Floral Still Life Mixed Media

Photo, watercolor, still life... no matter how you create it... it's ART.

Original by Martha @ Opendoorstudio@yahoo.com

     If you would like a print. please contact me.  

A Sunny Day Composition

Last weekend I decided to organize my oil paints, pull them in from the frozen tundra of my "studio" and let them warm up a bit.  It has been far to long since I have had the chance to fill my palette with color and just paint for the fun of it!

Pulled out a 24"x 36" Gallery Wrapped canvas and my favorite brushes... and began to paint!
                           I love the color and am pleased with the result

The day after painting it in Oils... I received a package that I had ordered a week before, from a gal on Etsy.
She creates little plates she calles "Madge Dishes".   Each has been vibrantly painted and when she fires each,
she places a marble or two inside... the result... delightful!

I was thinking of doing something like the photo below...

this photo courtesy of Madgedishes.etsy.com 

But... After hanging her little plates on my living room wall, and noticing how some of my fun flower blooms (from the painting above) looked similar to her plates, I had a change of heart.
Now I think I will create an entire display using my painting and the plates she created!

 When Tony and I move our room downstairs, I will create an art wall... incorporating both the plates and my colorful floral!
      I can't wait!

Back to our Creative Roots!

Feeling like I had been missing my creative roots...especially this Holiday Season...
 My Daughters and I decided to create"One of a kind" projects!
Among them... this pretty, colorful scarf!

Laying down the fibers.  Approx. 25 strands of beautiful and colorful... Noro, 100% wool.
 this is old stock from about 2001

Years ago...
I had chosen my Etsy shop name to be

Opendoorstudio.etsy.com...

It would be a place for all things handmade, 

one of a kind items...

but instead,

It turned into my Vintage shop!

It was supposed to have been...

A place where I would sell my one of a kind paintings, Photographs and handmade items
 including my Scarves!

Fast forward 4 years... 

My Daughter Aubrey approached me to help her create a scarf

I was delighted she asked me

 and

It was wonderful to have had the chance to share my knowledge!

Together...

 We enjoyed making this felted scarf! 

This time... as a gift for a boyfriend's Mom 

for

 Christmas!

Here is the process:

selecting roving for the flowers

 It had been 8 years since I had pulled out the  fibers and I was so happy she was willing to learn.

I had the roving on hand so it was fun to choose from these bright colors
 to
 Create our signature COLORFUL florals!

some alpaca locks that were hand selected in Estes Park Colorado!

laying out the floral design

details of a woolen floral

adding colorful fibers!

A  little "glitz' for the flowers... note the  center... sequins on cotton thread.

the design is complete

The felting process beging... layers of  cotton towels, bubble wrap then voile, followed by the fibres and more voile...  add  some suds and  water to begin the felting process.

continue the felting process.  " roughing up" the fibers ... and continuing until your piece is " ONE"

close up's of the finished product!