Art Quilts In Process

I now have so much fabric, I feel obligated to do something with it before it takes over the entire house.  So I am doing a lot of quilting these days.  One of my self imposed guidelines requires each quilt include some original art and/or photograph, which further expands the fabric library.  The top two images are for a giant quilt tentatively called "Birdmen of Marin," because it will ultimately include 80 2x2 photos that I shot in and around Marin County, combined with 4 wooden artist model photos done in an applique rose fabric + some original bird art.  The third image down is for a different quilt of funky birds in primary colors.  The one featured here is blue.  The final in process quilt depicted here is called "Magnolia from Bud to Flower" and includes magnolia photos printed on silk, then cut up, together with some applique magnolia buds and flowers in a mix of cotton and silk that is still being worked on.

Crow Contemplating His Next Move

Photo collage

Migratory Sea Birds

Terns and Seagulls at Drakes Beach in Pt. Reyes National Seashore.  It's September and I believe some, if not all, are getting ready to migrate.  Probably not happy I disturbed them! More photos from Drakes Beach and nearby Mt. Vision up soon @Shutterstock here:  https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Lucy+Autrey+Wilson

Are You Going the Wrong Way?

More 3D applied to fabric birds.

Freedom Balloon

Having some fun with watercolor, ink and graphite for a change.

Fort Point Roadrunner

Playing around with a photo taken during my recent Aperture Academy workshop at Fort Point in Marin County, adding one of my fabric roadrunner birds and a Samsung Instagram shadow photo.

Antique India Quilt With Birds and Roses

New Wall Hanging Quilt front and back.  Centered antique hand sewn satin/cotton quilt from India with four of my hand drawn Indian birds (seen in India in January of this year) printed on cotton (painted stork, flamingo, two ibis).  Cotton, satin, glitter trim, couched rat tail and some hand embroidery. Rose pattern cotton back and rosebud cotton binding (both designed by Martha Negley for Rowan. Westminster Fibers).  Measures 28 1/2" wide x 43 3/4" high.

Bugs in a Bottle on a Table

Not sure why I just spent almost all day drawing some new insects (cicada, digger wasp and grasshopper) just to put them in a digital bottle on a table in a fantasy room.  But I did!  The new bugs should also make their appearance in my cold wax and oil paint picture of a "Bottle Waiting for Bugs" once I transfer them into that painting in process.

Did I Say I Loved Birds?

New found appreciation for graphite, in many forms, made it necessary for me to try out my new playthings by drawing more birds.

Sunday Drawing Fun with Family

Sitting outside yesterday, in Walnut Creek, drawing with my 95 3/4 year old mother, and my siblings, in the warm California sun can be summed up in one word:  Delightful.  I was drawing birds with the aim of designing some new fabric on Spoonflower, then took a turn at drawing my mother (as she drew me) and finally drew one of the still life props set out for inspiration - a wooden artist model.

Garden of Delight

Latest quilt finished 8/6/2014.  50" wide x 67 1/2" high.  Cotton, silk, wool-punched birds and Proteus, and my own designed bee fabric.  Full front view and quilt close up.

Bird Prints

Touched up prints from top to bottom:

Blue-crowned MotMot ghost print

Blue-crowned MotMot in ginger chine colle

Blue Parrot with Baobab trees

Blue Parrot with Baobab trees chine colle 

Embroidered Blue Birds

Above are six new felted blue birds, created for a bird quilt in the works.  These birds are based on my button bird and friends poster (as seen in the bird print with moon).  Each bird is made by machine punching hand dyed Falkland wool top into Kaufman Kona cotton cloth, then adding machine and hand embroidery. The wool, apparently, was grown on sheep in the Falkland Islands.  I bought it from Twisted Filament's Etsy shop.

Fabric Birds

Wool-punched and embroidered birds on cotton fabric for an upcoming Bird quilt.  Here's hoping they don't disintegrate in the wash!

1+5+7 = New Fiber Arts Projects

Above top to bottom:
1.  Two Women - 7x10 Quilt Sampler
2.  5 New Grocery Bags:  Bird of Paradise, Crow with Yellow Hearts,a Geranium Bricks, Red Crow and Yellow-faced Bee.
3.  Detail of Red Crow on quilted grocery bag panel
4.  7 new hot pads:  Roosters and Chickens, Bees, Bark and Honeysuckle.

Voices

An owl, a cardinal and a frog all raising their voices and singing their songs. Perhaps they are remembering a time years ago when there were fewer houses with fewer people living in them behaving badly. For Illustration Friday's word "voices." B&W photograph taken by E.A. Autrey in Santa Barbara years ago.