eye test....

Not so precise to my eye, more free form.
'Around Monday'©

Precise....almost an exact cut out from 
the original rectangular design.
'Around Monday'©

Original piece from 2009...

I drew this right before my daughters wedding...she and I spent a wonderful week hobnobbing around Columbus, Ohio before the big day.  We also sat around watching movies in the hotel while I played with my Prisma pencils.  I forget how many different colorways I did of this piece that week.  She used them for thank you notes.  

One of the original cards.

You've seen this piece many times...it was my banner along the top of this blog for a long time in stitched form.  Its also an inset in my Weekender bag from Lee's Needle Art.  [aka nylon tote]

'Monday'
[because I drew it on a Monday....]

So back to the top...which do you like best...precise or free form?? I'm not sure now that I have both painted.  It is possible to make oneself go in circles.  

Around...Monday...

Keeping track of my marbles...
at least three of them.
It's been said that artists are flighty...
I don't totally agree, my theory,
different focus.
Sometimes the focus is very single minded.

"Not all those who wander are lost."
J.R.R. Tolkien

It's a process...this is my second attempt to turn a rectangular design into a circular one.

Not there just yet...
'Around Monday'
a Kimberly design©

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's not the position in which you stand....

it's the direction in which you look.  

Whether you're up North staring at feet of snow or fearful of stepping out your front door because of the slippery ice, make today special on your own terms.  Be present, Enjoy!

It's a process...converting card art to canvas.

Tada!  I'm on a roll here.
'Heartful'
a Kimberly design©

Valentine Collection
a Kimberly design©
[cards are available through Brooke Pottery click here]
Next in the line up is 'Flower Power' far left, then 'Happy Hearts' in the center.
No...I'm really not having any fun.... :-)

a trunk show !

BeStitched in Scottsdale, Arizona is having a trunk show featuring artists from Ruth Schmuff...of which, I am one!  Yay!  My first public trunk show!  Have fun shopping, click here for more information. 

Most of my designs start out as illustrations.  Blossom was actually a 'trading card', that grew into a greeting card, that grew into a painted canvas.  

Designing, painting, I love ...

...from me to me.

a flower bloomed...

the dew fell and a butterfly happened by....

and the story grew...with more to come!
Dream Fragment©
a Kimberly design©2014

Focus....

 Santa has a face...now he just needs his beard and a spectacular pompom on his hat. 

Santa Up Close

a Kimberly design©

Close observation will show that he had a portion of beard...

and that didn't work.  Ripped and waiting for more thread. 

Dream Fragment
a Kimberly design©
Watching the snowy weather up North made me really want to paint flowers today.  Beginnings of a new piece.  Thought you might enjoy seeing some of the process.  

Pretty happy with this so far.
Dream Fragment
a Kimberly design©

All together now, eight little Biscornu!
Photo by Whitney Hussey©
My daughter took many beautiful pictures during her visit last month.  The above was my request, it was hard to choose which one I loved best!  Now to search out the perfect pottery bowl to display them in.
She also took my new profile picture, she makes me look pretty amazing!  Just a glimpse of parental pride.

his nose...

I'm not great at post titles...each time I begin a new post that's the first thing I have to tackle.  Some times it's quite easy...others require me to be creative with words. 

Drawing, stitching, playing with color, this I can do, words can throw me a curve.  Which my mind just stitched in herringbone [the curve, would be cool in herringbone].  See!  

This post is about, the nose, the mustache, the hair, the eyebrows, his lacy face, the cute little squares of felt on his hat. Progress being made so I can effectively write the guide with real photos of the stitching completed.  That's how this one works best.  

His nose...beautifully shaded beneath the padded felt I couched to the surface.  I had many stitches in mind for the nose but none were going to bring it forward enough.  I've been wanting to play with felt on canvas and voila!  I cut two circles, one smaller to fit underneath for padding.  Next, I'm going to blush it with 'blush'! This will be accomplished by cutting a hole the size of his nose in a piece of paper.  Then I can apply the blush to make his nose a bit more dimensional with no fear of hurting his lacy face.

For the little squares marching across his hat, I used more felt. Turned out rather fun, even if I did poke my finger a few times using a 'sharp' needle.

Tired of stitching...this one plays with her colored pencils and ideas for another canvas.  This is just a portion of a larger design soon to come to life as a Kimberly design!

Life, is what I'm up to...

I realized today that it's been a couple of weeks since my last post. A twinge of guilt tried to take hold, unsuccessfully.  I've been having a blast, so the blog was over looked for a little bit.  No guilt as I was spending time with family and wow, is that nice! 

My daughter came home from Germany to visit for a bit.  She's expecting my very first grandchild!  Yay!! to us.  She looks amazing, has that glow business down pat.  

We spent a couple of days working on a one of kind Elephant Mobile for the babies room.  Three generations with a fourth maybe listening to the happy sounds of creativity going on.  

Glowing darling daughter.

Busy creative minds.

Beginnings.

Finished one of a kind mobile,
designed by Whitney Hussey©2014
Stitched lovingly by
Gramme Em, Mom [moi], & Whitney!

Up close with a bit of Christmas tree sparkle to add to the magic.

In the evenings...I've been stitching on 'Santa Up Close', guide coming right along.  Today, I wrapped up the 'Camel Flowers' guide!  Happily busy as the sun brightly shines into my little work space.  Yes to those who know me...I'm in the purple chair.  Chance at my side.  

'Santa Up Close'
a Kimberly design©

My constant companion,
Sir Chancelot.

Merry Christmas!

a profusion...

...of blooms!  Just in time for Christmas!  I read about it being dismally gray up North...so I'm sharing some color from the South!

  

Enjoy!

Finally! The secret is out!!

As most of you have heard...Ruth Schmuff and I have rejoined forces!  Our friendship and love of design has kept us connected over the years.  

Today it was announced that Ruth is the official distributor of my painted canvas designs.  I could not be happier, I've had a super big smile plastered across my face all day.  

Below are three of the smaller pieces from this first collection of designs, stitched for your perusal.  The guides are in progress and will soon be uploaded at the 'speed of cyberspace' to Ruth.   The world has changed in big ways over the past 'few' years!

 

'Austintatious Peacock'
a Kimberly design©

'Camel Flowers'
a Kimberly design©

You've seen close up 'glimpses' of both of these top two designs presented here on this blog in the past few months.  Both of these pieces happened because of friends requests and both for another named Kim!  The peacock was for a secret Santa ornament for her, she loves Peacocks.  The Camel Flowers...well, long story short, can you see these flowers as saddles on two very plain camels that needed some dressing up.  As I painted the saddles on the 'plain camels' backs...I saw flowers.  Then I remembered a flower doodle....and so it goes in my head some times.  

'Mondays'
a Kimberly design©

So I needed a car project, this was some original card art I did a few years ago.  I happen to love basket weave and I love working it with beautiful fine wools or silk single strand, no fuss...no muss. Very zen.

The bag is a weekender from Lee...and this one has traveled beautifully.

Please visit Ruth's website here to see my other designs in this first release collection.  There are more designs already coming together to add very soon.  For now, I need to write stitch guides!  

living in fantasy land...

.....with a mansion in reality!

A few weeks ago, I mentioned running away to the circus.  Well, I did.  I and two accomplices escaped for a full day of adventure making our way to Sarasota to visit John Ringling's home [mansion] and museum.  Wow... not much else to say but WOW!  

Several years ago [like forever ago] I visited before.  The mansion is as I remembered it but the 'Big Top' has changed dramatically. Now there is an entire building housing a miniature circus.  We were told that the display is three ring in size....massive.  If you're ever close by, it's definitely something to see in person.  

On the grounds there is also a museum housing John Ringling's collection of old masters.  This took us three hours to walk through, we were exhausted but so enthralled by it all. To think that one person collected all of this art.  Mind boggling. 

aka. House of John

.......

Front view of the mansion.

The terrace in back...just a small patio really with the Gulf of Mexico to launch a boat or two in.

View of the back.

Heading into the 'miniature' Circus.  

.......

Of course, there were elephants!

...and horses!

The entire display is glassed.  Wish you could see the copper telephone wires here. 

The Midway?  I need to brush up on circus terms.

Did you say clowns? ...but of course.

Another building where they were busy refurbishing.  Not surprising that this beautiful piece caught my eye.

Folding chair in John & Mable's private train car.  Art Deco always catches my eye.

Grounds in the center of the museum.  The furthest point is the front entrance.  Art is housed down both side sections.  We're on a connecting bridge between the two.

My accomplices!  Bruce and cousin Jeffrey, thank you!  Bruce took several [just over 400] pictures.  I quickly wore out my battery, so happy his kept going!  

.......

From the entrance...looking back towards the connecting bridge and the Gulf.

Amazing Banyon Trees!  What kind of trees would you expect a circus man to have!?

Farewell for now.

Big reveal this Friday....watch for it !