Studio Time

I refuse to take part in the blatant consumerism that is Black Friday. I am not a shopper even on the best of days, and I just can't condone that kind of behavior. So I spent yesterday in my studio.

I have had a silkscreen ready to go with a freezer paper stencil for months. Silk screening ( or any series of printmaking ) in my sewing studio requires me to unclutter and clear my cutting table. The cutting table doubles as a printing table, but clearing it enough to get the print surface laid out is a rare event. Anyway, having not silk screened since college I wasn't sure how it would go, but it worked out and although I don't think any of the prints were perfect, I am going to over dye them anyway so perfection was not really a priority. I have about a dozen images of dancing jellyfish that are ready to be worked into more. I am thinking that a low water immersion or possibly shibori type process should be next in Indigo kinds of colors. We shall see, I have website work to get done today and I am not sure how long that will take. I will see if I can get a photo of my dancers up soon.

Critique

Seems that the Robert Genn post a few days ago caused more than one person to stop and think. The discussion has been really lively. There have been those who find that in depth criticism by one's self, and others is very helpful, and there have been those who have not yet developed the thick skin needed to handle criticism. Much has to do with how criticism is phrased. Using questions instead of statements invites a better response. I don't like that blue area could be construed as an insult. Do you think that blue should be a bit lighter to contrast with the area next to it a bit less? is much easier to take. Jane Dunnewold has a really good set of guidelines for giving a constructive critique on her blog. Can't get the link up right now, but it is on the tutorials page there.

Someone else has brought up the idea that in order to self critique, you should know what it is that you want to accomplish with the piece. Formal elements of art and design should function to reinforce the message. I agree with this in theory, but many artists, in many media may not be so aware of the thing they are saying. A consistent work ethic and honesty in the doing will often bring out a significant theme that the artist may not have been aware of. This is where I am having trouble. Although I work in my medium just about every day, I do not create art every day, thus I sometimes have trouble with getting going when I do have time to create "for me" I have a silkscreen ready and waiting to get played with for months now - so long that I don't even want to use the stencil/resist I prepared for it. We will see, I should print a few images from it onto fabrics just because, don't want all that cutting time to be lost.

Validatoin and critique

Yesterday Lesley Riley posted an article on her blog about finding validation as artists, and asking a few salient questions on that topic. I got home from work yesterday to find a card and photo in the mailbox of the quilt I made as a wedding gift to my sister and her new hubby, on the bed in the room that they have now redecorated to coordinate with this quilt. That is serious validation.

Then this morning, Robert Genn, in his twice weekly newsletter posted about self critiquing. Somehow my brain melded these two concepts, validation and self critique and now I am thinking about self validation. This is a tricky place for artists. In order to share our work, we must think it is valid enough to put out there in the world. We must also continue to grow and develop as artists in order to keep this validation current. Robert listed a number of questions he regularly asks himself as a form of self critique. I think that is my work valid, and to whom?, should be added. The answer should always include one's self as almost a prerequisite to letting the work get "out there"

Although validation is needed to keep the art making happening, Critique can easily de-validate work, and by default, the artist. This is why self validation becomes a critical issue. I know of no successful artist who really thinks they have no talent. To be successful in a fickle industry like art, you must find the mechanisms to keep up your self validation in the face of the rest of the world- whose reactions you have no control over. What is in your work that keeps it valued in your life, even if those around you don't agree? Finding this answer may just be the thing that keeps you going on a bad day. Today, for me it is this photo I got in the mail. What works for you?

great guild meeting last night

Even though it was a crummy night to drive down there, I am glad I went. The lecture was on Pennsylvania German ( Dutch ) quilt traditions, interspersed with bits of superstition and folk belief of the region. The quilts were beautiful. They asked that we not post pictures online in any way so I can't share them visually with you, but I can tell you about the Red work.

They had two stunning examples. I was sitting close enough to one of them that I did sketch out some of the motifs so I can reinterpret. A corner motif and a border element that are sort of welsh quilting designs. The other was a collection of nearly 250 farm related motifs on 4 1/2 inch pieces of feed sack. There were initials and a date in the four larger squares in the center, and they were all embellished at the seams with a fine herringbone.

The other thing I came home with was the great urge to catalog my growing collection of antique quilts and tops. I have been meaning to get to this for a long while, and the inspiration to actually do it has been trumped a few times by other tasks that bring in more immediate cash flow. Perhaps I can begin that this week.

More Ideas than time

Yes, it's true, My wrist is still sore, its a dislocated bone in my wrist that needs to settle back in to its correct spot, so I can only do so much in a day. Creative time when I can't be creating has left me with LOTS of thinking time, and a whole bunch of new ideas that I would just love to be able to get going. I have tried to get enough done in my journal to be able to pick up again when time and physical restraints allow, but this is so frustrating.

I did get the guild challenge piece done by machine, not at all what I had planned, but it didn't turn out too bad. I'll post after guild. That meeting is tomorrow night, so you wont have to wait too long.

Scary!!!

So today I have a brace on my stitching hand. I have been doing a great deal of hand embroidery lately to finish the hand work on Beautiful Valley, and unfortunately, with other stresses in life, it seems I have been aflicted with some kind of stiffness in my hand/wrist. I hope that some gentle support and rest will restore it. However, the prospect of not being able to stitch is scary. I can work at a machine, and typing does not seem to affect it, only when the tendons are stretching do I feel it. I hope it goes away soon.

Having said that, I guess I wont be doing the hand embroidery on the Art Challenge Piece for guild. Baste and machine quilt is going to be the thing. The theme is Positive and Negative. I used a paper punch to get a bunch of spider shapes, and holes the same shape, then used them to sun print on white fabric. Wasn't quite as clear as I had hoped, but I can work with it. I had wanted to use soem metallic threads to put in a web after the other work was done, but now I'll have to do it by machine. Wont have the same dimension, but I guess it will be ok. Have to have this done for Wednesday's meeting.