Being an Artist

I am an artist.

I’ve said that many times over the years.  Sometimes people look at quilting as a cheesy, old-fashioned hobby.  I’ve defended as well as being indignant when people use the terms “crafty” versus “art”, and/or “home made” versus “hand made” (there is a difference).

Despite the fact that people I regard as “true” artists have confirmed that I too am an artist, I’ve not really felt like I deserved the title.

Why not?

Why – because I can’t draw or paint.  Because I can’t produce a portrait or a still life work that actually looks like it’s intended to.  Because I don’t always come up with unique subject matter off the top of my head.  Because I’m geometrical.

I don’t feel that way anymore.

In the last year, I’ve branched out with my art work and have started working with more mediums than simply fabric (note:  I’m going to start including other things in this blog; I’ve mentioned glass work before – which will be included – but I’m also going to start mentioning other things).  Some of those mediums are more recognized as true art; however, practitioners of those arts are looking at my quilts and giving me feedback about the artistic components of them.  Those people that I recognize as truly artists, see the colors, see the shapes, and complete my assessment of myself as an artist.

Additionally, I’m seeing the skills that I learned in quilting - as well as inner qualities such as a natural feel for color – translating into skills that I need in other mediums.  I couldn’t do the pieces that I do in glass without already having the ability to create art. 

Color is a huge piece of it.  If one does not have a natural artistic feel for color, they cannot create art.  People can follow a pattern, and use rules to pick what goes where, but without that ability to feel the color, art does not occur.

Quilters are artists.  I’ve always felt that, and now that I’m branching out into other mainstream art fields, I truly see it – both in myself and in others.

Art Medium Legend

So, to get my readers caught up, here’s a quick primer of the current state of my art/hobbies:

Fabric / Quilting

This will always be my first love, and my true calling.  I have sewn since I was quite small.  It started as garments, but always included decorative such as embroidery, etc.  My first “quilting” sewing was a square dancing jacket when I was 16 – I added strips of fabric that I cut to exact pieces by pulling threads.  Small quilts (mostly from cheater prints) started at age 19.

I sewed clothing for my children, which morphed into American Girl Doll clothes as they aged, an embroidery machine was included at one point, and then it all became quilting (including embroidery in quilts).

Embroidery

Hand embroidery predates most of my sewing and will always be a strong passion of mine.  I have a commercial embroidery machine.  I do pure embellishment on clothing, and embroidery products that don’t include fabric, but much of my embroidering is for inclusion in quilting.

Paper Arts

This line of work is a little hard to explain.  In addition to art hobbies, I’ve always been widely attracted to anything with paper.  I read – tons – and have a library / book collection at home.  I’ve written poetry and short stories.  I have a huge collection of papers, pens, colored pencils, etc., and a specialty color printer.  I started doing geometric line doodles in grade school, in college; those became geometric designs done on graph paper.  I now mostly use Visio (a computer program that functions as my graph paper), and have translated many of those designs into both embroidery and/or quilt patterns.

Stamping / Scrapbooking

Never a large passion, but with such an attraction to paper and an inability to draw my own designs – something that I have a large amount of supplies for.  Also, my love of embellishments (i.e. embroidery) also translate to glitter, stickers, etc. on cards and picture books.  I have many stamps, ink pads, papers, etc.  When the children were younger, we’d make a look of cheesy, homemade cards, but I’ve never concentrated heavily on making quality cards.

That’s changing a little.  A friend brought me to a scrapbooking event.  We made a couple cards according to patterns and a scrap book page.  At the end of the evening, I won the grand prize – a die cutting/embossing machine!  As a result, my daughter and I have planned a scrapbooking day with friends.

Beading

This is another first tier hobby.  In the period of time that my children were quite little, I did more bead stringing and bead weaving (Native American style) than sewing.  This was also the period of time that I sewed garments for the children – pre doll clothes and pre serious quilting).  It was a hobby with smaller pieces and smaller cost.  I sold many pieces of jewelry during this time as well.

I currently still have a large bead collection, but only make pieces for myself.  I actively buy beads, but mostly just specialty and gemstones.  I have bought several nice gems over the last couple years and am trying to teach myself wire wrapping in order to “set” them without paying hundreds for custom settings (large stones, but “cheap” gems such as Amethyst)

Glass work - Fusing

This will probably be my second great love.  I started fusing with a Groupon for a pendant making class and fell in love.  There are a lot of similar concepts to quilting – geometric patterns, precision cutting, color theory, etc.  I’ll be showcasing pieces here as my blogging continues.

Currently I don’t have my own kiln (necessary) and I’ve been both taking classes and using “studio time” at several glass studios around town.  My plan is to buy a kiln and some other equipment in the first quarter of 2013.

Glass work – Torch work (aka lampwork)

Since I like glass and beads, I took a class in torchwork – creating beads by melting glass rods over a HOT torch.  I’ve done it twice.  I’ve invested a couple hundred dollars into supplies for it and will continue to do it, but this won’t be a serious sideline.  The skill set for bead creation and decoration is far more “true” artist that my type of art (geometric, measured, etc.).  I will never be great at it, and, face it, I can buy quality torchwork beads from Italy on eBay for 5/$1.00 that are MUCH better than I will ever achieve.  A glass rod costs $0.70 - $3.50 and it takes about 1/3 of a rod for a decent sized bead.  You do the math – this is about me playing with glass, not economy or producing a saleable product.

Polymer Clay Cane Work

Yea, this surprised me.  I’ve never been truly interested in ceramics beyond painting a couple of pieces with friends as an event.  Creating beads out of clay…?  Naw, not interested…. Sculpting…?  Yeah, right… not something I have an ounce of skill for….

However, I saw a class at my favorite art studio for “polymer clay canes”.  I watched a couple of videos on YouTube, and lo and behold…. It’s precision and geometric! 

Really…!

Polymer clay canes are all about rolling up EVEN pieces of clay – which you’ve either folded, cut, rolled in a cylinder, etc – and cutting, re-rolling, etc, according to a pattern.  Yes, there’s some that venture into the “true” art side, but there’s a lot I can do!

I now own about 10 pounds of Sculpty clay, a “pasta” machine, an extruder and a bottle of furniture polish (for shining them up!). 

Pictures and projects in clay canes will be included here.

Glass Work - Mosaic

Another thing that’s not going to be big.  However, J-Ring Glass Store has a lot of scrap glass (non-fusing) glasses in pretty colors; I have no intention of ever doing Stained Glass work, and mosaic is like coloring.  I’ve done a couple of pieces – it’s a fun “girl time” activity to do – and will probably do more.

Projects Completed:

Disclaimer:  completed means top, not necessarily all the quilting and binding.

MN Quilters’ Challenge

This is the one that I made too big…. I finally decided on another pattern (versus resizing the one I had and doing it a third time (test, then the too big one).  It was turned in today and is on its way to the quilt show next week in Rochester.  I’m taking Friday off to go visit it.  This is a non-judged event.

I did a simpler pattern, but still spirals based on Renae Merril’s spiral books.  I had enough of the fabrics in the packets left but I did have to go out and get some more green to match the marker.  I did triangle spirals with each of the focus fabrics from the packet in centers of different ones.  One of the fabrics – the solid black background with little white triangles – showed up very nicely.  However, I was disappointed in how the busier black and white fabric did not stand out well enough where it was the center.  My remedy to that was to take some scraps of it (I did have enough left from the original amount, but by that time was scraping the bottom of the barrel!), and put them into the very corners of the quilt.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of it finished, I’ll do so at the show!  Meanwhile, here’s a picture taken when I was trying to decide how to include more of focus fabric #2.  The empty spots in the corners got filled with black squares with one corner – outside corner – of that fabric.  (note:  the strip off the right side is what I had left of the focus fabric as I was trying to figure out how to showcase it.)

I also agonized over how to embellish it with the marker.  The first pattern was a natural – there were white scoops and I intended to draw in trellis type designs along the scoops (geometric… use a stencil… !).  This piece didn’t have anything like that; when I designed it, I was going for simpler and quicker since I was so tired of this!

I also didn’t use a solid white… oops…

*light bulb*

The lightest fabric is a white with basically line drawings…. Of women…. With open eyes and jewelry!

I colored in all the eyes and jewelry with the marker!

I can stay inside lines….. (smirking emoticon here if I had one….)

I actually think it’s quite genius.  I won’t tell any of the quilt show people that the fabric was accidental (albeit perfect – WOMEN… ) and that coloring inside the lines was an afterthought…. No, I PLANNED this… make a statement for feminists with the woman fabric, and embellish by highlighting that….!!

Jo’s Little Women Club

Technically, this is still “In Flight”, as it’s a monthly program, but I thought I’d show some pictures. 

Just a couple things to note.  The Jo Morton line of fabrics (basis for this club) are Civil War reproductions.  They are not all that colorful.  I tend to add some of my own color schemes to supplement….  Also, the quilts are all miniatures.

Month 1 - Eggs and Bacon:  I used a couple Civil War prints from this, but also spiced it up with some orange. 

Month 1 - Leftovers:  I had some extra blocks and made a few more.  This simple piece is a nice doll sized and will go to a co-worker’s daughter.

Month 2:  The flying geese in this quilt are TINY.  The gradation (versus scrappy as the pattern was) as my idea, but Ana came up with the arrangement.

Month 2 – Leftovers

Torchwork Beads

Just a couple pictures….. Only time two trying, I’m improving though!

Mosaic

An 8 x 10 mosaic piece done at a class.  I just finished grouting it at home.

Projects In flight:

v  Glacier Star (Glacier Canyon) – a six month, meet once a month for a work session, project at Glad Creations.

v  Ranae Merrill Dream Catcher Spiral – an online block of the month program

v  Jo’s Little Women club – a monthly program at Glad Creations.  The projects are small quilts and the program is named Jo’s, for Jo Morton, a designer of civil war replica fabrics.

v  Twin City BOM – Year 2 of the monthly program at the shop.  Year 1 project was completed

v  Storm at Sea – a project from a class taken

v  Lemoyne Star  - a project from a class taken