Finishing A Santa Sample

I need to get moving with a large sample of my Santa's Secret Class project. My one large sample was acquired, and though I have some small ones, a large one is needed for class in Houston.... So while people usually paint this guy in a Red or Blue suit.... I'd experimented using Gold and Misty Champagne metallic inks. I liked it, but now to add a background... I think in No. 92 Tsukineko ink... titled Red Delicious... and it is. So here we go with quilt top lightly stretched smooth atop clear plastic protecting the tabletop.

This is one of the times I use Tsukinekos round tip Fantastix applicator (called bullet) to apply a large area like a background. The round tips require little to no nuanced application technique... just dig the color in though I'll give you a tip in a moment. (By the way.... I've placed the ink bottle in view for YOU to see. I NEVER rest an ink bottle atop something I am painting.) Too risky.

To apply ink, the bullet tip is held straight up and down...Just go for it!

Just a by the way here... when I'm doing a background, I often use a cross hatch application approach... a few overlapping parallel strokes one direction, then another direction, then another... all the while overlapping the cross hatched segments . This creates a slightly modeled fill, something I rather like and usually more pleasant to the eye. Any attempts to solidly fill a background, while achievable will take more time and 'might' result in uninteresting streaked patterns. For Santa, I used the cross hatch approach, BUT because Christmas is such a joyous occasion, I curved the strokes in the cross hatch segment... just because it seemed 'happier.'

I 'generally add a second coat of cross hatching after the first dries. This is done in order to address given areas that dry lighter than I want. Heat set with dry iron and we are done painting. All your call anyway. Hope to see you in Houston in November.
Okay, I'm liking Golden Boy St. Nick. It will get brdered and quilted later I'm afraid. I'll share photos when I can get that on the to do now list.
UPDATE: DUH.... I'm a terrible marketer. I do have this pattern and follow along step by step photo/text guide available if you contact me.

Packing and Shipping...Oh Joy!

Yes.. I know this is that exciting because it isn't thrilling to me either. I spent much of the last 2 days putting a variety of kits for varied painting with ink images for a guild I will visit out of state in 2 weeks. The prep and follow-up work for traveling/teaching is beyond what one might imagine so one must really love to teach (I DO!) to put in the time doing inventory, ordering, stocking, printing drawings/handouts/photo references, packaging, shipping etc etc.

I'll start working on a larger "Santa's Secret" class sample for Houston IQA today.(see Patts Newest Workshops link on the left) I'll be teaching that as a 'get ready for the holidays class in November.

Thanks For The Memories...Well Sort Of!

The first night of my May Painted Quilt Art Retreat, we had a first ever paramedics event when student Skip Heller tangled with a chair leg, lost the fight, and fell to hit the floor resulting in stitches to the head and an injured tail bone. Skip took this in stride even though the rest of us were frantic goofs. Skip and I spent most of the night in the Inland Valley ER where at least they had a cute/funny doctor to make the night a bit easier to deal with.

Since moments before THE FALL, I had done a quick portrait demo from an earlier photo of Skip, we decided to sign the sample for her as we are sure she will want to remember this night for all time. Well...maybe not! Think she might leave this on her design wall???

Canal Running For Profit

A 30 hour travel home from a time zone 9 hours away... well... I'm not returning to human as fast as I'd like... but I'm at least sleeping more than 3 hours at a time now... so I'm on the mend. As always a ton of to do items following extended time away... so quilting will get back on the agenda soon ( i'll have some photos of upcoming project stuff soon. ) I thought I'd at least share a fascinating ( to me at least) story from last week of a young 'entrepeneur' in St Petersburg. We were taking a boat canal cruise thru the city. St Petersburg is mostly below sea level and founder Peter the Great planned canals throughout the city hopeing to create a legion of sailing enthusiasts. Beautiful, eh?

We suddenly saw a handsome school age boy running along the canal toward the bridges that periodically cross over the canal.

He ran to precede our arrival at a crossover bridge, wave and blow kisses looking for coins tossed to him ( some he would catch while others failed to reach him).

He kept this running race up for over 30 minutes easily outrunning a motor boat. Such stamina. We later heard he does this routinely. He raced back to our point of disembarkation and received substantial rewards for his efforts. I fantasize that someday I might learn of a young man distance running in the Olympics and telling his story of how be became a runner in St Petersburg.

I left the country

Okay... I've been gone a bit... to cruise the Baltic and see the world ( at least part of it...Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Germany, Russia, Finland, Sweden). I promise NOT to post MY vacation but will post a few things I think perhaps of interest. The MOST opulent thing seen was in St Pertersburg where Peter the Great had his summer home(?) palace Peterhoff. His goal was to create his own heaven on earth. There was so much gold , etc here.. it's no wonder there was a revolt by the have-nots.

The quilters connection... ongoing design inspiration in floors and wall decorations.

.. this is a wood floor of one room of the palace

Fair Haired Boy

Student Corky Blanco is taking on a big challenge in painting a fair skinned child in bright sunlight. It's coming though!

new Favorite Things

Darlene Garsecki tackled an interpretation of her own rose photo. As you'll see, she did a beautiful job.

The tiny speckles were achieved using a rubbing plate.

Background yet to come but I know it will be exquisite.