Well I am finally winding down from a very busy two months of teaching and trunk shows!
I must say that I have enjoyed every minute of it.
I have had a few days off now and have had time to think about the future of my Fiber art career.
I am fortunate to have three commissions to fill my time in the next two months, but am seriously pondering my next adventure. I recently saw a few of the pieces that are in World of Threads and envied the size of some of the pieces! This is were I want to go next! I have done a few commission pieces that were quite large, but HUGE is where I need to explore!
Rather than making smaller things so that my trunk shows are constantly changing, I want to produce one very large piece this year for my personal pleasure. I will start by looking through my journals and drawings to see if something there that I have stored for future work will jump out at me. This usually works and I am always amazed when I go through my notes how I find something that is for RIGHT NOW!
My Fabrigos pals have also been re-thinking their future works. We will soon get together and bombast each other with ideas (the best part of our group)!
Monday, 7 November 2016
Saturday, 20 August 2016
Working hard!
Well, I have put myself on a very strict schedule! Last month I decided that I had way too many art quilts and art work hanging around and felt guilty every time I either bought more fabric or started a new piece rather than finish an ongoing piece. So.....I decided to have an art show and sale at my studio. I sent out the word and gathered my pieces. Well.....guess what? I did not have as many pieces as I thought! This sent me into panic mode and I began working like crazy.
I started by finishing up my UFO's and then worked on new encaustic paintings and textile art pieces that were small but very intense.
I ended up with 42 works of encaustic paintings and textile pieces. I also had around twenty art quilts and traditional quilts.
My son who is a carpenter made me 15 beautiful pedestals that were place around the garden which held small pieces of framed paintings and textile art. The studio was cleared a bit and the art quilts were hung around the room.
Well the day came and it was HOT and RAINING. The encaustic pieces could not hang in the garden because of the heat and the textile pieces would get wet.
It was decided to move the entire show inside.
The response was terrific! The day was exciting and a success!
I had friends from the United States plus a friend from Toronto who stayed the weekend. (This friend .....Suzanne...and I even managed to squeeze in some rust dyeing during the weekend)
In the end I sold 22 pieces and even got bookings for private classes!
Now I am busy again creating things to replenish my stash!
Isn't art fun!
I started by finishing up my UFO's and then worked on new encaustic paintings and textile art pieces that were small but very intense.
I ended up with 42 works of encaustic paintings and textile pieces. I also had around twenty art quilts and traditional quilts.
My son who is a carpenter made me 15 beautiful pedestals that were place around the garden which held small pieces of framed paintings and textile art. The studio was cleared a bit and the art quilts were hung around the room.
Well the day came and it was HOT and RAINING. The encaustic pieces could not hang in the garden because of the heat and the textile pieces would get wet.
It was decided to move the entire show inside.
The response was terrific! The day was exciting and a success!
I had friends from the United States plus a friend from Toronto who stayed the weekend. (This friend .....Suzanne...and I even managed to squeeze in some rust dyeing during the weekend)
In the end I sold 22 pieces and even got bookings for private classes!
Now I am busy again creating things to replenish my stash!
Isn't art fun!
Sunday, 5 June 2016
Metaphysical Collaberation
When our little fibre arts group formed, we decided that we would do a collaborative piece. We used four common fabrics and were allowed to add fabric of our own.
We based our work on a flower pattern from a free source and a photo of a reflection that we all liked.
We all went home with these guidelines and promise to get together in a month to put the work together.
We worked to get a cohesive look. We all have different techniques that we like to use.
one of our guides was to keep the top panel very plain.
Several layouts were tried.
We are so lucky to have master longarm quilter Al Cote in our group. The machine quilting on this piece is outstanding.
We were happy to have this piece accepted in the Fibre Content show in2014.
Friday, 13 May 2016
creativity or fixing a mistake or poor planning
Wow!! you know that feeling you get when you start knitting a new sweater and you think, yes its going to be good. Just a nice little cardigan that you can wear everyday with your jeans. You go through your stash and pick out a few colours that you like--they are ok and I am using only my stash--.
And even when you have to do a little( about thirty rows!!) unknitting when you start the sleeve and realize that it's way too big so you recalculate and keep going. You know the feeling.
So now you have two sleeves and the back done--and that's when you KNOW that there is not enough yarn to make the two front sections. You kind of knew yesterday but you wanted to sleep on it before you went frantically through your stash to see if there wasn't just one more ball of the blue --one that you missed when you started the project. So after a good sleep and breakfast, you go have a look, ever optimistic that perhaps the yarn fairies have been spinning away all night and its going to be right there on the top of your stash. you know the feeling, I am sure.
And your husband asks what are you going to do today--and you say--oh I want to work on my sweater and get the fronts done. And he says OK. I am going to go out for a while. you know that feeling. you think ok he won't be bothering me today, I have all day to knit away!!
And now you think--well what should I do. You could just throw it all into a bag and put it in the closet--and walk away.You could think about it again for a little while. You could go to the yarn store and get another ball. Or you could just finish it up with a new creative front panel--maybe you can think of something really creative--that will look like that's what you had in mind anyway. You could rip out one sleeve and make a wide stripe with a new yarn- and then use that yarn to make the front so that it looks like that's what you had in mind from the beginning. HMMMM
You wonder if that's why you did the back and sleeves first--maybe you had this in mind all along. So now you are thinking What to do!! What to do You know the feeling!!!
So now your only option is to figure it out and JUST DO IT!!
Have a good day. thanks for stopping by!!
karenwhothinksyarngrowsontrees
And even when you have to do a little( about thirty rows!!) unknitting when you start the sleeve and realize that it's way too big so you recalculate and keep going. You know the feeling.
So now you have two sleeves and the back done--and that's when you KNOW that there is not enough yarn to make the two front sections. You kind of knew yesterday but you wanted to sleep on it before you went frantically through your stash to see if there wasn't just one more ball of the blue --one that you missed when you started the project. So after a good sleep and breakfast, you go have a look, ever optimistic that perhaps the yarn fairies have been spinning away all night and its going to be right there on the top of your stash. you know the feeling, I am sure.
And your husband asks what are you going to do today--and you say--oh I want to work on my sweater and get the fronts done. And he says OK. I am going to go out for a while. you know that feeling. you think ok he won't be bothering me today, I have all day to knit away!!
And now you think--well what should I do. You could just throw it all into a bag and put it in the closet--and walk away.You could think about it again for a little while. You could go to the yarn store and get another ball. Or you could just finish it up with a new creative front panel--maybe you can think of something really creative--that will look like that's what you had in mind anyway. You could rip out one sleeve and make a wide stripe with a new yarn- and then use that yarn to make the front so that it looks like that's what you had in mind from the beginning. HMMMM
You wonder if that's why you did the back and sleeves first--maybe you had this in mind all along. So now you are thinking What to do!! What to do You know the feeling!!!
So now your only option is to figure it out and JUST DO IT!!
Have a good day. thanks for stopping by!!
karenwhothinksyarngrowsontrees
Wednesday, 4 May 2016
winter trees
Today, I made a little framed fabric art of my picture.
I printed the picture on fabric transfer paper and ironed that onto the back of my backing fabric. Then I stitched the outlines through the backing, a piece of batting and my chosen fabric which was a grey cotton. Because I was stitching from the back, the bobbin thread was the top. Capishe??I hope you can understand.
Then I printed the pic again onto a white sheer organza that I had basted to a piece of printer paper.
I stapled the quilt sandwich to a small frame, and then loosely stapled the sheer over it but a little off.
I am going to explore this technique a little bit more and will take some pics as I go.
we weren't the only ones checking out the snow!!
Friday, 22 April 2016
Oh the inspiration!
I have come to realize that after almost 50 years of drawing, painting, collage, quilting, textile art and Fiber Art, I still have a lot to explore!
I recently ran my 2nd annual Fiber Art Retreat and while I had an intense programme planned for my students ( all of which had attended the 1st retreat) it soon became clear that what I learned from them was just as exciting and innovative!
From the very first morning they were filled with things that they had discovered while exploring the techniques I had exposed them to last year. They came with their samples and ideas for new pieces ready to build into even more exciting things.
They truly were a breath of fresh air!
We talked about our life experiences and how without knowing it at the time they WILL show up in your art. Each of us could relate to a situation that we depicted in our work. Sometimes it was therapeutic, other times it was venting anger and often times is was meloncholic.
I tried to relay to them that although it was informative to explore things on the internet such as techniques it could also be very discouraging. How many times have you looked at an artists work and immediately decided that you could never be that good? Many times I have been excited about visiting a gallery only to become so intimidated and feeling like my own work was not worth the time I put into it.
STOP IT!
You only need to look around, notice the things at your finger tips, the things in your life, your own backyard! Paint, draw, sew, write for YOURSELF! You ARE the artist!
It took me years to verbally say out loud that I was an artist. It wasn't my job. It wasn't because I had the papers to prove it. It was because I felt like an artist! I am an artist!
Yes, appreciate the things you read in books, magazines. Enjoy what you see on You Tube or Pinterest, but use your own knowledge, your own experiences, your own visions. Don't be afraid to celebrate your talent. Every piece you make will be a work of art. Your work of art. You don't need to justify it or even explain it. Not everything has to scream with a story. Let the viewer make up their own story. Every piece should tell two stories......yours and theirs!
I recently ran my 2nd annual Fiber Art Retreat and while I had an intense programme planned for my students ( all of which had attended the 1st retreat) it soon became clear that what I learned from them was just as exciting and innovative!
From the very first morning they were filled with things that they had discovered while exploring the techniques I had exposed them to last year. They came with their samples and ideas for new pieces ready to build into even more exciting things.
They truly were a breath of fresh air!
We talked about our life experiences and how without knowing it at the time they WILL show up in your art. Each of us could relate to a situation that we depicted in our work. Sometimes it was therapeutic, other times it was venting anger and often times is was meloncholic.
I tried to relay to them that although it was informative to explore things on the internet such as techniques it could also be very discouraging. How many times have you looked at an artists work and immediately decided that you could never be that good? Many times I have been excited about visiting a gallery only to become so intimidated and feeling like my own work was not worth the time I put into it.
STOP IT!
You only need to look around, notice the things at your finger tips, the things in your life, your own backyard! Paint, draw, sew, write for YOURSELF! You ARE the artist!
It took me years to verbally say out loud that I was an artist. It wasn't my job. It wasn't because I had the papers to prove it. It was because I felt like an artist! I am an artist!
Yes, appreciate the things you read in books, magazines. Enjoy what you see on You Tube or Pinterest, but use your own knowledge, your own experiences, your own visions. Don't be afraid to celebrate your talent. Every piece you make will be a work of art. Your work of art. You don't need to justify it or even explain it. Not everything has to scream with a story. Let the viewer make up their own story. Every piece should tell two stories......yours and theirs!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)