For centuries women have used cloth as a tool of comfort and as an expression of beauty within their homes. Creating cloth for warmth, cloth for shelter, our female predecessors embellished these linens with hand stitch using laborious and time consuming techniques thereby enhancing the functional beauty of objects which enveloped and protected their families. Inspired by these women I hope my creations pay tribute to and recognise the devotion expressed in cloth by our female ancestors .







''the use of traditional often time consuming process alludes to the devotion of a mother''. c K. A. Ruane 2007







Friday, June 1, 2012

doodling with my paintbrush....

               





No embroidery today so I guess that means I got you here under false pretences....sorry about that. There are buttons though, does that count?
I painted yesterday afternoon. I really enjoyed it but boy does it take a lot of time....in an ideal world I would set aside some time for this so I may try and juggle, go to bed a bit later? get up a bit earlier? do less housework? Yes that's it....less housework it is then.
Don't worry, I will have embroidery next time.....I haven't gone to the dark side.

24 comments:

deanna7trees said...

i think it's lovely. would love to see some of the buttons you've collected. wish i had saved all my grandma's buttons. i gave them away to a friend whose mom was a collector many years ago.

dandelion said...

oh pretty buttons and such patience with tiny painting. are we talking a single hair paintbrush here?? Less housework is ALWAYS the answer!

The Crafty Mugwump said...

stop it Karen! you are inspiring me and I know it will take me hours to do one little piece and then just like you I will be looking at all the things wrong with it and feeling embarassed at my ineptitude whilst others are saying how lovely it is.

henrietta (aka ani aka zani) said...

i rather think that everything we attempt is a good challenge, practice. the more we do the more comfortable our gesture become - your mind is still tell you hands what to do here - soon the hands will just know what to do and won't need to be told. it's like stitching - your hands know the tension and lengths you want and just go off on the own. it still looks like a gentle interpretation. do yo u sketch out anything before hand or is it all "free style?" cheers

Karen said...

I didn't sketch out with this one Henrietta but I have done in the past....

Joanna said...

Lovely pictures Karen and I'm all for less housework. Mind you if I did any less, none would be done at all

Anonymous said...

;oD Definitely less house work if it means more of these delicate watercolours.

Carol Q said...

not enough hours in the day are there Karen. i dunno.... even your painting is beautifully neat.

KJE said...

I don't understand the exercise here. Did you paint these buttons or are you painting a copy of what you see on the button. Why? What does this lead you to? Will you embroider designs like these?

Tammie Lee said...

I would love to have water color lessons. I think watercolors are some of the cleaner supplies we can work with when it comes to painting.

lovely to see your wee button painting. such sweet buttons.

Karen said...

KJE....I didn't paint the buttons, I am just painting what I see. The reason? Just because I wanted to.....not for a design for embroidery.

Christine B said...

Oh these are exquisite! I'm amazed you are able to get watercolour to stick to the surface of the buttons. I'd have used acrylic.. but watercolour is so much more delicate. I'm afraid housework doesn't even come into the equation given the choice!!

Jeannie said...

Gorgeous! Such delicate paintings.

Karen said...

I didn't paint the actual buttons Christine...they are vintage. I am copying them on to the paper with watercolour....

Helena said...

I love it!
Have a nice weekend. Kisses, kisses.

Suztats said...

Karen, I think you do rather well painting. Do you love it like you love your embroidery?
Recreating someone else's pattern teaches the hand to move as the eyes see and is a wonderful exercise I think. Art inspires.

Jacky said...

Such beautiful delicate little watercolour buttons...you are such a talent Karen!
I do think less housework and more creative time sounds a great idea!!!!

Jacky xox

Yvonne Moxon said...

Perfect lovely painting, your right it is very time consuming but can be very absorbing if the mood hits at the right time.

MYSAVIOR said...

Love this post.
♥♥♥
Sue

Say It In Color said...

I love your buttons and your watercolor!!! It is called "playing".....which is essential to the creative mind....we must learn to play.....And I say less house work is the perfect solution.....it is the reason we are downsizing to a much smaller house instead of a big ole restored 2 story that is a challenge everyday, even tho I love it.....I think I love a studio more....so we opted for a large kitchen and large studio....smaller everything else!!! Even a smaller yard to just grow enough garden and flowers to inspire me to watercolor and thus embroidery!!! Sometimes I could stay in a five foot square area for hours doing my creativity!!! I look forward to more of your drawing and painting too!!!!

Rosa said...

Holy moly!
You are painting too!
Wonderful. Just wonderful.

Tina said...

beautiful buttons! I love the painting.

Heather Woollove said...

Karen--Is there no end to your patience?!?! Love them!!

Rachel said...

They are lovely little watercolours - well done!