Monday, January 27, 2014

from sketchbook to stencil to art quilt

Eucalyptus Bloom ~ Detail

Eucalyptus Bloom
  Eucalyptus Blooms (27.5 x 13 inches) by Jane LaFazio

Eucalyptus Bloom ~ Detail
I completed this art quilt, Eucalyptus Blooms. I showed you the progress of the piece in this blog post

Eucalyptus Bloom ~ Detail
The quilt was inspired by this page from my sketchbook:
eucalyptus and pods
#onmywalktoday
Jane LaFazio on instagram 
...and my love of the eucalyptus that I see on my neighborhood walks.
#mymorningwalk
Jane LaFazio on instagram 
Eucalyptus Bloom ~ Detail

Eucalyptus Bloom ~ Detail

eucalyptus blooms
Eucalyptus Blooms Stencil designed my Jane LaFazio
I've designed 7 stencils for StencilGirl Products and you can find them here.

You can take a look at all my sketchbook pages here and all my art quilts here.
(That's a lot to look at! I'd suggest packing a lunch :-)


Friday, January 24, 2014

Danny Gregory's Sketchbook Skool is open now!

Me and Danny Gregory
Me and Danny Gregory (in New York last September)

sketchbook skool

I'm proud and thrilled to announce that I will be teaching the first session of Sketchbook Skool, an online school created by Danny Gregory and Koosje Koene. Six lessons with six teachers. Classes begin April 4, you can register now and read all about it at SketchbookSkool.com. Woohoo!!

Sunday, January 19, 2014

blog to book

blog to booksblog to books
blog to books
If you followed my blog for a while, you know I put a lot of work into it. I love blogging and hope you all appreciate my sharing and photos and artwork. I love reading your comments (please, more please). I have learned that to keep up the every-other day blogging, that I do, I have to do it because I enjoy it. (Not for fame or fortune...at least not yet!) That said, I love publishing my blog into a solid book form that I can hold in my hand. I've been doing it for the last few years, so I actually have a library of JaneVille. (I use blog to print and have been very happy with the quality)
blog to books
blog to booksblog to books

Friday, January 17, 2014

from sketch to stitch

19 from sketch to quilt

"Hope" is the thing with feathers - 

BY EMILY DICKINSON
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chilliest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.

Here's a little VIDEO of the sketch to stitch process:

18 from sketch to quilt

Monday, January 13, 2014

Mosaics in my house

mosaics in my house that I made
I love making mosaics from treasures I've collected. I've got them all over my house~ all created by me, I'll give you a little tour, okay?
mosaics in my house that I made

mosaics in my house that I made
I collected all these celedon pieces of tiles and rocks over a period of years. I didn't know why or what for, other than I was so attracted to celadon green. I got many of these green pieces at a store in San Diego.
mosaics in my house that I made

mosaics in my house that I made
I had a blank space above the fireplace, so I created the mosaic on a board, exactly cut to the size of the space, then just slid it in. (It's not very well lit, under the mantle, so I added the christmas lights on a timer)
mosaics in my house that I made

mosaics in my house that I made
mosaic above the fireplace
The wall quilt is by Cas Holmes, the framed pieces by Chad Alice Hagen and Cathy Cullis. (ha! do I only like artwork by women whose first names start with a 'C'?)


mosaics in my house that I made
one of my first mosaics, a table top

mosaics in my house that I made

When we got a new stove, there was a unfinished space on the wall, so I make a mosaic on a board and attached it to the wall. 
mosaics in my house that I made

mosaics in my house that I made
The entry hall was my biggest job, (and the last time I mosaiced!) It's made from broken slate, found rocks and tiles. It took weeks to lay, lots of hard, physical work. Thankfully, I hired someone to grout and seal it. 
mosaics in my house that I made

my mosaic mirror frame
This mirror was my very first mosaic. I took a class from my friend, Jill Hall, to learn the techniques and materials needed. I asked my friend, Jose, to cut the wood frame. I used pieces from our lives and travels, so many memories in this mirror. It hangs in our guest bathroom.
my mosaic mirror frame
When we first married, I had this coffee cup made for my husband, Don Strom.

my mosaic mirror frame
Our first kitty was named 'Cinzano.' Don's brother got this ashtray
from a bar in San Francisco for us.
my mosaic mirror frame
We lived and traveled in Asia


my mosaic mirror frame
The little character is a chop stick rest, and reminds me of my older brother.

my mosaic mirror frame
A cup handle and a pepper cannister

my mosaic mirror frame
Sweet peter rabbit dishes.
my mosaic mirror frame
Ain't it the truth?
When my husb and I cleaned out our garage last week, I ran across a giant container of broken tiles and dishes that I've been collecting to mosaic a bench for our patio. I promised him I'd do it in 2014. for sure. Really. I'll keep you posted!

Do you do project like this for your home? I love DIY projects! As long as they're are creative and don't involve precision. 

Saturday, January 11, 2014

from my sketchbook ~ holiday bouquet

from my sketchbook ~ flowersfrom my sketchbook ~ flowers
Working hard on my revamped ONLINE class "Watercolor Sketchbook: Designs from Life.


from my sketchbook ~ flowers
from my sketchbook ~ flowers
from my sketchbook ~ flowers
from my sketchbook ~ flowers
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from my sketchbook ~ flowers

Thursday, January 09, 2014

Throw back Thursday!


painting from around 2001
"Colorado" watercolor circa 2001 ~ by Jane LaFazio
I was going through some storage disks, looking for a particular image, and I found these two paintings from around 2001. They are watercolors, about 11x14 inch. They were done in Colorado on location---looking out the window, of course! It's fun to look back on my earlier work (sometimes) and the painting above is quite similar to my present sketchbook work, a precursor to my current style!

(I still tell the story, to my students, about the lower right image on the top. My friend Helen Shafer Garcia, an excellent artist, said that my rocks looked like baked potatoes! Not that I took it personally...haha, since I still talk about it 12 years later!)
painting from around 2001
"Colorado view" watercolor circa 2001 ~ by Jane LaFazio
tuscany 1998
" Tuscan Hills" watercolor circa 1998 ~ by Jane LaFazio
The Tuscan scene, above, was done on location, in Tuscany, and the one below, was done in my studio from a photo I'd taken. Both from around 1998. (Both are probably 20x16 inches or so.)
I took my first watercolor class (at a community ed center) in 1993. 
silvias fruit stand italy
"Silvia's fruit stand, Italy"  watercolor circa 1998 ~ by Jane LaFazio
This one below, titled "A Walk Around Greenlake" is actually one of my faves. It was done in sketchbook style. Each day, while staying in Seattle, I'd walk around Greenlake, bring something back, and draw it. You can see bits of map and collage and some real sticks too. Yes, I like this one, and I think I'll let it influence my current work.

walk around greenlake
"A Walk around Greenlake" watercolor circa 2000 ~ by Jane LaFazio
All these watercolors were framed and sold long ago...Thanks for taking a look back with me.
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