ONE HANDED ART

I've been going through art withdrawal the last few days (once the constipating post-surgical narcotics left my body) and have been working on a piece for Kathy McElroy's Orange book on a colors round robin we're in. Currently limited in the hand department, I decided to make a digital piece. I have a new cabinet card, which I've been wanting to play with; so, I scanned it. I worked at cleaning it up (bigger eyes, hint of skin tones, adding colors, etc.) and put in a sunset photo I'd taken on the drive back from Art & Soul, a flower from last year's trip to Hawaii and a champaign glass from last February's trip to Williamsburg. Then I had to write a few words to fit the picture.

After I printed my digital collage out on watercolor paper, it needed embellishment, but Kathy's piece's are all going to fit in a cigar box, so it had to be a flat embellishment. So, I decided to free-form stitch on the paper. Not a brilliant decision. I actually like the results, but it took a really (as in extremely, excessively, ridiculously) long time to thread my machine, change the foot and do the sewing with one hand and not very agile fingers sticking out of a cast on the other hand. After all that, I jazzed up the background sheet with color mists from Outside The Margins .

So, here are the pictures of the the original cabinet card, the digital collage and a scan of the finished piece.

Comments

[Kate White]

You've always had a thing for orange. . . .
I like it and I like knowing where the flower,flute and sunset come from. But, as always for me, its your words that really make it special.

[Kate White]

You've always had a thing for orange. . . .
I like it and I like knowing where the flower,flute and sunset come from. But, as always for me, its your words that really make it special.

[Kris]

Holy Moly! That is just so cool Joanne!!
Love it.

[Beth Bricker]

Truly amazing and beautiful piece, and even more so in person. Joanne as always you raise the bar for the rest of us!
Beth

[Beth Bricker]

Truly amazing and beautiful piece, and even more so in person. Joanne as always you raise the bar for the rest of us!
Beth

[Nellie]

Well, you are one amazing artist to be able to create a beautiful piece of art and to do it with one hand. Great job!

[Gina Smith]

Hi again- my Faerie Zine dollhouse fat book is up next, and I've been saving the collage sheets I got from you at A&S! I'll keep you posted. Hope the hand is good.

[shirley]

this is wonderful!
you rock, even one handed!
Shirley

[Kathy McElroy]

Now that I am feeling among the living, I am blog surfing. Yours was my first to visit. You already know I love this. I feel very honored to have this included in my collection. Thank you so much for taking the time to create this beautiful piece of art for me while you were healing from your surgery. That makes it very special indeed. Love your colorful brace.

[Jeanie]

I can't believe you used a sewing machine with only one hand. Are you amazing or what? (possibly insane, but the result was great!)

[Aileen]

Wow I'm majorly impressed Joanne this is gorgeous and wow what a lot of work!! You are amazing!

[joyce]

it's very beautiful joanne. i'm just amazed that you did that with one hand!

[joyce]

it's very beautiful joanne. i'm just amazed that you did that with one hand!

[Angie Platten]

This is gorgeous and I just can't believe you did that one handed! The stitching really adds to the piece. I think even "orange hating Jood" would love this piece! I know Kathy will. It's really beautiful.

[Christy Grant]

I couldn't do that well with BOTH hands! Way to go. I knew you couldn't keep a good woman down. I like what you did to your cast, too. Very chic!

[Linda]

wow that is amazing dear!!! I love how you combined the 2 pics (I am sooooooooo computer challenged!!) and the stitching is the perfect addition!! I love it!! happy to see you arting my dear!! smooches Linda

[jackie]

How amazing that you could create such a beautiful piece of art one-handed - especially the sewing!! I cannot imagine threading a machine with one hand! Plus all the lovely stitching!! I swear you're a Wonder Woman!! I LOVE the final outcome of the Orange piece - the prose is is lovely, the photographs perfect, and the background just right - wonderful piece of art that I know Kathy will be thrilled with!
hugs,
jackie

[Angela Hoffmann]

wow!! Joanne..you are an amazing one handed artist! This is gorgeous!~ I love the colors and the poem is wonderful..and what an amazing cabinet card to start with~..Kudos to you!
yay!

[tracey]

GORGEOUS! You are a far stronger woman than I!

[DJ]

Amazing job Joanne! With one hand,it's even more amazing. I know how hard it would be to do all that sewing with one hand. I love the passion you have for your art!

[Lou McCulloch]

This is fantastic Joanne-and one handed to boot!!! Love your text and the image (and the sewing and....xox Lou

[Karen Owen]

Joanne, this is awesome! Even more so when I think you did it all one-handed. When I saw it on the group, I didn't realize that was stitching. I don't know how you managed that - and do such a great job. Beautiful!

Karen

[Leslie Wood]

It's good to see you crafting again!!! and i like the new sleek cast (-: leslie

[Robin Orewiler]

This is beautiful, Joanne. And to think you did it with one hand - WOW! The stitching is awesome. I can't imagine doing that with two good hands. As always, you find just the right words to go along with the image.

[Andi Hinkle]

Outstanding Joanne! I'd be really proud of myself if I were you! I particularly love the free form stitching!! That's hard to do, even with 2 hands to use...
Congratulations!
hugs, Andi