Have Art: Will Travel

   I have found that when I travel, I feel completely "naked" if I don't carry along some art projects on which to work. Most of the time this is easy, because I usually have a few pieces in process that are laying about the studio. At other times I find myself frantically pulling something together to take along.
  The easiest thing to bring is hand work, because, usually  I don't have a sewing machine at vacation destinations. (Although I have been known to pack one) Handwork is never a problem, as I love to do it.
   Below is an example of a piece I just took along on a recent trip. It was a quilt sandwich that I created to practice thread tension and various stitches on the machine. I liked the looks of it, and decided to do a little beading and will perhaps add some hand stitching as well. At any rate, this is what it looks like so far.

click on picture for a close up view

     I also try to never be without my camera or my sketchbook/journal. This is true on a daily basis as well as while traveling.
   What about you? Do you have certain things that you feel at loose ends without on a daily basis?  If so, what are they?

Media Stretch

   While my first artistic love is stitching and embellishing art quilts, I am trying to stretch and grow in other creative endeavors.
 An online class I signed up for this January is Jane Lafazio's "Sketchbook Watercolor on Location" class. Our first assignment was to just stay at home and find some objects to paint. She suggested keys. As I have a collection of old keys, that was exactly what I painted.

"Antique Keys" by Susan Nash

 I am loving the "on location" concept of this class. This week we are on location in a coffee shop! I can't wait. I only wish my friend Vivian ( who is also taking this class) lived closer so that we could hang out at a coffee shop together.  At any rate, stay tuned for more on-location artwork. I'll be posting more in the near future, in between finishing up some quilt-y projects. It has been a good season to stay inside and make art! What have you been creating?