Charcoal Lately

This is the first of my assignments cool enough to post. It's what I've been doing this fall, lots of charcoal.

xo Abby

One Year Ago

My journal entry for November 20, 2011 reads, "Today I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and saw the Mona Lisa."

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

xo

Abby

This Fall

This fall we moved to a new home. We're still setting up our new studio but I've never been more excited about the projects I'm working on. Leaving the old studio was the hardest part of  moving. :) I grew up in that home and have so many memories there, however it was time to move on. Our old home was a sunset home. This house is a sunrise house, and I've never had that before. It has a beautiful view of our pond facing east. I've been taking a lot of pictures when I first wake up. All the leaves are down now but I got quite a few photos before they fell. 

A large amount of my time has been dedicated to drawing this fall. I'm taking a fundamental drawing class called "Analysis of Form." I have learned a crazy amount about drawing! I'm so excited to be progressing in this area. 

I'm studying illustration because I need a fine art foundation to become the fiber artist I want to be. Ilustration in particular applies to what I want to do with fiber. Basic things like designing pieces to be embroidered, quilted, felted, or any other medium fall under illustration. I also want to have the skill to design fabric or illustrate books like Salley Mavor or Jillian Tamaki and the Penguin Threads series.*

This has been my Autumn, fiber art, charcoal drawing, and settling into a new home. And drinking lots of tea and coffee (I love cool weather).

xo Abby

*I have not explored the rest of this website. 

p.s. The new home is perfect for nature journaling, something I've loved most my life! (picture below).

Silk Shaded Carrot

Silk Shading was the final technique I learned at RSN. Initially, I was not excited to learn this technique. It looked meticulous to stitch and I wasn't drawn to the final look. In the end, I loved it. After starting my piece I learned to appreciate how beautiful silk shading can be. This piece was the hardest and may be the one I'm most proud of. 

Silk shading is sometimes referred to as "painting with a needle." A final piece will have the natural appearance of the subject you've chosen. This happens by analyzing the colors and how they are shaded. I worked from a photograph pinned onto the side of my frame.  Silk shading is done using long and short stitch, which creates a seamless blend of colors. 

xo, Abby

p.s. The quote is from Bugs Bunny!