School Underway, Good-Bye to Summer

I've had a remarkably busy month and a half. School is well underway now. My students will have their artwork on the walls of the DOE in Augusta from 10/1/14 through 12/31/14. My annual school mural is done. This is the 10th year I've created a mural with my students and staff. Actually, this year it was fully the students - not enough squares for the staff! I broke from tradition and created a 'quilt' like mural of a folktale. The story is: 'Anansi the Spider', and the students love all the color.
Last month had me in California for a wonderful wedding. After photographing way too many palm trees while I was out there... I bought myself a little palm tree for my drafting table.

view from the wedding venue....

My mittens were featured in a Blast From the Past post on the Handmade Movement blog:

http://handmademovement.blogspot.com/

Summertime... Summertime

Poppy in progress

Lots of painting in my studio for July and August. It's all about flowers this summer. I am so grateful the poppy seeds I got in Vermont last summer produced another crop this year. After shocking red-orange petals, their pods have such wonderful shapes and patterns.
I've just loaded my Sweet Peas print in my Etsy shop. I'm happy with how it came out.

This summer's weather has been lovely - truly a gift after that cold winter. I'd like it to go on and on but the 'back to school' flyers are arriving in the mail and I'm starting to 'prep' in little ways.

Sweet Peas print in my Etsy shop here

Needle Felting on Mittens

 SnowDay Artist - Genevieve Keller

Here's my latest pair of fingerless mittens. I've needle felted panels on the fronts. In order to have the mittens accept the felting, they were knit with 3 strands of worsted weight yarn.
This shade of green is just about my favorite color. The design feels like 'Celtic Art Nouveau' if there is such a style. Happy 4th of July!

 SnowDay Artist - Genevieve Keller

Summer Vacation begins with 'house guests'

Summer vacation begins! This time with two canine house guests for a week. They are wonderful dogs. Doggie #1 just wants to be petted and then runs away, only to return for more petting, then runs... Doggie #2 wants to get in the chicken coop, and by golly she got in twice yesterday. She managed to flatten herself out and wriggle under the coop to access the pen. Smart dog? - yes but not happy chickens. Today I will arm the exterior of the coop.

Doggie #2

Doggie #1

Summer finds me going back and forth between gardens and studio, with little breaks to eat. THIS is the life!

Fiber Frolic 2014 - Maine's best kept secret

The Maine Fiber Frolic

Genevieve Keller - Snow-Day Artist needle felted mice.

The Fiber Frolic is this weekend. I will have a few needle felted mice at the Maple Lane Pottery booth. The Fiber Frolic is a FUN event, and it looks like the weather will be good. It's been rainy this week in Maine - my gardens are happy.

I'm winding down the school year. It's hard to believe that school lets out in 2 weeks. I'll be grading and loading final student comments tonight, and tomorrow, and... you get the idea!

Cheers!