Photo Collage meets Fabric thru Printing

Yesterday I took a class on photo manipulation thru Photoshop Elements and Printing on Fabric.   We started cutting out pictures from magazines and assembling them into collages on "playing cards".   There were many size cards, but it was a challenge to work in something that small.   From there we scanned our creations into photoshop elements, played with some filters and then printed onto fabric.

This is my finished creation - the fabric is 44 inches wide and we printed onto a yard of fabric.   I have two smaller ones to practice some quilting ideas.

This was my original collage - 2 simple pictures - the swirly background picture and a cutout of the bird of paradise flower.

This was after I played in Photoshop by changing the colors, the saturations, and using the liquify distorting filter.   That was so much fun.   The actual fabric has a lot of "liquid" or "marble" effects - hence the name liquify.   Maybe it has a Little Shop of Horros feeling to it.   I haven't decided the final orientation of the fabric as looking at it different ways, conjurs up different ideas.

For reference sake - this is the size of the printer - lovingly nicknamed "the beast".  The fabric is 44 inches wide.



Art Quilt Show - Rochester, NY

I am part of an art quilt group in Rochester, NY called RAFA - Rochester Area Fiber Artists that meets once a month to show and inspire and educate in the world of art quilting.   I am part of a show by this group which opens this Friday.   My piece is called  "Yes, the Water Really Is This Color"! 
Information is as follows:

Fiber Art exploring the concept of ‘Branching Out’ with new materials, ideas, and complexity.

Williams Gallery

First Unitarian Church of Rochester

220 Winton Road South

Rochester, NY 14610

Opening Reception: Friday, August 24, 5pm-8pm

Gallery Hours: M-F 10am-2pm and 4:30pm-8pm

It’s best to call the church office at 585-271-9070 to confirm.

Image above: ‘Swampwood’ by Kate Wylie

Bermuda......Again..... Art Quilt #3

And so, I have begun the 3rd in my series of quilts inspired by my trip to Bermuda.   I have been in a quilting slump for reasons I won't bother to go into here.   I have done NOTHING and it was starting to concern me.   Today I decided to try and pull myself out and began a quilt that had been percolating for awhile, had collected fabrics for awhile and had begun a rudimentary sketch.

This one will be called  "Bermuda - The View From The Ship".   Everday when we were docked and sat on the deck, we saw this view.

 The colors were a bit more intense than this photo shows, but this is the idea!

This is what I have done so far.   I have more little roof lines to add and then will decide if there will be further detail.   Initially, I saw just blocks of colors as a vague impressionistic reference to the view.   We'll see how this plays out.   So far, I'm pretty happy with it - but - much more to do!

Stony Brook State Park

This week we went to Stony Brook State Park, about an hour south of Batavia, NY, to walk the gorge and climb the stairs on the edge of the gorge.

 I like photographs of stone bridges - especially the curved under part of the bridge.   I especially like the way the light plays through the leaves and lands on the water and rocks.

 One of the water falls.

 Every year the orange lichen is present and there are random green leaves sticking out from the wall crevices.   I have done a quilt on this theme before - depicting the lichen contrasting with the green leaves.

 I know I was in the water, taking a picture of the texture of the rocks in the water below me.   But I don't remember such a contrasting black part before.   I see a silhouette of a young girl....I kind of like it.

 Driftwood in the water.

 I was bending over taking a picture of the swirly color in the rocks in the water.   The shadow is just interesting to me.

 More driftwood in the water.   All the textures are what I like.

 My husband took this picture along side the wall.   As you can see, we are often more intrigued with the rocks and trees and leaves than the water and waterfalls.

I have been reading a blog where the author has a theme on "Where I stand" (not sure of exact wording).   Anyway - the final picture is where I most enjoyed standing - in the water, sloshing thru the water, being very careful not to slip on the rocks.