Hello Peoples! Last week on The Artistic Biker Live! I was fortunate enough to interview Risë Freeman-Zachery. Risë is a textile artist living in Midland, TX. She and the Ever Gorgeous Earl have been traveling the countryside doing book signings and, in the process, interviewing people themselves for a new book due out next September.  She has several books out already that encourage people to develop their creative space, their creative style and their creative self.  She was just an absolute joy to talk to and if this colorfully tatooted, orange spiky haired, cheerfully smiling lady walks up to you on the street, do NOT miss the opportunity to visit with her.

Because Ricë is a textile artist, I thought it only fitting that I should work with textiles this week.  I gessoed the background of my journal and then used a paper towel to create a denim texture. I pressed the paper towel into the gesso and rapidly lifted it off. Then I used two different shades of blue from different angles. The first was watercolor that I just spread all over. The next was rich blue acrylic that I sprayed on and lifted off with another paper towel. The spray bottle is a standard 8oz. sprayer that you can get at any hobby store or department store. I filled it with 1/4 cup acrylic paint and the rest of the way with water. After, I spray clear water through the head to ensure no acrylics dry in the sprayer tip.

I “sewed” some bits of fabric together using a stapler and then cut the shape of a heart and pasted it into the book.  I had some FAUX leather pieces that I made for an earlier project and used them to make the corners of the page. I gave them a stitched look by running thread through a series of holes made with a stapler.  I glued those in place and then took to the page with my acrylic paint pens adding doodles and the words:

When you soften a scarred heart, it can be as warm as a Quilt!

You can see the video at The You Tube, or just watch in the embedded player below:

Be sure to check out The Artistic Biker Live! every Thursday 7-9pm U.S. Central time.  http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-artistic-biker

Upcoming events on The Artistic Biker Live!:

09SEP2010 Gary Reef, mixed media artist and all round great guy, will be visiting with me to discuss his favorite mixed media techniques, his use of stencils and spray paints, and life as an Aussie in Norway.

16SEP2010 Poetic Dreams will be on hand to deliver some Poe Pressure! She will provide me a list of materials and guide me what to do with them Live. This will force me to do something I wouldn’t normally do in my journal, and it’s a good way to keep things mixed up.