Last night the Grateful Threads had a get together to look at the pink petunia progress (PPP) and talk about our current work. I can't believe we haven't met since June and I still didn't have a single thing finished to show. The moving excuse is getting old! I am behind on the Petunias now. Everyone had been saying they didn't start, but then when a meeting got scheduled, work was done. It's starting to be really interesting! I have not cut out any fabric, but I started identifying which fabrics will go where, and how many values of each fabric, etc. It was good to see what others had done, now I know I'm generally on the right track and I'm excited to proceed.
There were some interesting discussions too. One member had just sold one of her major works, through a placement by Allied Arts of Whatcom County. She's sold a number of other works in the past year as well, which was very exciting to know about. We talked about selling via art shows versus quilt shows. Art shows/galleries are so much better for sales of art quilts. I mentioned that our town has surprisingly few galleries, considering how "arty" we all think we are. Jo suggested that the best options were restaurants and hotels. Where people might see and buy art work. In other words finding your own placements. I was thinking about medical offices - since I had three different appointments last week. One of my doctors just branched out on her own, and the walls are looking a little bit bare. It would be fun to put together some available works then send out postcards to medical and dental offices... if I had any available work.
The other interesting discussion was about working in a series. We were discussing Rob Appel, who was the featured speaker at our guild last week. His current work is the Endangered Species quilts, which are really pretty cool. Here's one example - you can buy patterns on his website if you are inclined to cut out a lot of really small pieces of fabric:
But he also showed his earlier "Seascapes" quilts, and there are eighteen of them. And they all look the same....! He only showed about ten, but still... they got old really quickly.
So, I don't want to bash Rob, he was a great speaker and he's doing some really cool stuff, and he's donating some of his profits to benefit endangered species. And he was just learning to quilt. And they are way better than anything I'm learning on. But the comments that came up last night were, "See, that's what working in a series is like.... boring! Who wants to do the same thing over and over....?" This led to more discussions of when it might be interesting to try something again... Jo might be interested in redoing her mountain quilt, and we talked a little bit about how in some cases there are some things that you might like to try again. But I realized I'm in much more of a minority than I thought.
After Lisa's lecture I was completely sold on Working in a Series being the only way to develop a career. I still am. Her comment about taking classes being a distraction was right on for me. Something sounds good - I sign up - bingo! Another UFO that I have little interest in. The more I look around at artists and serious art quilters I admire, the blogs I read, and the people who post on the SAQA list, people who are serious about this as a career are working in series, or at least developing a clear voice.
When I joined the guild I realized quickly I was pretty far on the left side of the Traditional Quilt - Art Quilt spectrum. The first quilt I completed was my own design, invented as I went along. No pattern. It didn't occur to me that a pattern would really be needed unless you were doing something very complicated. So I started to identify more with the "art quilters," going to the more "arty" classes. I was thrilled when Jo invited me to be part of the G. T., and still am, it's so wonderful to have that interaction, and input and critique... (or it would be if I had something to show them!) But now I realize with things like Filmstrip, and the Nancy-Crow-esque series I want to do, I'm moving even further over on that spectrum. I can't imagine what they are going to think if I ever get that monster quilted!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Goings On
I've been too busy to post much, but mostly for good things. To catch up... after I posted my two options for series choices below, I found out that two of the eight members of the class are already doing series based on aerial photos or maps, so I decided not to go that route and to go with the geometric abstract concept. That's where my heart was anyway. My mentor/advisor had urged the map direction but I don't think I was ever on board with it. I DO want to do maps, especially to go back to the series I started in Valerie's class. See I called it a series. Before it was just going to be a group of three related pieces. :)
So I committed to doing the abstract series, and here are the three pictures I posted as my inspiration:
The Klee piece is the one that really pulls me in. I love the colors. I love the depth, the way the blocks seem to come forward off the page, and the way the title so perfectly describes it. I don't want to over-complicate things, and I'm afraid if I look too much at Larimer, I will. I watched a video interview of Agnes Martin, that Lisa recommended this morning, and it was very emotional. She spent her career of over 50 years trying to shut out ideas, to open and empty her mind in order to let the inspiration come through. She talked about how artists "today" (this was 1997) have too many ideas, and the let all the ideas over-run the inspiration. Good words to remember. But the most touching point to me was when she turned to the interviewer and asked, "Are you doing what you were meant to be doing?" I think those were her words. But the look on her face was indescribable.
So I committed to doing the abstract series, and here are the three pictures I posted as my inspiration:
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Ellin Larimer, Pajama Party IV |
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Gunta Stolzl, Textile |
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Paul Klee, Fire Evening |
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Series Theme
Our assignment on Sunday was to decide on the theme for our 8-week series. As I have been for months I was torn between two ideas, the "map thing" and the strip piecing thing. As I logged on to the class website this morning, I see that two of my 7 classmates have posted their themes. And they are both related to aerial views/maps! That pretty much cinched it for me - I will not do the map thing - partly because I don't want to be comparing myself to them constantly, and I don't want to turn this into "the map series" class.
I was leaning toward strip piecing anyway. I'll be updating my workshop page to that effect, but before I delete the analysis of pros and cons that I had written, I'll preserve it here...
General Theme/Idea: I’m still waffling about this choice. I have two competing ideas; abstract, non-representational geometric “strip piecing and restructuring,” or quilts inspired by or based on maps and aerial photographs. I have taken workshops on both ideas in the past.
I was leaning toward strip piecing anyway. I'll be updating my workshop page to that effect, but before I delete the analysis of pros and cons that I had written, I'll preserve it here...
General Theme/Idea: I’m still waffling about this choice. I have two competing ideas; abstract, non-representational geometric “strip piecing and restructuring,” or quilts inspired by or based on maps and aerial photographs. I have taken workshops on both ideas in the past.
Pros and Cons? Strip Piecing:
PRO: I will be returning to study with Nancy Crow in March and doing the strip piecing type series would give me a body of work in that “genre” or style to show and have critiqued by her.
CON: the workshops next year are moving on from that focus to Lines Curves, Circles, and Improvisation – do I want to be “stuck in the past?”
PRO: Why care about that, as long as I feel inspired and excited about working in that way, which I do, currently.
CON: I’m very interested in exploring meaning in art, and other than things like form, shape, color, value, etc. the totally abstract pieces don’t carry meaning for me.
PRO: Maybe doing a series that “only” addresses form, shape, color, value, balance, and composition is MORE than enough to study in this first attempt at a series!
CON: If I focus on this, I probably will not also be able to enter a piece in the “Perspectives” exhibition. (See below).
Pros and Cons, Map Series:
PRO: This is something I’ve thought about for a long time. My architectural background could bring a unique viewpoint to the series. I’m very enthused about it.
CON: It’s a very generalized theme and I am not sure how I would narrow it down to something do-able for this class. There are many different branches I could follow, and I’m not sure how to chose just one right now. They are things like using plans of existing buildings and cities, using aerial photos, using places from my memories or dreams, creating imaginary places…
PRO: I have never seriously submitted a piece for a show, and would like to enter one in a show that focuses on this concept, and which is due November 10th.
CON: I’m not sure what sort of techniques I would use for this series. Fused applique, painting, phototransfers all seem appropriate, but other than fusing, are not something I have a lot of practice in. I want to move away from fusing, at least right now, I think. I like the boundaries set by piecing and solids.
My specific focus in this theme (use sentences/bullet points – whatever you need to share your idea with clarity): After our lecture last night (Sunday) and perusal of some of the additional reference materials, I think I have a better idea of how specific the series idea needs to be. This morning (Monday) I went to some books and websites of favorite art quilters and thought specifically about what makes their work obviously theirs, and within that clear voice, what amount of variation is possible.
My medium for this series: Fabric. Mostly cotton, mostly commercial fabric, mostly solid colors, although I am open to including some hand dyed, mottled, batik, or interesting printed fabric if it seems warranted.
My definition of “done” for each composition (how far I will take each piece before moving on): I will be satisfied with fully pieced quilt tops. I hope that I will be able to take at least one piece to completion, including backing, quilting and binding, but I don’t want to get bogged down and spend too much time on quilting or on the other hand have to rush through design just to get to quilting. So: No quilting = Okay.
Other restrictions I have set for my series (such as technique/materials, size): If I do the strip piecing series, my technique will be machine piecing and quilting. If I work with maps I think it would need to include some applique. I think I would like to keep the size of the pieces consistent (?) I would like to have a select color palette, especially with the strip piecing series. The way Elin Larimer used a controlled palette in her Pajama Party series (scroll to second group) really inspires me.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Free Writing Exercise #1
I thought I would share the results of my first Free Writing assignment in Lisa's class. The prompt was, "Working in a series means...." We were to write for 15 minutes without editing or correcting.
Working in a series means deciding which doors to open and
which ones to close. In researching
this class, somewhere I ran across a comment from Lisa about “deciding which
doors to close.” The number of ideas and
the different techniques and options and possibilities are limitless and
overwhelming. If you never at least
temporarily close some doors, you will end up randomly bouncing from one idea
to the next never getting good at anything and never fully exploring
anything. I learned in architecture
school that the most common rookie mistake is trying to cram every idea you’ve
ever had into the first building you design.
The most successful buildings and art works are successful, in my
opinion, because they have been pared down to the essence of the idea.
Working in a series does not mean locking all the other
doors and throwing away the key, it just means learning to FOCUS on one aspect
at a time. I looked at Lisa’s Structures
series which has been underway for about ten years, I think. I noticed that there are some groups of
pieces that are very similar to each other, but very different from other
groups. Assuming the numbers are
assigned in chronological order, she explores one idea, then maybe tries another,
then goes back to the first one, having been informed about some other aspect
of the concept in the second work.
I’m going to have a very hard time deciding which of my two
series ideas I want to explore in this class.
I guess we will work on that next week.
In general (outside of a class structure) I don’t think it is a problem,
and probably it’s a good thing, to have a couple different series going at
once. Just as one work in a series can
inform the next, one series could also inform the other.
Something else I learned both from school, and from looking
at quilt artist’s websites is that the successful artists have a “voice.” This voice runs through all their work,
although it sometimes may be a scream, other times a soft melody. Artists who constantly bounce around,
creating one-off works seldom are published, or chosen for exhibits. The whole idea of having a “body of work,” is
one of the things that presents who you are to the world. Of course the body of work evolves over
time, and might become something totally different. Picasso started with cubism, and later did
the blue series, totally unrelated, but still from the same hand.
One of the first art quilter’s books I read (don’t even
remember her name) described the quilters story and her having received many
judges comments about not having a voice, wondering what that meant, then
finally learning it for herself.
At this point, I’ve spent way more time looking at other art
quilters than I have doing my own art.
(It’s easier to browse the web on your lunch hour, than run home to
piece for 30 minutes… though both are possible.
Having studied many, it’s clear
to me that you cannot develop a good body of work without following one thread
to see where it takes you. The first
part of this class for me will be all about deciding which doors to close, and
which to open. I hope in a year or so
to have a good start on maybe both of the series I am considering, and to NOT
tinker too much with other options and directions right away. One of my favorite quotes is one by Goethe
that I unearthed from my Bartletts Quotations way before there ever was an
internet: Art is long, life is short,
judgment difficult, opportunity transient.
What is the best way to make use of this short life?
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Gearing Up
It's been a long time since I've posted to the blog. It's been a busy time - once the quilt show and holiday socializing was finally over last week I turned my focus to "back to school" mode. I've taken on a lot, but it doesn't feel like a lot of responsibility or something to dread. I am excited and feel like a kid filled with anticipation of the first day of school, excited about the new things I'm going to learn and as much or maybe more about the new friends I'm going to meet or reconnect with. Turns out that Katie from the Nancy Crow workshop is also part of the online class that starts Sunday. She lives just north and across the border from here, so we may meet up in person one of these days.
On Sunday morning the first assignment from Lisa in Working in a Series arrived. Class officially starts NEXT Sunday but she gave us some little warm up assignments to get us thinking, learning our way around the blog (Wordpress, UGH!) and posting pictures properly. I'm okay with posting but even with a bright work light my pictures are not coming out properly. Look at these! I borrowed Greg's big construction light why can't I get the lighting right?!
Anyway it's been fun and busy putting up my first assignment - the "About me" page, and checking to see if others have done the same. So far there are only eight of us - two spaces left, and I'm sure it's not too late if anyone is interested. I am sure it's going to be fantastic for me - I can see that Lisa is really well organized and has her class carefully thought out and prepared. So the last piece of my assignment is to declutter the studio - I'm glad to have that assignment -it needed it!
I got through the registration process at Whatcom Community College for the Color in Art class. That should be interesting, and I 'm a little more apprehensive about it, because I'm fairly sure I'll be the only "textile artist". Probably the only one over 40 too. I definitely won't use the word "quilts" around there. Their quarter is very late so class doesn't start until October 2. I'm also nervous about disappearing from work for three hours, but probably no one will even notice. I don't want to keep it a secret, I just don't want to advertise it.
The third part of my "back to school" experience is that I have signed up with SAQA for something called the "Visioning Project." It's not really well described but it is structured as a way for members to publicly post goals, report on them, and receive feedback. Only a few of the participants have checked in so far. It seems it does not formally kick off until October, and I know that for anyone making a submission to Quilt National, the deadline is Friday so many people are probably tied up with that. I am looking forward to seeing that process, and trying to hold back from my urge to jump in and comment on everything. I don't want to be that person.
Anyway, that's it from here. I will be working on the remainder of my assignment from Lisa - the decluttering and organizing. She did mention purchasing any supplies you might need so you are ready, and gosh, I realized I really really needed this stack of all the new Kona Cotton solids from Pink Chalk.
On Sunday morning the first assignment from Lisa in Working in a Series arrived. Class officially starts NEXT Sunday but she gave us some little warm up assignments to get us thinking, learning our way around the blog (Wordpress, UGH!) and posting pictures properly. I'm okay with posting but even with a bright work light my pictures are not coming out properly. Look at these! I borrowed Greg's big construction light why can't I get the lighting right?!
Anyway it's been fun and busy putting up my first assignment - the "About me" page, and checking to see if others have done the same. So far there are only eight of us - two spaces left, and I'm sure it's not too late if anyone is interested. I am sure it's going to be fantastic for me - I can see that Lisa is really well organized and has her class carefully thought out and prepared. So the last piece of my assignment is to declutter the studio - I'm glad to have that assignment -it needed it!
I got through the registration process at Whatcom Community College for the Color in Art class. That should be interesting, and I 'm a little more apprehensive about it, because I'm fairly sure I'll be the only "textile artist". Probably the only one over 40 too. I definitely won't use the word "quilts" around there. Their quarter is very late so class doesn't start until October 2. I'm also nervous about disappearing from work for three hours, but probably no one will even notice. I don't want to keep it a secret, I just don't want to advertise it.
The third part of my "back to school" experience is that I have signed up with SAQA for something called the "Visioning Project." It's not really well described but it is structured as a way for members to publicly post goals, report on them, and receive feedback. Only a few of the participants have checked in so far. It seems it does not formally kick off until October, and I know that for anyone making a submission to Quilt National, the deadline is Friday so many people are probably tied up with that. I am looking forward to seeing that process, and trying to hold back from my urge to jump in and comment on everything. I don't want to be that person.
Anyway, that's it from here. I will be working on the remainder of my assignment from Lisa - the decluttering and organizing. She did mention purchasing any supplies you might need so you are ready, and gosh, I realized I really really needed this stack of all the new Kona Cotton solids from Pink Chalk.
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