Designing Repeat Patterns

Step 1: sketch in center of square

Step 2: cut in quarters and move each diagonally

Step 3: draw more in center, not touching edges

Step 4: scan image

Step 5: copy image multiple times

Step 6: repeat as desired

Repeat patterns!! What an intriguing concept. This is probably old hat to you graphic designers out there. I saw a photoshop how-to in a magazine a year or so ago, but didn’t get around to it at the time. As I was contemplating fabric design and thermofax printing screens, the technique bubbled up and a quick online search led to easy directions from Julia Rothman: http://www.designsponge.com/2008/05/welcome-julia-and-how-to-make-a-repeat-pattern.html. Give it a try!

Very easy to do in analog mode; perhaps something your summer tweens might enjoy!

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Traveling in Spain

Madrid: Puerta del Sol

Toledo

Zaragoza: Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar

Barcelona: Placa Reial

Monserrat

Cadaques

Portlligat: Dali’s home

Recently I had the good fortune to travel to Spain with a group of 13 fellow artists on a Plein Air tour of Madrid and Barcelona. Well, most of us were artists, and we did do some painting; but mostly we saw as much as we possibly could! Now that I’ve had two months to begin processing the experience, I’d like to share some of the paintings I’m working on. I’ve included above preliminary sketches: let me know which ones appeal to you.

I took 1,000 or so photos and did several sketches as we visited Madrid, Toledo, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Monsterrat and Cadaques. We saw many excellent museums, cathedrals, and city neighborhoods, ancient and modern. It was a satisfyingly wonderful trip!

My favorite place: the seaside village of Cadaques; my favorite museum: the Thyssen in Madrid; my favorite environment: Retiro park in Madrid. In close competition, respectively: Toledo; Museum at Montserrat; the Montserrat pudding stone needles/mountains.

For those of you planning a trip, here’s what I did:

April 28, Friday, Madrid
– arrive 8am, drop bags at hotel: Mercure Madrid Centro, Calle Lope de Vega, 49                  – hotel check in 3pm                                                                                                                             – Sofia Museum: Picasso, Pity and Terror                                                                                         – Sketch at the Crystal Palace  in the Retiro Park (east of Prado)                                                 – early evening wine & cheese reception at hotel
April 29, Saturday, Madrid                                                                                                                    – Prado Museum                                                                                                                                     – Caixaforum – Ramon Casas exhibit                                                                                                 April 30, Sunday, Madrid                                                                                                                       – Plaza Mayor coin/stamp market; street flea market                                                                     – Palace plaza, Temple Debod                                                                                                              – Thyssen Museum                                                                                                                                – 90 minute hop on, hop off bus, Puerta del Sol                                                                                May 1, Monday, Madrid                                                                                                                       – 8am coach  to Toledo (1 hour drive): cathedral; TrainVision Tourist Train
– Royal Botanical garden                                                                                                                 May 2, Tuesday, travel                                                                                                                           – 9am coach to Barcelona
– 3 hours to Zaragoza, Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar tower elevator, lunch
– Barcelona hotel: Avenida Palace, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 605                             May 3, Wednesday, Barcelona                                                                                                             – El Born Market                                                                                                                                     – Picasso Museum                                                                                                                                   – El Born Cultural Museum                                                                                                                  – Gaudi Cascade                                                                                                                                      – Arc de Triomf                                                                                                                                 May 4, Thursday, Barcelona                                                                                                                – 8am coach to Montserrat: Monastery, Museum, funicular                                                         – Stroll La Rambla, visit art supply store                                                                                       May 5, Friday, Barcelona                                                                                                                       – Park Güell, picnic/paint, Gaudi museum                                                                                        – 7:30 flamenco dance performance                                                                                           May 6, Saturday, Barcelona
– 8:30am coach to Cadaques                                                                                                                 – timed entry to the Dali House                                                                                                           – flea market via metro                                                                                                                   May 7, Sunday, Barcelona                                                                                                                     – Sketch in area of hotel
May 8, Monday, departure

Wet Week in Virginia

Clouds begin to clear

Mists lift

View of the Cole Bald

Finally, my poncho off!

Appalachian Trail

Water draining off the Mountain

Running to the James

James River at flood

Usually dry side of the river bed

It rained in Virginia the first four days of last week. On Thursday I joined a Chesterfield Parks and Recreations hike to Cole Mountain, about 2 hours west of Richmond.

As we got out of the Parks and Rec van at the Hog Camp trail head, the rain started again! The 10 of us scrambled into ponchos and rain gear. About 20 minutes into our hike up Cole Mountain along the Appalachian trail, the rain moved off and the clouds gradually began to lift. We were headed south and met five or six thru hikers on their way north, all hiking individually, loaded with damp gear.

This was my second time hiking this trail, looking forward to the beautiful views from the bald. As we came out of the woods the mists were still cloaking the meadow. By the time we reached the opposite hillside, the sun broke thru!! We could see mountains all around us, the sun sparkling off wet trees and grass. It was glorious!

As we headed home in the van, water was cascading down the mountain side, headed for the James River. The creeks done rose!

Saturday I rode my bike along the James River as it flows thru downtown. The River was at flood, roiling and raging, completely engulfing the many rocks usually visible along its path. As typical of a flood day, it was a lovely sunny morning.

Mtn haiku:                                                                                                                                       Rain, damp clouds, ponchos – mists shred and clear; mountains here!                               The sun, the sun comes!

River haiku:                                                                                                                                     Trails inundated by rising, raging water – James River at flood.                                                 Cool air rushes by, flung by the roiling madness; muddy muddy James.

 

Thinking of my Grandmother

Grandmama’s Amaryllis

Grandmama’s Fishpond

My Amaryllis

For years my grandmother propagated amaryllis lilies in south Georgia, trying to get one that was all white. She came very close. In 1976 she gave me a handful of bulbs and told me to plant them in light shade and take them up before frost, and they should bloom in a couple of years. So I did, and before long I had lovely white amaryllis lightly striped with pink! Then we had babies and those amaryllis fell by the wayside. Every so often I’m tempted by the bulbs in the greenhouse and currently I have several pots of them, and two are blooming!

I was looking thru my journals for ideas on what to make to take with me to Madrid and Barcelona later this month, and came across one I made in 2012. Slipped inside were two photos above of my grandmother’s amaryllis garden, and this poem:

1953 – 2012

Grandma had a fishpond, when I was very young.  We fed the fishes oatmeal; they ate them, every crumb!

Grandma had a cow named Star, when I was four years old. She’d milk her every morning as I her tail would hold.

Grandma kept brown hens, when I was still quite small. We’d feed them corn and hunt their eggs, ‘neath the grape arbor so tall.

Grandma grew peace roses, when I was very young. They bloomed all round her white washed house and sheltered frogs and bugs.

There came a year the fish were gone, no lizards could be found. Every egg broke in the nest – it was a horrid sound.

Grandma said, “was snakes.” I never saw a snake.

Near 60 years have rolled away. I feel I’m still quite young. My brother has a fishpond; my niece keeps city hens. The world has yet a happy place, when we will let it in.

Is it done yet?

Seven Islands – first effort

Seven Islands – second effort

Bon Air Artists’ Association’s Artful Healing Show is this Sunday!! Hope you can come by the University of Richmond’s Jepson Alumni Center between 10 am and 5 pm. You’ll be glad you did! 70 artists will have their works on display. I’ve got my pieces framed and ready to go. The photos above are of the last one out of the studio. Actually, what you see here are two versions. The first one was critiqued at our last BAAA meeting. I received several helpful pointers, and gave it another go. I like the composition better. It could use some improvement, but I’m done with this iteration.

Experimental Hand Stitching

Class Gallery

Class Gallery, continued

First efforts

My Finished Challenge

Reverse of Challenge

This weekend I attended the Virginia Consortium of Quilters quarterly meeting in Annandale, Virginia and took a class from Julie Booth on Experimental Hand Stitching. The materials in the kit she provided were very gray – not an appealing way to start. She explained this was so we could focus on our stitching and not be distracted by colors – and it worked. She went thru several basic stitches and how to vary each one in shape, density, and thickness. We then combined them in different patterns. Very interesting and relaxing. It helped that the pieces of fabric we worked with were small, 5″ square with 1″ margins. As a result they filled quickly with stitching.

After we were comfortable with the stitches, Julie introduced four options from which to pick a challenge. I went with copying shapes from patterned fabric, using a variety of the stitches we’d worked with earlier.  I finished it yesterday after I got home and I’m pleased with the little two-sided square.  Now to apply what I’ve learned to other embroidery projects already in process…!

River Ramble and Amarylis

West end of Belle Isle

Rock Scramble to Belle Isle

Amaryllis bulbs – 2/9/2017

Amaryllis bulbs – 2/14/2017

Another wonderfully warm weekend! Based on my on-foot reconnaissance last week of the James River utility road, this Sunday I took my new blue bicycle down to the Reedy Creek entrance to James River Park for a spin along that gravel road to Belle Isle! I knew I could get as far as the pedestrian access at 22nd street, and I was thrilled to discover that I could go even further! There’s a level path from that access on the river side of the railroad fence all the way to the emergency access bridge across to the Isle. I rode to the island and then followed the pathways all the way around. Word is out about the park and I had lots of company! With the welcome break from winter weather, everyone was in a good mood! Watched kayaks heading for the class IV rapids on the north side of Belle Isle as I ate my lunch at a picnic table on the west point near the quarry and did some sketching.

I’m back inside this week as temperatures return to winter norms, keeping an eye on my amaryllis bulbs. I retrieved them from their rest in the basement around the first of February and they’re almost visibly growing. I’m hoping at least a couple of them are large enough to bloom this season!