Thursday, November 24, 2016

Registration NOW OPEN for Earth and Sky From Sketch to Stitch



Earth and Sky: From Sketch to Stitch 
Earth and Sky is an Eight Week Mini Master Class divided into 2 Four Week modules with a One Week break in between the two modules.
Module 1: Sketch, Draw, Paint, Surface Design
Break Week
Module 2: Sketch, Surface Design, Stitch, Embellish
Class begins April 15th! 
Lifetime Access to the Class
NOTE: Because of the intensity of this class I am limiting the number of spaces available to 20!!!


From Sketch to Stitch



My Aurifil thread color palette for my latest series "Field Notes"


Field Notes was born out of several loves, passions of mine:

The love of the prairie.
The love of crops as they rise out of the ground each year.
The love of the symmetry and simplicity of how the fields themselves are arranged in the countryside.


Field Notes in progress on my table.


Some color studies.



Watercolor crayons, water soluble oil pastels, and water soluble graphite on sketchbook paper.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Field Series Update


My thread order came today. If you've been following me on Facebook then you know there's been a lot of drama lately with my trying to obtain a rather allusive Aurifil Thread color #2612 aka arctic ice.
Well that was through Amazon.

Three spools of the wrong color later I put out a plea on Facebook begging to know everyone's favorite place to buy Aurifil Thread.  Follow That Thread came up, repeatedly.  So late Sunday night I put together my order, which included the much desired #2612, and it arrived today.

And the much desired color is quite desirable!!! It IS the perfect sky color!


#2612 is second from the left and it matches my earth pigment painted fabrics and perfectly!


Six pieces almost stitched, thirty left to go.


My color palette for the Fields Series sans one spool that should be here hopefully this weekend, because I of course ordered it from Amazon.  Odd that it'll be the correct color?

Wednesday, November 02, 2016

ReVamping My Look

I've been working on my newsletter, creating templates, welcome and thank you pages, and pages where I offer freebies just for subscribing to my newsletter!  Today I created a new banner for the template I created... 



Biography:  I am a Mixed Media Fiber Artist living in a small rural community in the heart of the Prairie!

My passion is using the colors found in nature all around me to color my cloth, papers, and bending the rules with stitch.

Please join me in my community, Almost Stitched, on Facebook, I would love to see how you interpret the world around you through found color and stitch!

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

It's Been Awhile


So begins a new series I've titled "Fields". So far the goal is 18 large pieces and 12 small pieces. I'm using earth pigments, charcoal, conte, and mixed media pm cotton and silk fabrics this time around with machine stitching as the finishing touch.

I've been dragging my feet to start on this series, as it is the first series where I won't be using natural dyes. Fabric painting begins tonight. Photos coming soon.

Sunday, October 02, 2016

Autumn is Finally Here!


I love Autumn, I truly do. The lack of humidity, the cool crisp air, fresh apples, and pumpkins everywhere, and most importantly my allergies are starting to calm down.

The part I love the most,  however, is the colors of the leaves. Reds, golds, oranges, and brilliant yellows, and everywhere!

So it's no surprise that I created art cloth show casing these colors in my Colors of the Earth and Pretty Pigments online classes.

If you'd like to capture the beauty of nature's natural palette using natural earth pigments then join me in my newest class Colors of the Earth.  Class starts on October 17th!


Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Happy Birthday to Me!


Lamy Al-Star fountain pen in dark lilac.


Not knowing any better I ordered the fine tip nib.  It is now filled with lilac ink!

Monday, September 05, 2016

Registration Ends Tomorrow!!!


Registration Ends Tomorrow!

Pretty Pigments Online Class Begins 
Tomorrow

September 6th at 6pm CST!!!

Click here to learn more!
This session includes a special Bonus Session called Getting Started. Once this session of Pretty Pigments has finished I will not be offering this special bonus offering again.

The Bonus Session will become it's OWN class starting in October. 

Register for Pretty Pigments TODAY, you will be getting TWO of my classes for the price of ONE!!!

When you Register TODAY for this Session of Pretty Pigments you will have lifetime access to TWO of my classes!

WIP - Starry Swallows


WIP Starry Swallows

Mayan Blue, Italian Satin Ocher, Bohemian Green Earths, Black charcoal, black and white conte, on cotton fabric.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Just 10 Days!!!



Join me as we explore the Earth's natural beauty in Pretty Pigments!!!!  

Class begins September 6th!

 Register Today to receive the Getting Started Bonus Content!

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Tuesday, August 09, 2016

Getting Started Bonus Starts August 15th!!!

I'm so excited! Pretty Pigments Classroom Officially Opens on August 15th!!!


To Celebrate I'm offering a 15% Discount for Pretty Pigments through August 15th!

Discount Code: PRETTYPIGMENTS15

Starting August 15th Students will have access to the Getting Started withPretty Pigments Bonus Content. 

Learn how to make soy milk and pigment emulsions
Learn how to make the wax and pigment emulsions
Learn the basics of fabric prep for painting and paper with pigments
Learn the basics of painting fabric and paper with pigments
Learn how to properly cure, wash, and care for your fabrics and papers that have been painted with pigments.
How to source clays, ochers, and pigments from your local environment. 

And this is just a few of the things you will learn BEFORE the Pretty Pigments Class Starts on September 6th!!!

NOTE: This will be the ONLY time I offer this bonus content for the Pretty Pigments Class!


Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Progress and Fear


Fleur de Lis constructed book 2005-ish

2016 is a little more than just half over, and looking back my decision to work on self improvement this year, instead of obsessing about my artwork, has paid off and in strides.

By self improvement I mean investing not only in my health, but also my art business. I've been busy taking business, art, and other types of classes.  I also spent a good chunk of coin on books (all bought used thanks to Amazon) and art supplies.

I've also have been upgrading my studio equipment I'm now an iPhone/Mac user, and had equipment serviced: my Janome 6500 no longer clunks when using the zig zag stitch, and my studio lamp now turns on every time, and actually stays on.

To be honest June into July has felt a whole lot like christmas!  But I won't lie, while I made this decision back in December of 2015, it was hard at first, I felt guilty. I justified taking classes that meant growth. I had to overcome fear.

The fear of "what if"?

It's doesn't happen all of the time.  But it does happen.  It happened today, about an hour ago actually.

What if the sewing machine doesn't work when I plug it in, and turn it on.  My 60 day service warranty expired yesterday and I hadn't started up the machine since I picked it up from servicing.

Yup, you're not the only one, there's a huge tribe of us out here in the land of the internet that all suffer from fear induced procrastination.

I'm finishing up some handmade book signatures this afternoon, I will film the process, for my Pretty Pigments class that starts September 6th.  I'll be posting about the upcoming class and soon, yes I have tons of fear, and procrastination, about teaching online again.  And I have every intentions of putting that fear to rest.


Sunday, July 03, 2016

Ask Kimberly Pretty Pigments Live Event!!!


"Ask Kimberly Pretty Pigments" 

Join Me this coming Sunday, 
July 10th at 8pm CST

I will be discussing my upcoming class Pretty Pigments!  Got questions about the class? email me at prairiefibers at hotmail dot com.  I will be simulcasting on both Periscope AND Facebook!

Saturday, July 02, 2016

July Fourth SALE!!!



July Fourth Sale!!! 
30% Off Pretty Pigments and All Artwork! 

 Enter Code: JULY4TH30 at check out!

Click HERE to SHOP NOW!!!

Friday, July 01, 2016

Be the Light



    Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~ Marianne Williamson

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Corn 2016


Corn No. 49 from 2012

Just when I thought I didn't have anything more to say about Corn, I was asked to participate in a three woman show come January 2017.  I was asked if I would be interested in creating some new Corn pieces for the show.

I said yes, all the while thinking I'm done with Corn, why am I saying yes?

Well it turns out I'm not done with Corn. The subconscious wants what it wants, and it was clearly wanting Corn.

Yesterday I managed to purchase the stretched canvas upon which my new pieces shall be mounted, and for a really good price.


Upon that purchase all sorts of imagery of finished pieces popped into my head. This time I'm going for a more earthy approach, using actual soil, clays, ochers, and earth pigments in combination with indigo, rust, and natural dyes (yes I'll be dyeing with corn husks, leaves, cobs, etc, with just a touch of digitally printed fabrics that lends to the modern digital tech age today's farms are becoming!

Stay tuned!!!


Sunday, June 12, 2016

Looking Back...

Shroud No. 1
Cotton Fabric
Natural Dyes
Rust
Time
Air
2002


I started out with several yards of white cotton fabric that I wrapped around a pile of leaves, twigs, stones, etc. into what looked like a swaddled child.


And there it sat, for a couple of months, in a rusty wheel barrow filled with rain water and vinegar.


And then it lived on my concrete driveway for a couple of months.  


The fabric bundle unwrapped.



Detail of the marks, stains, etc. 

Thursday, June 02, 2016

Announcing my Ask Kimberly Event!!!



I will be hosting my first ever live 

Ask Kimberly Event 

at Periscope on June 12th @ 8pm CST!!!

This month’s topic will be Mixed Media with Natural Dyes

You can find me on Periscope @kbaxterpackwood

Wednesday, May 04, 2016

Mother's Day Sale


Mother's Day Sale 2016

30% off Entire Order!!!  

Enter: MOTHERSDAY16
Now through May 9th.

Check out My Shop for more Original Art!!!

Friday, April 29, 2016

Color Studies


Color studies for a tomato.


Creating color studies has been long, boring, and tedious... then again mixing paint can be exciting.

It can also be terrifying when you realized you just wasted a large amount of expensive watercolor paint to end up with a color you don't want.  So make sure to put a swatch in your color studies swatch book, and note which colors, proportions, brands, etc.,


I remembered that I had fresh on the vine tomatoes in my kitchen...


In the end color mixing and creating all of those swatches has become well worth the effort.  The last time I did any serious color studies, that involved mixing my own paints, etc., was a good twenty plus years ago.

If you've never mixed colors before I highly recommend doing so, there are plenty of color mixing books available in the art book market to help get you started.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Color


I've finally hit that point, the one where I can no longer remember which colors are in my watercolor palettes so tonight I made a color map in a notebook for future reference.


I made maps for the first three palettes tonight, and as I was doing so I started wishing I had one of those huge palettes, the kind that holds 36+ pans. I have gobs of tubes of paint that are never used because there's no room in my current palettes for them to live.


My latest acquisition, a Pima watercolor palette.  The colors are numbered so it's hard telling what the actual colors are, am hoping I will find out someday what they are, I like them they're bright clear colors.

Monday, April 18, 2016

On My Table


Sulfur shelf fungus harvested some fifteen years ago now, displayed on a very old silver plate platter which serves to catch any bit of detritus that seems to fall continuously from the fungus.


Otherwise known as Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sp.)



Run, don't walk, to buy this book it's beyond delicious!!!



Back in Decemember I decided that 2016 would be about focusing on studio practices, improving rusty skills, and in general creating more artwork.


Which lead to the purchase of several online classes, books, art supplies and more.  Now if I could only remember what I learned from my Illustrator and Photoshop classes, sigh.  Sometimes I swear my brain is a sieve. 


I ""highly"" recommend these four books, and two more books that will be arriving this week!

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Watercolors


I shall be dragging out my tubes of watercolors today...


because while I seem to own ever single commercially produced watercolor crayon...


palette...

or pencil...


I even have metallics and iridescent watercolors... and yet I don't have the color I need which is a true beige i.e. bird egg colors.