Some finished work Woohoo!
Freebird (cloaked) is complete.
This peice started when I was experiencing the delays of truck trouble while trying to move to Arizona. It is hand colored fabrics and commercially produced fabric.The center is hand peiced curves from scraps. It represents the sky I flew through to get here. The bird is me and I felt like I needed to be cloaked so that I could get through with no more difficulties. Under the cloak and the border are brightly colored. The color represents my will to make art. I just really needed to be doing this no matter what it took. The binding is more hand painted fabric. I really like how the binding married the brights and pastels into a cohesive peice. I've been working for a while now trying to combine pastels and brights.(I think next I am on to earth tones and brights...but that's another issue.) The center does not have alot of quilting, I didn't think it needed it with all those small curved peices. I did however solve my white dot problem by thread painting around the dots after the quilt was sandwiched. It is apprx 20"x13".
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FU From the Sun and Moon
This was a quick fun peice that I did last week. I've been practicing the chinese calligrapy. I love the brushwork and hope to be using it more on fabric. The Sun and Moon are the top 2 characters and Fu..means luck and is the bottom character. apprx 28" long.

Peace out,
Mary Ann

I can feel it. The sun is changing the color of my skin and I'm as dusty as everyone else around here. I am part of the desert. This desert has been good to my quilting and painting. I've been looking at other artists work and it has been a very inspirational ride. There are some fabulous quilt artists doing very innovative work. I feel lots of freedom looking at their work. They are not afraid...(well, maybe they are but it doesn't show)...they are creating. Creating with desire and passion and vision. Well, I'm signing up for that ride. I've done a couple of things this past week that have made me feel like I could go for it. Frankly it's why I am here at this new place in this dusty beautiful desert. From the first time I saw the paint dripping in the sky at sunset I knew I wanted to pursue my art here.

I did an applique rose block for a hug quilt. I built it up from petal shaped fabric, and added some fabric marker color to it. It was great to see the possibility of adding color to a peice.












I also got oodles of work done on Freebird (Cloaked). I'm glad to be getting this one moving along because it is a transition peice. I started it on my journey here while I was waiting for the new engine...and then transmission to get put in my truck after only having gone a short way from home. I need that transition to be done.
There is still a bit of work to be done on the top. I need to paint on the bird cloak and make that bottom wing not seem like it is falling off the scene. I also want to play with coordinating some of the white spots, they make an impact and need to be better organized. I wish I had some white vinyl, that would be perfect.






The really big news on the land here is that I now have a well...Woohoo! water! You can't imagine what it has been like trying to paint fabric and using as little water as possible. Got muscles from carrying it though!

p.s. it was really difficult to get photos to load on blogger

Life on the land is getting a bit more manageable. I feel like there is some sort of routine now. My bed has become comfortable and I am getting used to living in a small space indoors and a really huge one outdoors. I'll be extremelly greatefull once we get through the windy season, which has only just begun. I've got a structure to do my fabric painting in...It's really just a lean to with some other posts that have wire attatched to them to hang fabric from. I'm plannng to dig a trench and put in some short walls made from some free pallettes I got from freecycle (thank you). I propped some up the other day and they make a pretty good wind block. It's very cool seeing my fabric hanging from it with this high desert sky and mountain background. I'll be doing a bigger happy dance when I get my well dug. Hopefully that will be within a couple of weeks. I'm getting muscles and recovering well from last years rx treatmennt doing all this hard work.
Sometimes it does get pretty lonely being out here. My neighbors are great, but still not very close by, I think the closest is about a mile away. They say come over anytime but I figure they also have come to a place to be away from it all so I keep that to a minimum. Sandi (neighbor) gave me a great book to read. The Wood Wife, by Terri Windling, It is set in the Rincon mountains north of here near Tucson. The magic of the land is captivating just as it is here. It's been really inspiring. No wonder she said you *have* to read this book like a million times.
Anyhow I am getting ready to send out an email that I am a fully functioning fabric painter and fiber artist...lol, Fully functioning, now that's funny. Well at any rate I'm doing stuff and am happy about it. I hope I can spread some of the joy and folks want to use my fabric in their peices.
Getting ready for a craft show too, in Huachuca City. I've gotten some sheerish fabric and am planning to do some window treatments. I did a sample panel and am really excited about the idea. They sure do blow around in this wind, the first bit of non wind I get that is what I will paint.
Near fully functioning and signing out....

I have been working on a shibori fabric painting tutorial for my website. It is alot of work. I'd been gathering photos over the past few weeks, recording the process. Thought I could put it all together in one day. Heck, all I got done yesterday was getting the photos through photoshop. I suppose that's fine. Not really sure what the rush is. I guess it may be that I have been so removed from my work during this move. I'm hoping it will all go together today.
I am also preparing for a craft show in Huachaca city, March 11th. I think I am going to make a few things like napkins, purses and drapes from my painted fabrics for it. I'm looking forward to it.
I've got to find time to go to town today and pick up my glasses. YES! glasses. I had a real hard time seeing during that drive across the country. Doc said he was surprised I did it. heh heh. I'm sure they are ugly but I will be really glad to see again.
I'm beginning to get used to the routine on this land and am learning that everything does not have to be done all at once. patience I guess. I like the solitude of this when I don't want to be interrupted and I can usually get some stuff done. Sometimes it does get a bit lonely way out here. I've got to go get some friends.
I've joined the Bisbee Fiber Arts Guild. They are mostly weavers but seem to be open to other fiber arts also. I felt very welcome there. They have a quilting session once a month. I'll certainly go to that. I'd like to learn to weave also, but I am afraid I will have too much on my plate.

and Yes, there was another beautiful sunset last night.
well, back to work.

It's Saturday morning and once again I have awakened before the sun. The project of life is moving forward. I was approved for my Septic and Well permits this week. Thank goodness! I think the contractors are available soon too. This also means I shold have an address on Monday. It's really difficult trying to have a business and/or buy things I need on the internet without an address.
The weather here has been great, nice change from Rhode Island. For the lovely sunset last night I put my camera on it's tripod and took a kazillion pictures as it changed. I also tried some color studies with colored pencils, I wasn't thrilled by them. The colors changed so fast. And silly me tried to look at the sun at times to do it (there was a great swirl happening with the clouds) In the back of my mind each time I snuck a peek would be "Don't look at the sun"....it was worth it.
I got the wiring set up for my solar power yesterday. But I didn't get the panel mounted. I know my ladder setup is sketchy at best so I think I have some help coming today for that, at least I won't be alone for the danger.
In between everything I did some sunprints and shibori dips. They are still out there drying. I've been trying to get a clear direction with all that, but the making regular life happen is difficult right now and I guess Im not giving my art the time it needs....It should be soon since the septic , water, and power needs are getting solved.
The wind is strong this morning. I may not get much done outside. well, that's ok I have plenty to do otherwise. I'm slowly working on a handstitched wall quilt peice. It has curved peicing. Definately a challenge, but I really like hand sewing. I call it FreeBird Cloaked, I started it on my trip here. Yhe bird is cloaked because I kept getting snared by obstacles trying to get to Arizona. I'd like to have it done so that I don't carry the obstacles along for very long.:)
Here comes the sun...do do do dooo.

It's Thanksgiving week. I certainly have alot to be thankful for. It has been quite an eventful year.

IncaPaloma Fabrics has been created this year.
It has been uploaded for a couple of months, and I am moving clear across the country knowing that even though I may be slow on the uptake of this venture I truly believe that I will be moving to the place where I will be able to work in harmony with my environment. I'll soon be adding work to the gallery. It is a quilt made during the "your pick" swap. It is a quilt block swap using a focus fabric. The focus fabric I chose for this swap is my handpainted fabric. The quilt featuers 11 contributions of work that members have created using my focus fabric. I'm almost there. I'm more than halfway through the final finishing step. I am handstitching the edge with a blanket stitch....I'm almost there...I'm almost there.
At any rate that is the next thing you can expect from me at IncaPaloma Fabrics.

Peace,
Pajaritaflora