Tree Period

When you take an art history class you often find that artists go through periods where everything is a variation on a theme.

I am definitely in my Tree Period.

Last year I began a mural on the wall in my children's room, which is still in progress, ahem, of a tree in the spring.

When I was in Germany, I became somewhat the butt of jokes for taking so many pictures of trees.
This one is a metal-plated fallen tree in the Insel Hombroich in Neuss, where we spent an afternoon.O.k. I obviously didn't take this one, since that is me there, but you get the idea.

This is only a sampling, I took a bunch more, and I may indeed have a problem.
I even had my friend Sofie pose on this stump.

Can you imagine how big this tree must have been?

When I taught my children using fiber class at the Yarnery we made needle felted pictures and here is my sample.


My new project is this:
I have wanted to do a collage-feel tree quilt for a while.
When I came across green scraps of fabric I set them aside and the other night I cut out a bunch of leaves.
Here it is all laid out, but I think I've made an error, because now I don't quite know how to attach them.
I probably should have ironed stitch witchery on the fabric before I cut out anything, but I just wanted to get going, famous last words...
I was going for an ordered chaos feel in the leaf placement and I hope that I can replicate when I finally attach them.

On another note, I have finished the scarf I was making out of the 13 Mile Organic Wool.
It is blocking right now, and I am excited to take it out for a test drive.

Have a terrific Friday!
Jess.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation, Pt. 3

The final installment of my pictorial essay on Germany is this: Natural Beauty.
o.k. this last one is kind of a cheat. It is a rose stand at a farmers' market

Hope the fireworks didn't keep you up too late last night,

Jess

What I Did On My Summer Vacation, Pt. 2

The second photographic obsession, which was deeply enabled by my surroundings, was public art.

I won't try to describe the beauty and whimsy that surrounded me each day.

More tomorrow,
Jess

What I Did On My Summer Vacation pt. 1

As I travelled around Germany these last couple of weeks, I realized something about myself; I have an unhealthy obsession with street signs.

Here are a few of my favorites-

So much information without any words.

I love this kid holding his Mom's hand.
This hangs above a place for parents with buggies to sit on the train.

I love all of the details.

This guy has a hat on.

This little girl has a bow in her hair.

This one is wearing a belt.

And how cool of Germany to institute a Hokey-Pokey Zone!

I can't quite tell if this is "Put your right arm in" or "Put your left leg out"

More German fun tomorrow!

Jess