BirdBrain Designs

Birdbrain

a new backpack, large size

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This new backpack is a special order. It is the larger version of the 1510 backpack that you can see here and here. This large size is designed to carry a laptop as well as your other essentials. Constructed of pebbly black leather with caramel leather trim, it is a heavy-duty, go-everywhere pack. It is dressy enough to take to an evening function, large enough to take as a carry-on for your next trip, and a great everyday pack for work or school. There is a wide zipper pocket on the back (completely secure when you are wearing the pack) and a large canvas sleeve inside as well as a leather phone pocket. It has a draw-string leather closure and a vintage leather strap with buckle.

17″ wide, 15″ tall with a base of 5.5″.

 

two sketches from small trip away in small town Ontario

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I was away last week and managed to do two sketches in small towns– the first on John Street in Port Hope. I was sitting in my car in a parking lot across the street sketching when a car pulled into a spot between me and the street, blocking much of my view. In one of those coincidences which seem to happen more when you sketch, the car owner turned out to be  a former student who happily moved his car! The yellow building, from 1876, had been recently restored and was glowing in the sunlight.

I was in Guelph on Wednesday — a 20cm snowfall in Hamilton on Tuesday meant there was very limited travel. However, by Wednesday the roads were cleared and the sun shining. Sketching with a friend is something I rarely get to do, so sitting in Planet Bean, a great friendly cafe, and sketching the train station while catching up with my friend A was total pleasure. As you can see there was more talk than sketch…

the essential tote

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Here is the new Essential Tote, the third in the series of these beautifully simple bags. It is made of the most beautiful leather and is designed to let the leather make the statement. It is unlined with two large pockets on the front and another leather pocket inside with a birdbrain leather label. It has chocolate finished leather handles with a 13″ drop, fitting comfortably on your shoulder or in your hand. There is a sturdy metal zipper closing, double leather bottom and reinforced seams.  Width 15″ Height 13.5″ Depth 5″ . Available in the on-line shop.

new blog look and sketching local brick houses

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First off I want to say thank you to my son Owen for updating the blog and giving it its new crisp appearance. The menu is now accessible from all devices, so you can link to the online shop, my instagram or either of the galleries from your phone or tablet.  And speaking of the on-line store, the green Keller bag featured to the right is available in the store and two more leather art totes like this will be there shortly.  I am finding mine terrific for toting around my sketching supplies and other essentials. 

I’ve also been out sketching. Below are a couple of local brick houses which I’ve sketched from the car. It’s once again bitterly cold in southern Ontario, but the sun is bright and it’s hard to resist those shadows. The first house is in Belleville, the second a short drive away in Picton. I managed to get the sketches done in the car–but have to admit I added the paint back at home in the warmth of the house.

next in the series

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This is the next piece of hooking in the series inspired by Dutch artist, Ton Shulten.  This is 12″x14″ and will be a pillow. You can see the wool frame around the outside that I sewed on to the linen before hooking in the hopes that pillow construction will be smooth. I find this a challenging and addictive kind of hooking, each rectangle affecting and transforming the others. Lights/darks, dulls/brights, warms/cools. I’m already designing the next. 

A hint of spring

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It’s very early for maple syrup, but with the spell of unseasonably warm weather in Ontario the sap was running. We had barely finished drilling the trees and hanging the buckets when the sap started pouring. Here are two bottles which made their way into our pantry. A welcome sweetness.

And here is a new bag for Spring. This Keller bag is made of durable teal blue pebbly leather, upholstery grade. The bag is 10.5″ tall, 12″ wide and 4″deep. Like all Keller bags, it has a zipper closing, an adjustable cross-body strap, an exterior zipper pocket and two pockets inside. This is a great day bag, large enough to carry your ipad and other essentials.

colour block hooking

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I am working on another colour-block hooking inspired by Ton Schulten’s work.  I’ve drawn a one-inch grid on the linen and am hooking the buildings in warm colours and the background in cool. You can see where I’ve had to pull sections out that didn’t work and start again. It is challenging to combine the values and hues into a cohesive piece with the buildings as a focus and the sky and ground as a frame.  At this point,  I’m not sure if it’s coming together or needs more modification. I’m going to plunge ahead and, if you want to come along,  I’ll post again later in the week and we can see where it goes.

sketching at the Tett in Kingston

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Yesterday I was in Kingston to meet my son for lunch at the Juniper Cafe in the Tett Centre. I love this spot, right on the shore of Lake Ontario. And I love having an hour to spend with my son. After he went back to work, I stood on the main level and sketched this from the huge window there. The building is the old Morton distillery, a limestone structure from the mid 19th Century. The site is now home to all sorts of creative types. It’s a wonderful space in the heart of the city–a great place to spend an afternoon.

Family Day Tulips

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Today is Family Day in Ontario and we were lucky to have all our family home on the weekend. These tulips were painted during a brief respite in the activities–in celebration of family and the joy of having them all together for a little while.

Ton Tribute: another hooked mat

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Here is another little mat done in the style inspired by Ton Schulten. I put a grid on the linen this time to help with the design. Hooking in this style is a great lesson in composition–lights/darks and brights/dulls. I didn’t leave room for borders on the sides as I was hooking on a small piece of backing–a mistake. I also tried varying the sky in colour blocks, but it seemed in this small space that it overpowered the designs.

Next steps: I think this style would work well for a pillow. I like the quirky geometric pattern and the pops of colour. Enough ‘sketches’ for now.  I’m taking a fresh piece of linen and planning out a larger rectangular design. I’ll show you when I have it on the backing.