Pottery Treasures

I didn't really mean to take a week off from blogging... it just kind of happened.  So maybe I'll try to catch up a bit.  Let me introduce you to a marvelous potter I met today.  Her name is Mary Tuttle and now I'm kicking myself for not taking a photo of this vibrant creature, she was SO fun!  She is from Buffalo Gap, VA.  I'd met her work a while back, fell in love nearly instantly.  I had no intention of buying anything, I was just scouting out a shop to see what the product mix was when I stumbled upon pottery done in colors that made me happy.  Anyone who knows me will be able to affirm that color is indeed the truest love of my life.  Before I knew it I was buying these:

This adorable little weed vase... which prompted a quick walk around my yard and the golf course next door for a few weeds, etc...

Buttercups are oddly pleasing... for a weed!

And this little bitty pitcher, it's got little dents on each side for perfect pouring.  Oh, it pleases me!

I've thought it might be nice to have a spoon rest for years.  Order appeals to me but I never found one that was remotely aesthetically pleasing until I saw this one:

And it is perfect for holding my favorite stirring spoons!

So these three pieces were my impulse purchase a while back.

Imagine my delight when I wandered into a booth at "Art in the Park" and found the same work... and thus... the artist her fine self!  Tickle me PINK!

That's how this little wall vase came to be mine... (perfect home for small measuring spoons!

And this one is perfect for my nutmeg grater!  I told Mary I love pottery but don't collect much because many potters work in such somber earthy colors.  She laughed and said if something comes out of her kiln in a somber color it's a mistake!  Is it any wonder I kept shopping?!

A small mixing bowl with two pour spouts... and a little salsa bowl (which is actually sporting some blueberries at the moment.) 

 

I really like the two little pocket vases on the kitchen cabinets, and you can see the tiny little weed vase and pitcher on the window sill.  The bright reds/oranges and purples in the glazes works beautifully with all the other color in my kitchen.

Speaking of color, a friend of mine wrote this little blurb about me:

Carmen Rose, known for her passion for color, whether in glass painting and fusing, silk scarf dyeing, or art quilts, is going to splash OASIS gallery with a special exhibit. She has worked in many media, but an eye for color is her signature. 

It's not the first time I've been billed as having some sort of a special relationship with color, I guess sometimes I forget that not everyone loves color like I do. I think that's why the work of potter Mary Tuttle delights me so!  Mary doesn't have a website, facebook page or even a twitter account... she's a phone person.  (I hate phones!)  She spends her time in the studio.  And though I'd love to be able to go somewhere and look at photos of her work or drop her an email to say that it was nice to meet her... I think she's got her priorities right.  It's good to be reminded that the studio is still the place where art happens.  And who wouldn't want to play in the dirt for a living?!

Happy Creating

(And happy stumbling across cool artsy type people)

-Carmen Rose

Delight in a Vase

Some weeds and things from the yard in this lovely little weed vase I picked up this week.  I had no intention of buying anything, I had gone into the shop just to scout it out... and I found this little bitty vase.  I ended up buying it and two other pieces that look like they were created just for me.  Isn't it lovely?!  I loves it!

Happy Creating,
-Carmen Rose

Why hello there!

I do love it when the critters visit me in my solitary work!

This handsome fella comes by, and sometimes his girlfriend visits.

I caught them smooching a while back, my friend told me later I should have told them to "get a tree!" =)

Yes, you are beautiful!

Happy Bird Watching,
-Carmen Rose

Jacob's Ladder Series Continued

The Jacob's Ladder series continues... this time turned on it's ear. This pair has been on the design wall a while but I've just finished up the one on the right. The other was in an earlier post.

I suppose I got a little carried away making "ladders" but they are a little like Pringles.  Can't make just one, can't eat just one... completely addictive!

I wrapped it around a 36 x 12 canvas that is about an inch deep. 

And I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

Put it together with some of the other quilts from the study and they seem happy together..

I have no idea what to title this one either, it's in the "Jacob's Ladder" series but turning it on it's side kind of changed the ladder into a slightly more architectural look.  

"Untitled in Blue"

hand dyed cotton, hand dyed white on whites and batik

fused and machine quilted

12 x 36

$450 framed

Happy Creating

-Carmen Rose 

Jacob's Ladder Quilt

Yeah, it's a theme with me right now... this "Jacob's ladder" imagery. I think it's safe to say that I'm on a "kick." This is one of the earliest ones, it's been on my design wall for a while.  

I quilted it up and stretched it over a 12 x 12 canvas.  I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

I love the piece of fabric on the right hand side.  It turned out with such neat color and texture.  And the fabrics are a combination of mostly hand dyed fabrics, some hand dyed white on the whites plus my favorite rich purple batik. 

"Jacob's Ladder in Blue"

Hand dyed cotton, white on white plus batik

Fused and machine quilted

12 x 12

$199 Framed

Happy Creating,

-Carmen Rose

Photo Shoot with Broken Pieces

I spent an evening with the men of the band "Broken Pieces" for a photo shoot. They are a neat group of guys, we had lots of fun on location. It was an overcast Sunday evening, the light seemed a bit unpredictable but I think we got some good shots anyway. I also liked what happened when I changed a few of them over to black and white. Which one do you think they will chose for their main photo? They've got choices.

These photos are taken at the Warf area of downtown Staunton.  There is a train station, and the train came by in the middle of the shoot, unfortunately one of the band members was on trapped on the other side or else I'd have photos of them in front of the moving train.  The location seemed to be a great fit and the guys had a natural sense of what to do in front of the camera.  I am pleased. 

one

Two:

Three:

Four:

Five:

Six:

Seven:

Eight

Nine

Ten:

Eleven:
The guys are: Jesse, lead singer & black guitar. Jeremiah, with the guitar the color of honey. Roy, longer hair, bass. Phil, drummer and La-Thon, sound guy. I'll drop by to hear them play one of these days, that sounds fun. Broken Pieces website.

Which one do you think they should choose?  Leave your vote in a comment.

Happy Creating (with some great music as well)

-Carmen Rose

Iris Quilt

I looked at a drawing I did ages ago and decided I wanted something to go with it

And this is what happened: 

I decided to put this one on a canvas stretcher as well as it was too big for any of my other frames.

The batik used for the background is all through the piece, so I think that's kind of cool.

Here they are together, the happy couple. 

The drawing is not for sale.  "Best Iris in Show" Bath County Art Show, I can't remember which year.

"Iris"

Hand dyed cotton, batik

Fused and machine quilted

12 x 12

$199

Happy Creating,
-Carmen Rose

Another Jacob's Ladder Study

This is another in the "Jacob's Ladder" series, except it just kinda went every which way.

I looked at it for a while trying to decide how to finish it and finally decided to work it on canvas stretchers.

 This is a gallery wrapped canvas, so it's about an inch and a half deep.

Now to decide what to call it.  

Suggestions?

"Untitled"

Hand dyed cotton and white on white, batik

fused and machine quilted

12 x 12 gallery canvas framed

$199

Happy Creating,
-Carmen Rose

Featured Artist Display May/June

I'm the featured artist at Oasis Gallery in Harrisonburg, Virginia for the months of May and June.  I've shown lots of pieces of the display, here's your chance to get back and take a look at the whole thing.

There are art quilts on the wall, some framed and some unframed.

Hanging on the wall I also have colorful hand dyed scarves in a variety of styles, cut velvet, cut satin and lovely silk scarves in a rich variety of colors.

And lots and lots of glazed art glass!

I'm pleased with how it all came together!

Happy Colors, Happy Creating,

Carmen Rose

Jacob's Ladder Study

Here are more in my "Jacob's Ladder" series. This is a shot of one of them in the featured artist display currently up May/June at the Oasis Gallery in Harrisonburg.

This is the pair of them, though one of them has some frame damage so I need to figure out how to handle that.

I do love these frames though, they are perfect for small art quilts!

Here they are up close and personal (pre-quilting)

I love the hand dyed fabrics, these pieces just had such cool pattern!

Jacob's Ladder Study 1 & 2

Hand dyed cotton, batik

Fused and Machine Quilted

6.5 x 6.5 framed to 17 x 17

$198 each, framed

Happy Creating,

Carmen Rose

The Confections

These little art quilts are my current favorites!

And I love how they look in the frames! 

It gives them a dimensional look that I really like!

And I think they look nice with the rest of the display.

Sometimes I can't believe my luck at working with color.  I love the movement, the give and take of interacting with color.  I am a full tilt addict, I can never seem to get enough!

They are:

Confection 1 & 2

Hand dyed & hand painted cotton

Fused & machine quilted

6.5 x 6.5 framed to 15 x 15

$245 each, framed

Happy Colors,

-Carmen Rose