The Deception Of Time

Gouache on acrylic paper

6"x9"

As painted...

...and 'digitally remastered' : )

Ahhhhh - DEADLINES!!!!

So I had just submitted my pics for the first of the four books that form a series, when the publisher emailed me yet another book to illustrate - and this one takes precedence over the series, so I have to think about some new characters, and soon!  Meanwhile I still need to keep working on the other books, not to mention a whole different book from some time back that I have not yet finished.  Ahhhh!!!!

Sometimes when I'm faced with too many tasks I just do something else altogether to clear my head and gear up for the work - sort of mentally rolling up my sleeves by just letting my brain rest with a different activity than I'm pressuring it about.

So I made this little piece today while the NanoBot was also painting.  I love the shimmery summer colors in it (it's dark and rainy outside today) and the profusion of white, which is less stark actually than it looks here.

Today I also go to a book club meeting, and I want to make some apple crumble to take with me.  I made some last weekend for a small party and it was a big hit, so I'm gonna fall back on it for today as well!

Now back to work :)

Flying to the Moon

Pencil colors on note-paper, outlined with ballpen.

The Sum Of all Days...

Celebrating Sunshine! Fabric Jewelry

Soft Spring sunshine...translated into a beads and fabric necklace. 

Wear your own golden drops!

Hello, Sunshine!

And Now There Are Three!

well, sort of...still working on this green and brown one...

River Rocks...Rock!

These lovely, smooth pebbles are all dressed up - the small ones make great jewelry; the larger ones can add instant glamor to a table!

Spotted!

The very lovely Christine has a beautiful blog that features unique handmade treasures.  I just love the artists and artisans she picks.  I was actually unaware of this blog until Christine emailed me several weeks ago to let me know she had featured my work on it.  That's when I discovered this amazing collection of beautiful things, and I was SO honored to be part of it!

It's funny; I sometimes agonize that my work doesn't seem to bear a stamp that says 'Azra Momin'.  Probably because I'm constantly trying new materials and new outcomes.  I've almost come to accept that I will never have a signature look - it will always be in a process of evolution.

Well then, when I took a look at the pieces from my shop that Christine picked for her blog feature, I was quite amazed.  Those pieces all DO look like the same person made them - ME!  YAY!

And you can see them all here!

Incidentally, the first piece in the feature, and another one that I made at the same time, were both picked for Etsy treasuries.  It's funny coz I really wouldn't have expected it for either of these pieces.  Just goes to show you never know!

Rain On Me

Hope

Until next time!

Sometimes a piece of work just gets stuck, and I begin to wonder if it's gone to Never Land (as in never to be retrieved).  Sometimes, though, it suddenly falls into place after a long, long time in limbo.

That's what happened with Perpetual Astonishment, and that's what happened with this piece.

I call this one Comet.

And you can get it here!

My favorite blues...and they look amazing in that dark wood frame. 

I think I need some red now, though!

Perpetual Astonishment

For months (months!!!)  I've had a painting hanging in our living room - unfinished.  No one seemed to be able to tell, but everytime I looked at it I cringed.  I knew I needed to work on it, but that canvas is two feet square.  I didn't want to do it section by section.  It would look so weird, plus I don't work like that.  So it languished there on the wall.  In this state:

This is a very bad shot, and not taken in natural light, but you get the picture.

So yes, I just stopped looking at it.  Lately though, I've been working with my sewing machine, and really enjoying it too.  Ironically, making fabric jewelry somehow inspired me to get back to this painting, and two days ago I just pulled it down and finished it - just like that!

And in a matter of hours, this is what it became:

Our wall just got a makeover!!!

I've replaced a lot of my favorite turquoise (which is color of the year this year!) with intense red and orange, but it's making the blue pop even more.

I call it Perpetual Astonishment (you'll find out why!), and you can get it here.

Naturally, all that painting has inspired me with more fabric jewelry ideas.  Weird, huh?

In The Bag!

OK - not completely: I'm still learning how to make a little purse, but sitting down (a lot of sitting down!) and actually making one taught me a couple of things that I now know how to fix in my next one.  Like sewing the lining part separately from the outside part and then inserting the lining into the outside part, and then sewing them together!  I also didn't have a clasp available so until I put one in (I'm thinking just a plain magnetic closure) this purse doesn't close...

But this was a weekend's worth of work for me - all those little bits first patched together, then the outlines to each shape, for which I used a variety of methods: handsewn bunched up strip of fabric - those puffy ones that you see - cord, twisted bits of fabric and well, more cord.  I tried riboon too but the width didn't look right so I took it off.  Also I could have used more layers of fabric sewn together for the handles but my back was starting to give out and I just used wide brocade ribbon instead.

And oh yes, each side has its very own metallic brown rose!

I love crazy quilting, and this was my very first time doing it.

I'm so happy with it!

My very first bag, and that too a crazy-quilted patchwork one!

YAY!

Three Takes On Blue

The pictures are horrible - working at night with not enough light, and of course I don't want to use the flash, and who knows where the tripod is, and would I bother if I did know - NO!!

Anyway - hee hee - here is my latest:

River Road

Summer Rain

Sunken Treasure

I'm too tired right now to write descriptions (YAAAWN) but they all have all kinds of layerings with silk, cotton, velvet and denim, lace and ribbons, trims and beads and sequins and other bits and baubles that I don't know the names of, all handcrafted, one-of-a-kind and wearble!

Please Share Your Thoughts!

This takes a bit longer than you might think, but it's so worth the effort.

I've stitched rows of lace and trimmimgs on to paper using metallic threads, and then embellished them with sequins and cord. I made one all golden, and one all silvery white, and I can't decide which one I like better!
The last piece was crazy-quilted on to paper using whatever my hand reached first, and then also embellished with sequins and a big hand-swen mirror.

The pieces have come out gorgeous, and I love how mounting them on canvas and then mounting that canvas on to a bigger canvas presents them in an eye-catching but understated way.
They look far better in person and are wonderful accessories for any room, as well as being amazing, unique gift items!

Gold on gold on gold - fit for a princess!

My favorite colors - all shades of white - there are six different whites in there.  This would look fabulous in an all-white room.

A more abstract, free-stitched piece, with white and gold and silver all together.  So there, that was all the stitching I spoke about yesterday.  Please share your thoughts!

My Show-Going Orchids

That last one won the ribbon.

I hope I can do better than that next year!