Crafting This Week With Neckties

Wow it has been a plumb full week with  our two G'sons staying here while their parents are traveling (in two directions)  No time to paint but I wanted to share this clever little purse.  I have saved old neckties for years and this is a perfect way to use them.  Choose two coordinating ties and cut them to 17 inches from the wide end.  Choose a thread color, but generally black works the best, especially with the black cording as shown.  Overlap the ties by 1/4 inch and stitch the two ties together up the middle with a flat seam. 

The handle can be the cording as shown or use a piece of the skinny part of the tie.  Remove the sizing to create a matching handle.  It can be long or short. Or you can even skip the handle if you want a little clutch or a jewelry bag.   

Fold the narrow part of the double tie piece over the handle and stitch.  Then fold the purse as shown and stitch each side just to the edge of the handle.  The closure can be a matching corded frog or make your own with the scraps of the cut ties. 

So all you crafty people out there, including the Girl's Gone Mild, find those old ties and get creative. 

Plein Air

Reference Photo Shellback Ranch Road

Jeanne Mackenzie was our instructor for a two day workshop in plein air, which is translated from French as painting outdoors.  Jeanne paints outside in all weather and was an excellent instructor.   She says, start with just big shapes, not tress and water and sky and land and a lilac bush, just big shapes.  Then discover the values of the various shapes.   The sky is typically the lightest value and the closer the shape usually the darker the value. Though Jeanne paints in oil, I had my pastels to paint with.  I discovered that painting from the great outdoors is hard. Finding a pleasing composition, with all there is to behold, takes discipline.  Finding the shapes and values for the preliminary sketch is not intuitive for me.  I did take reference photos but fininishing in the studio isn't technically plein air.  Guess I won't be a purist.   I started three paintings but none are finished.  


A gust of wind knocked over the easel.  Pastels went a flying but at least they didn't land in the cow pie.  The next gust knocked over the easel again and hit me in the head.  

Picking up pastels

Namaste

Namaste  self- harding clay

The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. "Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you.   I say Namaste and show the gesture at the end of my yoga practice, or sometimes a calming gesture or a salutation as I greet a friend.   It is a calming motion for me so perhaps that is why my last 3D class with Barbara Wolf evolved to the figure in Namaste.  Lovely how this art thing works.  I just wanted to do a female figure and as the piece evolved the legs crossed and the hands went into the prayer position and the head bowed.  Kristin, my curly haired daughter, asked if this was her or me.  Perhaps a compilation.   There is one more 3D class at the Cheyenne Artists Guild on June 9th so don’t miss your opportunity to try this art form.  

Namaste side view

Neltje

The Foundation at Ucross

What a phenomenal weekend!  The Advisory Board for the University of Wyoming Art Museum met in  Ucross Wyoming for the quarterly meeting.  The location was selected to allow for a visit with our benefactor, Neltje, who lives there and in addition is the founder of Jentel one of the artist residency programs in the area. The Jentel Artist Residency offers dedicated individuals a supportive environment in which to further their creative development. The artists and writers are allowed unfettered time allowing for  reflection and meditation on the creative process.  I was surprised to learn there is a second program, the Ucross Foundation, located on a 20,000 acre cattle ranch and just a few miles from Jentel.  Both programs support the artist for a week to a month with a gift of time and space that can be transformative.  My friend Georgia Roswell had a residency at Jentel.  

Neltje and Vanda at her home near Ucross

How does one describe Neltje?!?  Passionate, gracious, tenacious, generous, inspiring and so much more. Neltje is an artist with bold, dynamic expression. http://www.neltje.com/  The board was treated to a tour of her store, Turned Antiques, with thousands of square feet of antiques, gift and crafted items from her travels around the world.  We then had a personal tour of Jentel where the artists live and work in a luxurious two story home and studios. Mary Jane is the Executive Director and keeps Jentel on track.  The day concluded with a dinner in Neltje's home with the board members and many of her friends from the area.  A phenomenal woman that will leave a lasting legacy to Wyoming.  I am privileged to meet and know her.

Theta Brainwaves

Market Day  pastel 12x9

I am a bit driven, a type 'A', multitask-er, full of energy - so settling down, finding time to paint as well as finding the focus to create is a bit of a challenge.   I heard about the brainwave activity and capturing the more creative state of Alpha and Theta.  Without going into the science a short definition  explains that when the mind focuses upon the external world, it is at the Beta level. This is my hurry up, get it all done state of mind.  When the mind focuses and increasingly concentrates self-reflectively upon itself and its inner processes, it climbs in awareness from Alpha to Theta, and finally to Delta.  Leaving the mundane Beta state is where I want to go and of course I wanted a short cut to find the creative muses in the Theta level.  You can do you own Google searches to discover the dialog as it is all very intersting.  I found numerous CD's that claim to help the process and play them while I paint.  Ahhh to slow down a bit and just let it all be.  Someday I may learn...or not.   This is my latest painting.  It has memories of my friend and artist Terrie. 

Clay Day at the Guild

Barb's sculpture

I love pastel and still work in mixed media along with crafting my cards.  The workshop, Clay Day by my friend and artist Barbara Wolf, was a perfect way to try sculpture AKA 3D.   She had all the tools and the slabs of clay.  I had asked to try hands, as I love her pieces of hands that clasp or hold a pen or wave.  We had nine in the class and she gave us all the attention we needed to be successful. 

Barb helps me with the baby hand

I decided to place a small hand in my hand, wanting to capture the essence of my grandsons.  Others decided on masculine hands, and a hand to hold soap and another to hold a cigar. 

Ginny - Pam- Sue Ann

Check the Cheyenne Artists Guild web site cheyenneartistsguild.org to discover when the next Clay Day will be scheduled in May, or email me at enliven.art@gmail.com