Acceptance and Rejection for Shows

My collage, Wings II, has been accepted to a show in my city, called Greater Des Moines Exhibited 15. This is not a fiber or quilt show, so I'm feeling pretty excited. I really didn't know what to expect, as this is the first time I've ever tried entering. I thought it might have a chance as this is a framed piece and not "quilty". I love quilty, but fine arts shows apparently, don't.

It will be fun to see the variety of art and meet other local artists who work in other mediums.



My work called Mother of Us All, however, has been rejected from a show in Pidgeon Ford because of its content. I had been invited to be part of the Special Exhibit of Sacred Threads at the Mountain Quilt Festival in March of 2009. I received a very nice email yesterday saying they were unable to accept this quilt because Pigeon Ford is a very conservative and family friendly town and they weren't sure how it would be received. I really do understand their concerns. It's also a little exciting to think my work is really that controversial.

More Painting with Dye

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the International Quilt Festival in Houston a couple of weeks ago. I took a class from Hollis Chatelain on painting with dyes. The only thing I was doing differently was that I was mixing my dye with water first, then adding it to the print paste solution. I learned I can simply add the dye powder to the print paste and mix well. Works beautifully. The print paste solution should be about the consistency of maple syrup. It's nice because it keeps for awhile so I don't need to keep mixing it every time. The dye's in the print paste will keep for a few days as well as long as there's no soda ash in them. I dip my fabric in the soda ash solution, hang it up to dry and press with a cool iron. Then I can draw my image on the fabric lightly and begin to paint.

Back to the studio!

Fall Has Fallen

Fall has fallen and winter's here! We went from 75 degrees on Tuesday to 39 degrees on Friday with lots of wind and rain and yes, snow! It's difficult to get my blood thickened when it changes so rapidly! But I do like winter. It's time to "hibernate" and find time to sew, cook warming foods, and enjoy the surprises of the weather. Might as well enjoy those surprises, because they're going to happen anyway.

It does seem like it was only yesterday that I was chipping ice from the bottom of the driveway, for weeks on end. Where did summer go?

Painting With Dye

I've been experimenting with painting with dye on fabric. This is a piece that is in process. I had a beautiful coleus plant this summer and decided to play with images of the leaves.

I mixed my print paste solution and then my dye. It was a little too runny, but it wasn't bleeding on the fabric, so I continued. When I had painted three leaves, I let it "cure" for 24 hours and then rinsed out the extra dye and washed in synthrapol. I was surprised that so much of the color had disappeared. I did go back in and paint more and it seemed to hold more of the dye.

The leaf that is in the embroidery hoop has been stitched with free motion on my machine. I intend to add more thread to create more depth and pattern on it. It's rather fun. We'll see how this finishes. I want to try painting some great white sharks with this technique for a commission I have so I hope it comes out the way I want.

Waiting for Harvest

Stalks of corn drying in the field are mostly broken, and the ears bend toward the earth rather than look toward the sky. They stand, waiting for harvest. The end of the growing cycle in the midwest. Autumn has arrived with the expectation of winter to come.

For me, Autumn is a time to reflect on the growth that has occurred during the spring and summer. Not just in my garden, but in my studio as well. How did I grow and change as an artist? What new ideas grew to maturity by my hands? What seeds might have been planted through the harvest of this year's crop that fell to the ground and will live under the snow until Spring? What ideas have yet to be brought to maturity through the cold and dark of Winter to emerge in the Spring with new growth? This time of gathering and storing is only fuel for the fire. I can't wait to see what the next season brings.

Creation!

This is one of my new pieces, called A Star is Born. I am fascinated with the infinite idea of space and stars and the constant creation of new stars, as well as the death of old ones. From the Hubbell telescope have come the most beautiful and awe-inspiring photos. It's from those that I have taken my inspiration for this piece.


"Skip" is my latest and has taken the longest to do. I have never done this type of applique before. I made this for my husband, who is the subject of the photo. As a boy and teen, he would cowboy on a ranch in Wyoming every summer. I think he's about 15 here. I painted some of the background, but most of it is applique' and the entire figure and truck are applique'. It was a great deal of fun, and I may try some other things with this method.

What is this Compulsion to Create Art?

I've often wondered what it is that compels some of us to create art. I know I share this feeling of the need to make art with other artists because I've discussed it with some of them. Some artists have written entire books about it, and I've read them.

It isn't just a desire. I find myself irritable and anxious when I go too long without sketching, stitching or painting. Sometimes just being in nature satisfies my need for creation, but eventually I need to put into visual form what so desperately wants to come out.

Sometimes its just to share what my mind's eye sees when it looks at nature. Sometimes it's a message that needs to be voiced, and sometimes it's simply a place to play and experiment with raw materials. But it is a need, a compulsion if you will, that calms an unexplained restlessness.

Do athletes feel a compulsion to run, or swim or throw? Is it the same with other fields of endeavor?

I'd love to hear from anyone on this.

Eddy

I am so impressed with Apple. After spending approximately three weeks dealing with on again, off again problems, they just gave me a new computer! Brand new, out of the box. Took my old one back. "Old" because I only got it in December. Had no problems until just recently. I knew there was another reason I worked on a mac. So I am now able to upload photos and post to my blog again!

The photo is of a small piece titled, "Eddy". I began experimenting by stitching on paper. It's a rather heavy, rag paper with lots of plant matter still in it. It took stitch well, so I thought I'd add paint. Took that well, too. Then I stitched it to fabric and added a little more paint. Now I think I'll mat and frame it.

As The Crow Flies

Here it is! I finally am able to post a photo. I hope it's not a fluke. After two weeks of fighting with this stuff, it just worked. Now I'm thinking it wasn't my computer at all! Sigh. Well, here's the finished piece. I decided not to put a border on it and faced it instead. The gray around it is what I put behind it to photograph it. I'll probably put it on a black background for more formal photos.

Currently, I'm working on a pictorial quilt that is taken from a photo of my husband when he was a teenager and spending the summer as a cowboy on a ranch in Wyoming. I'll post some photos of it in progress as soon as there's something more visual to photograph. I'm also learning (experimenting) with discharge and thickening paste with dyes as I have two commission pieces to do that require my painting them before I stitch them.

Computer problems solved?

I have now rebuilt my computer twice. After doing an erase and install, I apparently re-imported the problem I was having when I imported my data. So, I erased the hard drive again and have been reinstalling all my programs. It appears to be working now. I still have to bring back most of my data, and I'll hope I don't bring the problem back with me again!

I'll post the photo of the work I have been trying to post, once I import it back onto my computer. Hours and hours of time. Sigh, life was simpler before this technology, and now we can't live without it, I guess. Oh well, back to work!