Thankful

Yesterday being Thanksgiving here in the U.S. made me think. Think of what I am most thankful for in my life right now. I am thankful for love of family, the wide range of good people I call friends. The roof under my head, the good food and the lack of worry I have within my life now. 

I am so grateful for the purpose I have each day since I retired. The knowledge that I have a creative mind, one that is constantly spurring me to make something new. I am so filled with ideas I wonder if there could be more than 24 hours in a day. 

I am grateful for my artistic ability. This came more to mind when I delivered the commission piece I walked you all through with my last blog post. The buyer is color blind yet he truly enjoyed this artwork. Knowing the thrill of color in nature, one of the driving forces in my art it made me think what it would be not to be able to see that color. 

I know that color blindness usually happens when someone cannot distinguish between certain colors, usually between greens and reds, and occasionally blues. It commonly starts at birth so not knowing what is green or what is red would not be an issue if you had never saw these colors before. 

My friend says he sees these colors in different shades of gray. The master oil painters would often do an under painting of grays and blacks to obtain the correct value. It is also a good way to keep your colors clean and vibrant while showing dark and light. I wonder if I should find a way to use this in my fiber work. Another idea that will brew in the back of my mind. 

So here is the finished commission, Tortuga Sun. It is 11 X 14 with an collage of fiber with a lot of colored pencil on top of fabric for the water. The palm frons are from fabric that are printed, fused with iron on bonding then cut out and ironed on. I really enjoyed working on this and hope you enjoy it as much as my buyer did.