All summer I have been obsessing on creating Art Cloth.  I have been ready to explore a medium that gave me the color/texture feel that I get from the fiber arts.  I dye and paint on silk, I love watching the color pop, but I want to explore more of an art technique.  I wanted to create art that I could hang on the wall, make cards and copy onto paper.  My intent when I moved to the island was to come out with my own brand of batik art.  Melding the vibrant colors of the carribean art with the technique of African Art.  

This week I joined an online coaching group called 'share your heart, show your work.'  This group and the coach inspired me to say 'F' it just do it!  I had been looking all over the Internet and books for inspiration, but to no avail.  What ended up catching my eyes was right in my own back yard.  Once I felt the 'muse' I started gathering my supplies and digging through my art cloth stash and I was off....

My inspiration came from my garden.  Last summer I planted 4 Lantana plants hoping to have a vibrant effusion of color in my summer garden.  Well, only this one survived the winter and it was weak at best.  Finally here in mid August it's taking off and after a few days of storms it produced a profusion of vibrant neon flowers.  Seeing this got my juices going to start painting.

I have tried so many fabric painting techniques over the years.  I've played at this process, but it wasn't working in the past.  Today was a different story.  I've obsessed about this technique for years.  Going over and over it in my head.  I made an attempt last year that I loved, but it still needed work.  Sometimes when creating art you have to step away for awhile.  Today I was on point and riding the color vortex.  I began playing and letting my inner child come out.  Loving the results and having fun.  Drawing and doodling with the resist and stamping with it also.

My favorite piece from the first group.

When I was washing the resist out of the fabric was heart was singing!  The vibrant color was so amazing wet.  It was so healing, truly color therapy.  My Soul vibrates at a high level with color.

Nala my studio help.

Day 2 - I was ready to make some more, do a little experimenting and finally, finally got the right fabric combination, batik technique and fabric paint.  I decided that I love the cassava batik resist method.   It gives you a nice white line and washes out with hot water.  Painting on quilting cotton gives me the texture and whimsical appearance I'm looking for.  Dy-na-flow paint gives me the vibrancy and soft fabric feel.  After so many attempts at batik art over the years.  I finally found the perfect receipt.  

My favorite piece from this group is the turtle.  It's always been my symbol for living on this island.  This island is a turtle sanctuary.  Love it!

Thanks to collage app, I think I'm going to make a nine patch quilt out of these samples.  I want big artwork so a quilt is probably the best way.  I'm not a good quilter so simple is best.  Maybe I can find someone to long arm quilt my projects.  I realized that this would be my third art quilt since I've moved to the beach.  I'm going to contact the island quilting group to see if I can find someone to help me out.

The final banner display of all my work this week.  Seeing this fun, vibrant, whimsical banner makes my heart feel full of joy!

​We had a great morning with a 'Mom & Me' workshop this morning at our Fiber Arts Open Studio Blue Pelican Gallery Gifts & Yarn.  There were four generations of wonderful ladies making their own personalized Art Cloth.  The Great-Grandmother is going to make a memory quilt for her charming great-granddaughter.  It warms my heart to work with such a lovely family.  This memory will last a lifetime.  Come join us at the Blue Pelican Gallery to craft your own family beach memories.

Starting last Friday I decided to do some weaving on my floor loom.  My hands had been hurting after my Navajo weaving class and I didn't want to activate my carpel tunnel by knitting or crocheting.  I had been working on the berry colored shawl for 8 years. I had started on it and then my health took a nose dive.  When I was packing and moving it had been in storage most of the time.

My intent on moving into this house was to make my guest room the 'loom room.'  My son soon moved in it so I didn't do any weaving.  He's been gone several months now so I finally got inspired to weave and had a weaving workshop over the 4th of July holidays.

The picture below is my completed projects.  I finished the berry shawl on Friday and spent all day Saturday weaving the purple/teal shawl.  I had no interruptions and throughly enjoyed the finished fabric.  Now it's time to tie on a new warp to the loom and start new projects.
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Here is the bowl of yarns that I used to weave the purple/teal shawl.  I love gathering all of the yarns with different textures and colors.  To me it's a work of art on its own.   My dog Nala loved overseeing the weaving process.
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All of the different textures and colors came out splendidly.  You never know what you will truly get until you are done when weaving freestyle.  It's like painting with fiber.  I love my wild woman wearing her jewel tones shawls.
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The berry colored project I started weaving almost eight years ago in Virginia.  I'm glad it's completed now.
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Blast from the past my weaving that I made years ago.   I love the colors and textures.
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This video is a  collaboration between my son and me.  I'm so proud of him and his new creative path.