Real Life Influences on My Art

I took a 24-hour trip out of town this week – purely for pleasure.  This trip involved a historic hotel, complete with quilts on the bed, and then some hiking.  (Look up both the Saint James hotel and Barn Bluff in Red Wing, MN if you are so inclined.)  It was a wonderful trip in many ways.  However, the purpose of recounting it here in my art blog is to try and illustrate to you what the copious amounts of images, textures, sounds, and even feelings of an almost 150 year old hotel with period decorations to a hike on the first real spring day in Minnesota did to my creative urges.

(Here is proof of spring finally arriving!)

Quilting

As the trip closed behind us and we were driving back to the city, each mile passing increased my desire to just go home and play with fabric.

It had to be quilting, because there was a gorgeous quilt on the bed in our room.

Here is a picture of the room…

It had to be different colors than what was in the room; I was not copying, but paying homage.

I had to start on it tonight because, well, because – It is a need!

I wanted to use a lot of fabrics.  I had a project in mind, so I already had a color palette semi formed in my mind and I knew that I wanted a “scrappy” look (scrappy = many different fabrics, same blocks, but no two of the same colors in the same places).

Therefore, off to the basement – the dungeon of fabric storage – I went.

I culled and sorted, and hauled a full armload of fabrics up to the living room.

Then I:

Re-sorted the fabrics and culled them again….. 

…..Fanned  them out a bit and decided what really worked for my vision.

This is to be a paper pieced quilt.  This means that I need to pre-cut the fabrics into pieces roughly the size of the pattern pieces, plus a seam allowance.

Hubby and I tuned into Netflix and I started chopping away at fabric.

Each block is actually eight units that need to be paper pieced.  There will be two separate block patterns in this quilt.  Tonight, I cut out only the “main” color pieces for the blocks; I will cut the other pieces, the background neutral pieces, tomorrow or some other time.  One block has five pieces, and the other has four - which gave me nine different pieces to cut out.

I have an idea how big I want this quilt to be, but, since I have not made a block yet, I do not know how big it is going to turn out.

(I will confess here… I drew the blocks out in a program but I must have been tired… when I printed them, they were NOT the same size I intended.  I can tell that from the edge seam allowance only showing as 1/8 inch when it should be ¼ inch.  It is now a mystery as to what size they will be!)

In turn, I also do not know how many blocks I will need.  I figure that I cut a whole bunch out, start making and then the plan will come together.

Do not worry; I do this sort of thing often.

The vast majority of the time, it works out……

Really!

So, tonight was just “free cutting.”  I took strips off each one of the fabrics that I chose, and then sub cut them into the right size.  I will definitely be cutting more from the fabrics, so I was not neat about either folding them or putting them away.

Apparently that means they are free to utilize for other purposes…..

And while they were inspecting my fabrics, I cut away……

To the right is stacks of the pieces, the scrap pile is to the middle left, and you see my cutting setup.

Ok, that is not my always cutting setup…. 

I do actually have a large cutting board, setup at a table, yadda, yadda….

However, cutting a lot of pieces is boring, and I am old, and lazy, and easily bored.

So, to ease all those factors…. I set up in front of the computer monitor (no TV), watch, and cut….

This is what the coffee table looks like after two episodes of “Burn Notice.”

Note:  the cats also tried to help me with thread......

Beads

Current Production 

I started doing torchwork (lampwork) a couple years ago.

(Definition of lampworking:  Lampworking is a type of glasswork where a torch or lamp is primarily used to melt the glass.  Once in a molten state, the glass is formed by blowing and shaping with tools and hand movements.)

I took a couple of classes and had a lot of fun….

But not a lot of success….

I have mentioned before in here about problems with buying cheap glass, my inability to do a lot of “organic” shapes in art, etc…. I will not repeat, but suffice to say, I have had my challenges in creating what I felt was “good” in bead making.

A few months back, I started making huge strides, and actually liking the beads I was making.  I got a little puffed up, thinking that I could make things that were on a par with those selling them at venues.

Then I went to another of those venues….

And once again got depressed about my abilities.

I guess it’s good to be humble and get knocked down….

*Sigh*

One of those vendors was Julie Nordine, a local glass artist.  Take a look at her work:  http://www.creditriverartglass.com/GALLERIES.html

I know that I will never be of the same caliber as her, and other glass artists, however, I love making the beads, I love making things out of the beads I make (I’m way behind on that though) and isn’t that all it’s really about?

At this point in time, I feel I have gotten very good at making round, even beads with “inney” ends.  I can decorate them well with dots – even multilayered dots – and I can make two or more the same size, shape, coloring. 

In the style of things that I see at shows and online, I decided to try my hand at making some other styles, larger and different shapes.

Shapes:  I am trying to make versions of round, where I flatten the sides and also cylindrical shaped.  I am also starting to get better with the cylinders.  I’ve determined a technique of my own (probably used by others), where I make two round beads, spaced a little bit apart, and fill in the middle, rather than trying to roll it out to a cylinder completely.

Last time on the torch, I spent about an hour concentrating on making bi-cone shaped beads, starting with a cylinder.  I’m pleased with some of the results I’m getting… a couple I gave up on… but overall, I’m excited to see them after they come from the kiln.  The next open torch is not for more than two weeks; I may actually head over there and pick up the beads in between rather than waiting!

Size:  two times ago on the torch, I made a particularly large bead.  Its about 1 1/2 inches.

  

I am quite happy with it.  I am going to use it for a focal bead on something special for myself. 

(It does have purple on it…..!)

Therefore, the last torch session, I decided to try and see what I could do with really BIG beads.  I used a lot of glass, and a lot of colors…. Again, I have to wait and see!

Removing From Mandrels

Torchwork beads are made on metal (Stainless Steel) mandrels and must be removed from them.  Bead release (a water soluble, clay based product is applied to them).  Due to some missing arm strength, I have some troubles sometimes.  My hubby installed a vice grip in the kitchen to aid my efforts.

If that fails to give me the edge I need, I then need to soak the mandrels for a while and try again.  There's usually always a scene like this in my kitchen:

But, the end result is worth it!

(see the bi-cone in the upper left?)

Support

Art is a profession for some, a hobby for others, and everything in between.  Some people like one style, and others cannot stand it.  People create it, collect it, buy it, trash it, and – again – everything in between.  There is no definition of what art is, and no definition of who an artist is, that fits every situation and person.

I “do” art, because it makes me happy, because I crave the ability to create, because I love color, and shape, and even the process of getting to the end product.  This is also intensely private to me.  I often feel that people see things I make as “cheesy,” “homemade,” and other such terms.

This attitude is backed by a certain amount of anecdotal evidence:

One:  Several years ago, I made a formal, two-piece, gown for a black tie event.  The inspiration for the gown was a piece of beaded trim/lace from the 1920s.  It really was a lovely outfit.  Unfortunately, due to weight LOSS, it no longer fits.  At the event, I got huge compliments. 

I wore the top with black velvet pants later to an event at my hubby’s office.  The wife of one of the top brokers there asked me what boutique I got it from.

I should have said:  “I don’t remember”

What I said was:  “I made it, it’s my own design”

Here response, in that attitude that only a rich, spoiled, woman who’s never worked a day in her life or created anything, can affect, was to call out to her husband “Oh, look, isn’t she so CRAFTY (ugg, hate that word), she makes her own clothes”.

I went from feeling successful and arty, to imagining hayseeds in my hair and seeing myself stitching together clothes from cleaned out feed sacks.

Two:  There is a whole LONG thread on a forum I read, devoted to horror stories people have about art/hobbies/crafts they do and how people do not appreciate the handmade things.  There are stories about people wanting them to make things for free because “It’s not like it’s work, you love to do it”, to wanting to spend $2 on yarn for the maker and get a high quality silk scarf, and even stories of quilts being given to the dog.

Three:  When I used to bring things to craft sales, I got at least one person a day who would argue/complain about my prices.  I once quoted a very low price on a quilt to someone – I think about 250 for a king size – only to have her say:  “that’s so expensive, I can get a full bedding set at Wal-Mart for less than $100.”  I forget the exact amount she quoted – that actually might be high – but the sentiment remains…

So, anyway, the point I’m trying to make with this diatribe, is that – as a result of all this discouragement and devaluation  of my art – I’ve retreated to being quite private about it, and have a lot of trouble including anyone except fellow artisans and close family into my “art world”.  In a way, I feel embarrassed about showing anything I make.

I have a wonderful person in my life who – for everything bit of evidence I have – truly appreciates art.  We have gotten into the habit of going out on Wednesdays.  Last Wednesday was an Open Torch (where I play with fire and make beads) session.  I rarely miss those.

I swallowed the bit of self-conscious embarrassment that I have about my “homemade” bead making, and invited him to stop by the session for the last part and observe.

As the time approached for his arrival, I got nervous…  Should I call and say to meet me somewhere else when I was done?  What if he is bored?  Finds it all so cheesy and homemade?  What if I burn myself badly while he is there and he thinks I am incompetent (or break something, or make an ugly bead, etc.).

Ok, Mary, get out of your own head….. !

Then the studio phone rang and Annie (the “teacher”) escorted him up to the studio…

Yeah, my heart took a little dive….

But….!

He professed to be fascinated with the creative process of torchwork, showed admiration for my beads, and really made me feel like an ARTIST.

With that, I sign off …..

Returning to the Fold

It seems like the entirety of my life has been spent creating things in one art form or another.  I cannot remember a time in my life before I had several projects going at a time.  I claim to never be bored with the things I do and I am constantly exploring new techniques. 

That said, I have experienced some degree of complacency over the last year/year and a half.  I have always tied myself to my creation (or the other way around?).  I went through a big period of losing myself a ways back and to a smaller degree last fall.  I can tell when it’s happening, but sometimes I feel that there is very little that I can do about it.

For sake of this being a blog about my art, I’ll spare the psychological reverie.  Indulge me to the point that I want to brag about the wonderful people in my life and how much a sense of satisfaction that I get from them.  That support translates into fun and creative things in my artwork.  I can personally look back at pieces and “see” what I was going through at that time.  Since I tend to not produce much when I’m sad – my pieces tend to show me joy, happiness, and contemplation.  Sometimes they just show me amusement….!

Silver Smithing

Out of the Frying Pan…

I took a couple classes working with silver at a local art/craft place.  There, we did some basic soldering and used butane mini torches.  I bought one – it’s in my basement on my almost fully operational silver bench – and haven’t used it yet.  Then, I took a better class from a local artist, Kirk Sklar, and I used his setup for soldering that included a propane tank and it was so much nicer.  Apparently, the butane torches are just not hot enough for a lot of the work I want to do.

One day shortly after that, during a visit to Mills Fleet Farm, available tools were examined and this was the result:

  

I did considered going to a jewelry supply house and get an “official” setup with a regulator and all that.

It would have been a lot more money…

Maybe a *little* safer…

I am not too worried….  It’s not like I’m going to be doing a ton of stuff, and running gas continually to the point of asphyxiating myself…..  Or blowing up the house….

However, there is an old exhaust fan in the basement and I think that I will make sure it’s working and/or replace it.

Shopping Expedition

I bought flux from the same place that I’ve been getting silver plate and various types of wire.  What I bought wasn’t the same stuff that I was using in the silver class however.  Since I want to imitate everything in my own space to try to repeat success, I decided I needed some of the other type.  I didn’t have enough wish list items nor enough funds to justify another order from Rio Grande, so I stopped into a local store – Storm Cloud Trading – to get some. 

I went in for one item….

I came home with four items….

*Sigh*

Nevertheless, all joking aside, the woman there knows her stuff and was very talkative today.  She gave me some really good advice on a couple points, which is why I bought more things.

She also informed me that my “pickle pot” might not be appropriate.

I have to double check and make sure it doesn’t have exposed screws or an exposed metal rim – that may contaminate the pickle solution.

Will I ever have all these bits and pieces under control?

Resin

The latest in playing with resin is using a silicone brownie mold and laser printer pictures.  Doctor Who icons and characters have been my fodder for it right now.

I also used my bench grinder on the edges, and the foredom to drill the hole.  I’m getting quite the usage out of my new tools!

Quilting

With my renewed faith in myself, comes a renewed interest in my primary hobby and first love – fabric.

A few months ago, I made a stab at catching up on a lot of projects.  I spent a couple evenings laying out a bunch of smaller quilts that I had.  Tonight, I finished quilting on that pile.  I still have bindings to attach to most of them, and then have to hand stitch those bindings.

However, I do feel a sense of accomplishment in getting though that part of the task. 

That sense is strong enough to want to show them now and brag!

(We won’t talk about the large pile of full-sized quilts all pinned out and stacked on the front bench – that’s next)

Pre-Cuts and What to Make

Browns with Pink

This table topper sized piece was made using a set of pre-cut shapes.  I don’t consider it very inspired; I had far more fun quilting it.  Look at the second picture to see the designs I did inside of the shapes themselves.

Red/White/Blue

Again, something I don’t consider very inspired and done from a set of pre-cut shapes.

Before you criticize me too much, the pre-cuts were something that I was getting monthly as part of a “club.”  Some of them were indeed quite nice; these last ones weren’t inspiring me. 

This is my July fourth table runner for the picnic table.  That’s about the best I can say about it…..

Civil War Little Quilts

A couple years ago, I attended a monthly program in which each month was a different little quilt and the focus was on using Civil War reproduction fabrics.  I used a lot of beiges and pinks…..

Small Squares

It’s a cute little quilt and I’m going to give it to some little girl for her dolls or bears.  Except for the border, the fabrics are all left over bits from other projects.  The border fabric is a tiny print that just struck me as fitting with it all.

Bear Paw

If I recall correctly, this pattern in the “Bear Paw” block.  I used two different pinks and they really popped.  I particularly like the border print – it’s large but, being so light, it doesn’t take over the whole thing but rather complements it.

The End

This last piece – a very small piece – was done with the scraps from some of the other quilts…

Many of those quilts were also done with scraps….

So this is scraps of scraps? 

Scraps

And, speaking of scraps.  These next two pieces were both done with scraps. 

I can’t seem to throw anything away until it’s positively unusable.  Leftover pieces get cut into strips and/or squares, depending upon how much there is and then stored with like fabrics.  Strips are rolled up according to color family and width and put into a box.  It used to be a small box, now it’s quite large.   Every once in a while, I get an urge and go through that box and use up some of it.

Strips

I took all the green strips that were two inches wide, sewed them end to end and then cut that long strip into smaller strips.  Because all the pieces I used were different lengths, this is the end effect.  I put a border on and – a nice table topper.

You probably can’t see too well here, but I got fancy with the quilting.  It’s been awhile since I did anything but loops and stipples.  However, words from a friend lately inspired me and I did some flowers and fancier stitches on this piece.

Square in Square

This is one of my favorite patterns to do.  I cannot count how many times I’ve made this – full-sized pieces, small pieces, and everything in between! 

This particular piece has a story.  A friend wanted a quilt for a baby shower but didn’t want pink or blue.  She looked through my pictures and found a small, green quilt she wanted.

I looked high and low for that dang thing….

I don’t remember giving it to anyone, but it wasn’t there.

Time was ticking away…..

I told her that I would make her one…in a few days… from similar fabrics.

I dug into that box of rolled up scraps, and the pile of 6-inch blocks and just spent an evening making blocks with green, beige, and brown.  I used 48 of them to make a crib sized piece and then had these eight blocks left over after the “block audition.”

I sewed them together, bordered them, and got fancy with the quilting.  I did “stones” in the interior of the block and then left the next square empty to make it “pop.”

Floral

Last in this section of quilts is a piece I did from one of those little pattern cards.  My intention was actually to showcase the pink floral fabric.  This is a piece that is going to be used for an Easter table decoration at my house… or maybe a spring topper for the end table….

For as much as I’m not a “oooo, pink” type of girl, well, I do really like pink (purple is better though) and it is a spring color….

Maybe spring will finally hit here….

To emphasize the flowers, I quilted the center section by going around the flowers themselves and dipping into them at points.

How I Quilt

That’s my biggest sewing machine – it’s considered a “mid arm.”  Behind it, at a 90-degree angle - is my primary piecing machine.  I do the quilting (versus piecing) on the Juki.  It does not have any sort of table for it; most home quilters put it on a large frame and guide it from a platform of sort.  I could probably clear the 12-foot or more square area that a quilting frame would need, but I have way too many other hobbies and pieces of equipment around here! 

So, I build a small table for it from a 2 ft square piece of plywood and a ¾-inch dowel.  The top of it is covered in a Teflon strip with sticky back that I got from Axe-Man.  To quilt, I hand guide the quilt;  the machine is a single function – it simply stitches up and down – and I move the quilt by hand under it into patterns.  I mostly only do simply stipples and loops; I believe the beauty of a quilt is the pattern, colors, pieces – not the stitching on top of it.  (I do practice some fancier stuff on smaller pieces though – as detailed above…!)

Photobucket

I sorted out my quilt pictures and loaded them to photobucket: http://s537.photobucket.com/user/FridayDesigns/library/Art%20-%20%20Quilts?sort=4&page=1