Art Show and Waiting for Hurricane Ida

 The juried art show at the Lucile Parker Gallery on the William Carey University campus is a beautiful event to see, even though the opening reception was COVID-cancelled. My Blue Ghost-Quilted Flowers won a second place ribbon, which was very satisfying. The Best of Show winner, Jo-Ann Adams, came up from Poplarville and we toured the show one afternoon last week. The show is open 1:00-4:00 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays through September 23.

Jo-Ann Adams, Best of Show Persimmons, watercolor

My Blue Ghost-Quilted Flowers, 2nd place;
Andrea Kostyal, 1st place

Enlarge to see

Enlarge to see

Today is the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and Hurricane Ida, another Category 4-5 storm, is scheduled to hit the Louisiana coastline later today. We are 150 miles from the eye but are expecting 5-10 inches of rain and the threat of tornadoes. 

Meanwhile, the Black-(or Brown)-eyed Susans, Lantana, Big Blue Liriope Muscari, and coleus still provide beauty as they struggle to survive the high 90s heat every day of August.

A Little Trip

After months of staying at home, I wondered if I was up to taking a driving trip on my own. Funny how isolation and lockdown can play havoc with one's confidence and ability to do things we used to take for granted. But after much deliberation I summoned enough courage and enjoyed a trip to a dear quilting friend's house for an overnight fabric/sewing/quilting visit. This is the view from her sewing room on Lake Caroline in Madison. 

I did a little more thread-painting. She worked on some of her beautiful corded bowls. Another friend came over to share some fabric she thought we would like; we talked over some project plans and browsed some quilting sites. 

Meanwhile, my daughter went to my house to feed the cats. Elizabeth was grateful for a lap to cuddle on. Tarbaby took advantage of my absence to sleep on the puzzle on the dining room table.

August Happenings

South Mississippi Art Association has a juried exhibition at the Lucile Parker Gallery at William Carey University August 24-September 23, 2021. I am honored to have one of my entries pictured on the invitation.  The Opening Reception had to be cancelled, but the exhibit will be open to the public Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 1:00-4:00 p.m.  My pieces accepted in the show are Bronze Sunflower and Blue Ghost-Quilted Flowers. 

Bronze Sunflower, 19" x 19"

Blue Ghost-Quilted Flowers, framed 17" x 17"

The most beautiful plant in my yard right now is this canna with its striped leaves. It has had two small red/orange blossoms, but I love the leaves even more than the flowers.

With Brown-Eyed Susans below

Brown-Eyed Susans recently watered

Colored pencil art has never been easy, but here is a little practice piece I did in Dana Stratton's class at OLLI. Seeing this makes me happy to get back to my thread-painting, where I feel more confident. 

Yellow, green, and striped bell peppers (colored pencil)

An Internet search for large flowers on black background resulted in these huge (24" square) specimens which I am trying to thread-paint. I have tried one on my HQ16 with satisfactory results. I'm reluctant to stitch any more closely for fear of puckering. 

Three-yard piece of huge flowers

Enlarge to see stitching

More Thread-Painted Flowers

I just love adding stitches to these flowers. I think of drawing or painting while my sewing machine does the work. The shiny polyester or rayon thread serves as paint and the needle as the brush. Changing thread colors is the only interruption to the zen-like strokes. I showed this first one on my blog last week and it has garnered many, many likes and compliments. I think the simplicity of the large flower is especially appealing. It will be framed in black.

Everybody's favorite, 5" x 7"

Another pink/rose piece, 5" x 7"

Yellow Gerbera daisies, framed 8" x 10"

Orange Gerbera daisies, 5" x 7"

Then I began working on some blue flowers on a dark blue background. They are shown matted but not yet framed.

5" x 7" 

5" x 7" 

Drama at Winn-Dixie and Blueberry Pie

Some days are uneventful. Some contain far too much drama--like yesterday.

   After filling my cart with my week's grocery shopping, I realized that my wallet was not in my purse.  The checker agreed to hold the cart, even putting some items in the cooler, until I could go home and come back with my credit card. I left and thought the quicker solution was to call my daughter and ask her to bring my bank debit card. I stopped at Java Moe's for a London Fog while I waited for her. Their machine was down and luckily I had a few bills loose in my purse. That's when I saw my checkbook. So I called to cancel Linda and went back to Winn-Dixie to pay for my groceries with a check. 

   I had to get in the same checker's line, and two customers waved me ahead for this quick pick-up. It took a while for someone to retrieve the cart, locate the cash register ticket, and accept my check for $90.54. But the "check-receiving machine" occasionally requires photo ID for a check, so the checker asked for my driver's license. Well, it was with my credit cards in the wallet, but I had a picture of it on my phone. Not good enough. Time was ticking by and the line was getting longer, with the original two customers patiently waiting and graciously accepting my repeated apologies. When it looked like I was going to have to leave again to get my wallet, the second customer offered to pay with her credit card and take my check in repayment. It was terribly embarrassing to be causing such an ordeal but quite a lift to the spirits to find a Good Samaritan ready to help!

    When I got home and unloaded I was eager to sit down with my London Fog tea and a slice of the blueberry pie I had bought. Glancing at the grocery ticket, I noticed an overcharge on the pie, and then realized the blueberry pie did not get home with me. Well, rats! I was too tired to go back yesterday, but today I did go and was given the pie, along with a refund for the overcharges (caused when the system dropped my rewards card with the delay in paying). I am a happy Winn-Dixie customer but will be more careful about keeping my wallet in my purse. 

Thread-Painting and Bread Making in August

After the excitement of the Pacesetter Gallery opening last week, I have been relaxing and having fun with some small thread-painted pictures. These are brightly printed heavy-weight fabrics (such as upholstery prints) that lend themselves well to the additional stitching. I use felt for the stabilizer or batting, then lay a colored mat over to see which portion of the fabric I want to frame. Enlarge to see the stitching.

5-1/2" x 7-1/2" in 9" x 12" mat

5-1/2" x 7-1/2" in 9" x 12" mat

4" x 6" in 5" x 7" mat

The  weather has been in the high 90s, and a surge in the delta variant of the virus makes staying inside seem quite sensible!

It was also a good opportunity to try more whole wheat bread making, this time with sunflower seeds and rolled oats and flax seed.