Saturday, January 16, 2021

Hello Everyone,

If you've been visiting my blog you can see it need some serious TLC. I have considered several times doing something to it, but have decided I will be making a new blog for dora by design. I will be taking a class in the fall geared toward website design so it will be few more months before getting it off the ground. 

Thank you for all your support in my endeavors.

Keep Cultivating Creativity!

Dora

Monday, June 29, 2020

Fustration

I have tried making my blog look more professional however, I can not get blogger to work for me. I will keep trying to figure out things to make them work they way I want. I didn't want to go to Word Press, but I might have too.

Cultivating Creativity,
Dora

Thursday, May 7, 2020

First Year Complete!!

I has been and interesting year, especially with the second semester. I was dog sick the first half of the semester and the second half was on lockdown (aka social distancing). We managed so far without running out of toilet paper.

I am working on making this better, but I have created a tribute to this time for my ceramics class project which thanks to Covid it is actually a cardboard project, which I will post pics of.


I am still working on removing the black from behind my pictures because it obviously conflicts with the background of the main picture. I am also working on the typography of the logo.















Warning: Long post, but mostly pictures with some commentary. Another Warning: If I share an artist work it will be clean; if I share the artist site, it may not be, entire at your own conscious.

I will be sharing some of my artwork with you as well. It is not all grand but, the concepts we learned were fun and interesting. Except perspective, I did not enjoy that assignment at all.

I really liked drawing this, My flag in some areas looks realistic but not in others. Myself and another student wasn't keen on the way the flag was displayed, but the choice wasn't mine to make and drawing a desecrated flag isn't the same as desecrating one.

We actually had a discussion about this, well the teacher taught on the view of respecting the flag and we were able to freely comment. Although the whole art class revolves around "patriotism" she did allow free discussion. Her view is that conservatives worship the symbols of American where as  liberals patriotism is about freedom. Of course there are some on both sides with scewed views, conservatives are all about patriotism and freedom and that is why when we see a flag we respect what it stands for it. It is a banner, a guide on for hope and liberty. Any of our symbols are to remind us of past victories in freedom; the America Revolution, religious freedom and freedom for slaves. Our country isn't perfect, but we are free. Maybe we had to fight for those freedoms, but no where else are these freedoms upheld to a higher standard than in America. It's not about what we were but what we over come.


This was blind contour of a sewing tool I have. Because the neck was supper thin I would always get off course at the top which would exaggerate the bottom portion. But it made for a cool drawing. This was also done with three different pencil hardnesses.
This was a multi-view lesson based on my sewing tool. It was fun. It was hard (at the time) to come up with different view points of the tool.
















 Here we were practicing Picasso/Mondrian style of breaking down a picture from it's original to basic lines.
 I laugh everytime I see this one. It is done with the same concepts as above, but more exaggeration of one picture. I still did not full accomplish the concept. I could do it know in hind sight, but at the time, I struggled with what I was doing.













Here is one of my perspective drawings. It is actually a hallway in a quilt shop and I didn't bother drawing the gazillion patterns on the left side wall. Nor some of the tedious quilt and it's details that were on the table and the right wall.















Another perspective piece.. Did I already say I hated perspective drawing? Yeah...

So this is of part of my kitchen area. The ceiling is vaulted, so no, it's not just a bad perspective ;).














This was kind of a fun piece. We had to do a collage of different objects we found. The tv was from the day I was sick. The fish tank in the cabinet is also from when I was sick. I find my fish humorous.








Love this little piece because I split by tool at the bottom of the page and put it at the top of the page. Again another fun exercise we did in class.

 














These are pen sketch that we practiced. I had more but they weren't as flattering. And although I don't mind transparency of my flaws (which I think are already self evident) these were just down right embarrassing.
















On to Jim Dine. Most of his work is unappealing with some vulgarity, but I love his Tool Drawings. I would like to the tool drawings however, it is hard to find them all in one place. I suggest a Pinterest search to find them.















This isn't really all that flattering. I had forgot about this assignment and had to do it quick. The pots are suppose to look they are having a conversation.










An unfinished pen drawing. I actually really like pen drawing and hope to do more of it.

















Pen drawing with water color. I think I will go back in and add blue to some of the open spaces in the tree and under the tree down through the fence. I didn't originally due this because I couldn't see it for all the distracting things that are were actually behind it that I left out.














This is some of the practice pieces for the above piece.














Thumbnails of egg and crinkled paper.











  Larger thumbnail using the same objects.                                                                                                                                                              




















 This was our Final Project for the class. It was to represent how we feel about patriotism.  This is my statement...


"The flag is high in mine to represent respect for what it stands for. The coffee pot represents us standing strong and nourishing the ideologies that protect our freedom. The egg is being held in such a way as to protect freedom because it is fragile."





Graphite on either 80 or 90wt. cream colored paper.





Graphite on grey paper.


















White charcoal o black paper.


Now I'm all caught up. I will try to be diligent about posting things I create over the summer. Some will be drawings, but I hope to do a lot of sewing, especially experimenting with free motion techniques to create master pieces (okay that may be a little over the top).


Dora
Cultivating Creativity













Thursday, September 5, 2019

2D Art Form



My first class project complete! I tried to combine the Zentangle look with Jacobean Style.

The second pic was just trying a non-traditional form with only three designs inside.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Wow, what a first few weeks!

So far, although a little intimidating at times, college life has been going very well.  My husband and children are very supportive and so are several of my friends.  What the Lord will do with all this in the end, I don't know.  For now though, I plan to use what I learn to further my embroidery designs and to write sewing patterns.  

All my classes are in the morning.  Right now I have not been able to stay at school and get work done, but I look forward to when I can.  All my teachers have been great!  I am happy about that.  A good teacher goes a long way in you getting what you need out of a class. 

Meredith has a Wings program and it's great.  We get to have brunch once a week with other adult students and help encourage each other.  The Wings director is great.  He has a wife that teaches at the school.  We will be having guest speakers at our meetings to help us get to know the school better.

My current classes are 2D Design, Computer Lit., Principles of Writing, and Statistics.

It was suggested that I double major in Studio Art, but I haven't looked into that yet and what all that entails.  I have a feeling that there is one class in that that I might object to.  So we will see.

I have put some new things in the shop, so take a look!  Remember, you would be supporting a college student!  Shameless plug I know.  Never thought I would do that, but school cost a lot of money!  


Cultivating Creativity,
Elaine


Sunday, August 18, 2019

Zen and the 1600's

No, this isn't a history lesson, although if someone does one on the subject please contact me and I will link to it.

I mentioned in my last post that I am attending Meredith this week.  I have already received my syllabus for 2D design.  I had to create a pinterest board for the lessons we will be doing.  The first set of pins are for zentangles.  We will be using this to create a design.  I am excited about the project.

So I was pinning zentangles, when I came across this picture...
Click pic to be taken to The Creative Point.

I had not really thought about it before I saw this picture, but the concept of zentangles is similar to Jacobean design from the 17th century.  I find this very interesting.
This to me is what NoLimitArts is about.  Combining different techniques and mediums.

Click on the picture for the source and a brief commentary on different stitches used within the design.



Sooo excited about what you may be seeing this year in my Etsy shop!


Cultivating Creativity,
Dora


Wednesday, August 14, 2019

It's been a while...

such is life.  So next week I will start classes at Meredith College.  I am getting a degree in graphic design and I think it will help me further in the direction I am going with my embroidery designs, as well as pattern writing and so forth. 

It has been a hard decision.  I keep telling myself it's not worth my time (or money!).  I may not have everything in life, but I am happy with my life and even with this degree whose to say I will accomplish anything with it.  My family has been very encouraging and they thinks it's a great idea for me to do this. 

I am looking forward to opportunities that are before me and how taking these class will help me in design.  I think my biggest weakness is motivation.  Not motivation to do, but motivation in accomplishing.  I guess that is why I like creating the embroidery designs.  I can create, but there is no goal to reach other than self gratification in the out come of my embroidery.  I love teaching as well.  I have thought of opening a sewing studio and teaching others to sew.

I am making things for my etsy shop besides the embroidery designs to help with the money situation with school.  Please, take a moment and look to see if there is anything that interest you.


Cultivating Creativity,
Dora