Pattern Designer in Warwick, NY
Wild Thing is my new hand carved & printed linocut on paper, now in my Etsy shop. It measures 6×6 inches. Loosely inspired by a wedding arrangement seen in Martha’s Vineyard.
I carved this one in a very spontaneous way resulting in it’s ‘wildness’…since that’s where my head is at during the holidays 😉 Hope you like it!
Well, I guess two months is long enough to be neglecting the blog!
We’ve been busy adapting to new schedules of pre-school, kindergarten, teaching, and balancing new projects. I’m really excited about this new initiative in our area called, Family Central. It is a grassroots movement that aspires to address the need to safeguard childhood and to bring balance back into family life. I created the logo to the right and other printed material for them. I’m looking forward to their big kick-off on Nov 2 at our local library.
Pre-school teaching has been going well so far, in that I haven’t taught anything yet. Since our class is a combination of art & cooking, I’ve just been assisting the chef with her class. This Friday will be our transition class and we will have an Artist vs. Chef dual (skit) where we finally lay to rest the age old question of which is better, Art or Cooking?! It should be hilarious. The kids will also get to mix their own edible paint and eat/paint with it!
Our kindergarten encourages parent participation, so I created a paper-mache grasshopper for their classroom…up next is a blue morpho butterfly! I also get to paint a life size tee pee in the school library so I’ve been surfing around looking for native american inspiration.
My husband and I took two vacations, one was a wedding in Martha’s Vineyard and the other was a golf tournament in North Carolina. We had great weather at both and made lots of memories. One thing we decided while on vacation was that we need to get outdoors together more so we have done a few hikes with the kids since then. Loving it!
I’m really excited about a redecorated room in my house. It was a music room with a baby grand piano in it. But I wanted a colorful, yet quiet room where I could do yoga, art, reading, meditation, & display my art. So on a whim, I rolled up the carpet, and rolled the piano into our living room…and it fits! So my new room has a nice hardwood floor and it’s perfect for yoga. I have a little desk to work at, a reclining chair to read in, and lots of soft pillows and blankets for me & the kids to snuggle in this winter. Eventually, I want to incorporate some of my own patterns on pillows and maybe even the chair. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to work on patterns, but I did start a large painting for the new room…photos to come once I feel it’s all in balance.
And now the weather change is upon us…hoping winter will slow us all down a bit. I look forward to the first thick blanket of snow and the quiet that comes with it. Next year both kids are in full day school, so I have a feeling next year will be very, very, quiet yet productive.
I was invited to teach an art class at our local pre-school, Kids Club House this year! Both of my kids attended KCH and thrived, so I’m so excited to be part of the KCH family. I can’t wait to have fun with these kids and expose them to different techniques & mediums. I think the first class will be my favorite where we explore abstract art, color, & emotions while painting to music! Or maybe the printmaking class. Or maybe the collage class. or…..
Please have a quick read on PBS on the developmental benefits of art for children. I believe it’s essential to give children of all ages creative channels for expressing emotions and points of view that they may not have words for. The world would be a much better place if we all could find a productive channels rather than destructive ones. Whether it be visual art, writing, dance, music….
Below I’ve posted some of my favorite quotes alongside pictures of my kids making art together. I love watching & creating with them and look forward to creating with some new children!
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Pablo Picasso
“Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.” Pablo Picasso
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way–things I had no words for.” Georgia O’Keeffe
“If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.” – Edward Hopper
“Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.” Twyla Tharp
“The only time I feel alive is when I’m painting.” Vincent Van Gogh
“The arts provide a more comprehensive and insightful education because they invite students to explore the emotional, intuitive, and irrational aspects of life that science is hard pressed to explain. ” Charles Fowler
“Art education meets the emotional needs of students, establishes a fundamental framework for understanding, and enhances learning in academic subjects. At the elementary level, children form an understanding of their selves and world (Day& Hurwitz, 2001, Children and Their Art). Therefore, it is imperative to provide an outlet for children to visually express their selves, issues, emotions, and conflicts.” – Anna E. Morrow, University of Georgia
999 people entered the Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search and only 50 will make it through to the next round! I’m not going to post details of the contest requirements but will share my entry below!
I used a combination of collage, gelatin prints, linocut, hand lettering & drawing & painting on this one. I like the dynamic movement of it and will hang it by my desk as inspiration for future projects. I used colors that match my kitchen / desk work area. I know this could use a bunch more tweaking & editing, but time ran out on me this weekend! My other previous attempts are below…
Here were some of my previous attempts working out shape/concept/wording/colors. I had thought of doing a “Tea-rarrium” teapot. Or a Pied-a-terre (second home). But in the end I make a last minute switch to something much more artistic, less symmetrical, and it felt right to me. Good luck to everyone in the talent search, there are so many great terrariums out there now!
I’m so excited to share this project with you! Back in December, a lovely woman contacted me to ask whether I would re-color one of my existing patterns she found on Spoonflower. She wanted to re-upholster a beautiful chair to co-ordinate with her new sofa and rug. We worked together over email to iron out the colors & scale sending swatches back & forth. Below are photos of her chair before upholstery:
And here is the after shot using my Ikat Taupe pattern printed on Heavy Cotton Twill fabric from Spoonflower. I’m so thankful to receive photos of projects people create with my fabric! Now if only I could sit on the cushions myself. Maybe for my next project…Happy Friday!
I am fortunate to be working with, zestt, Home Decor for a Modern World, as described previously here. They have created a beautiful home accessories website and catalog and work directly with indie artists (like me!) when selecting artwork for their collections. Currently, zestt features three different color stories including, Mandarin Spice, Sapphire & Sage, and Sunkissed Slate. I have several specially colored linocut prints and two paintings within their product lines.
Recently, zestt has become part of the Nordstrom family, with many of their products available on their website now! As if I wasn’t excited enough to be working with zestt, now I see my print, Fractured Light, on the Nordstrom website! What an absolute thrill to see how far one print can travel!
In October, talented Baltimore interior designer, Lauren Levine, was interviewed on the zestt blog, Behind the Yellow Door. When asked to select a favorite zestt product I was sincerely flattered when she selected my painting, Seeds of Change, from the Sapphire & Sage collection.
You can view more of my work on the shop zestt website by clicking the color stories below or visit my shop page for other options.
New print coming soon to my etsy shop! This was a fun cut!
I spent a good part of the afternoon attempting to create new clothes for my daughter’s Barbie and Princess dolls. I finally came upon this great doll clothing tutorial site (scroll down for Barbie dresses). I decided to use one of the fabrics I designed for Spoonflower. The pattern was super easy to follow although making ‘darts’ is not my strong point. I also sewed a dog vest for Butch who is visiting from pre-school, and my daughter made him a matching pillow. It was a fun weekend of re-learning how to sew and showing my daughter how rewarding it is to make something yourself! If you like the fabric, ‘Some Days are Diamonds’, you can buy it on Spoonflower in two different colorways…I’d love to see what you make!
SOME DAYS ARE DIAMONDS ON SPOONFLOWER IN TWO COLORWAYS. CLICK IMAGES BELOW TO PURCHASE FAT QUARTERS OR BY THE YARD:
BUTCHIE’S NEW VEST & PILLOW!
This was a great local show with over 50 artists showing their work on March 27-30 in Pine Island, NY. I’m happy to say that my painting was purchased by a lovely art supporting neighbor who has a wonderful gallery of art in her home. Thanks to Michael Tobin for the pics below:
Hello! I’m Femi Ford, an artist in NY, USA. I love painting, printmaking, and creating patterns for textiles!
PREVIOUS ARTIST: Jennifer Rogers NEXT ARTIST: Tina Olssen of FYLLAYTA.
BLOGHOP START: Groovity Surface Design
RADIANT RIO is the title I’ve given to my prints inspired by the Tropical Fusion theme and Pantone Color of the year, Radiant Orchid!
I imagined it on swim / resort wear.
And a co-ordinate print:
If you would like to see my Pinterest inspiration board featuring colors, moods, sights & sounds that inspired me, click below…
Make sure you watch this video to feel the energy of the Samba and the fabulous feather costumes!
Thanks for indulging me! To purchase my original textile designs please contact hunt+gather. For other products & gifts, please visit my SHOP page.
NEXT STOP! Now please continue your blog hop to by visiting
TINA OLSSEN! Tina is from Stockholm, Sweden and her company is called FYLLAYTA, (a made up Swedish word, means something like “to fill a surface”).
Remember, if you would like to start from the beginning of the bloghop, click here to go to Groovity Surface Design and begin your pattern journey!
Thanks to Mary Tanana of Groovity Surface Design for organizing the hop, and to Lisa Rivas for the fabulous logo!
I’ll leave you with a print that didn’t quite fit my mood board, but was also made for the hop!
