Flowers; some more results

Bit of an exciting week here, with a lot of  little things adding up. Our son has submitted his first "final draft" of his Masters thesis. What a long haul for him, but since it is his life, I'm not allowed to gossip. Let's just say, a collective sigh of family relief was heard all the way out to the harbour light house. A few more hoops for him to go through and then he will be on to the next stage of life.

Steve was the opening act at a student fundraiser. What a hoot. Sorry no pictures because it took place during the Earth Day hour of putting all lights and electronic out for an hour. They played in the dark with a tiny flashlight illuminating the music. I cleverly hung onto my beer before the lights went out, so all was well. Steve, his banjo(sssss), one student on a tenor ukelea and another on the big bass thing that towers over cellos, played a bunch of folk banjo music, "Somewhere over the Rainbow", the "Bare Necesseties of Life" from Disney's Jungle Book film, Candy Rock Mountain and Wagon Wheel. It was a bit of a sing a long.

Hot Flash Woman is nearing the e-book phase of her life. Here's a flashback.

The Internet ! What has taken me nearly a year to get Hot Flash Woman up and running as an e book? The Internet, that's what. No, it isn't tricky to make a self-published book, if you understand what all the littlely things mean like 'paper grade' and IBC (inside back cover). You'd think after all my years of helping with various publications, I'd be able to just hop into this, but no. I feel completely out of my depth when I have to plug in the computer and do it myself. What was wrong with the days when you walked into the copy shop and handed your disk (even this was a monumental achievement) to a nerdy looking person and a week later they handed you back a box of lovely books or catalouges or posters?  I liked supporting my local businesses. I do not like supporting my own artistic endeavours with all these tech tasks. It means hours away from what I really want to do, which is wallow in colour. Or rant. Depends on the day.

Hopefully, by weeks end, I will have a link on this page, an e book for Volume One and the confidence to get Volumes Two and Three out there.

Stitiching...... a little bit quiet.

Flowers..... here we go.

This is gesso on wood with markers outlining the goal of the painting.

 

This is the painting after tons of messing about, charcoal and white ink

This one became

this.

 

It is much greener in the background than is showing.  

The stitching has progressed to this.  The central seam needs to be strengthened, that lacey bit across on the diagonal needs to be stitched down and 

I need to finish off the central connections.

The cross stitch at the top of blocks will turn the corner and come down towards the tatted lace and the seams will get some kinds of knots and bullion stitches. If there is a gap, then (ssssHHH....when I go to Toronto in 10 days, I will buy some lace to fit into the hole). As Karen Ruane says, 'a hole is an opportunity'. This is a great philosophy for life. I can do something with that hole, or ignore it. Perfect.