Exciting Phone Call

I had a really exciting phone call from a friend of mine.  Mary curates the Denham Springs Art Council and has exhibited across several states through her work with CFAL.  CFAL is the Contemporary Fiber Artists of Louisiana.

She wanted to know if I was interested in being part of a 6 woman exhibit.  Well, hell yeah!  Is the Pope Catholic?  Does a bear......well, you know.

I don't have al the details just yet, but I will let you know.

I was definitely over the moon!

I can put some pieces I already have in the show, but I wanted to make a few more anyway for the February presentation I am doing in North Louisiana.  (Well, aren't I the popular girl this year, huh?)  Next thing you know, QuiltCon will be calling me to make me an offer I can't refuse!

Nothing like putting pressure on yourself, right?  What is life, if not lived at top speed.

So I have been wanting to do this picture of Frank in Nova Scotia.


I may add the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove to give him something to look at.  Although he was just staring out into the beauty of that vast ocean.

I will have to go back into my notes and see what the name was.  We had visited Valerie and Len while we were up there, but I don't remember whether it was before this or after this.

This is how far I got tonight.




I am having some trouble with his hair.  You really don't see his hair in the photos, but I think he needs something in the fabric one.

I tried two different versions, one of which required me to cut out an ear.  THAT was fun.

Another interesting thing is that I always forget that the fabric image will com out reversed from the photo unless you trace the back of the copy with a dark pen.

So here I was, lecture girl, all surprised that he is looking right rather than left.

And seeing him in the red jacket, I think I need to thin him down a bit.  His jacket makes him look like Arnold Schwarzenegger -- Muscle Man Frank.

I printed out that photo of Peggy's Cover that will fit dimensionally.

So I have some fabrics from Stonehenge that will be prefect for the rocks and water and grasses along his feet.

I am stoked......about everything.


Which is good because we have the Court Case coming up on Friday.  I am testifying for CAAWS hoping to win a judgment.  We had the meeting with the attorney this morning and feel pretty confident about our facts going in.  I am no stranger to the Courthouse with CAAWS.  Usually it is for some cruelty or animal dumping sleezebag.

Oh well, I will work on as much as I can in the next few months to get ready for show and lectures.

Art Girl Extraordinaire needs her beauty rest!

A Daily Bird and Quilt Inspiration

There is quilt inspiration everywhere if you have the idea to look for it.

While we were in Nova Scotia i saw this incredible design.  It was in the town of Millbrook just north of Halifax as we were heading back to the city.  The Mi'kmaq Museum had just opened the week before we arrived.

Click on Mi'kmaq to read about their culture. 

A great find in the museum was this spectacular quilt.  The children of the Reservation were asked to draw pictures of their lives and the summer games held each year.

Their pictures were made into a quilt!

Some pictures were really insightful and artful in themselves.

And there was this huge Indian outside.  That is Frank standing beside him looking teeny tiny!

Looking up, I loved the use of fabric, probably canvas.

The birds wold have a lovely time cavorting in that sunny atrium.



The Daily Bird is so up to date, you would not believe it is me doing this.

This Dove flew in just today.  Well, last night actually.  In the middle of the night he comes whooshing in the window.

I see why he came, it seems he needs some sort of surgery to correct his gay leg.  It is a serious problem as it looks like it has fallen off the poor guy.  I wonder how that could have happened.

I asked him if he had been in a fight or something, he vehemently stated he was a Dove of Peace.  Hmmmm.

Some More Pics from Nova Scotia

Here are some highlights of the scenery.  Later I will do a post on the buildings. 

Most of these bodies of water were arms of the Atlantic Ocean.  Like fjords.

All were breath-takingly gorgeous!

 We were on the Cabot Trail which hugs the shoreline.  The northern part of  Nova Scotia is called the Highlands, like in Scotland.  And they identify as everything Scotland!

I even saw a lot of West Highland Terriers!

This is the kind of bogs that moose love.  It was moose hunting season so we did not  venture too deep into the woods. 

 Every once in a while we got a good glimpse of the rocky shoreline.  Most of the drive was just tree lined two lane roads making sharp curves and switchbacks and S curves!  Frank didn't get sick once.....so tell me it isn't psychosomatic!

Ahhhh, the colors!

Oh, look, there is that orange hoodie he lost in Halifax.  See the dinosaur footprints on the arm?

At the Joggins Fossil Cliffs we saw fossilized palm trunks.  The cliffs are limestone and are being eroded away. So every time the guide gives a tour, he says it is different.  

This is a fern that is in the museum curated by the lady who sold him the orange hoodie.  Actually both of them.  Because when I called to get the second one, she clearly remembered Frank.













Joggins once had a thriving coal mine.  This is a vein of coal now exposed along the shore line.  you can still see the adit (mine opening for you crossword puzzle fans), and the pilings of the dock where they loaded the barges. 

   

The tidal extremes are 20-50 feet depending on the place and the shape of the body of water.  Here you can see the boats sitting on the sea floor waiting for the tide to come and refloat them.













We hiked to one of the lighthouses and this was the view from the path.  Distances are deceiving, this is pretty far down.  

Still had his hoodie here, I see.  

















The views as we walked were like I see in Calendars!

Ah......here is the lighthouse and the two cabins they rent out in the summer seasons.  I think it would be cool to sleep here for a while.

 We hiked about 5 miles in Victoria Park in the center of Halifax.  The people here are very fit!  this is like 30 stories, well it seemed that high.

We don't have ups and downs in Louisiana so we were stopping every stair landing and catching our breath.

Peggy's Cove.  We drove out there with friends Val and Len.  
Perfect day.  We also drove to Lunenberg where I wanted to stay forever!  It is an art based community on the shoreline and went into a shop to meet Laura Swim.  She is an incredible fiber artist.  

This is a couple mile long hike to Mary Ann Falls in the Highlands.  Love that old bridge, all the rusty stuff!



Let me post this one and set up another about the buildings in a few days.

Some Photos of Nova Scotia

The sunset above the clouds was beautiful!

I thought I would see more of these.  We probably only saw 8 total.  

There is a place of great and vast beauty called Keltic Lodge!  Check it out here.

 We stopped along the coast road and took some side hikes.  This one went down to the beach.  It was on St. Ann's. 

The fiddlehead ferns were a brilliant color.  I didn't know they turned like this!

Even the seaweed was a display

I have to make an art quilt from this photo.  Must.










Look, Carol.........all the rusty stuff!