"Place" . . . Recent Paintings by Catherine Freshley

"Willapa Bay Mudflats"

(Washington Coast)

30" x 40"

"Ross Island and Mt. Hood"
(Willamette Valley, Oregon)

36" x 60"

"Butte -- Columbia River Gorge"

24" x 48"

Our daughter, Catherine, has been painting like crazy and seems to have a ready pipeline of folks who would like a painting of a place that is special to them.  Place -- i.e., those places that have shaped who we are and that continue to pull us back to them after we have left -- is a theme that Catherine has explored for several years in her writing and art.   When she moved to Eastern Washington state, someone suggested that she concentrate on painting local landscapes of the Columbia Basin steppe, since the folks in the vicinity would likely be more interested in them than in paintings of the coastal area that has been so important to our family.  Of course, this makes perfect sense from a statistical standpoint.  Yet in the year that she's been there, Catherine has encountered people who have instantly recognized the rather anonymous scenes of her assorted paintings of Willapa Bay, and  have recounted fond memories of having spent a great deal of time in their childhood actively engaged with the endlessly changing coastal estuary that is impacted by the ebb and flow of the tide.  

Isn't it wonderful that mere pigments, when suspended in binders and transferred to a surface via a process of acute observation and carefully considered brush strokes, can instantly bring forth a multitude of memories and an infinite range of emotions?

Have a wonderful week!

 

Stitching

Relief printing on found wool herringbone.

Lately, I've been taking steps toward creating some finished pieces from fabrics I have either hand printed, upcycled or both. With the printed fabric, above, it was simply a matter of ironing and laundering to make certain the ink was set so that I could move forward with stitching it into something. Other pieces have involved a fair amount of repetitive hand stitching, often in solitude, with no music except the crackling of a low fire. I have found this activity to be extremely enjoyable -- peaceful and meditative, while at the same time, allowing the mind the freedom to roam or to focus on any given topic. 

Screen print with cream-on-cream running stitch. 

Last night, I met up with the small group of women that have continued to get together since we first met in a wallpaper design class at OCAC two years ago. Our ages span four decades and our artistic focus varies, which always makes for interesting conversation.  Our original intent was to continue hand printing wallpaper and fabric, but we've settled into a routine of simply bringing whatever we each want to work on.  Often, I bring a hand stitching project.  Other activities seem to require too much attention on my part and sometimes more space than is available, whereas the stitching is confined to my lap and allows me to focus on the conversation.  I like the fact that we have maintained our commitment to one another, and that we are part of the age old tradition of women "stitching" their lives together as they gather in the evening to discuss family and world matters while they work.

 

Hoping you've had a wonderful weekend and are looking forward to a creative week ahead!

:)

Bringing in 2012

The "Talisman"

Truth be told, the arrival of the new year was trumped, in my mind, by the anticipated arrival of our daughter, who has been working her way through Europe for three months via the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms program.   We've been tending her orchid next to our kitchen sink, since she's been gone.  It was without flowers when she left, but a bud began to swell on the main stem a couple of months ago.  We urged the bud along as it grew and turned pinkish, but it dropped off the stem before blooming.  And then, the same thing happened a few weeks later.  At that point -- having had no experience with orchids -- I began to wonder if we were over-watering the orchid, or if these buds were in fact precursors to the real deal, and a bloom was yet to come.  Finally, another bud emerged that came on faster than the other two, and surpassed them both in size.  Then we began to speculate about the timing, intrigued by the coincidence of the impending bloom that would surely occur on New Year's Day, or perhaps in time for our daughter's arrival today.  As it turned out, the bloom began to open on New Year's and fully opened this morning -- just in time.  :)

To all who have landed here, I wish you all that is good in 2012.  To those of you who have been following along, I thank you for your friendship, and for your interest and support of my work.  Most importantly, I thank you for sharing your knowledge on your own blogs, and for the wonderful work and the goodwill that you are generating around the world.

Happy New Year!!

Switching it Up

 Found carving by unknown artist.

Time to switch it up in our little house.  Time to take down this painting and put this beautiful carving, found for a song many moons ago in an antique mall, away so as to make room for a fresh-cut tree.  Time to get up in the attic and bring down the holiday boxes in order to begin the process of metamorphosis.  Time to clear off the dining room table of fabrics -- laid out in anticipation of productivity -- and the myriad stacks of prints that clutter other assorted surfaces.  Time to switch out the current mix of CDs for holiday favorites and to keep apple cider and cinnamon on low on the back stove burner to fragrance the house.    And yes, I might be just a little behind . . .  :)



Hope the season is treating you well.

Cheers!

Teal Ribbon-Waves and Frosty Fog

"Teal Ribbon-Waves"

Mixed Media Collage

It's a beautiful foggy, frosty day in Portlandia.  No chance of seeing the full eclipse of the moon, even if one had wanted to arise in the early hours to behold it.   Still working on my numerous collages, but making a short foray into the realm of sewing . . . both by hand and machine.   Feeling the need to at least put some wintery/holiday music on, since there are no visual indications of the holiday season in our home yet.

Has another week really gone by already?

Happy weekend, All!

 



Autumn Glory

Revelled in the beauty outside my windows this weekend.

Fog and frost followed by clear skies.

Went for a short drive, late,

keenly aware of the barren structure of vegetation.

Few leaves remaining, with seedheads and pods

now in their prime.

Too many miles, (though only several, actually)

traveled too quickly by car.

No time to stop to honor

each tree, bush, and patch of wild weed/flowers

while zooming along to my destination.

But in the late, late afternoon sun,

at last, a chance to walk slowly,

breathe deeply of tall cedars and firs,

and capture light

enveloping a small stand of barren bushes.

 

Mixed media on paper

Visit this flickr photostream to see images of someone who clearly takes time to honor the beauty of the natural world. Page after page of gorgeous landscape shots alternating with beautiful and interesting close-ups.

Hoping your week is off to a great start!

"Caliente" . . . New Collage

Mixed media

5 1/2" x 7"
available

Such a lovely weekend in progress!  Lots of leftover food to indulge in, compliments of others, primarily, so not much going on in the kitchen.  Plenty of time by the fireside and even some time to do a little art with Catherine and take a walk.   I'm still working on piecing my prints and embellished papers together -- hoping that an idea for a  painting is brewing somewhere in my subconscious.  Well, actually, I suppose there are several ideas brewing, so it's more a matter of settling on one and beginning.  I have derived inspiration lately from Nicholas Wilton's beautiful book of paintings completed in 2011.  (This was my birthday present to myself -- purchased early so as to get my hands on it sooner -- of course!)  I first saw Wilton's paintings several years ago at a gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona.  I loved them then and I recognized his work instantly when I came across it again on Robyn Gordon's wonderful blog, Art Propelled, many months ago.

(A scanned image of my copy of the book.)
 You can link to a view of  Wilton's entire book online: 

Here

I've also enjoyed Wilton's blog immensely.  He doesn't post often (how could one when one is so prolific?), but his posts are always thoughtful, with generous use of images, and generous sharing of information regarding technique and his personal artistic process.   Really, you should take a look.  :)



Thanks for visiting . . .

Cheers!

Thanksgiving

Mixed media

3" x 3"

Giving thanks today for all that is good.

Have a wonderful day, wherever in this world you may be.  May it be filled with love, joy and harmony.