Sticks, Stones, and Paper Stew Blog

Vintage Roost and Art Progress

The four day event has started! September 16th & 17th, 23rd &24th, 10am to 5pm at the Vintage Roost! Located in picturesque countryside of North Albany, Oregon, 935 NW Scenic Dr., 1/2 mile off Hwy 20, this event is worth the travel. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I have some lovey hand-dyed wool pumpkins and cute sleepy mice for sale. If that doesn’t interest you, you should still come see the shop. Debbi does the most amazing job arranging everything : vintage items, primitive art, hand-made crafts, pumpkins, gourds, fall adornments, and pretty darn tasty cookies that are almost too pretty to eat. I just love stopping and seeing her amazing arrangements of everything. Oh, succulent plants are also available in sweet containers. You have 3.5 days to check it out!

Black Capped Chickadee, Pyrography & Colored Pencil on wood, 11″ x 11″

Black Capped Chickadee is done! Whew! It’s so nice to have something checked off my list.

Ewe 183 Work in Process, graphite on paper, 30″ x 11″

The Cheviot Ewe 183 (I See Ewe! or Here’s Looking at Ewe!)continues. I’m getting closer! There are particular areas that I have just fallen in love with. Certainly by the end of next week I’ll finally sign off on this gal. The paper size is 30″ x 11″. Graphite pencil. I do plan on creating cards and prints of the image.

Quail head back on the workbench! It’s been months since this bird head was started and didn’t progress because I ran out of New Zealand Corriedale wool. Now it’s slowly coming along thanks to a little order with LivingFelt. I’m also starting to figure out how to mount the finished work. It might be similar to the Barn Owl, but with different wood.

So, that’s the progress report for this week. One thing checked off the list and more in process. Still waiting on a card order from a Texas company. They are certainly having issues with high orders and not enough people to process everything. I might need to check into someone more local to do printing for me.

The dogs, cats, and bird are doing great. Dave is heading to Washington state for a quick camping trip with family. I’ll be home with the critters trying to make more ground on the art projects. I might have to create some new items for Vintage Roost’s second weekend. We will see.

Have a wonderful weekend and check back next Friday for more updates! Take Care!

Gale

Slow drawing

Another week closer to the open studio tour and I’ve been working on drawings. I pulled out three incomplete images to finish. 1: black capped chickadee. 2: Ewe 183. 3: winter warbler.

Work In Progress: Black Capped Chickadee . Pyrography, colored pencils on plywood.

The Chickadee is similar to my first pyrography and colored pencils experiment. I think it will be lovely once completed.

Ewe 183: I started her back in 2021 and was daunted by the cropped in image. Originally I started working on it to fill a specific space over the upstairs closet door, but it really doesn’t fit. That’s okay because I really enjoy the image and want to see it through. The ewe belongs to my friends in Philomath and I have probably used her wool before. She has that good strong Roman nose of Cheviots. She’s still in process and I hope to finish her next week.

I’ve pulled out the warbler pyrography again and hope to start working on it soon. I think it will be a great companion for the pair of chickadees. I’m also hoping to start a charcoal drawing, round 2, of the black headed heron on better paper. Birds and sheep seem to be a thing right now.

Woolly Pumpkins 🎃 created from hand dyed wool.

I dropped off mice and pumpkins at the Vintage Roost! The sale starts September 16-24th, Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm. Fingers crossed for a few sales. Not sure what extra special things I’ll bring in for the second weekend.

Creating single ply with North County Chevoit cross wool.

Skeins of hand-spun wool also might be dropped off at Vintage Roost… but I’m not sure. I might hold on to them until POST. Time will tell…

So, that’s the progress for the week. 6 weeks until Open Studio Tour! I really need to sit down and figure out what I’m actually bringing to the event. Prints and cards need time to order. Framing also takes time. Everything takes loads of time. Plus lots of deep breaths to keep from getting freaked out by deadlines. It will all come together. More hot weather for the next few days then autumn sets in! The deck is beautiful and railings are starting this weekend.

Thanks for checking in on the progress. I have no clue what next week will bring. Hopefully something positive! Have a good weekend and enjoy the weather!

Head Spinning around September

It’s been a while since I last posted in July and there’s loads happening right now.

Upcoming Market/Show spaces! If you are in the area, I will be showing at the Vintage Roost September 16,17 &23, 24. Both Friday and Saturday hours are from 10am to 5pm. Address: 935 NW Scenic Dr., 1/2 mile off Hwy 20. I’ll be having a bushel full of fun fall wooly pumpkins and sleepy mice.

And then there’s the big two weekend event in October! I was invited to participate in this year’s Philomath Open Studio Tour!!! Thanks to my dear friend Linda Herd of Herdesigns . Jewelry is her game! I’ll be with Linda at Compton Family Wines tasting room (810 Applegate St, Philomath OR). I might need to increase the sheep drawings because CFW love their sheep (Katahdin variety). So, mark your calendars in October for POST! October 22-23, 29-30, noon to 5pm. I will be on site for the full event. I’ll be bringing drawings, prints, and wool sculptures featuring animals. Fingers crossed for some LARGE charcoal drawings!

Deck Rebuild 2022: It’s not done yet. August was a hot month and it really slowed our energy. Here are a few images to show the progress.

So, it’s been a rather busy summer and fall is already in the air. I’ll try to keep a weekly update of new drawings to be featured at the Open Studio Tour. Maybe something will catch your eye and you will have to come see me in October!

Take care and thanks for reading until the end! Talk to you next week!

Gale

July with Family and stuff

Uncle Harold’s 90th birthday was celebrated at the beginning of July. His sons and grandchildren, nieces and nephew gathered for a nice lunch in Eugene. It’s been about 8 years since we last visited.

July is racing along and there are so many projects on the tables.

House projects are getting thick and heavy. Lumber arrives later this week to replace our ancient deck (yes, we are doing the job). I’m rushing to get a giant pile of wood chips moved to the back yard before the lumber arrives. The downstairs main space finally has a finished ceiling and walls painted. The only remaining things needed are trim for doors and floor. With multiple house projects raging , I received a special gift of 3 alpaca fleece from a neighbor. Now I’m learning how different alpaca is to clean and process. I also have a moth outbreak in the studio. Loads of creations are now living in the freezer for 2 weeks. No new moths have surfaced, so hopefully I caught it in time. That’s the danger of working in wool.

We have another world book project starting off this month too. I’ve not been able to even get to my paper stash to get started, but hopefully sooner than later. There’s also another thing I might submit for: creating an award for the local county philanthropic group. Reading through the requirements, I’m not feeling as interested due to the small size. But I might just throw my idea into the applicants and see what they think.

So that’s what is happening around here. Eventually I’ll show you photos of everything: ceramics, wool, completed downstairs… new deck…. I’m feeling tired all of a sudden.

Take care! Stay safe out there!

Finding my Footing

What happens after a big project ends?

This is probably the time I dislike the most, the time when you’re not certain what path to take. Where should I go next? What should I focus on? I’m pretty sure loads of people love that open option, but I struggle with being confronted with an open box of everything. So, I’m trying to regain my footing. My body is gaining an equilibrium again. An upcoming workshop has been canceled. The slate is clean for the moment. What do I want to do? Maybe another print after dabbling in some large scale drawings. Maybe ceramics…. again, there’s so many options. But I’m staying on the African wildlife theme.

The Black-headed Heron is a native of sub Saharan Africa. I first noticed them at The Hunters Lodge in Kiboko Kenya. They are an abundant species and stand tall at 85cm. I started a drawing on white butcher paper and charcoal so as to not feel necessarily attached to the image or materials. I’m trying to figure out scale and proportions of this bird on a larger than life size. I currently see multiple problems that can’t be resolved on this paper, but maybe I’ll pull out the giant roll of Rives BFK. I certainly have plenty of paper to work with!

So, dear readers, you will be seeing more drawings of wildlife from Africa. Maybe more large prints as well. I’m not ready to totally commit myself to that yet, but the drawings feel possible.

Thanks for checking in!

Zebra Done!

Holding up the Zebra with Oxpecker birds

Saturday was the culmination of a giant printing project that started two months ago. I printed the zebra with a fantastic group of artists and the organizers of Big Ink at the Whiteaker Print Studio in Eugene.

I have forgotten how incredible printmakers are because it’s been years since being involved with any projects. I missed that support and energy. Lyell and Carand are an extraordinary team, working hard each day with all those blocks of creativity. I also enjoyed meeting Jessica Billey, another local artist and Big Ink participant, who needed a ride to the event. I fell in love with her image 💕. It involved sheep, a tree, barn and incredible clouds. It spoke of the area we live in.

So this particular journey has ended but I think I’ll continue dipping back into the world of block prints. My press is ready for some action! I just have to get cracking.

Thanks for watching the process. If you want to see more, please check my Instagram account @gale.everett.studio

Two days left

I’m so tired of this image and I only have two days remaining for carving. My right hand is exhausted. My body doesn’t enjoy all the sitting. I just have to buckle down and keep focusing on the end goal. Saturday morning I leave home at 7:30.

The block is 40” x 24”. Cherry plywood.

End of the week

Here’s a quick look at the progress during the week. I’m looking forward to working with it a lot this weekend. 14 days remaining until printing.

Break time

Yesterday I was forced to take a break, not that I wanted it. My back muscles decided to go wonky. This happens several times a year so I typically can get it under control in a few days. Hopefully that will be the case here. So I’m spending time with ice packs and a heating pad, Yoga stretching, hard ball massage, and trying to keep the stress to a minimum. That’s the game plan for today and Friday. Of course this would happen when I was finally getting a better feeling for working the block. Oh well. Maybe this project wasn’t the best choice for me, but I still hope to complete it for the April 16th deadline. I just need let the body settle down.

Woodblock size is 39” x 24”. Cherry plywood.

Carving Wood, Felt Flowers and 13 Years

Let’s start with the 13th Anniversary of this Blog! Has it really been that long???? I’ve been so neglectful of keeping up with everything in life on any platform. Ok, I guess Instagram probably receives the most attention these days because it’s just easy to post a photo and add a few words. Sitting down an blogging takes time and brain energy, which seem to be spent in other areas these days. So, Happy Anniversary to Sticks Stones and Paperstew!

The last two months have been swamped with quite a few things: First, I was asked to add a few items into the Valentines show at Vintage Roost and came away with a little cash (which was greatly appreciated). Second thing to note is an art challenge: a Big Ink woodblock print! Many years ago I started following BigInk Print because of his very interesting press. It’s mobile and can fit enormous blocks most often left to giant construction rolling equipment. I guess the prints could also be created with lots of hand rubbing , but that already makes my arms hurt just thinking about it. So I applied, last minute, to the Eugene OR visit and was accepted. Now I have to create!

The print journey has been running for several weeks. I chose a Zebra with Oxpecker birds that I photographed while visiting Kenya in 2019. The block size is 39″ long by 24″ high (99×61 cm) and is cherry plywood. The surface was tinted with a blue acrylic paint and I used carbon paper to help transfer my image. Print Day is April 16th and I’ll receive 3 images during my session (and the block will come home with me for more hand pulled images). The count down is real! Below are some of the process images thus far:

Transfer of the image to cherry plywood.

Besides printing preparation, jumping back into tax prep, I decided to make a few Snowdrops and Crocus in felt. The weather is warming up after a few weeks of cold weather with rain. Today was beautiful! Daffodils and plum trees blooming their hearts out. The sweet smells of Daphne from numerous neighbors homes. I’m feeling the need to get out and start planning the new garden beds.

I suspect that’s enough for now. Please keep following along for more print updates. One of the completed images will go to auction to benefit the Makindu Children’s Program.