No I did not fall off the earth :)

But the Holidays and my dh retiring took up most of my time. I have just finished this piece for my challenge group Material Mavens. The challenge word this time was STRONG.

So this word was a bit of work in thinking it up. I went to shapes as a reference and found that the arch is one of the strongest shapes. Consequently, I chose this Double Arch Bridge which is not far from where I live. I like history and seem to find forgotten places that I take photos of, like this bridge. (my first choice was The Egg - but it seemed too "Easter")

Here's the history of the bridge:

The Double-arch Sandstone Bridge or more commonly known as the Sands Bridge, is a historic dry stone arch bridge over the Spicket River on Hampshire Road in Methuen, Massachusetts. Built without mortar between the stones, parts of it date back to 1735. It was used to handle traffic between Methuen and Salem NH.

The location: Along the old Dracut Path, was a marshy area of the Spicket River that could be forded by horse or cart. The ford eventually was bridged. The earliest town record, from the Town meeting of 1730, show a simple plank bridge was used which required regular maintenance at the cost of the township. The wooden bridge was replaced with the more durable stone arch bridge in 1835. Solid abutment supports were constructed on each river bank. A wooden frame shaped like the underside of the bridge, was constructed over the river. The stones where then set on the frame, without mortar. The bridge was filled in with rubble and dirt, which over time would compress against the abutments. The wooden frame was then removed. If constructed correctly a stone-arch bridge should last indefinitely, the Sands Bridge is not a well built bridge. Photographic evidence shows the keystone had slipped by the late nineteenth century. The bridge was used consistently until it was taken out of service in 1963 when the Spicket River was rerouted and Interstate 93 was built.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places June 20, 1984.

Construction:
I started with a sketch of the bridge and then went right on to the collecting and cutting of fabric.  I thought I would need to buy some, but decides to NOT get any more fabric - I can do this!

I stitched the stones, the dry leaves are tiny cut up fabrics with a netting sewn over them. I used some Inktense Pencils to do the artsy type of swamp look for the background. The edge was turned to the back in place of a binding.
Anyway, this was done in three days - with all the goings on and holidays, etc, I just think it slipped through the cracks. BUT it is done and I am very happy with it.

Check out more creative work at Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday!

Update on the Statler Fountain Piece from July

When I last worked on this I was surprised to see it was way back in July. Well now I have finished it and got it mounted.

Let me give you some history on why I did this piece.

Statler Fountain By Ulysses Anthony Ricci, 1888 - 1960, sculptor

A Gift of the Hotel Statler Company, Inc. to the City of Boston in 1930 as part of a beautification project for the Statler Park, Stuart Street at Park Square.

Description:
Bronze, art deco fountain in the shape of a Roman tripod brazier. Woman in classical robes stands in the middle of the upper bowl holding a cup from which water originally flowed. Large bowl is decorated with signs of the zodiac in relief. Lip edge is decorated with egg and dart molding. The legs are decorated with semi-draped male figures above grotesque decorations and terminate in lions' paws. Basin at foot of fountain, now a planter.
Originally, water flowed from the cup the figure holds, into the raised bowl, and then into the basin. Fountain is no longer operable. A bronze dedication plaque originally on base is now missing.

Not long after I took photos of the fountain, I was horrified to find that it had been taken down and the Park torn up. I have not seen the Park since, but do plan on visiting again to see if it had been restored to it's original grandeur.

Check out more nice work at Off The Wall Fridays

Comfort Quilt

After a long hiatus from actually having fun and not getting anything done, I finally finished my Comfort Quilt challenge with the Material Mavens.
So here it is................

It was an interesting word to work on and I did find it hard to find anything, except for all the regular ideas about comfort.

It is made with Inktense pencils and Dye-na-flow inks. I really had fun doing it too.

GREEN Man

Let me introduce you to the Green Man - subject of my latest Material Mavens Challenge. The Challenge word was GREEN, I thought about this a bit and while walking in the woods the other day, got my final idea.

Luckily it was finished yesterday, right on time, but I still feel like I skidded to a stop at home plate, breathing hard to get this done :)

This is my second rendition (the first I just wasn't happy with the outcome,) so this time I did some mono-printing of the leaves I had found on the trail. 

His face was fairly easy, but the "feel" of him being a part of nature just wasn't there. He looked more like a green sun to me, so I just had to think a bit harder.

He is also posted on The Material Mavens site with all  the others.

AND of course, there is great funs work at Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday!

He Sees FISH!

I just posted this over on the Material Mavens site - it is reveal day again!

Yes, an odd name for something in the cell category, but my son works in a Pathology Lab and this is his view of the microscope in a dark area with a color florescence that can be changed depending on what you need to see/know.
He posted this pic on facebook one day after the "word" went out and I said that is a cool picture, and proceeded to make it.
I used cottons, fabric paints, inktense pencils and of course thread.

Check out Off The Wall Friday over at Nina's!

And a week later....

I actually have been working on the Statler Fountain. I do a lot of my work in my head, I am sure others do too, then I execute the ideas I come up with. So far I am happy with the progress too.

The next two weeks I have to go back to the real job again, writing 80+ letters of acceptance or regret to the artists in or not in the exhibit in the fall. (I haven't told my printer yet, but she is new and can handle the job) I still need to find two sponsors for two categories of awards - once that is done I can relax for a couple of weeks. It should be the end of August by then - time flies when you are having fun :)

I am going to get my self a new bicycle. I tried it again after trying to bike about 10 years ago and now that I have been walking on my treadmill, I can so flat or gently rising surfaces - so why am I not? Tried one of my sons old bikes and had a blast, but it doesn't fit me right, so now I get my own again.

Don't forget to go see the wonderful work of other folks on Off The Wall Fridays!

Long, long time, no post!

It has been since May! I have been steadily working on my "real job" since then and it has been pretty intense.
I finally have a little time to work on things, so picked up the Statler Fountain and started quilting it. The thing is, that I was also procrastinating about some of it. MY PROBLEM is that I'm always trying to make everything PERFECT, at least to my eyes.

I have to try to remember that I really enjoy the making of art and not think of it as "will someone else like it?" At this point, I shouldn't give a flying fig, but it is a hard habit to get out of.

So how many people do you know that have seen a flying fig? LOL!

Anyway, I put extra stuffing behind the fountain figure in order for it to stand out more and then went to the store for some grey thread. One of the colors I never have, along with beige. I keep forgetting to get some, so I bought four spools of successive color gradations.

I also went to my local quilt shop on Saturday morning for their Yard Sale, which was not in the yard. Didn't find anything there, but then went up to the store and got fabric and batting for the next and future projects.

Got my jury review work back and hung a piece in my kitchen next to the tree quilt - looks good too.

I'm looking forward to the NE Quilt show in Manchester in August :)

Check out other talented people's work at Off the Wall Friday!