Ghost Scarf, Painting 2 for the Work of One

When I paint a scarf with thickened dyes the scarf is pinned to a sheet of cotton muslin and all of the excess dye bleeds through to the muslin only to  be washed off eventually. This seemed like such a waste to me so I tried an experiment. In printmaking the second print you pull from a plate is called a "Ghost print" it is a weaker version of the first print but is often very interesting and can be further worked. So with that in mind I layered 2 blank scarves onto my table and pinned them down one on top of the other. After I was done painting I had a nearly complete duplicate scarf underneath the scarf that I had painted. It needed only slight touch ups and was much less work than painting a completely new scarf from scratch. Plus all of that excess dye was salvaged instead of being wasted on the drop cloth below only to be washed off.

The scarf towards the back was on top and the one towards the front of the photo was on the bottom. This "Ghost" scarf absorbed the excess dye and needed only minor touching up to complete it.

The top scarf, another scarf and the "Ghost" scarf hanging on the line before steaming.

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11 out of top 20 and Bumble Bee Totem

Our vibrant little town of Brattleboro, VT was recently voted number 11 in the “20 Best Small Towns in America” in Smithsonian Magazine's May issue. Vermont Woods Studios contacted me today and asked me if they could use one of my silk paintings of Brattleboro in their blog post today about Brattleboro receiving this honor. Check out their amazing furniture on their website. Vermont Woods Studios

After a couple of weeks of one distraction after another I finally got back to working on my Bumble Bee scarf today. For about a week now every time I go out on the deck there is a Bumble Bee that hovers right in front of me the entire time I sit there. When my sister was visiting from CT she noticed it as well. She said he was acting as my muse and showing up in my art on my silk scarves. I am a true believer in animal medicine and totems so I looked up Bumble Bee and I came across the website of Spiritual Healer Cathy Ginter Here is what she said about the Bumble Bee Totem:

"Bumble Bee: Bee is the ancient symbol of good fortune, joy and harmony. In the dream world, bee comes as a gift from Spirit. He buzzes about in order to awaken us into the moment. Alert and aware, we see that life is sweet and filled with brightness, color and light. Bee also teaches us to engage fully in our creative endeavors. The key is to focus with intention and to be single-minded in purpose. Finally, bee shows us that all life is interdependent."
I read it to my sister and our jaws just dropped. Man-oh-man that sure fits the work I am doing in my life right now, right down to my painting Bumble Bee scarves!

Be sure to visit my online store: Art on Silk & Paper

Misty Mornings & Lavender Fields

I have been playing around with some of my photographs in Photoshop and having a lot of fun.
It never ceases to amaze me the different effects you can active.

 Be sure to visit my online store for great Mother's Day gift ideas: Art on Silk & Paper

Packing & Shipping Large Framed Paintings

I thank God for my wonderful husband! He does all the grunt work for me. He cuts my mats, frames all my prints and paintings, boxes it all up and ships it out for me. Without him I would not be able to carry on with my art studio as I do now. So here is to you my love, thanks for all you do and for not complaining about being stuck in the basement all day yesterday matting, framing and packing up my art.

Photos below show the process Don goes through to pack and ship two of my large paintings that have been framed under glass.

These are the paintings he is packing

Tools of the trade :~)

Bubble Wrap

lots of bubble wrap

Putting frame corners over the bubble wrap

Putting shredded paper in the bottom of the box

Setting painting in box

Another layer of bubble wrap 

More shredded paper

Sealed air bags around the edges

Adding the second painting and more shredded paper

Pop on the lid

Tape up the box

What a mess!

4 boxes ready to ship out


 Be sure to visit my online store for great Mother's Day gift ideas: Art on Silk & Paper

Shut Down Vermont Yankee Rally in Brattleboro, VT

Here are some photos from the "Shut Down Vermont Yankee" rally yesterday. The speeches were awesome and the music was great but the people watching was over the top! Such an eclectic mix of people from all walks of life. Loved seeing all those old hippies dancing in the April sun! And, as you can see by the 2 photos directly below, while my husband and everyone else around me was eating free ice cream, I stuck to drinking my veggie juice for my 6 week juice fast!

 Be sure to visit my online store for great Mother's Day gift ideas: 
Art on Silk & Paper