Wagon Trails and Apache Tears Hike

Joyce and Albert, Don and I went on a nice hike today. We saw wagon tracks that are deeply etched into the rocks from mule pulled carts of the first settlers coming to the area. I can't even imagine doing that journey in the heat and unforgiving vegetation here!

Later on we trekked on further on Perlite Trail. We walked past some gorgeous views to an area full of boulders and caves. Some areas had white rocky cliffs where you could find Apache Tears, small glass like formations. These geological stones are formed as hot lava cools. They are found encased in perlite, a mica like white substance. 

Wagon Tracks trail head.

Deep grooves from the numerous wagons.

Weavers Needle is in the far distance.

Caves in the perlite, where Apache Tears can be found.

People are digging out rocks from these columns.  Eventually the whole thing could/will collapse!

Smaller caves in sandstone (reddish) rocks.

It was a great day for a hike.  The temperature was just right with a slight breeze.  And, the cacti were in full bloom!  Gorgeous!

A big bunch of hedge hog cactus with their iridescent fuchsia blossoms!

Prickly pear cactus in bloom.  Notice all the other buds ready to open.

Each blossom only lasts a day.

Mother Goose in Her Grass House

A silly Canada goose has made a nest in the middle of a tuft of grass near the edge of our pond. She is rather exposed, but doesn't seem to mind us strolling by. However, it can take you unawares. And in the surprise of the moment make you think she's a snake!!  (Strange how a bird head moves like a snake. I never noticed that before!!)

Easter in Surprise

Our new friends, Lyndsay and Blair, invited us to their winter home in Surprise for Easter supper. It was amazing to watch Lyndsay "sew-up" the bird and then see Blair cut it up for us. Yummy!!

Betty Busby Extras

Of course, as with any workshop, you learn more than just the curriculum outline.

Betty showed us how to sew circles using a freezer paper circle cut out. I already use this technique but two tips will assist me. One, draw a line right on the stitching line before sewing and two, cut the clips on the fabric, not the freezer paper!!

We also discussed printing our own fabric through Spoonflower. The groups experience suggests:
1.  fabric choices that are the best - cotton lawn, organic cotton knit (edge doesn't roll), cotton spandex (very stretchy, but edge rolls) and organic cotton sateen
2.  print out sizes are sample swatches in sets of 8" squares, fat quarters or one full yard
3.  use photoshop or print preview to enlarge your photo to 150 dpi, that is as big as Spoonflower prints

Sample of designs Betty drew and then coloured to get fabric.

Fabric then printed through Spoonflower.

Sample of alcohol bled marker design Betty created.

The above sample is photographed, altered in photoshop and then printed at Spoonflower

Sample swatches can be printed.
Great way to see what the material would look like!

Here are 20 more 8" swatches printed by Spoonflower.

We played with Dreamscope, an online image altering application, that applies various filters on your photo to create unique results.  I really enjoyed this.  Here are a couple of samples:

All my samples from the three day class with Betty.

Busby Class - Day Three - Batik

Our last day with Betty focused on using wax as a resist, aka batik.  The last non woven material we were introduced to was Dunicel, a very thick paper, sold as a table cloth at "Smart and Final Iris" a grocery type store in Arizona.

Close up of a sample piece of Betty's showing the use of Dunicel.
Can be painted, salted, torn, stitched, etc.

Using hot paraffin wax to batik cloth.
Betty is stamping a circle stamp resist on this mauve cotton fabric.

A Piece of Dunicel batiked.

Some of my pieces:

A piece of silk that I originally coloured with paint and alcohol bled dots, then batiked with midnight blue DynaFlow.

Acrylic metallic dots, painted with DynaFlow and batiked.

Dunicel with DynaFlow paint, waxed and crinkled with Dynaflow.

Same as above, but note the light texture of the orange paint.
I dried it on a metal chair and it took on the metal grid texture.  Bonus!!

Dunicel painted with violet and pewter DynaFlow, waxed and crinkled with gold metallic acrylic paint.
Be careful to remove all excess paint on top of the was as it will get ironed into the piece as you get rid of the wax!!

Dunicel with pink blotching, wax circles and black crinkles.

Busby class - Day Two - Evolon

Our homework for today was to collect veined leaves. A difficult assignment in Arizona. However, we did manage a varied collection.

Today we experimented with another non woven material called Evolon. It is thicker than Reemay with a suede like texture. 

We painted our leaf veins with acrylic paint and used them as stamps to create a leaf outline on our Evolon. Once the paint was dry we cut out the leaves using scissors or the hot knife. Then we over painted the leaves using paints and added details using Inktense pencils and blocks. 

Painting leaf veins - note paint brush is almost horizontal to the leaf.

Press down on the leaf stamp, do not rub.

Voila - gorgeous fig leaf stamped on Evolon.

Paint with DynaFlow.
Evolon can take a lot of water, do not worry.

Add details with Inktense pencils and blocks.

Betty's piece - gorgeous results!!

Detail of Betty's leaf piece.

Another piece of Betty's using Evolon.

Detail photo

Betty Busby Class - Day One

A group of ten art quilters met at Marlas house to learn various multi media techniques from Betty Busby.

The first morning we painted on silk using DynaFlow paints.

Betty is choosing a texture to place under the silk.

Silk goes on top of the textured surface.

Water is added.

DynaFlow paint is dabbed on the wet silk.

Here is a similar, yet different process:

Textured items are laid on a white garbage bag.
(Garbage bag is a slippery surface that the metallic paint will not stick to.)

Add piece of silk, wet, daub on DynaFlow and a mixture of metallic paint.

Squirt heavily with water in spray bottle to force the mica chips in the metallic paint to the underside of the silk.

Working in the shade and sun.  34C!!  Everything dries fast!

In the afternoon we painted on non-woven Reemay.   It can be cut using scissors or a hot knife (wood burning tool or soldering iron.) 

Betty uses Teflon sheets as a protection from the heat of the hot knife on an ironing board
(a chunk of glass can also be used). 

Tip of hot knife is pointed.

Easy to cut organic edges.

When fusible is on the back it will temporarily stick to the teflon enabling you to cut without the piece sliding around.
You can also burn in small dots!

Then we embellished our dried silk pieces with Shiva art sticks. 

Betty has a chunk of textured material under the silk.
She is using a gold coloured Shiva (oil paint) stick.

Some of my results:

My textured silks showing front and back.

Another piece of silk that I painted with metallic paint and embellished with Shiva Sticks.

This piece of silk was painted using a vinyl flowered rubber placemat underneath.
After it dried I used a Turquoise Shiva Metallic Paintstick to add detail.

Painted Reemay

Painted Reemay cut out using scissors (middle leaf) and hot knife (outside smaller pieces)

Notice the tiny detail that can be achieved using the hot knife!

Betty with her Reemay leaf veins and dyed silk behind made into an art piece.

Reemay leaf over a chunk of painted silk.
Could become the beginning of a gorgeous art piece.