Portfolio of older work

Friday, April 15, 2011

Friday Favorites

Are you tired to my talking about Wen's workshop yet? This time I am writing about what I learned from her studio.  Her studio was very eye opening to me.  It was full of lots of different types of art that she had made--big things, fabric things, hanging things, paper things, fabric and paper things, framed things, and more stuff.  It was full of stuff for sale for $20 and stuff for sale for a LOT more.  Now I know that Wen has just had pieces accepted into a lot of juried venues.  She makes great fabric pieces.  But clearly she did not sit back and wait for that perfect idea to come around to execute. She was playing and experimenting and finishing tons and TONS of stuff.

I find that sometimes my head gets warped (not wrapped) around the idea that I should be making Art  (capital A) all the time.  I don't want to waste my time making art (little a).  Wen's studio really showed to me that there is a fine line between the two and you produce Art when you are practicing and experimenting and finishing art.  Without the art, there is no Art.  So this week, in my Friday Favorites I have look at creative works of Art/art that others are producing and applauding them.

Friday Favorites

Arlee ecoprinted some paper that could be used in some lov-er-ly art quilts.  I have resisted using paper in my art quilts for some time but, lets face it, 1) a good quality paper is mostly rag or fabric anyway, 2) art quilts are meant to be hung on the wall and not to be washed so what does it matter, and 3) it is my hang up and I need to get over it.

Katie is making fabric stash string.  She uses it to make 3-D objects but it would also be very effective couched on the front of an art quilt.  The making of it seems to be very meditative which would make it a good activity when I want to be productive but my brain does not want to have to think anymore.

Nat is combining shibori with ecodyeing--it makes a great combination. And Laura is combining shibori with parfait dyeing.  Both are successful attempts and both postings give you some how-to's so that you could try the attempt.  Connie Rose is also getting some exciting results with her dyeing.

Patty the quilt lady is having fun making improv quilts without a pattern.  She has four tutorials posted (one and two and three and four) that show you her process. I had enough information at the first two tutorials but beginners will want to watch all 4.  This is a new blog for me and I have become one of her followers now.  Eva is fiddling with the tiniest of scraps and  having fun  ( and hereand here)with an improv quilt, although her style is much more hand work and smaller pieces so it takes time.

Well, that was some of my inspiration to be creative this week.  I hope that you find yours!

4 comments:

  1. It's so true--you have to show up to the studio every day and create. I don't know how many times I set about to make one thing and moved off in a new direction. I may not have gone there had it not been that I showed up. I strongly believe in practice.

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  2. Sometimes I get the best ideas while I'm doing mindless piecing. I'm actually hoping for a rainy day tomorrow so I can work out in my garage--there are too many other chores to do when the weather is nicer--nothing specific in mind to work on, just want to get out there and see what happens. Oh, and I love that fabric string link you posted, I've tried couching and that would be a good way to get great looking string to couch.

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  3. I always love to take a trip through your week via blogs. You find such interesting techniques and people to blog about!

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  4. Thank you for mentioning me in your Friday's Favorite posting and including the links. It had been an interesting process for me documenting my process and I hope that it will be useful to many quilters.

    Patty the quilt lady

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