Claudia Stewart - Artist

Today is a sunny Saturday; the perfect time for a Hecate Straight popup market in Prince Rupert. Plenty of vendors came out, selling everything from jewelry to sourdough bread to starter veggie plants. There was live music,  as well. I brought my art cards with envelopes and sleeves, my line of fabric collage clutch purses/bags, as well as 2 acrylic on cradled board pieces. 

There was delicious bread and pastries from YVR sourdough, jewelry by Shiney, author Ocean Rutherford with her children's books ( who also sang delightfully). There was local honey, and many other tasty treats, as well as holy doodle (take me to the 70's) macrame with a modern vibe.

Near my table was also  mosaic artist Sandra Cummings of Magpie Mosaics. Not only a gifted artist, but she will teach you. 

Caught a ride home with Ocean ( I feel a song comin' on).

And that's all she wrote. 

January began with ventures in an entirely new direction. As for artwork inspiration I have headed into the sky to explore clouds and cloudscapes. Because "I really don't know clouds at all ". 

January also catapulted me into songwriting.

Michael Averill had traveled to Prince Rupert, where he gave a casual concert and jam session. I got on his mailing list and joined a "Teacup Challenge "; write a song in the time that it takes to make and drink a cup of tea. My tea dragged out all day, but I wrote a song every day. 

I have been polishing up some of those and written others . It's a new world and is quite compatible with visual art.

Stay tuned. 

Well. I was geared up for going to the crafts fair,  but my body had other plans. I am home with a flu bug, I think.

WhatI did discover is that I now have a new thing I like to do. Make clutch purses. 

I've always been attracted to working with fabric collage. And I thought for the crafts fair that a simple clutch purse with a flap might be fun. Several purses later I am just beginning! No, it isn't fine art. But it's an enjoyable distraction. 

I mean, really, how fun is this?

So. I will be back at doing artwork soon. Possibly some line drawing for a bit, as I love my technical pen. Then probably back to acrylics and mixed media; my fave. Keep healthy. 

It is September and the first leaves are falling with their shock of gold, orange and scarlet. The tiny carrots were harvested, washed and solemnly munched up by my grandson. Worms were discovered and put back to bed. 

I will be visiting my sister in October as well as Ringo Starr. We will be scattering our mother's ashes. 

When I return, I will be gearing up for the crafts fair in mid-November. It is a time for Northerners to gather, chat, renew friendships and exclaim over the crafts tables. People have been canning and putting away produce, pickles and salmon in jars, baking bread and sweets for the family and their friends. I have been making art, and sewing fabric bags. Fabric collage is a bit of an escape for me into a mixed media place with buttons, braid and various textures of fabric. I love it for its tactile qualities. 

And on that note, I am off to the sewing machine. 

Finished!

The poetry event went well and folks thoroughly enjoyed it. 

A new addition were two local comedians and a new emcee,  as well as the return of Gingerbeard, a local musical duo.

This is my newest piece. I had flipped a previous painting on its side and the dove appeared. 

She stands for (flies for) peace in Ukraine and other countries around the world ravaged by war.

Prince Rupert has raised $17,000 so far to help Ukraine families moving here. I am hoping that this painting will also help raise funds  for the cause. 

She is coming along a bit more slowly now, as usually happens closer to the end of a piece. 

But back to work.

The piece is finished now.

Only the clear coat to protect the piece is to go on now! Very tickled to complete it today. 

I had taken a long hiatus due to a medication which gave me tremors and dizziness. I am now on another medication and that gives me great joy and hope. 

May you be well. 

This is an older image but it is going to be used in a poster advertising Poetry and shenanigans,  hosted by Harbour Theatre at the Tom Rooney Playhouse on Friday,  May 13th. The event has been evolving and besides folks signing up to read their poems, there are also poetry prompts and poems written by the people at a given table. 
It is always fun and rather hilarious because " you never know what you're gonna get!"

I am trying to dig out my studio from other stuff and reorganize my place so that only studio things are in the studio!

These rather uncooperative dragons are potato prints. I don't know if you have ever tried it,  
but if you are not averse to using potential food as art instead, it's fun. Just take a medium sized potato, and cut away the part you don't want printed with a small knife. The raised surface is painted with acrylic paint and then pressed firmly against the flat surface. In this case,  it was fabric. And yes, acrylics can be printed on fabric!
These little fellows were printed years ago on my daughter's tshirt and I am applying them onto a new shirt for her little son.
Just to let you know that I do other stuff as well. Print making is an activity that you can do with kids of all ages. One of my favorite things is printing the backs of leaves or ferns.For that you need a brayer (rubber roller). At any rate,  it's fun to find objects to print or use in print making. Ciao for now. 

So.  I scrolled through all 5 of the lessons for a 5 day class in working with fabric. It was interesting and exciting.  Have I begun my piece?

Not exactly. Gathered all the materials and have a good idea of where it's going.