A little crazy...

 Who but a mixed media artist would spend a couple of hours early on a sunny summer morning, assiduously ironing a pile of dryer sheets (previously put through the washer and dryer to remove those nasty chemicals)?

Donated by Facebook friends

I put out a request on Facebook about three months ago to have  friends save their dryer sheets for me - as always, I found many willing to help.  This is not the first pile of these I've tackled!

Nearly done the pile

Ironing them on the lowest possible setting is a big job, but interesting because of the huge variety of textures in the different brands of sheets.

Painted with a thin wash of leftover paint, and drying on a palette paper

I use these sheets to mop up leftover paint which I thin to a wash.

Palette paper ready for transfer

When I peel off the dryer sheet, the palette paper itself can be used to create a transfer of texture to a painting.

A rainbow of dryer sheets

Like cheesecloth mop-ups, painted dryer sheets are lovely to incorporate into paintings, and can add wonderful layers and obscure passages when needed.  They can be cut, torn and used as backings for painted papers as well - think soft, folded flowers and fabric additions for quilting, too!

What have you been up to this lovely morning?

Time in summer...

goes by really quickly, doesn't it?  I seem to barely turn around and another week is gone.

I spent one afternoon this week creating at Cherrybrook Farms along with Laura Leeder.

Laura Leeder painting an intricate watercolour of pears on lace

While Laura worked on her beautiful watercolour, I spent the afternoon creating fanciful flowers from my hand-painted papers.

Fold, chop, wrap, glue, repeat

We had a wonderful time, and I'm so into this flower making that it's fast becoming a new addiction (as if I don't have enough of those already).

Hand-crafted flowers created from hand-painted papers fortified with bond

Between harvesting the garden, picking berries, making jam, playing in the studio and enjoying guests who jump into the creative life with both feet, I feel like this summer is the best so far - and the fastest!  How's your summer going?  What are you creating?

Play time

seems to be a constant when one is 'retired'.  We've had another gang-buster time this past week with Alice Saltiel-Marshall and her husband Bill.

From the Skimmerhorn Winery to Crawford Bay and back again, we've filled four days with more activity than one could think possible.

Just before we went in

Drooling over remnants at Barefoot Handweaving

After many visits to Barefoot Handweaving, I was astonished to learn one could purchase a baggie of remnants for $4 - score!

 We burnished copper,

we shared stashes,

we painted papers,

 we played Bobbsy Twins with our stamps, paints and embellishments,

 and were colour pigs (although I feel we're young enough to be termed piglets) extraordinaire.

It was like being in another world.

This is my favourite done by Alice,

Love Letter to Gaia  Mixed Media by Win Dinn

and my personal favourite done by yours truly.

There's still time

for me to get into the studio occasionally. I've been doing some tidying and finishing work recently, in preparation for a few days visiting with the Marshalls.   Lei Aloha uses the time-honoured theme of music and roses to tell its tale.

Lei Aloha  Mixed Media by Win Dinn 12 x 9 on wood panel

I'm enjoying working on panels, along with doing the occasional matboard painting - those matted pieces work particularly well for travellers who need to pack lightly when heading home.

Where the Soul Flies    Mixed Media by Win Dinn  4.5 x 6.5 matted original

Equinox Energy has been been through quite an evolution since I painted the start in May.  The addition of leaves, spirals, coconut fibre, poppy head stamps and text gives some depth to a textured start.

Equinox Energy    Mixed Media by Win Dinn   12 x 9  on wood panel

I look forward to the next few days with great anticipation.  Alice and I will no doubt spend some of our time in the studio, and I'm sure that glorious chaos and fun will result - I'll keep you posted, of course!

Gardening Time

John has his, and I have mine, and while I'm allowed to weed in John's garden, it's not my favourite thing to be doing.  I much prefer my garden where I can control both the colour and the output.

 My flowers are created from hand-painted papers,

and buttons

 and dryer sheets

and are combined in any number of ways.  They're not representational, but free-form and colourful in ways that Mother Nature never intended.

Best of all - no weeding required!

It's always the colour...

that pulls me in, whether it's in the studio with paints, or in the garden.

I've not been much in the studio lately, with the ArtWalk volunteering and the constant gardening in this lush valley.  That doesn't mean I miss out on my colour fix, though, since strawberries are ripening in John's garden patch.

Freshly picked

 There is something so decadent about fresh strawberries.

Garden Bounty

When they're washed and ready to eat, it's nearly impossible to restrain myself.

Ready for fruit crisp

But I must - they're going into a fruit crisp for dinner tonight, and I.  must.  not. eat.

I can certainly enjoy the colour though.  Hope your day is filled with it (and fresh strawberries, too).  If not, search out your local farmer's market and track some down - it will inspire you.