Tree

Day 2 60 Day Bird Journal Challenge


Day 2 Story
Resting in arborvitae beside my house
Your song brings to the trees to life.
Is your song ushering in the coming storm?
Or are you singing a song of joy?
A tasty morsel to share,
No creature dares to leave the protection of the tree.
Branches shivering, the Sun twinkling, and the sky a brilliant blue,
Deceptive beauty as nature braces for a fatal blow.
The wind smells of snow.

Going back to Day 2, I had a head start by a couple of days because well I'm writing the prompts, etc., so noticed that I had made a couple of attempts at either a poem or story in my journal.  

I think the sketch pretty much sums it up, it's frigid out right now, the birds are all huddled in the neighbors arborvitaes, I know they are roosting in the tree because you can hear them chirping away if one listens closely enough.  I suspect that they are egging one another one (pun intended) to leave the tree for food and water and no one wants to give up their warm spot on the branch.

Black Birds in Trees


Working on some Crow Cards this afternoon using my Black Birds in Tree Stencil.


The orange mat is a non-slip artist map, unfortunately there is no label on the mat so I have no idea where it came from.


I started out with a piece of painted timtex that was painted by Seta Color Fabric Paints.  I will be adding some oil bar, ink, and other yummies next, and then it's time for some stitching.

Birds in Tree with Madder Lac


Madder lac natural dye extract screen printed, using deconstructed screen printing techniques with my Birds in Tree Inverse Stencil, onto cochineal dyed cotton fabric.


Birds in Tree Inverse Stencil taped to the front of a traditional silk screen for deconstructed screen printing!  Stay tuned for more on this technique!!!

Learn more about these techniques in my eBook and Video series 
Mark Making with Nature!!! 


Spring has Sprung


Well sorta, in about three weeks most of the bulb type flowers should start popping up.  This from past experiences/observations of when the Robins, Cedar Waxwings, and Grackles return from their winter feeding grounds.



The neighbors crabapple is preferred over ours, once they pick it the birds will start in on our tree.



Some of the Robins are looking a little rough around the edges, this one was healthy looking.


Grackles are pairing up already, not surprised.

Black Birds in Tree Now Available!!!


I'm so excited to announce that my stencils are now available through StencilGirl Products!!!
 
The stencil is available as an inverse of the design and also as a traditional cut out.
 

Black Birds in Tree Inverse with Lilac and Ecualyptus Tsukineko Inks.


This page is the result of brayering a sheet of clean paper onto the Inverse stencil while it was wet with alcohol inks.

 

Stencil Heaven!

 

 

Tsukineko ink on watercolor paper using my two stencil designs.


Birds in Tree Inverse Stencil -  works beautifully as a mask when laying down color!


"Bird in Trees Inverse" Stencil sample.  I'm in love with both of my stencil samples, if you don't hear from me well you know the drill send whoppers and cheesecake cause it means I'm holed up in my studio!




WIP - Crow Tree


Now in the auditioning stage.  Digitally printed silk organza fabric layered on top of painted timtex.

 
The digital print laying on top of some rosin paper, that I have covering my sewing table.


Digital silk print layered on top of a cotton digital print.  I'm experimenting with the ethereal values of the prints at this point to see which direction I want this piece to go.

Oh Christmas Tree!!!




Now some wool batting around the base to protect my vintage fabrics and lace.


A vintage slip (pettifore) that I found in the first wifes stash of yummy fabrics that I split up one side and draped over the wool batting.


Very pretty, and delicate!


Some crochet vintage panels draped over the vintage slip, I may rework this tomorrow but right now my raging head cold is saying "go take a nap"!


Yes the tree is in my studio, aka formerly known as the living room!


We will put the ornaments on the tree this Sunday, which will give the cats time to adjust to the tree.

My Creative Process: Decisions, Decisions


A few blocks of digitally printed silk organza layered over the digital image.


Medium value of indigo dyed silk organza net.


A very light value of indigo dyed silk organza net. 

I haven't made a final decision yet on the ove rall directioni of the piece.  I have, however, toyed with the idea of playing off the Queen Anne's Lace that's part of the digital collage.