. break up the monotony of your day 3. get you introspecting (NOT just about stitching, silly, but about art, life, living, being — you know… all the important things ;0}  4. move us all a little closer to our creative zone, even if just for a moment.

So, look for them.  Obey them. Maybe honor your creative spirit by making yourself a little notebook to record your ST responses… maybe even have a sketchbook or small cloth handy to catch your reactions… aren’t you curious? You never know what may follow. Be fearless…

acidophilus and brown rice, his tummy troubles have subsided and he’s quite content to tiptoe from room to room spying on us all, or to watch me stitching or working in the sketchbooks.

He’s very vocal & likes to enter a room with a little ‘meep?” to see if you’re listening… and then he’ll tell you all about his adventures or thoughts while you’ve been away.

Today he’s busied himself lounging in the studio window sill where the sun warms his kitty bed by about 2pm.

I must say, he has been a MOST excellent birthday present!

In art news – WHEW – is the word. I’ve been accepted as a participant in the latest Callout by Liquitex products and am waiting for my product to arrive so I can get busy creating a project. I seem to be finding more & more opportunities for product endorsement which is nice — especially since I’m planning to pitch my book idea to C&T Publishing in the next few months. Creating this project for them will allow me to familiarize myself with their style (& products) a little more.

Locally, I’m still building the relationships that will allow an art retreat event in the future. I need just the perfect venue for artists, crafters, dabblers, and makers to all converge comfortably and be fearlessly creative. It’s happening… slowly but surely…

Next weekend at JoAnn north, I’ll be introducing the Organic Charm Bracelet: wire work and beading for beginners.

If you’ve been thinking of signing up – DO IT now!! My room is filling fast (& thank you to those who came in during registration to say hello & sign up). We had a great turn out for jewelry making, and the Intro to Sketching debuted at full capacity!  (Yipes) I led sketchers at full tilt for 3 hours in graphite & watercolor — and will offer another section in November where we’ll do ink & wash holiday cards embellished with stitch.

Being primarily a mixed media embroidery artist, it’s been really valuable to examine my process in order to teach drawing — it’s like having to “show my rigging” has let me think about how I DO what I do, and think about how to explain that. It’s one thing I love about teaching, and why I will usually agree to teach anything I’m asked. Having to teach something is the best way for me to learn it, and then answering student questions is always a great challenge!

As summer closes, and autumn begins to creep in, I am inking deals on some very exciting projects for 2011 (to be announced soon…) and putting together some cool new projects for myself.  For one, I’m getting back to my monkshood:

This time I’ve transferred it into a watercolor book over a map page, and added a little spying brownie to the pic.  Next comes the stitching… & soon I can reveal what this is for… *wink*

In the mean time, I hope you’re finding inspiration!

meow.

He is SUCH a love (except for eating all the embroidery floss… but we’re working on that!)

He’s a very fine boned Oriental with greenish gold eyes — and has already developed a love for dog kibble and brie cheese!! He’s trained me to carry him on my shoulder so he can snuggle in my hair & watch what I’m working on at the studio table.

He’s even seduced Nimo, the 140lb Akita who lets kitty eat from the dog bowl & play with the dog toys.  Ahhh, my guys! It’s been almost 10 years since I had a kitty around the house & I’ve really missed it.

His name is Amosheroi (Japanese for curious or amusing) and answers to Moshi for short. There’s more to the story… but I’m on the run to meet class deadlines so I’ll add more later.

Hope your Fri 13th is WONderful!

Even in spite of the poison ivy, it’s been a lovely summer of gardens & stitch. And I’ve been working on some new projects for the mixed media stitchbooks I’m teaching:

“Stitchbookery™” is going to be a local mixed media embroidery class/retreat that will maybe/hopefully be hosted in one of the groovy businesses in historic Parkville.  There are some really great spaces that could be awesome venues for a retreat…  and a secret/surprise place that I LOVE which I’m hoping to contact about some sort of yummy liason… I’ll post when I get the details worked out. Imagine a delicate brunch with a smooth Pinot Grigio and an afternoon of stitchbooking… Now that’s what I call summer fun!

I’ve just started working the Monkshood on unbleached muslin for my Damned Stitch series & I love how he’s coming along:  I stitched in the hair which sadly looked more like mange (!) so I ripped it all out & will begin again.

I’ll start stitching in foliage next, but I liked it SO much, I started working one on an old map that I gel transferred to my stitchbook:

I think the stitching is going to add a lot to these figures — next I’ll begin Wolfsbane. I’ve been watching Wolfman movies to set me thinking about the wolf/man character and it’s been very inspiring –  but isn’t that the cool part of developing an idea? The process of working something from sketch to stitch is certainly one of life’s sweetest pleasures. If you haven’t looked in on the slideshow, check out my From Sketch to Stitch series  *LINK* , and maybe get inspired yourself.  You never know who might show up when you take pencil to paper & start inviting muses…

I’m also sketching Hemlock… but after the poison ivy fiasco I may have to add THAT to the Damned Stitch mix (I’m STILL blistering but luckily the itching is mostly cleared up).

Speaking of classes — I’m still working out the online situation. It’s taking some editing & reworking visual materials but they’re coming.  I’m also putting up my local teaching schedule for the holidays — November December. I’m planning weekend workshops in wire work and metallics and some additional sketch-to-stitch classes.

It’s been so humid & oppressive we are using every excuse to make art indoors — I’ve got 2 sketchbooking classes coming up so we’ve been doing sample drawings & working in watercolor. Incidentally, here’s a great look at some watercolor possibilities I’ve collected from around the studio: *LINK*

In spite of the great art groove we’ve had going on, today we decided the heat MUST be embraced (as the young ‘uns were getting cabin fever) so I filled 2 baskets with WATER BALLOONS, loaded up the water sprayers & set them loose!!!!!  At least I’ve defended my “coolest mom” title for a while!

Stay cool, be inspired, and get to work! I’m back in the studio for the next 3 days…

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THOSE VINES!!  I’ve cut out POUNDS of thick woody poison vines every night this week and the stuff STILL covers the fenceline…

And if you look closely along the left edge of the right photo, BERRIES! — the beastly vines are growing, weaving, winding ALL through my blackberries!!  I’ve managed to pick a full basket every night without getting any ivy on me, but I know it’s plotting to get me… so I keep cutting it out by the bucketful.

But with the bitter comes the sweet… as I cut through the first brambles in the thicket on Monday, I found an abandoned gift:

And yes, just like that, my faith in living in the woods was restored.

Those of you who know me know that I collect bird’s nests and have found several around the property which are great examples of weaving and “stitch”.

It’s getting a wash in the shade garden & will soon take its place among the others over the doorway in the kitchen.

Now — about the tutorial situation… It seems our leaders across the big pond have indeed jettisoned the teaching arm from the Hand Embroidery Network.  I know trying to develop and sustain a curriculum is a full time job in addition to their other pursuits, and they have just had to prioritize and tighten their focus.   For us, this means I’ll be editing the core classes  (Stitcher’s Garden Book, 6 Stitched Shes, Metamorphostitch, and Metallics & Wire Work) and am preparing to re-package them for a go over at the Fiber Arts Mixed Media schoolhouse (FAMM link )  being developed by artist Susan Sorrell (creativechick.com).  I’ve LONG loved her vibrant mixed media stitch style, her easy free writing style, and the way she’s just been diving in to social media, and the business of art.  I think this might be a great partnership. So, as things develop, I’ll post links & you can take a peek at what’s available.

Today I finish the Art Institute series & send my students out into the world, then, this weekend I’ve got a mixed media art workshop Saturday & can (hopefully) get new classes developed Sunday/Monday.

Endorsement-wise, notice the Creative Troupe badge in the right sidebar — I am officially doing a little product testing & project development for Liquitex acrylics via C&T Publishing (in addition to designing for DMC Threads) so I’ll be posting some “Mad stitch scientist” experiments soon. Anyone use soft bodied acrylics??  Here’s a tiny peek at the latest studio goings-on – it’s my beloved Mandrake in a mixed media watercolor sketchbook project:

You all know I’m a watercolor girl, but  Let’s see what these acrylic babies can do…  heh heh!  Be Fearless!

I have a really great students — though they were SO quiet on the first day that I was completely UNhinged! I had no idea if they were on the same page with me, or completely lost… come to find from their written work they are very thoughtful, and actually very good writers, just mostly shy about it.  NO problem!  I’m looking forward to discovering their poetic talents & seeing their take on Text as Art –  I get so much energy from their interests & in their enthusiasm!

On the work table, I’ve been writing the new tutorials — first up: the Mandrake, this time worked on watercolor paper in floss & fiber. LOVE that design (& may have a new opportunity for him soon).

Over at the HEN, I’ve spotlighted Karen Cattoire for her amazingly lush mixed media embroidery:   In this Pastel piece, she’s layered glue, fabric,  paint, stitch — you name it!  Go see!  *LINK*

Meanwhile, I keep developing projects for DMC and JoAnn, and staying cool (we’ve been making lots of garden foods: beans, lettuces, berries…

There is just nothing better than a handful of frozen berries in fresh green tea (which we’ve been brewing in the afternoon sun).

Soon, the elder berries will start to fatten up & then we’ll try wine!

So far, the only downer has been the discovery of a HUGE overgrowth of poison ivy ALL through the wild berries on the east side of the garden! I hate to poison it with chemicals since it’s only about 8 feet from the strawberry patch, but I am SO allergic to it, I just don’t have a choice — some of the vines are the thickness of my pinky!!! I’ll have a go with the chemicals & try pulling the small seedlings with my gloved hands — otherwise life in the woods this summer has been really lovely!

For those asked about 6 Stitched Shes and the new Metallics & Wire Work class, I’ll release new dates as soon as I know what the teaching situation will be.

For those who have just completed the Basic Wire Work class locally — NICE WORK!

Me, I’ve been alternatively rolling around in my DMC thread piles (nom,nom…) and designing new projects. I also led a GREAT Intro Drawing for Kids class last week

& really enjoyed the enthusiasm of the young artists — definitely planning to do more of that this summer! I am always reminded of my own love affair with paints and sketchbooks when I lead a class of beginners down the path of blending lush watercolors and creating vibrant compositions… certainly is rejuvenating to just dip in & play in the yummy paintbox!

In shopping news, if you haven’t checked the Artfire studio lately, go have a look:  *LINK* If you are a maker & don’t know about Artfire – it’s time you investigated this WONderful online shopping resource!   I have new Organic charm Bracelets for sale, and will be adding more samples as things get photographed…  Can I get a Hell Yeah from those who are running an art business?? My summer semester at the Art Institute

is about to begin and as I am teaching young artists about writing for art (artist statements, grant proposals, descriptive materials etc) I’ll be talking about the Business of Art, and how, even as a professional artist, the largest part of your work time is spent swapping hats: manager, book keeper, marketer, administrator, writer, agent, secretary, etcetcetcetc — the work never stops, and BARELY leaves enough time for making the damned art!!!  And yet, for those of us who are compelled to do it, we can’t imagine any other life.

So, stay cool, make art, be fearless, & I’ll check in soooon!!

I’ve also scheduled the 6 Stitched Shes to begin 19 June (6 sessions over 12 weeks) and should have a few returning players from the previous class for another go:

The Shes are built on the idea of a Victorian silhouette, but with the modern twist of using mixed media treatments to embellish the image. We’ll explore everything from paints and paper collage to fabric piecing and a little wire work — don’t miss out! (And with a little planning, you could easily create one or a set of these to give as a very special keepsake holiday gift…)

**NOTE: both Stitcher’s Garden Book & 6 Stitched Shes will finish as the school year starts — so this would be a GREAT summer project for a mother+daughter or a sister combo… C’mon girls! Grab your best friend & give it a GO!

Next up is Metamorphostitch: a mixed media stitch adventure in the tradition of Dr. Frankenstein meets Exquisite Corpse –

read more here *LINK* and join me for a little mad scientist stitch! Class begins July 25 – 4 sessions over 8 weeks… let’s create something, or someone…

Next up is the Metallics & Wire Work for Hand Embroidery!! Finally, it’s really here…

Featuring manipulations in metallic threads, wire, and the COOL new product from DMC: Memory Thread. We’ll create all sorts of wearables including brooches, pendants, earrings, bracelets, and with the skills you learn – MORE!! Tentative start date is 20 June, 6 sessions over 12 weeks at $70.

Visit the Schoolhouse for more info *LINK*

For immediate reservation, email me at victoria@freedomofstitch.com — for direct sign up, visit www.handembroiderynetwork – tuition

More updates to come… See you in the workroom!!!

Is this the COOLest (earrings & brooches)??? I’ve combined lots of special threads, and wires, and beady beads… YUM!

This class will be available on the Hand Embroidery Network super soon (our Admin is OVERrun with deadlines… but we’re getting there!) The class will open in mid June but will probably be a one time downloadable — more info as it pans out. I’m thinking of going to more of an e-book formatwith the classes… again, we’ll see.  But Check out these earrings:

I LOVE these threads!

Again, MUCH love to the lovely Emma Broidery over at DMC for my design package — it’s certain to yield LOTS of great projects for y’all!!

Incidentally — it’s time for a studio clean out!!  That’s right, I won’t say “fire sale” (cuz I DON’T want that karma!) but I’m certainly on FIRE to sell the old to make room for the new!  If your heart desires a little mixed media stitch love EMAIL ME!!!  victoria@freedomofstitch.com

I’ve got wall hangings and lots of embroidered jewelry so step right up, make your request, I’ll ship your wish! For those who need to ogle first, I’ll be posting a Sale Gallery this week, so look around & see what you like!

I’m also open for commissions if you have a preferred color! I hope this Memorial Day weekend leaves you fortified and refreshed (& maybe a little stitchy) ;0}