Couldn't Leave It Alone

I got the borders made and sewn on the third Smoky Mountain piece (there will be a tutorial about this process coming up soon). It was on my design wall for a few days hanging with the first two along with my reference photo. While sorting the heap of scraps on my studio floor into separate bags ... one for lake quilts, another for future mountain pieces, plus a pile of the larger pieces for scrap blocks to make charity quilts ...I studied and compared.
I couldn't leave it alone! Each day I was less enamored with just letting the fabric tell the whole story. Compared to the first two versions it was looking like a "paint by number" piece.

Sugarlands Overlook (14"x 14")

I just had to get out the oil stick pastels and watercolor pencils to shade hard edges and add fall colors to the trees in the mountains. Who knows? I may not be finished with touching it up yet.

I feel a need to get into the Smoky Mountains before continuing this series, which will happen in less than a month. In the meantime, it will be back to creating lake quilts while I'm living on the shore of my subject. Between pieces I'll continue to make blocks from the pile of larger scraps

Custom Collages

"Custom Artwork Available"...it says so on my business card. However, I have only been approached a handful of times to create a custom piece. I wonder sometimes if customers think that the only images I can use are those of vintage folks that so often grace my collages. In reality, I can use almost any image.

The collage featured here was created using a photo of mine from 1974. Here we are...my BFF and me back in our glory days :) I scanned the photograph, changed the coloring in Photoshop and voila'...a collage steeped in memories. I also took special care to include elements in the background that had relevance, such as the song lyric "tho we're apart" (as we are these days) and also the reference to New York, where we grew up together.

She really enjoyed receiving this gift and I imagine others would feel the same upon receiving such a collage. So if you are looking for a unique holiday gift this season, click "custom artwork" in my sidebar and we'll take it from there.

BTW...I'm the one on the right with the tinsel teeth...and we always wore our overalls to school on the same day :D

Ahhhh...memories.

© Nancy Lefko

Illustration Friday ~ Packed

Ruthie's journey awaits...she's all PACKED and ready to go.

This ACEO collage is my submission for Illustration Friday and is available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Arty Girlz Challenge ~ Autumn

Better late than never, this collage is my submission for the Arty Girlz theme AUTUMN. This idea came to me as soon as I saw the prompt, but a hectic week kept me out of my studio until tonight.

The maple leaf used was one from our yard that I scanned and then colored in Photoshop.

This ACEO is available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Third Mountain Piece

Okay, this is the result that I had in mind. The fabrics are speaking loud and clear and telling the story. A bit of oil stick pastel work shades the distant "orange" mountain and I drew in a few more tree trunks in the foreground stand of trees. Now, if I can just leave it be.

9'x 9"

This is how it looked before the free-motion machine quilting defined the areas. I used clear mono-filament thread for the clouds, a smoke one for the foreground stand of trees and the furthermost mountains.
Two different variegated King Tut #40 threads are zig-zagged on the middle range mountains.
...and here are the fabrics that form the foundation of the scene before bits and pieces plus wool roving were added for finer details.
Now, who would've dreamed that the flip-flop shoe batik fabric would become trees. It's amazing what can be "seen" when digging through heaps of scraps. I can't believe these bags contain so few green scraps.

Next is making the border for this piece. I'll photograph the steps for a tutorial in the next post.

A Second Mountain Piece

A guest here at the cottage who has hiked a lot in the Smoky Mountains recognized this spot. It's the Sugarlands Overlook. I'm pleased that she recognized it from the quilt before seeing the photo.
I made another small quilt of that same scene. This time I'll take you backwards in my process.

Sugarlands Overlook (10"x 8")

The finished piece has a lot added ... oil stick pastels, watercolor pencils, watercolor crayons, paint, and permanent marker. My intention was to let the fabrics and stitching speak, but that's not how it worked out. Now that it's too late, I wish I had stopped nearer to this point ... just after the machine free-motion quilting was finished.
A few sunny highlights plus drawing a suggestion of trunks and branches in the foreground trees may have done it.

This is how it looked with the tulle overlay and before the quilting contours were added.
And a peek at the foundation pieces before wool roving and lots more of scattered bits became a part of it.I may try making another quilt of this particular view before moving on. I'm pleased with the results of these first two. However, it's not my intention to have to add so many other mediums to get them to the point of liking them. It's all serendipity plus a bit of experience that may get the results in the way I desire ... allowing the fabric to have the strongest voice.

Thanks, Beth and Deborah

My thanks to Beth Macre and Deborah for choosing my collages to be a part of their treasuries.

Finding your work in a treasury as you're surfing through Etsy just never gets old :)

Thanks, Beth and Deborah!

With Sincere Thanks

I am very late in saying thank you for being chosen for two Etsy treasuries last week. It is too late to visit these and see the other artists featured, but hopefully not too late to express my gratitude.

So, thank you Lisa and Jo for choosing my art to share space with that of other talented folks :)

I have spent a good deal of time this morning visiting those amazing artists listed in my blog roll. So often I get too busy to visit and I don't want any of you to forget how much joy you bring to my day when I stop by your blog.

The Etsy treasury pictured above is one of my own creation. It is still live for a bit longer, so please visit and enjoy the work of mixed media friends :)

Smoky Mountains

There just may be a Smoky Mountain series in my near future. If so, here's number one.

Smoky Mountains (14"x 14")

This photo taken a few falls ago was my reference.
I ended up dumping all my scraps out of their bags to find large enough pieces of browns, purples, and greens. That mess is still on the floor here in my Michigan studio.
The sky is a major element, as well as being the most distant in this composition, so it was arranged first.
For the first time I placed a piece of light blue tulle over the sky fabric pieces and roving before I continued with building the mountains. My purpose was to keep them from migrating down into the mountain area. Mmmmm...I'll have to keep this in mind for a misty (smoky) horizon in future pieces.

You'll notice the fabrics are not ironed. I like the texture that wrinkled fabrics lend to the work. My next step was to scatter bits and pieces to represent the trees on the distant mountains and then I added wisps of wool roving to the foreground trees.
Another layer of light blue tulle to hold all the layers in place evened out the effects.
The quilting patterns added details, but when that was done the piece had lost its "sunshine". I wish a photo had been taken then, but I couldn't wait to get at it with watercolor pencils and oil stick pastels to get light and shadows in there to more clearly define the distances between the foreground stand of trees and the distant mountains. For a time, I was afraid it had been overworked. I'll try to keep this in mind when choosing and layering the fabrics in future mountain pieces. As I recall, this is very much how I felt about Lake #1 ... overly done to make it work.

The border is made from the leftover pieces I had created to frame "Regeneration". I like the way this type of border looks with the mountain theme. It's the same type that borders the "Bear Lake" quilt. The next time I create one, I'll take step-by-step photos for a tutorial.
There will be lots of photos taken in those mountains when we get back to Tennessee in a month. In the meantime, I intend to "play" with a few more pictures I already have in my archives.

mmmm...wonder where this creative adventure will go.

Inspire Me Thursday ~ Storyteller

As I mention on my website, I enjoy telling stories through my collages. That is why my entry for the Inspire Me Thursday prompt, STORYTELLER, is a collage featuring an artist. There are stories all around us and I hope to celebrate those stories through art.

This collage entitled, "The Artful Life," is available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Illustration Friday ~ Clique

Mimi, Rose and Trixie, aka the "Party Girls" were considered by some to be a CLIQUE. But, in reality, they were more than willing to let others join the party.

My submission for Illustration Friday is now available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Friends

This collage began life as a discarded book. The cover received a generous sampling of papers, paints and inks and soon a fun background was born. Today it received its finishing touches, and is now available in my Etsy shop. *SOLD*

While working on this collage, I was thinking of a friend I have known for over 35 years. She was there then and she is here now...a true link to my past and bridge to my future.

Chris, this one's for you :)

© Nancy Lefko

Purple and Orange Lake Quilts

While the after effects of Ike weather was storming over the lake this past weekend I felt compelled to create colorful lake pieces.

Lake #64 (13"x 11")

How the layered piece looks after the rows of machine quilting stitches are added always amazes me. Here's the before with the layer of tulle laid on top.
That purple and orange sunset lake piece lead to another.

Lake #65 (13"x 11")

...and how it appeared before the quilting defined the clouds, waves, and patterns in the sand.
The first two are definitely sunsets. Monday morning we awoke to pink tinged clouds at sunrise which sparked this one.

Lake #66 (13"x 11")

...and its appearance before I quilted it.
I haven't run out of enthusiasm for this series and am surprised and amused at what triggers each one. It had been my concern that making so very many pieces of basically the same composition would eventually bore me. But then, I never tire of looking at the lake from the same location everyday, year after year after year after year ....

Thank You, Fannie and Diana

My dear friend Fannie of Imagine, Create, Inspire, has bestowed upon me this sweet BFF Gold Card. It underscores for me the unique friendship we, in the art blogging community, share. The support, encouragement and inspiration we receive and give is remarkable.



And the wonderful Diana of Back to the Drawing Board has made this utterly sweet award and has warmly included me in her list of bloggers she enjoys visiting.

These two warm and caring women are but two of the fabulous folks I have met since entering this blog-land. With deep gratitude and respect I would like to share these awards with all those bloggers who make my day by greeting me with wonder, beauty and friendship each and every time I visit.

Making More Lake Pieces

Since demonstrating the technique I use to construct the lake quilts in my series to 100 at Good Good's gallery, I've been concentrating on making more.

Lake #63 (13"x 12")

The one above was created the second day, Sunday, at the Gallery. Here's how it looked when I brought it home to quilt. It represents the beautiful, clear, and warm days at the end of August here in Michigan before the effects of Hurricane Ike reached us.

I made six small quilts that looked stormy. They began as one very long piece ... the width of my work table. When I began the quilting process there was a problem with the "orts" shifting under the tulle netting, so I cut it into more manageable pieces.
Four of the small 5"x 8" quilts were presented to the gallery ladies at Good Goods in appreciation of the work they did in the wonderful presentation of my quilts. Those pictured below were gifted to two young families to commemorate their visit here at the cottage during a very wet and stormy weekend.

Lake #'s 62.5 and 62.6

I don't consider the small sized lake pieces to be an official count in the series. They get a decimal point designation after the number of the larger one just finished.

WIP's ~ Backgrounds

A little time here and there and the backgrounds for my works-in-progress are complete. Two collages called for soft tones and the other two begged for pop and contrast. When the completed works are posted, I hope you agree. (Some of these collages when finished will be vertical, but for the ease of photographing I have laid them out as so.)

Arty Girlz Challenge ~ Birthday

If there was one thing Kitty loved, it was a good party! Complete with a crown for the birthday girl.

Happy Birthday to Arty Girlz Challenge!!

© Nancy Lefko

More Birds

Three more birds have been added to the growing flock out there in the world by me. I created one from zebra and leopard print fabrics as a house gift for a friend. She has lived in Africa and this one, complete with a mane-like headdress, blends in with her decor. The other one was made for Bev in appreciation for her sending me the raveled threads that result from washing and drying her hand-dyed fabrics as well as some dyed cheese clothe and fat quarters of that dyed fabric. Her fabrics made a beautiful bird.
I took a cue from my friend, Alicia, and glued the feet of the zebra bird to a rock and the Bev's to a piece of drift wood ... both of which were found on the beach. Here's a photo of Alicia's flock perched on her back fence in Milwaukee. A few of them are standing on shells while others are on rocks and pieces of driftwood.
Speaking of Alicia, she had given me yards of a wonderfully wild fabric that I challenged her and another friend, Helen, to use in these birds when we got together a few weeks ago.
Helen gifted me with a nest. Her bird with the challenge fabric used in the body is on the left, Alicia used that fabric for her birds underbody who is in the nest, and mine with that fabric as the wings is on the right. This one was the first to get a fancy yarn headdress. Three lengths of yarn are glued along the seam on top of their heads.

PS: To see a collection of photos of my birds and those of my friends go here.

PPS: If you've made a bird from my pattern I'd like to see it. Send me a link or email a photo to me (find email address in my Profile). I'll post your photo in my Picasa album if you give permission.

Illustration Friday ~ Island

Sally dreamed of days filled with catching sea creatures, collecting seashells and feeling the ocean breeze on her face.

This collage, created for Illustration Friday's theme ISLAND, is available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Inspire Me Thursday ~ Yellow

This ACEO collage was inspired by the sisterhood of artists who encourage me to reach for the stars, never give up and follow my dreams ~ you know who you are :)

"Reach" is available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Works in Progress

This week I wore the MOM hat every waking minute and did not set foot in my studio once. I was yearning to create something; to have my fingers in paint and inks. I read the challenge blogs and wondered when I could find the time to participate. Tonight I decided to make some time to wear the ARTIST hat and now have six collages in the works.

Here is a mix and match of various backgrounds and images. (Maybe you can guess which image goes where and then when I post the finished pieces you'll see if you were right.)

An Autumn Treasury

My sincere thanks to Jodi of Sweet Repeats for including my "Best Friends" collage in her Etsy treasury.

A beautiful autumnal collection of art, this treasury includes wonderful artists and I am thrilled to be among them. Please visit Jodi's shop and the treasury and all of the work at each artist's shop.

Many thanks, Jodi.

Mind-Wide Open Challenge ~ Boo

"The Demon's second wife was an internationally known fan-dancer."
© Nancy Lefko

The above collage is my entry in the September challenge at Mind-Wide Open. Every month an image and word prompt is given for participants to use as they choose and the entries are just amazing. I wasn't sure I was up to this challenge, as I remember the stellar entries from August, but with inspiration from my online pals Kathy and Pam, I decided to take the plunge.

Using the image below, I created "The Demon's Second Wife" on a vintage book cover using copies of vintage papers, decorative paper, acrylic paint, inks, vintage text, foreign stamps and a bit of a distressed playing card.

I encourage you to visit Mind-Wide Open to see all the wonderful entrants posted there. And if you feel so moved, you can even vote for me :)