Author name: emily

A couple of months ago, a dear friend of mine, Christine of One Kiss Creations, asked if I would participate in a fun blog hop with other artisans.  There would be a surprise element, which Christine would send us, that needed to be the main element of our design.  Always up for a challenge, I eagerly agreed, and was delighted when several vintage wooden spools arrived in the mail!  These were quickly added to a little collection I already had!

The spools in my collection are from my great-grandmother’s sewing box.  I love how they are all different shapes and have different graphic labels, in various stages of wear.  Christine sent me the very large spool on the left, and the one with the wonderful chain graphic on the label.  Both of these got starring roles in my new painting.

Stitched In Time

Stitched In Time, ©2013 Erin Fickert-Rowland, oil on canvas, 11 in x 14 in

These spools once contained beautifully colored threads which have now gone on to be woven with other fabrics and threads.  They were used to create something more beautiful and useful than what the original thread was by itself.  I don’t know what the color of the spools were when they had their threads, but I hold onto the bare, softly worn wooden skeletons because I know they made something wonderful.

For this painting, I decided to inject my own feelings of color into the plain spools, and imagined beautiful tapestries their threads were used to create.  Vibrant, sunny yellows reflect sunlight, and warm tones of ochre, orange and reds shape the spools.  Strong black semi-circles in the background reflect the graphic design of the spools, and the signatures of the thread manufacturers are echoed by the signature of the artist.

This painting is very special to me because it was inspired by a dear friendship, loving memories of my grandmother, and my deep love of art and all things handmade. It is also the last painting I will create in 2013, in which I produced the most work of my career so far!

Thank you, Christine, for organizing this hop and inviting me to participate!  As a group we have created some truly beautiful, incredibly unique pieces of art that were not there when you found these empty spools in the antique store.  I am so proud to have been a part of this story: 

Photo courtesy of Crafty Hope

Fellow Participants:

Honey from the Bee ~ Crafty Hope ~ A Work in Progress ~ Zingala’s Workshop ~ Beadsong Jewelry ~ Antiquity Travelers ~ Carefree Jewelry ~ Bead Contagion ~ kimmykats~ Antiquity Travelers (pt.2) ~ Backstory Beads ~ One Kiss Creations ~ Therese’s Treasures

It’s now time to enjoy everything special about this season, so this will be my last post for 2013.

Wishing you Happy Holidays and
a Very Happy New Year!

See you in 2014!

The 5th Annual Visions of the Flint Hills Art Benefit is set to open this Friday evening, October 4th, at Buttonwood Art Space in Kansas City, Missouri.  Juror Michael Albrechtsen, a well known artist from the area, chose the artwork for the show, which will benefit the Flint Hills Coalition.  This organization promotes the tourism, local businesses and Tallgrass prairie preservation of the Flint Hills region.

Cumulus Clouds Over Flint Hills by Erin FIckert-Rowland

My painting, Cumulus Clouds Over Flint Hills, will be on display as part of this show, which runs through November 29th.  You can preview all of the artwork included in this beautiful show at visionsoftheflinthills.org.

Artwork can be purchased through Buttonwood Art Space:

3013 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64108

phone:  (816)285-9040
email: [email protected]

I am so proud to be a part of this special show that benefits the beautiful Tallgrass prairie landscape of the Flint Hills.  I look forward to seeing it in person in November!

Take a look behind the scenes at the painting process for two new landscape paintings that feature the beautiful scenery of the Colorado Rocky Mountains…

Preliminary graphite sketch for painting

Before paint can be applied, the compositions must be determined and outlined in dark graphite or charcoal on the canvases.  

Early loosely brushed layers of “Hoosier Pass, Colorado” on the easel

Broken masses of color are applied to the composition to place the elements of the landscape, and start to establish light, distance and perspective.

Middle layers of alla prima paint for “Cucumber Gulch” on the easel

 When working with thick, impressionist-style paint of rich color and distinctive brushstrokes, paint is often worked wet-on-wet to allow color and stroke to blend directly on the canvas.

The dramatic Colorado Rocky Mountain landscape has inspired these two new paintings, which both feature mountains on the distant horizon, a big cloud-filled sky, lush summer greenery, and crystal clear mountain waters.

Hoosier Pass, Colorado

©2013 Erin Fickert-Rowland, oil on canvas, 36 in x 18 in

This lovely view is of the Continental Divide from the main hiking loop on Hoosier Pass, located between Alma and Breckenridge.  Though this is a summer scene, some snow is still left un-melted on the highly elevated slopes of the pass.  From this location you can  see three of Colorado’s Fourteeners: Mt. Cameron, Quandry Peak and Mt. Bross, as well as Montgomery Reservoir in the distance.  My family and I enjoyed hiking this trail on a beautiful summer day this year when big fluffy clouds were plentiful, creating striking moments of warm sun and cool shade across the landscape.

Cucumber Gulch, Breckenridge, Colorado

©2013 Erin Fickert-Rowland, oil on canvas, 20 in x 16 in

The unique wetland landscape of the Cucumber Gulch Wildlife Preserve in Breckenridge, between the town and the base of peak 8, is a special area that provides an important habitat for moose, elk, mountain lions, beaver, and over 47 species of birds.  I had the opportunity to enjoy this landscape on a late afternoon this past June, when the clouds and the wetlands seemed to glow with summer’s warmth.

Both paintings are available at www.elysianstudiosart.com. Click on the link to read more about each painting and to see detailed photos.

I hope you enjoyed a peek behind the scenes of the paintings’ production!