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!

Pumpkin Season has Arrived

Typically I buy quite a variety of pumpkins and squash each year, this year I decided to buy a bunch of fake pumpkins and squash.  I'm still looking for a really large fake pumpkin that looks "authentic".
Why would I buy fakes instead of real ones?

Simple.

I'm setting up a still life in my studio for painting, drawing, etc., and the real ones don't last into March, about the time when I'll be designing  collections for next Fall.

I have a ton of  photos for color and texture references (taken at a local pumpkin farm), but there's nothing as nice as working from a real 3D object.

And don't worry my designs won't look anything like these in the photos, they are just a starting point to work from.

Now to find a decent looking fake pomegranate and all will be well in the world of studio props.

Autumn is Coming!!!

Fall is my favorite time of the year, not just because tomorrow is my 49th birthday, but also because I love pumpkin, scary kitties, ghosts, goblins, and haunting apple orchards!  Enjoy!!!

Today's Studio Help

Pepper keeping my sketchbooks organized.

Oliver keeping my feet company.

And birds at the bird feeders this afternoon.

Cooler temps, fall has arrived.

Inspiration

Inspiration for a future stitched piece!

WIP - Autumn Bird Piece

Alcohol inks, gesso, black birds in tree inverse stencil, crow lino block - so far.  Off to add more layers.

Harvest

Bailed corn stalks.

Autumn 2010

Fall 2009

Fall Garden 2009

The hosta's and peonies I transplanted this spring survived and are turning lovely colors.

Fall 2009

Fall colors to be inspired by

Burr Oak - taken at Ledges State Park

Apple No. 1 WIP

Apple No. 1 WIP

background color number one down
48x59 inches
cotton fabric, setacolor paints

Red Apple

First layer of paint is down only 6 more colors to go to make it look reasonably realistic. This is Apple No. one in a series of three large apples.

48x59 inches

Cotton fabric setacolor paint

A few more brooches

Prairie bits and pieces

Been busy getting ready for this weekends show, this is just one of the brooches I've been making for this weekends show. Check out the Octagon Center for the Arts Fall Festival in Ames, IA this weekend!

Compost dyed cotton fabric
Machine stitched and embroidered
1.5 x 2.25 inches

Bean Field - Iowa

Chestnuts

Beautiful fall texture and organic patterning.

Acorn Squash

I think my camera lense needs to be cleaned, it would appear that about half of the 150 or so pictures I took yesterday have a blur on the left side of the image.

The Harvest

We went to the local pumpkin farm today, the place was jammed packed with pumpkins and squash of all types.