There's Beauty in Rust

Spoiler alert...the current, quarterly GOE challenge is a picture of a rusty grate. Not just any grate, it has to be something with this particular grate. It's in a golf course in Mexico & it's surrounded by grass. 

 Isn't it beautiful....I thought so but I just didn't know how to do it and make my piece interesting. I've actually been pondering it for 2 months & still nothing was coming. So I did some more intense study on the internet & decided that I was going to schedule Saturday for my encaustic bench. Now here's the spoiler part...those who don't want to see it until the reveal...don't look...all of those who would like to see it...check it out on the read more.

Don't Be Koi

 

This project was in the works over a very long time frame. I started off with a very traditional background as the layout for the water. I had a vision of koi fish in a pond & I wanted them to be hiding under the shade of an overhanging branch. But I didn't know how to do the 3D element of the branch so it was pinned to my board for quite some time. Then the GOE group decided that we would use our quarterly challenge as entries for the then, upcoming Threadworks challenge "Water".

 

I had another idea for what I wanted to enter for the water challenge but nothing was coming out right. So due to lack of time, I pulled my water background down & just got down to business finishing my Koi piece. The branch was made using a wire hanger covered in scrap strips. Then I started making the leaves for the dimensional element. Once I knew the layout of the branch I stitched down my koi, quilted & then beaded the background & fish.

This quilt followed me to Istanbul in order for me to finish it for the deadline. The GOE group decided that it was best not to post our finished pieces until after we knew if they had been accepted or rejected from the Threadworks show. I decided not to enter my piece for the show but I didn't post it anyways. The show is now on and I'm told that it's fantastic. Some of the GOE members had their pieces accepted.

 

GOE Challenge Publication Ban

Well everyone, I've been working on my quarterly Group of Eight (GOE) challenge. This quarterly was the theme "Water" from the Threadworks Call for Entry 2013. I even took my project to Istanbul with me on holiday in order to finish for the deadline....then the GOE group decided that there would be a publication ban on the finished works because it's juried. So I've been working on it for months & I can't even show a picture. I'm new to this whole juried thing so I never guessed that it could present a problem. I understand very clearly now. In order to not compromise the entries there can't be any previous hint at it possibly being seen. Makes complete sense...and I guess I'm very lucky that I didn't post a picture prior to the meeting. Usually I do but because I've been so busy on the weekends with guests...I just didn't have the time.
So it looks like you'll all just have to wait until April 2013, after all the submissions are either accepted or denied. That's right...I have to keep it under cover until April 2013.