by Nysha | May 20, 2013 | bullet mandala, Derwent Inktense Pencils, doodling, Mandala, Sakura
Welcome to the second installation of Mandala MondaysI have just returned from MQS (Machine Quilters Showcase in Wichita, Kansas) where I learned a lot from several different classes and saw many fun and innovative things. Back to the mandala… again this is mixed media on paper. That means I used more than one thing, not just graphite like here. I used Pigma MicronPens, Sakura’s; Souffle, Glitter, and Glaze pens along with Derwent Inktense pencils “002” 6″ x 6″ mixed media on...
by Nysha | May 13, 2013 | bullet mandala, doodling, Mandala, Sakura, Santa Fe, SAQA, zentangles
I have long been mad for mandalas. Even before that I was crazy for circles and fell to pieces over great pattern.All my loves are beginning to come together in a rather grandly scaled project, a six foot by six foot installation of six inch square mandalas.Let me back up a bit…I designed several dozen (six or so) mandalas as a reaction to violence (see previous post here) I printed a few before attending the Studio Art Quilt Associates Conference in Santa Fe at the end of April to use during the ‘Artist Speed Dating’ event. (Great Fun!)While at the conference I heard a talk by Pat Pauly and was inspired to begin this project.Thus begins Mandala Mondays… I will share what I am doing in the creation of one hundred and forty four of these illustrated mandalas. (Yes! Your math was correct. I have a ton to do!)Here is the first. “001” 6″ x 6″ multi media on...
by Nysha | May 7, 2013 | challenge, doodling, graphite, Mandala, pattern, RSS Feed, zentangles
I love blogs and Tumblrs. I subscribe to around thirty, so thank goodness most people don’t post every day!Several of my subscriptions are Tumblrs. For those of you who are not familiar with them they are mostly visual blogs – a place to post images that you like or are inspired by. I think of it as a virtual scrap book where I can pull from millions of other people’s tear sheets.Mariët is one. She is a Zentangle fan, calligrapher and bookmaker. Much of the time her posts are written in a language I don’t read, but her work is inspiring. Then yesterday I was really inspired. So inspired I downloaded a Zendala Dare string and did a tangle.If you are wondering what a tangle or Zentangle is — remember the doodling you did in school when you should have been paying attention to the teacher, (or yesterday in that meeting?)? A version of that is a tangle approached in a meditative manner. The string is the outline you begin with, like the ruled lines on the paper were. This is the string for the mandala below. Mandala Dare #56 The challenge here was to create with only pencil. I began with a 7H lead – that is a really hard lead that is easy to make a really light mark with and will not get very dark. I traced the outline (from a printed copy) and further delineated the spaces and began to add patterns. I needed some dark so I grabbed another pencil with a 6B lead. This is a lead that is very soft and makes a...
by Nysha | Apr 18, 2013 | doodling, Illustration, Mandala, Sandy Hook Elementary
“We Believe the Children are are future…”Or so says that one song and many other sentiments like it.And yet in the three months since the Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting there were more than 2,000 gun related deaths in the United States. These deaths range in age from 6 months to elderly.And yet the discussion has stalled on Capital Hill. Ok – good for them that they had a discussion and not a filibuster. Small consolation, but the threat of one was disgraceful and childish. See names and statistics here My manner of dealing with it is to become totally obsessed with Bullet Mandalas. I have created several dozen design outlines, illustrated a couple, made a book, and stitches a couple. More are on the way. I thought it was time to debut a few… First Mandala, Doodled with names of Sandy Hook VictimsInk on paper, 8 x 8 Second doodled mandalaInk and pencil on paper8 x 8 First Illustrated Mandalaink on watercolour paper13 x 13Shown against black fabric. Will be mounted on matt board. Second Illustrated Mandalaink on watercolour paper13 x 13Shown against black fabric. Will be mounted on matt board. My objective to not to take a position on guns. My desire is that we have an actual dialogue on the issues. And they are plural. We can not just have more control or less. People are the ones who hate, but the guns and people pull the triggers propelling the bullets toward someone’s end. There are so many issues that need addressing, responsibility, education, poverty, mental health and illness, second amendment, etc.We can not solve all these issues...
by Nysha | Mar 2, 2013 | Carol Bryer Fallert, Class, Diane Gaudynski, Free Motion Quilting
Today was the first class I thought in my studio. Exciting. And on my favorite topic, Free Motion Quilting.I have had a passion for the quilted surface since my first visit to the Nation Quilt Museum in Paducah in 2005. After quilting once with a walking foot and feeling completely restrained by the prospect I decided I had to conquer Free Motion Quilting. A few thousand hours of practice and I think I have some handle on the issues. Still have room for improvement, but I’m not dead yet!For the class I prepared a list of resources that I think are useful for Free Motion Quilting with a machine. I though you might enjoy them as well. Nysha’s Quilting Video https://vimeo.com/studionysha Sharon Schamber videos on hand basting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA (part 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_EjBGz5vGQ (part 2) *Portable sewing table http://www.seweziusa.com/ Marguerita McManus – inexpensive “sewing table” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g14govA4pIM (part 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAS25v3ZTk0 (part 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0lk7UBQgZY (part 3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwrA6m9tw-A (update, 2013) Carol Bryer Fallert’s Studio (great ideas for setting up yours for maximum comfort) http://www.bryerpatch.com/welcome/Studio2011/studio_tour_2011.htm#designwall Leah Day’s 365 day quilt designs ( 365 different quilt fill patterns) http://www.freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/ Diane Gaudynski’s Blog (information on all things related to Free Motion Quilting) http://dianegaudynski.blogspot.com/ Superior Thread Tension Diagram http://www.superiorthreads.com/education/tension/thread-tug-of-war-how-tension-works Superior’s Thread and Needle Guide http://www.superiorthreads.com/media/docs/reference-guide-home.pdf YLI’s Knowledge Center; “Thread and Needle” and “Thread of Truth” http://www.ylicorp.com/KnowledgeCenter.aspx Mettler Thread, images of thread stitched out in a variety of colour schemes http://www.amann-mettler.com/index.php?TPL=10164 Recommended Reading Quilting Makes The Quilt, Lee Cleland (1994, Martingale and Co.) [Out of Print?] Gaudynski’s Machine Quilting Guidebook: Quilt Saavy, Diane Gaudynski (2006, AQS) Heirloom Machine Quilting, Harriet Hargrave (2004, C&T Publishing) The Grammar of Ornament, Owen...
