Monday, April 16, 2012

Thistle

I finished this thistle design last week and I'm painting in another new design today. I'm having fun coming up with bold, graphic, color saturated designs as I come down the home stretch of my folk flower series. I've been looking at a lot of the embroidery work on Polish and Hungarian festive clothing. The motifs are seeping into my brain and coming out on paper.  As I paint these simplified flowers and plants I feel a connection to the land and my gardens, the natural world, even while I sit at my desk indoors. It's a pleasant feeling like one I have while I slowly and meditatively weed my gardens at home.

I paint these images and dream of trying to learn and take up embroidery at some point in the future. What would happen if I mixed embroidered elements into the paintings? I think it would be fun to try. Also I'm noticing, probably because of the graphic, simple, yet precise quality to this work, I'm dreaming of painting bigger and looser in the next round of creations once I'm finished with the two series I'm working on. I need to let loose a bit. I'm looking forward to playing more freely with the next round of bigger work.

7 comments:

  1. sounds like flowing and flourishing ideas and creativity, nice, nice, and again a wonderful card, x

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    1. Thank you, Renilde! How are your gardens growing? I'm sure you're enjoying this time of year and are painting away. Happy creating!

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  2. Sounds like a good plan - getting loose - always good to try the other end of things, too!

    What wierd weather, huh?

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    1. Yes, nice and loose...looking forward to it!

      It was so warm yesterday that Josh and I decided to go to the Plainfield pond to put our feet in! The pond is still cold but just putting our feet in sure helped cool us down. Hope you enjoyed a relaxing weekend off in your studio!

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  3. Embroidery is easy and fun. Start any time. It's a joy.

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    1. Yes, I want to start sometime soon...once I get some deadlines behind me. Still mulling over the writing I need to do...I have a feeling pregnancy brain has something to do with the fact it feels like pulling teeth. Writing often doesn't come easy but it's not usually this hard!

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  4. Hi Kim, Great to see you and hear your beautiful singing last Saturday! I love this picture. Purples and greens are my favorite colors, and you have hit the nail on the head (as my dad used to say) with this one. I love how it is a top view and the geometry of it. Lovely. Can't wait to see more...

    In the future would you want to do a show at the Hilltown CDC? I'm the booking person for the shows. We'd love to have you in there. Most shows are two months long. I'm booked through July, and if you are too busy then, we could do it at another time!
    Hugs,
    Sherry

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