Masters weekend

I am just returning from a weekend with 5 amazing women- 3 students who will be traveling this journey with me, and the two directors of the program. It was a very full weekend of taking, crits, and exploration. I can't wait to do it again!
I am posting more of the alphabet project here to try and catch up on all of the work I have been producing.













Cheers!

Kimberly

Exciting demo from Michael Harding

Here in Belmont, some hard working artists have formed a group called the Belmont Art Association. I have just recently signed up and went to my first meeting last night.
When I arrived, I was told the person giving a demo was Michael Harding- a man who hand mixes and sells some of the most wonderful oil paint I have ever worked with! I was thrilled! He explained how he started the business and shared stories of how these amazing paints are made.

He and his wife Karyn were very helpful and generous with their time.

For an art geek like me, this was better than the World Series!


















Cheers!

Kimberly

Leaf bundle results...

Well, let's just say this was a lesson in patience!

The bundles got better each extra day I left them bundled. I am, however, incredibly impatient and so am now trying again with the leaves that showed the most promise!
This is what the bundles looked like...



This is apiece of delicate silk that may not have retained the leaf image so much, but lovely tea staining happened which will work for me.....


This one holds the most promise. These were the only leaves with no fall color to them that I pressed. They appear, however, to be the best at leaving behind color. I am doing this bundle again!


And this is the last one- the mirror image of this leaf turned out subtle, but clear.


Cheers!


Kimberly

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Eco-dying with leaves

I have been experimenting with Eco-dying, inspired by India Flint- fabric dying extraordinaire!
These are images of the bundles in the steamer basket....



And later lined up on my counter. I have to be strong and patient- soooooo hard to do! They should stay bundled (in other words- no peeking!) for several days at least.


I will update when they are unbundled!


Kimberly

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Alphabet project...

This piece is silk, linen, and cotton organdy. I have painted and then stitched the surface to connect the layers.




I have also done some French knot work to define the smaller feather.




Loving the process!
Kimberly
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Another piece in the alphabet project...

This piece is called "Torn". I have Eco-dyed (India Flint inspired) silk and then painted the fabric with watercolors. After that I stitched it with beads and French knots to attach it to a lovely remnant of silk velvet.

I am so enjoying the exploratory process this project is encouraging. There will be 26 total pieces by December. Each piece a little different, but all leading me down the same path toward a bigger vision.

Kimberly

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Artwork delivered!

Today I delivered 5 pieces- 3 watercolor paintings and 2 French knot paintings- to a gallery in Falmouth, Maine. Couleur Collection invited me to participate in their Autumn group show- very exciting!




I drove to Maine and back this morning to get the pieces there in time. Now, back to the MFA work!


Kimberly

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MFA!

I am beginning a program to get my Masters in Fine Arts! It is a low-residency program through Heartwood College of Art which means I do most of the work from my studio at home. They provide mentors to help me through the process and "classmates" to meet with once a semester.
I am giddy over this whole thing!
My first assignment is to create 26 pieces, all related in subject matter, size, and material. This is a big assignment!
I struggled with how to approach this- paintings, drawings, stitching, French knots?? So I stepped back and looked at everything that I love the most- what ends up in my sketchbooks, what surrounds me in my studio, the subject matter that I seem to circle back to over and over- and I decided to do assemblages. I am layering linen, cotton organdy, wool Melton, etc and painting and stitching the layers. Using birds as my inspiration- feathers, nests, eggs, and birds are all involved. I am also drawn to muted colors and natural dyes, so much of the color will be subtle.



My work table!


One of the first pieces.


I will be occasionally posting progress-


Wish me luck!


Kimberly

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Hey everyone!

Summer is here and I am preparing for a show I have been invited to participate in the autumn.





Two views of the annual apple picking pilgrimage most New Englanders participate in every autumn.

Kimberly
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Long time no see- check out Tumbleweed Tiny Houses!

Hey everyone!  So sorry for the long absence, but things around here in Boston have been, shall we say, a little Crazy!  During stressful, dangerous times, my creative juices dry up- but I am now in recovery mode and ready to start again.

I am jumping back on to share about a workshop I attended this weekend- Tumbleweed Tiny Houses!  Honesty, I don't think I have ever wanted to build much of anything in my life, but after sitting through two full days (yes, two full days) listening to this magnificent presenter (Ella) and meeting a load of fantastic folks attending the workshop- I am on board!  My hope is to some day build a Tumbleweed studio/ guest house in a backyard somewhere near a coastline- wouldn't that be idyllic??  Anyhow- the short version is that these Tumbleweed people started off building a house on a trailer- so friggin cute!  The houses can actually be towed around with you!

See pictures to understand better-

 This is Ella- 24 years old and build her Tumbleweed to afford to live happily- built it for 15,000.

 We got a blow by blow on how to build this house- I swear I could do this!

 This is Paul- great guy who left Merges and acquisitions job in NYC (I think) to work for Tumbleweed!

 We actually got to SEE a Tumbleweed!  Coincidentally they had one being transported and they stopped by.  This is in Coolidge Corner!  You should have seen the attention it got!

 Front door

 Half way into the house, looking toward the front at the kitchen

 Bathroom off to the left

And Ella, strumming her banjo for all of us during a break.

Good fun, good folks, and thanks to my step-father for "dragging" me along.  I think I was the one making him stay by the end.  He knows a lot of building stuff, but I don't, so it was a great learning experience for me, but maybe a bit redundant for him! www.tumbleweedhouses.com

Thanks for reading!

Kimberly

Updates

Hello everyone,
I am posting to update on how things are going in the world of Nine Stones Needlework and my artwork and our new kitties!
To start with, Nine Stones- there is a big show in Nashville this weekend, where my amazing distributor will be showing my New England Chapel pattern. At the same time, my amazing stitcher Katie, out in Oregon, is working on a new piece. The red dress painting is coming along beautifully!




This is the original painting.
With my personal artwork, I have been twisting lots and lots of French knots!








More on that front soon!
And lastly, our latest additions to our family- kitties! We finally chose names, after many, many suggestions and lots of disagreements- Buttercup and Monty (short for Inigio Montoya!). The reference is from Princess Bride!






More soon!
Kimberly
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Some new watercolors....

I will be posting some new work over the next few days. Lots going on in my creative world these days- painting, stitching, knotting and I am thrilled to announce that I have secured a studio on the coast of Maine with a great friend. This will allow me to offer retreat/ workshop weekends this summer! More on that coming soon.




Purple Lithianthus



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New Work!

Hello everyone,

After a long break between posts, I am ready to show some new work. This year is going to be one of great focus and determination for me. My cross stitch business is steadily gaining ground and my personal artwork- the French knot paintings, have sparked my creative side in a way I haven't felt in quite a while. The discovery of a way to combine my love of painting and drawing with my passion for fiber art through the French knot work was what I have been searching for.
This is an example of some of the knotted work I have been stitching lately-






Tell me what you think!


Kimberly


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Delicate feather

I love feathers, and this little downy one was a challenge to paint, but I am in love with the results! 

If you are receiving many posts twice because you subscribe to both of my blogs, please unsubscribe from one to simplify things for your inbox.  I am unable to drop one blog due to high subscriber numbers on both, so I am double posting most days. 

Thank you for following!

Kimberly

Hooray! I am ready to release the next pattern in the Nine Stones Needlework collection!
New England Chapel is a wonderful cross stitch pattern taken from a series of paintings I have done of charming churches and barns up in Maine and Massachusetts.
I have charts ready to ship for the holidays!







More will be coming in January! If you would like to purchase any cross stitch patterns from me, please visit www.ninestonesneedlework.com or my etsy site- etsy.com/shop/ninestonesneedlework


Kimberly


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