Abstract Digital Art
By
Mary Russell
United States
Mary@fini.us
www.fini.us
www.YourAngelTank.org
http://fini-us.pixels.com/

About me

This tells of a little girl coming to the knowledge of self at age three and some memories that formed thereafter. Moving to a new house that Daddy built for us was a gigantic jolt that started my memories.
My first fashion memory was a green pair of jodhpurs with little red suspenders to hold them up, that I dearly loved. Unfortunately, the little suspenders gave me a rug burn when I took them off to play with and drew them back and forth a few times across my neck, I only had to do that two times to learn that lesson.
Shortly after that on three different occasions I climbed up in a straight back chair and leaned on the back of it, of course, I fell in the floor two different times and got a spanking. The third and last time I leaned on the back of the chair, as the chair was going over I thought, " Oh no, I'm doing it again". I got another spanking.
My first memories of learning the good stuff started when I was three and a half, I started learning to sew. My Mother showed me how to cut a doll dress, then showed me how to thread the needle and how to make a running stitch. When I complained the seam was not holding together well, she showed me how to make a back stitch, after that, I was on my way.
Most of my skills are self-taught, I made my first dress and wore it to school in the second grade. My Mother didn't want me to use the sewing machine, she was afraid I would sew my finger. I took the opportunity to cut and sew the dress while she was in the hospital having my brother. I was allowed to use the sewing machine after that.
I married very early at age fifteen in 1954. By I961 with 4 children under four and a half years old, I started sewing, designing, pattern drafting, clothing construction and altering in my home studio and had an alteration shop for a while in a men's clothing store as well.
I taught sewing and pattern making to a few teens and college students. I love showing people how to sew, I have answered my phone many times and a friend or relative would be asking me how to do something from putting a bobbin in the machine to setting a sleeve, I was always surprised that they could follow my instructions and finish the job without my being there in person.
In the 1980's our kids were becoming teenagers, they sang, played guitars, wrote songs etc., the whole place was bouncing. We started making porcelain jewelry and ceramics. We sold the jewelry to the High Museum Gift Shop and dress shops around town.
I started making porcelain dolls and wanted to paint doll eyes so I took a China painting lesson. The secret is to use a tiny brush, size 6000 I think, hold it straight up all the time you are working on the eyes. Paint only five to seven lashes. All the doll artist I have known paint their doll's eyes with their own eyebrow shape, and I did too. I went to a department store to see how the Royal Doulton figurine's eyes were painted, at that time all the eyes were painted using medium grey china paint.
I am retired from the fashion business and have come full-circle in my design innovations by learning digital art. I never dreamed I would be digitally designing jackets, dresses, jumpsuits, Shawls, scarves, robes, skirts and decorator fabrics, designs in colors of all manner although a few of the clothing items would never fit a real person I love abstract shapes. The cartoon type animals, birds, monsters and various other pictures like the elephant chairs, the garden settee etc.. just seem to show up and when they do I am totally amazed and thrilled, my art is my earthly inspiration. My Heavenly inspiration I also met at three and He has been with me always. I hope to write more as I have led a blessed life and had many prayers answered.