A Fall Sale

Crisp bright fall days make good times for yard sales.  Some friends and I had a variation of that on Barbara's lovely screened back porch yesterday.  Our guests came by invitation, there was no sign or ad for our event in this intimate space.  Barbara and Jean had antiques to offer and I had my paintings and also a small table of Christmas things. Linda had a pretty display of her jewelry.  I would have liked to include photos with people, but after the sale started I never got back to taking pictures. So here is a taste of it.  

The tavern table with lovely turnings was from Maine.

A lucky person took home this wonderful comb back Windsor chair.

Barbara's homemade ginger cookies and pomegranate punch.

You can see some of the jewelry on etsy at

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PrairieRoseRanchwear?ref=l2-shopheader-name 

This was the first time I have shown my paintings this year and they were well received and I am much encouraged! Several friends came who are really interested in art and their comments are special.  And these four little ones sold!  

Bittersweet and Indian corn and pumpkins make a festive set up.

 All were priced and offered for sale except two large ones I may have giclee's made of.

One buyer said these paintings remind her of 17 century paintings and I was thrilled she recognized it. That is exactly what I am studying:  chiaroscuro, the play of light and shadow as mastered most famously by Rembrandt and taught today by David Leffel and his pupils of which my own instructor is one.   Leffel applies this technique to fine antique oriental porcelain and the like, while I am using it to paint the humble American pottery and less formal antiques Jack and I collected.  This gives my own paintings a personal voice.  Search Google images for David Leffel and see his amazing work!

Note, detail of the wooden doll above:

She came as just a carved wooden head and torso with a hole from shoulder to shoulder as on a Motschmann doll.  I made a tube of cloth holding the arms Jack carved. To give her legs, I sewed drawers with the legs and gathered the top edge around her waist. So no glue or other fastening mars the doll herself. There is no paper mache molded over the wooden base, she is a wooden doll with a very thin layer of gesso under the paint of her head. Worn spots tell the story.

Of course I had to buy some little treasures.

It was a great day, thank you Barbara.

PS If you would like to have a cupboard for your dolls like the one Jack made for mine, the pattern and instructions for it are in the new December Early American Life Magazine.  e

Two Star Rug Camp, fall of 2016!

This has been an exciting day in so many ways.  It is for me as for all of you I expect, a heartwarming thing to see and hug people you have known for years and share the excitement of a well loved craft together.  I love seeing what people are making now.  An additional pleasure was seeing friend Linda set up her jewelry for just a tight 45 minute slot to sell in the sales room, and how well her things were received! It was a happy near riot. Thirty eight out of forty two pieces offered were sold, that is almost one per minute.

Hope you will enjoy the pictures below, it is hard to catch color and creative highs in a small rectangle with my camera.  warmly, e

 Men can hook rugs too.

Linda starting to set out her jewelry

Here come the buyers!

It went so well!

An enthusiastic bunch

Debbie wrote the tickets.

Added Note, see Linda's jewelry on etsy at 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PrairieRoseRanchwear?ref=l2-shopheader-name 

A whale rug from my pattern. He has barnacles on him using spot dyed wool!

Weaver's Lion is one of my favorites.

three examples of pretty wool applique.

 See how muted the colors are for an antique look.

Kay's armadillo is one of her Texas Critters, So beautifully done!

 This rug represents Shake Rag Street in Mineral Point Wisconsin designed and hooked by Sally Kallin

The wool is luscious. 

Maggie is holding her early looking one. I had so many favorites! But this might be my favorite favorite today!  Nina Fletcher Little would have approved I think. This is a very wide cut.   Glad you can be a mouse in my pocket and share this. e

added on Thursday:  Below is the first Bird and Pomegranate rug I hooked in 1982, signed and dated.  I have recently purchased it back from someone who bought it in the 1980's.    Over years I have hooked this design three times. I am glad to see the rug again and that it is in fine shape.  It has not faded which is a tribute to Evelyn Newton’s dying, as it is all her wool.   e

Rachael's lovely hand sewing for my dolls

Here is the dear early girl I bought last week on line, in appalling condition but too interesting to pass up.  I have collected over 60 years and have only seen this head style four times I believe and one of  those may have been the same doll, so perhaps just three times. Her hand sewn cotton twill body appears original except one replaced arm.  I fashioned an under dress for her out of an old one thin as gauze and with shredded sleeves which I hemmed away.  I will find or make drawers by and by.

She is now in a Rachael Kinnison dress and has some of my beads draped over her shoulders until I can get some for her.

I have seen her with glass eyes as well as painted.  A glass eyed example was in the Merritt Museum.  Can anyone else add something about this head mold? 

I love all dolls with the simple covered wagon hairstyle.  I believe this one may date in the 1840's.

Another uncommon papier mache is this Motschmann type with a great snood hair style. I would date her about 1860.  There is no residue or sign she was ever waxed though many of this style were. This  doll also wears a dress made by Rachael.  Although she has a snubbed nose and other wear, I have chosen to leave her as she is.

Please comment, I read every one. e

Art is life at present.

  I have painted so many now that pictures are stacked up and down the hall on the floor with no place to hang them. There is a local show I will possibly put some in this November.   My grown children want some of them.  Some I am attached to and want to keep a while. 
  Several tall easels stand in the sun room where I can dry paintings in progress. I have also learned I can keep some in my car to speed drying as the car stays hot here in the summer.  Friend JoAnne admits to putting some of her oil paintings in the oven the last weeks before our local art show in November.
My usually tidy front bedroom looks like a storm had struck.

Most of my New England paintings more than fill a wall of my studio/library and the lighthouse paintings are in a guest bathroom.

 I started another one Monday of Penny's little model ship.  I want a ship in a bottle to paint.  The beautiful little blue marbleized book in the new painting was bought from Barbara W.  The book is laying on an old map, I hope I can do justice to that. 

Yesterday was varnish day.  The final finish makes the paint look bright as it was when wet and makes the colors more vivid.

I plan to list a few small ones for sale soon. The big ones would be a bear to ship. 

There is a runner's high, which many of you understand who have ever been runners.  There is also something of that sort for people who paint seriously and lose themselves in a state we call the zone. If you become used to painting daily it is like exercise, a pleasurable thing you miss if you skip it.  I feel the lack of it now if I do not do something art connected each day.  Given how limited is my energy for activities beyond simple personal maintenance of my home and yard and self,  it is hard to find time to work on my many doll projects when I am deeply involved in art.    e

Still life paintings

Today is a warm August day in Texas, just what one would expect for our County Fair Parade this morning.  Three generations of my family are sitting on Main street in lawn chairs, with beach umbrellas and coolers and balloons and kids. As Party loving Fredericksburg has an open container allowed policy on the sidewalks, some in the crowd have wine coolers and such set up on the tail gates of their  pickups.   I miss the music and the color but not the hassle of it all.

  Instead I am looking back over recent paintings and considering an arrangement to start another.

 Many more of the dolls are clamoring to be pictured.

 I can remember my mother painting magnolia blossoms when I was a girl. She did lovely watercolors but not many.  I remember her Iris also and was there one with a bird?  Too long ago to be clear. These are from my yard here. 

 The painting of onions above is the only small one.  The rest are all large ones in heavy frames.

I might do another of the ship model with different accessories.    e