Filmstrip

I made steps toward another group of units I like.  I am so SLOW!  At the end of one of our critiques, Nancy asked, "Are you always so SLOW?"  and I replied this was fast, for me.  But it probably isn't improvisational if you study it on the wall for weeks before making a move!  But I'm not going to beat myself up over it.

I used this made fabric on the right

To make these units

I'm not sure yet how they will relate to the rest of the composition, but I'm pretty sure this is the orientation I want.  I really like the green line and also the secondary horizontal orange lines that are running behind them.

After these were done, I pulled out all of the extra fabric in this palette that I have left, in case I fall in love with an idea and have no more available to me.  One that I really love, the mauve-ish lavender, was a remnant from Jo Ann's.
I'm not sure about adding the prints anymore.  The seem to precious and fussy.  Except the lavender stripe between the orange blocks.  I love that.  But it requires me to stick those massive blocks together as a larger unit and I'm not sure I want that.   I still think the orange is overwhelming, and I am being way too fussy about making things matchy-matchy.  Studying classmates work, I see big chunks of relatively unrelated units, and that was appreciated and praised by students and instructor.  But searching the internet for other strip piecers,  Riley is the closest I find to this, but (except for "wrenches")she has a sort of "plaid" aesthetic going.

So should I feel happy I'm on my own path, or scared that my path is "wrong."  I don't want to be so headstrong that I don't learn from my teachers/mentors.  I'm probably way too young new and inexperienced to have the conceit that this is my "voice."

So I will keep looking and learning the best I can until the next class.  In other news, I am taking a class from Carol Taylor on Tuesday, and seeing a talk by her tomorrow.  The talk is titled, working in a series.  She was one of the very first quilt artists I discovered and fell in love with.  Her confetti series -especially Dispersion - took my breath away.

Dispersion, by Carol Taylor

The workshop is on "Architextures," which I don't love so much, but it's the only one of the classes she's teaching that worked for my schedule.  The others are Sensuous Lines and Curves, and Going in Circles.  From the way she is teaching her works as "workshop pieces" makes me feel like she's sold out, or is dumbing down her work to make it teachable.  I have picked up a few other negative comments about her recently, but I'm trying to stay open minded.

Sometime before Tuesday morning, I'm going to have to prepare fabrics and materials, so that is going to steal sewing time, which is already being lost by blogging, when I should be moving, painting, or gardening.  Sigh.

I joined SAQA yesterday.  They sent an e-mail talking about budget cutting, and I had always wanted to join anyway.  It seems inconsequential, but it's another big step toward calling myself an artist.  Now if only I was creating art!!