A New Year! New Designs! New Ideas!

Okay, I admit it. I'm a blogger slacker. As much as I try to keep my entries interesting and reasonably timely, the hours and days slip by and I find myself agonizing over how much time has passed between each posting. Geez. So little time; so much to do.

Last week, I put the lino blocks aside and I returned to my first passion...needlepoint. Most of you know that I've been really busy, since last May, cutting linoleum blocks. I haven't had the leisure time to devote to the three needlepoint canvases that I started stitching almost 18 months ago! However, last weekend, I revisited an old idea - juxtaposing an African American image on an object closely identified with Christmas -a Christmas stocking. No cute kittens or peppermint sticks or red ribbons and bells. No Santa Claus carrying an overstuffed bag of toys. Nothing expected. Interesting, don't you think?


I, rarely, map out a color key prior to stitching but this time I painted the shape and image so that I could scan it in and post it. This first image that you see is the color key. The canvas is 18 point mesh. If you multiply 18 x 18 you'll find that there are 324 holes within one square inch. I'm not the fastest stitcher; nor the slowest. I prefer the stitch "basketweave" to any other. It'll take me approximately one hour (give or take) to stitch one square inch, if I don't have any interruptions. After cutting a piece of canvas, I drew the basic outline of the image with a black, fine point Sharpie. I stitched the girl's hair and face first. Now that I'm three days into my project I'm having second thoughts about the pears. I need to think about this before I devote anymore time to it. hmmmmm, we'll see.


I've just completed a 5'' x 7'' lino block print entitled " No. 2 Washtub." I like it. Later in the week, I'll cut a larger block of the same design. Last weekend, I made a brave attempt to clear my studio so that I would have a bit more elbow room. However, the more time that I took to look for the perfect spot for each and every file, basket and all of my art supplies...I ended up right back where I started...surrounded by my mess. Every piece of paper was important; every sketch. I just couldn't throw anything away. Oh, well, it's MY mess.