A bit more on the guild exhibit

We had our opening reception for our guild show at the Halle Cultural Arts Center last Friday.  Pictures have been posted to the guild website.  Check them out at www.piedmontrughookers.com .  Click on Opening Reception...

Apple wedge completed

After some final tweeking I completed the apple wedge that I translated from my painting class.

I found the process to be a great study in value, trying get the highlights and shadows that were produced by the light shining from right side.  I find that I as well as my students tend to underestimate the darkness of shadows and the lightness of highlights. " Middle-valueitis" plagues us.  I think I still could have gone further.  But as my first teacher once said, "acknowledge and move on".  It's always a learning process.  I've learned for the next piece.

Guild Exhibit at the Halle

Come one, come all.  Our local guild, the Piedmont Rug Hookers , is having an exhibit beginning with an opening reception from 5:00 - 8:00pm  this Friday!

Come see the wonderful work of our talented artists!

More progress on the apple

I did a bit more on the apple piece. Next, I need to put in the shadow and the rest of the background. For now here is my progress...

Guild workshop at the beach

I'm down at the beach for  our rug guild's annual retreat.  We had rain yesterday but today the sun is out with a beautiful Carolina blue sky.  It's early in the morning and still a bit chill so we're inside busy working.  Here's some pics...

Apple hooking in progress

I started a new class this week so I didn't get to start this piece as soon as I had hoped.  I have eight students this session all who are very talented and take on projects that are very challenging.  I'll post some pictures of their efforts soon.

So, here's the beginnings of my apple. 

I ended up pulling strips from my leftovers rather than cutting up new swatches for such as small piece. Hopefully, I'll be able to find all the values and colors I need.  It's more of a challenge this way. 

I often have students who want to do more artistic small pieces and have to tell them that in order to do the piece justice they need to have acquired a stash of leftovers from several pieces in order to do this.  It is very hard to dye for a painterly piece because you need to use a large array of colors and values. A lot of bits of this and that.  I really got spoiled taking the painting workshop and being able to immediately mix up my color as I needed it.  Hunting down the right value and color out of my bin of strips or having to go and dyeing something is a lot more time consuming.  Ya gotta love this craft.

Billy Goat portrait gets finished

I completed the Billy Goat piece today.  I started him at the beginning of February but he got put aside for other things.  Glad he's finally done.  Now all that's left is the framing.  Here he is...

Such a sweet guy, don't you think?

My next adventure is to get back to transforming my painted apple wedge into a wool apple wedge.
 I've picked out some wools to use and sketched my apple onto my backing.  I changed my format to a square rather than the rectangular format in which it was painted.  I somehow like the square better.
Now it's just a matter of cutting some strips and doing some "painting".