Red

 My bottle of red SolarFast arrived yesterday.  Luckily, it was sunny outdoors and I dropped everything to give it a go. I'm very pleased with the color - it will work well with the red collage quilt I am beginning. 

ICAD

 It is so nice to have so many notecards done at the end of the challenge. I'm still on track and enjoying the process.

Index Card a Day (ICAD)

 Last year I enjoyed participating in the ICAD challenge. This year may be difficult to complete (gone 2 weeks in July), but for now, I am enjoying playing.

My guidelines are very simple: use stash and spend no more than 15 minutes creating each day. Also - if it's ugly, post anyway.

Global Warming Dress

 Not finished.  I am having artist block on this dress - or at least the background.  What I envisioned in my head is not working.  Luckily, I have time to set it aside for a week or two.  I think I'd be better inspired if it wasn't so hot outside!

Air pollution

The Air is Poisoned 

Contaminated by chemicals, the air burns my lungs and eyes.  Thick black smoke from burning heavy fuels suffocates.  It is so difficult to breathe.  All I want is to take a deep breath without choking.

I live in a rural community, but even in this remote location we deal with bad air at times.  Crop dusters always send me inside the house - I don't want to breathe that air filled with horrible chemicals.  I cannot imagine what is like living in a city with air that injures and kills. While doing research for this dress, I read about the Great Smog of London, December 5th - 9th, 1952. During this time, deadly smog killed between 4,000 and 10,000 people, caused by burning coal and weather patterns. 

What can we do to improve our air? For starters:

Drive your car less.  

Reduce gas consumption

Keep your car in good repair

Don't burn your trash

Plant and care for trees

I think my easiest is to plant more trees.  I live on 10 acres, which is mostly woods.  Every year we try to plant more trees.  I usually grumble when my husband's tree order arrives, but once in the ground I am very pleased with seeing more trees growing. It always seems like a small effort in a huge world, but if everyone planted a tree each year that would be 8 billion more trees on our planet. 

World Environment Day - June 5, 2023

 

World Environment Day, held annually on 5 June, brings together millions of people from across the globe, engaging them in the effort to protect and restore the Earth. This year marks the event’s 50th anniversary.

A year ago I began a year long project to not only educate myself about the state of our earth, but to also do something that would call attention to the major issues that are destroying our environment.  Google sent me to World Environment Day, giving me a goal date to complete my project. Although my project is not complete, I have managed to complete 11 out of 12 artworks created to call attention to our decaying earth. (My goal was 12 dresses in 12 months). 

One of my goals was to NOT make purchases to create my art.  Although I did purchase a few of the little dresses I used for canvases, they came mostly from thrift stores, and from my much too large stash, or were gifted from friends. A special thank you to Julie and Cindy for giving me childhood treasures to make my creations. 

I am excited to share that my "Bee Dress" will be featured in Quilting Arts Magazine, later this month.  The plight of the bee has been near to my heart as I have struggled for years with raising bees.  It seems that each time we get a new start, the crop dusters kill our bees.  

My incredibly talented sister has agreed to work with me on a book, featuring each of the dresses completed for the #earthdressseries.  An ambitious goal of completing the book by October 2023 will put the book in print by November. I read recently that it is not good to share such specific goals, but it also gives me a deadline and motivation to complete!

Ok, so this is more writing than I usually do in a month's time!  I feel like a new chapter of my creative life has begun.  Working on a series for a year has made me focus on art in a new way.  I've learned so much about myself and look forward to what is down the road for me. God has certainly given me a new direction. 

Paint the Road

 How many times have I played along? Many more than I can remember- 19, 20?

With my art focus on #earthdressseries, it seemed fitting to paint little dresses!