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October 3, 2012

sketching every day

Sketchbook10:3:12

Two months ago, before challenging myself to sketch every day for a year for The Sketchbook Project,

– I fully believed I could not draw.

– I would have never started any drawing I managed to force from my brain with a permanent marker (only a pencil I could erase).

– I did not believe that doodling amounted to anything other than doodling.

– I would stop drawing as soon as I felt I had fully developed my idea in my head and would never look back at what I drew with any reflection.

– If something looked terrible, I immediately stopped.

– Sketching was not relaxing to me. It felt forced and akward, even when the occasional inspiration to draw actually came over me.

– I felt I did not have time to develop the skill of drawing or sketching.

 

I have already learned so much about myself since I started this personal challenge.

Sketchbook Doodling from Blair Stocker on Vimeo.

Music is Mike Mills by Air.

October 2, 2012

october inspiration

October2012inspirationwithwords

Download this month's computer desktop wallpaper here. See all of 2012's inspiration wallpaper here.

I am ready to get down to work this month! So many ideas, and with the kids back in school, I have time to see them through. Here's what's inspiring me this month:

– Simple images drawn with black lines

– My daily sketches (sketchbook #1 is almost filled).

– Wool of any kinds… felted sweaters, wool yarn

– old book pages

– feathers (they have even taken over my blog banner). Ian and I have been collecting them on our walks to and from school.

– My BSR, which I have plans for this month.

– Documentary Lovers– I am addicted to this website. You're welcome.

– Fall looks like this (but not the prices!)

– Soon-to-be released memoirs like this.

– Interior designer Miles Redd.

– Artist Carla Sonheim (who is right here in Seattle, who knew?)

– And thinking about sharing movies like this with my soon-to-be 14 year old daughter, and pointing out my favorite scenes, like this one. (She probably won't even get it all, but I feel like every teen needs to see these movies).

October 1, 2012

Rice Heating Pad/Pillow

Rice Heating Pad/Pillow
Holy cow, its October!?!
First let me say I let Friday slip by without a granny square sampler post, so sorry! I have not had a lot of time to work on mine in the past couple of weeks, so there was really nothing to show. But there will be, I have picked it up again and am catching up all around, I won’t leave you hanging. More pressing matters came up over the past couple of weeks, like family visiting, School House Craft, and making rice pillows.

 

We had cold toes and needed new “warms”.

 

READ MORE

September 27, 2012

New Quilt Paintings

quilt painting
Turkey’s Dilemma, acrylic and gouache, 12″ x 12″ wood panel
 

quilt painting
Echo Star, acrylic and gouache, 10″ x 10″ wood panel

These will be going to New Hampshire in a few weeks. I am still very much in love with painting quilt squares, and as you may have guessed, that’s what these are. The whole process is enjoyable to me. To start with a sketch, then move to a painting, and perhaps even eventually to a physical quilt. Or not.
I have been working on these pieces for the past few weeks. The process went from love… to hate… to love.. to loathe… to love, with each of them. Which I have discovered is part of the process. I never felt those polar opposite feelings on quilts or other projects I’ve done. With my quilts, it either works or it doesn’t, and I tend to know that early on. Pushing past that moment of total loathing is somewhat new for me. (You would be surprised at the number of projects that get discarded.) Usually, I hate wasting time on an idea that just isn’t clicking, I have no patience for what doesn’t feel like its going anywhere. But something about painting and the process of adding the paint layers, over days or even weeks, doesn’t make it feel like a hopeless cause in quite the same way. Usually, when it starts looking awful, I know its time to rinse the brushes and call it a night. It always looks at least a little better in the morning sun. And sometimes a lot better.

September 26, 2012

Crazy Star

star
Back in July, shortly after I came home from my weekend in Portland, I started working on the “Crazy Star” pattern from Denyse’s book, to use in our family room (we only have three quilts in there, apparently that’s not enough cause we’re always negotiating for usage). I spent an afternoon piecing the strips for the stars, which are foundation pieced onto a piece of quilter’s muslin. Well, actually it took less than an afternoon. This pattern is free and fast, once I decided which fabrics to use. That takes me a while. I knew I wanted to use strong blues and greens, but I cut into some beloved old ones to go in here. In an effort to use and not hoard fabric, I’m showing no mercy these days. (If I have it and love it, why not use it?)
My biggest dilemma at this point is what the base fabric color will be. A solid, for sure.
This one’s going to be mine, I think. I love it so much.
 

September 7, 2012

Granny Square Sampler Afghan, Week 17, Showing You Off!

Granny Square
(All the granny square assignments can be found on this page.)
Hello fellow samplers! I am taking some unauthorized liberties today. I wanted to share some photos of some of the samplers that everyone is doing. One of the best parts of this granny square sampler project is, although we all crocheted basically the same squares, each afghan is so unique to its designer. So much color and pattern out there! There were times I was constructing this afghan that I started to wonder if it would end up one hot mess (you may have wondered that too!), but that couldn’t be further than what we’re ending up with. Just beautiful. Take a look at some of the in-progress afghan shots from our Flickr group–READ MORE

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