studio shuffle....

sometimes you just wonder, you really wonder, what the universe has in store for you... for after all, my life in or out of the studio has been a constant shuffle... it seems to me that the universe must have a different plan for me, or it's just messing with me. either way i'm standing firm and saying enough is enough...

it all began january 1st, now this was a very good day. and i figured whatever we did on the first day of the year would certainly be a prediction of the days to follow...so we headed down the mountain for the day to gather with friends and go to an NCU basketball game. well i will admit that i've never been a fan of basketball, really any sports at all except good old baseball, but i'm really trying since eli is such a jock. mom's have to do what they have to do right? so we had the best of times, well then...the next day it all began...

hubby went to hospital, and yes he's fine, but a scare nonetheless...
the same week my sweet little belle the beagle died...i don't think i've ever been so unhappy or sad, my best friend, my shadow gone from my home and studio... heartbroken is understated
i was sick
eli was sick

eli at hospital for x-rays
i was sick again
eli was sick again
we battled just about every illness that we've ever heard of...and just days ago my oldest son, davey, called saying he had the flu...

so that's what this year has brought....scares, illnesses and sadness

well as i think back to the basketball game, all the running, jumping, bodies hitting the floor, leaps of faith, jumps of triumph, cheers against wrong doings and celebrations and disappointments all mixed into one hour...i see i am receiving just that....every facet of life pumping into a short amount of time...

what have i learned? well of course the obvious, be careful what you do on January 1st, but also to accept, and accept some more and then some more...that whatever i'm given, do it all with love, feel every moment, don't rush through life, everyday is really a gift to do what you can for those you love, to stand strong, to sit and be moved by the birds coming back to their home...to wake up with the window open and to a symphony of birdsong...yes, life is good.

i can't tell you how happy i am to see spring has arrived...for there is that bit of hope in me that thinks maybe this was just a winter thing? no, i know better, it's life in all its greatness...

painting away in the studio and pondering new designs in my head....doors are open to the soft breeze...it can't be better than this...

if you need some color, here's my link: dallison.squarespace.com

the luck of the ole' irish....

(this is my dad at one of his favorite places to play golf, st. andrews golf course in scotland, of course, on his way to ireland!), one good looking irishmen...and as the story goes....

but first, 'proper' irish music for you to enjoy while you read....

from the time i opened my wee little eyes, my father announced to me that i am irish, and he has never stopped. this 'fact' has been bred into me for half a century now, i'm sure to the dismay of my mother. after all, she is a fine mix of scottish, german and other bloodlines. but we don't include this, oh no, i'm 100% irish, and what a fine thing to be.





and as the folklore continues on, i too, have convinced my children that they are irish, and apparently that leaves no room for anything else. and that's just the way it always has been, and always will be until i am gone myself. i have told them that there is an entire county named after them in ireland, that they once had a castle in their family and great great great (something or other) was beheaded (boys love this part), and the castle stolen from our family....the stories go on and on and on.. and that someday they should reclaim their family castle (they love this part too).









I have taught them that 'their' people had to leave their own beloved country due to hunger, slavery and religion, and how they were mistreated by others when they arrived to america...










for them to be proud of their heritage and honor the irish' past....their blood is green, they are irish...and that's that...







and today i live in a mountainous area that the irish came and settled, the view reminding them of their own country....i guess it is a blood 'thing', after all i was drawn here, for no reason, just drawn...

so today i honour the bloodline that i have been blessed with, the fight of the irish fight that i now live; to be treated equal and fairly and to live the religion of my choosing...





just a footnote: it's that time of year when one of my kids announce that they HAVE to wear green so they don't get pinched....i give them my best serious mom look and state clearly - "you are irish, your blood is green." and i know my eyebrows are raised, indicating that there is so much more that i want to say, as i'm biting my tongue....for what i want to say is: You are Irish, Act Like It, If Anyone, and i Mean ANYONE pinches you, take them down...you are a fighter, don't forget it....


support your local irish artists:

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

my valentines gift to you...

i just love valentines....i'm truly an old fashioned type of girl....love the candy, flowers and valentines....the tradition of sending a valentine to those you love i find so sweet...

celebrate valentines with me; my valentine to you is a $25.00 savings on a hand painted game board....i pour lots of love into each and every piece that i craft, thinking of you and your home every step of the way. you are loved and treasured...


happy valentines! (special expires wednesday, february 15th)......

to browse game boards, here's my link: diane allison-stroud

but i don't want to....

as 2012 approached us, i just didn't want to change to a new year....i pretty much was trying to stick my feet in the sand and resist the pull of another year. i don't recall doing this in the past, i remember feeling anticipation to see what the new year would bring to our lives...but i liked 2011 and wanted to stay there...

i didn't pull out a 2012 calendar until just days ago thinking that days may go ahead and slip away, but i wasn't going to acknowledge it...so i stayed a bit longer...

but now i'm carefully and cautiously getting in a groove of beginning a new year....fighting it, yes, but taking a step forward in my own stubborn way....

i've been cleaning the studio and have much reorganizing to do before i welcome 2012, for i like to have a clean slate that i can fill with creative thoughts of color, music and ideas....so i'm giving myself the next couple of days, for i will begin 2012 on monday, january 16th, because i can if i want too...

here's my link in case you want me to dive in: dallison.squarespace.com/

O Holy Night

my hopes for you and your families are that each of you feel the joy in your hearts this season...that a child shares a moment that was long put away in your own heart, that you are surrounded by family and friends that love you and when you look into the sky you think of the journey long before you...

she's here! a new piece

finally i can formerly introduce the new gee's bend piece that you've been hearing about....






i think this must be one of my favorite pieces, for there is nothing more striking than red and white together...i love red and white quilts so i'm not surprised that this piece is one of my favorites...






"qunnie" - is her name, dedicated to Qunnie Pettway, wife, mother and quilter....

bright red (but not to bright, and antique white for warmth)
$210.00 + shipping.... small edition of 15 pieces, then retired (only 12 left at this time)

if you would like to order "qunnie", just let me know and i'm more than happy to make it for you to enjoy for the december holidays...


if you would like to read more about this pieces inspiration, read the earlier blog below.

or to browse other pieces, here's my link:

dallison.squarespace.com/

a new gee's bend...

i thought, well the holidays are coming, i should do something special in the studio....a new piece of some sort...then it struck me a new gee's bend piece would be not only a creative challenge but so special this time of year...so as my fingers went page to page, talking to my mom all the way in florida over the phone saying, 'what do you think of this one, what about this one (for she too has her own book)', i finally decided...

the new piece is named: Qunnie after the quilter Qunnie Pettway who was born in 1943. the piece that inspired me was her 'housetop' quilt, circa 1975.

here's a small glimpse of the area of gee's bend where she lives; taken from 'the quilts of gee's bend'...(2002 Tinwood Books). Qunnie is on the right in this photo.

"The neighborhood has been home to many of the area's most important quiltmakers. On one of its streets, a little dogleg land of no more than 600 feet, in Roosevelt-era 'project' houses, live Leola Pettway, Lucy T. "Lunky" Pettway, Annie Bell Pettway, Arlonzia Pettway, and Lizzie Major. There will be no ongoing legacy here: the youngest quiltmakers in Sodom, and the only two even moderately active ones, are Rita Mae Pettway and Qunnie Pettway, ages sixty and fifty-nine.

tonight as i was reading through the book gathering information and searching the internet for more history on Qunnie, I sadly came to her recent obituary. i was truly saddened for this life that is now gone, but her work and inspirations will live on. my new game board takes on an even more special tone to me, for i hope i did her proud...

Qunnie Pettway:

"The great-granddaughter of Dinah Miller who is said to have arrived in the United States aboard a slave ship from Africa - the Clotilde which docked in Mobile Bay, Alabama prior to the Civil War. Qunnie learned to quilt House Tops under the tutelage of her mother, Candis Pettway. In 1960 after she married, she found her unique artistic voice and began making patterned quilts including Wedding Ring - which she learned from her sister - Chestnut Bud, Bear Paw and Crazy Z. Qunniea’s daughter, Loretta P. Bennett is one of the youngest quilters actively creating extraordinary quilts today."

the painted piece is on the drying racks...it will be a week or so before i can post my 'inspired gee's bend' game board...

to see other game boards, here's my link: dallison.squarespace.com

and after hours and hours of waiting....

(painting by: baret boisson, american artist)

the President of the United States of America, the Commander in Chief, the 44th American President - in other words, the top dog...came through our little town, made a quick stop and headed down the mountain...



i cannot tell you how exciting this happening was for all of us, for nothing like this ever, and i mean ever happens up here. schools were let out early, children were gathered, fed and hauled back out to line the streets.

helicopters, state troopers, sheriff and police cars, hummed by with lights and sirens blaring....(and i pretty much can say, that our local departments had sirens on for just the thrill of it, for they were running up and down the streets an hour before the motorcade arrived). boys will be boys at any age...

so i packed up eli, and my friends 3 boys and headed to an empty building at the beginning of town...knowing if he took any turn at all, we wouldn't miss him....the police stopped by and blocked it off and therefore us in, but said that we could stay there, i guess he probably thought 4 boys, and took mercy...

an hour went by, then more, then more cars with sirens....and finally the bus turned the curve....we jumped (well not me), up and down, waved madly (yep, that was me), and in all of 4 minutes it was over...

a moment of history captured in these young boys hearts....forever

i doubt there will ever be another President to come through, but you never know...we did show him our southern mountain hospitality at the candy barrel though, and eli did hold up the painting that baret boisson did for him that hangs in his room....so maybe he will pass the word on....

if you need some fall or winter color for your home, here's my link: diane allison-stroud

and as i opened the box...

i know exactly how each and every one of you feel when you open your door and find to your glee a box of carefully packed game boards for your home....the excitement of cutting the tapes, pulling out the stuffing until finally you reach the piece that you had envisioned...holding it up before you, looking at every detail....and oh my you must think, color!

i too....excitedly opened my box, with a smile from ear to ear....my heart pounding in glee, for i had no idea, not really, what mylette had painted for me....and as i pulled, tugged and it finally gave in to me, my eyes danced with happiness, as i giggled with my new love....

belle ~ in all her splendor...!

mylette welch

hit the target of our belle....from lying on my favorite pillows on the couch, to the bling heart necklace eli bought her for valentines day....and please note that slight curve of her mouth, for she is smiling; you may beg to differ saying, dogs don't smile, but i have watched her do this a thousand times and she really is using extra muscles to pull her mouth into a smile for me....the colors are simply stated; amazing, the technique of mylette's work is full of depth and our hearts combined, how else could she see it so clearly?....i couldn't have been more surprised nor elated with her vision of our belle...




when eli asked me to tell mylette that belle 'needed' a jeweled crown, mylette explained to me that she has found that it is better not to 'dress' our 'loved ones' for she said she has found that people tire of that overtime....and she didn't want us to tire of belle's portrait....eli understood this - an artist is an artist and they hold on to their beliefs...so he was ok with it...

so you can imagine eli's surprise when he helped unwrap belle's portrait and found to his delight a jeweled crown of hearts....fitting in so many ways...

there is nothing like a boy and his dog....

thank you so very very much mylette - you have captured belle's heart intermingled with ours....

please check out mylette's studio/website, i bet you will begin to smile...

Mylette Welch

goodbye sweet sweet summer...

yes, i do have to say goodbye to the sweetest of summers...as much as i want to fight the next season from coming, just a bit longer...i must say goodbye.






life has changed drastically in just a week for school has started and football season has started...need i s-p-e-l-l it all out....you know exactly what i mean. schedules, papers and more schedules...organization, rules and no more running amuck.





humfff....i do get a bit of rebel going on in me still at my age, for our leisurely evenings have changed to watching the clock and repeating myself to 'you know who', shower, read, bed, homework and on and on.








but i'm optimistic this year ~ i think all will be well and everyone will enjoy the upcoming fall season...and i will be snuggling myself in the studio painting at a nice and easy pace...and in the back of my mind i am thinking of winter...and preparing for it...as i sit here and stretch like a cat, i am thinking of what's to come...and trying not to...





the great news in the studio today is that finally the round game boards AND the chinese checkers are now available. these are really my favorite pieces to make and i think it's for the sheer reason that they are so difficult to finish, but when they are done, WOW, i just love them. i love the chinese checker pieces because they have texture and they take me back to when i was a little girl playing on the floor with my grandpa...i guess no matter how old we are we can go back and be 5 again, even if it's just for a little while...








if you are in need of some color for your home or a gift, here's my link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com

losing time, or is it summer?

as the days have grown longer, i seem to be misplacing time....it's been nearly a month since my last blog and i have a list that is growing longer and longer about whats going on in the studio, in the appalachian mountains, in my life as a mom and wife...artists to feature, photos to share....



summer i guess has just slowed me down from my 'normal' order of things...my schedule is here and there...and 'playtime' has been stealing me away from my little world of art....there is truly something unforgettable about making s'mores with friends over the fire pit; having a potluck on the 4th and viewing fireworks from the yard with friends; children playing with sparklers while the older ones light fireworks (snuck across the border) with hubby...these will be the days that they will remember for many years to come...there is truly nothing more beautiful than summer in the mountains, it makes you forget your have responsibilities altogether...and i'm loving that!




a birthday has come and gone....phew, hard to believe i'm 52 already....so i felt the need to paint my toenails cotton candy?










here are some photos of your collections; i just love it when you send these to me, i can feel part of your home and life:





(that's my room above, yep i do love purple and pink!)

it amazes me that we have so many different styles; yet game boards look so beautiful in each and every room...art makes our homes 'us'....when my friend comes over she always says that walking through my house is so fun for her; every corner has someones art, it is what makes our home 'us and unique...

ok, that's my first step into the blogging waters again....i have much more to share; next week though...

if you are in need of color or art, here's my link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com

thank you for our independence...

my dad sent me this video....
it will make you cry....
tears = human...

this video is by Lizzie Palmer





"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

new summer game board for your collection...

for months and months i've wanted to create this reproduction piece....i actually had planned on having it for my 1st web show...but as life does every now and then, it interrupted...but summer is now here and it is the most fun season of the year for me....freedom freedom and more freedom...which then, as you know, just encourages more fun and creative things to happen...

i wanted to do a new piece to celebrate summer, and thought this was the perfect time to make it...i absolutely loved the original piece, but i was unable to find the date on any research that i sought...but based on the auction price from 2003, i would have to state it was probably from the 1800's.

the above piece was auctioned by new york's christie's in 2003, it was originally from the rose anna and john kolar's collection. the kolar's felt that christie's had the track record when it came to auctioning pennsylvania german folk art. game boards were winners at this auction, "the most expensive one (above) boldly juxtaposed pinwheels with mondrianlike grids of color", as it was described from an article.


the original piece sold for $41,825.

my rendition of this piece takes on a slightly different mood, a little deeper and a little richer. my original intent was to have a 'bright summery' feel, to the piece, but later found that my piece was less light hearted and more intense...it had more depth and a story to tell....








i spoke to a new artist friend of mine; carlin davis, about my thoughts of the piece and this is what she had to say:





"Summer is vibrant but it also has its peaceful, lush, restful places, too. Places where you can have a respite from the breath-snatching heat and humidity and relax in the soft shadows and cool burbling waters."



and i liked that - her interpretation of summer is really mine as well, for i might 'think and visualize' bright color and play, but what i really see are all of the shades of summer....







there are so many shades to summer...summer to me is awaiting and then breathing in the new blooms in my garden, days of swimming at the town pool, hikes in the shade of the mountains and sitting under my massive oak trees in the shade....so in my initial disappointment of not creating what was in my mind, i created what was before my eyes....thanks for that insight carlin...




"shades of summer" is a limited edition of only 10 pieces.....warm shades of olive yellow, dark forest green, black, rose, pink and a golden yellow



19" x 19" - limited edition of 10 pieces (only 7 still available)
$245.00 + shipping

just email me or give me a call if you would like to order one for your home....

dianeallison@charter.net


or if you would like to browse my site for another piece to collect, here's your link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com