FOOTBALL NOT YOUR THING?

Come join the staff at The Nimble Thimble on Super Ball Sunday, February 5th at 2:00 pm

for wine and cheese and a trunk show of my work from all three books.

19 Putnam Ave, Port Chester, NY

Come see the work, hear about my process and ask questions.

Books will be available and, of course, I will be happy to autograph a book for you.

I will also answer any questions you may have about upcoming classes at The Nimble Thimble.

I am sure it will be a most enjoyable afternoon.

And if you are into football, you will still be home in time to see the Giants win!

Please RSVP with the Nimble Thimble by Feb. 3 at 914-934-2934.

The store will be open that afternoon for your shopping convenience.

DON’T FORGET TO RSVP SO YOU WON’T BE LEFT OUT OF THIS FUN AFTERNOON.  Space is limited.

Hope to see you there.

A few posts ago I discussed creating water from only a few fabrics.  Yes, it is easy to create the feeling of moving water using only three fabrics–a light, medium and dark value.  But when you want to turn up the volume, multiple fabrics make the water more interesting.

I will not show you the whole piece (so many shows now do not want work that has been seen, even on the artist’s blog) but I will show you the water part.  Here, I used multiple fabrics, many unexpected choices for water, and personally I like the results.

The idea here is to create water that looks like it is flowing rapidly.  This was done using a variety of fabrics, but the starting point (as always) was one light, one medium and one dark.  The difference here is the addition of several “zingers” in the mix.  A zinger is a fabric that does not have one specific value because it is made up of several values–like the the blue and white checked fabric.  Just look at the closeup of the fabrics in here:

A lot of these fabrics don’t exactly scream water, but the cacophony of patterns creates movement that I think looks really nice.  I have used this idea in depicting other things besides water:

Like the hair in “The Endless Dance of the Ponytail”

to tree bark…(notice the addition of an african fabric in the mix)

The take-away?  Open up your stash and use all those little scraps you have left to create something wonderful–whether it is texture or just movement, have fun and embrace the process.  The results are great.

I don’t usually have a hard time finding the right fabric for the right spot, but on occasion there is something that just baffles me and requires a lot of auditioning before I am happy.  This is one of those times.  I decided to share the options with you, and talk about what I like and don’t like about each one.  I find when I teach that showing students what is wrong and explaining WHY it is wrong is more instructive than showing them something that works and expecting them to see why.  So here goes, like standing in front you all in a bathing suit!

Option #1

This works, the value is different enough from both the dog and the man’s pants to stand apart, and I like the lines in it.  But I am afraid this is just too literal, and I really want to break out of the mode of directly translating a photo without a little pizzazz.

Option #2

Love this fabric, don’t love it here.  Too dark, too busy and too distracting.  Back in the stash it goes.

Option #3

I would definitely use this so that the pattern ran horizontally, put it in like this to evaluate color and value.  Not loving this choice, too dark to distinguish the pant legs clearly, too much pattern fights with the great print in the dog’s legs.

Option #4

Sometimes when a fabric is too dark, the perfect solution is the back.  Not in this case.  Just like the original I spent so long pulling out, this is just too close to the dog and it all blends together.

Option #5

Again, love this fabric, but not here.  Too dark, pattern is too swirly.

OK, so let’s move away from being so literal and only considering gray fabrics.  Let’s move onto other colors.  So far I have decided that the pattern can’t be too strong and that horizontal lines work well.  Moving on–

Option #6

Seems like it would be right, horizontal pattern, right value.  Looks like dirt.  Next…..

Option #7

ARGH!  Looks like they are standing on a giant pillow.  Nope.

Option #7

Hmmmm, like the value, love the writing on the fabric, relates to the writing on the dog, gives a wonderful sense of dimension.  But I still am not sold on the brown color.

Let’s think about colors.  Reds and oranges will blend in with the traffic cones, which I quite like so they are out.  Yellow?  Too much.  Purple?  Eh.  Green–too much like grass.  Maybe I need to look at blue fabrics, being careful not to make them look like they are standing in water.

Option #8

Like the horizontal, like the color.  Interesting….

Option #9

Nope.  Too close in value to the dog.

Option #10

Didn’t even consider the front of this fabric as it was the same value as the pant legs.  This is the back.  Interesting, changes the whole look of the piece.

I haven’t made a final decision yet, I suspect it is for one of two reasons–either I haven’t found the one that resonates with me yet or I have been at it too long and need to walk away for a bit so I can see it again with new eyes.  The take-away from this is to remember that not every piece, no matter how experienced the artist, goes together without changes and exploring the options.  (Usually not this many!).  But you have to keep trying until it clicks for you.

If you want to make an omelet, you have to crack a lot of eggs!

It wasn’t until I saw it on the computer screen when I posted the other day about print scale, that I noticed the problem with this piece:

Do you see it?  The “sidewalk” fabric (as much as I like the fabric itself) is the wrong value.  You know me, value, value, value.  It is fine with the man’s pantlegs, but is too close in value to the dog’s legs, which means the dog sort of blends into the background.  Not good.

So I took the piece apart (in hindsight I think it would have been easier to scrap it and start over) and started previewing alternatives to that middle gray tone of the sidewalk.  Ideally, I need a fabric that is darker than the legs of the dog, but lighter than the pants and the dog’s back.

See the difference?  I am not sure this is the one yet, I still want to play with it and see if I have something that works a little better.  But now you can see the dog clearly defined against the background, but still allowing the dark areas to stand out as well.

How often the problem turns out to be VALUE, not color.  If in doubt (and even sometimes when not in doubt) it helps to look at the image on a computer screen.  For some reason, whatever isn’t working becomes immediately obvious.  And don’t get so married to any one fabric that you can’t open yourself to make a change.  So often, change is good!

Ellen Linder made a great comment on yesterday’s blog post about size and scale–that the size you work is also either aided or hindered by the print scale of the fabrics you use.

If you have a lot of small scale prints in your stash, working large will make all those little patterns look dinky and boring.  However, on the other hand, if you have lots of very large scale prints in your stash, working small will be very frustrating.  It is great to be able to fussy cut an area from a large scale fabric to do just what you need, but if you wanted the pattern or implied texture to show, you may miss out if you work too small.

Look at the print scale in these works:

this is a relatively large piece (for me, anyway) which means the scale of the prints is rather small.  Make particular note of the turquoise print at the edge of the vessel….

the same fabric looks like a larger scale in chairs of this smaller piece.

What about the black and white floral fabric in the center of this drum, in a closeup from a larger piece:

here it is again in the tree bark:

or the black and white fabric behind her face

and the same fabric as the sidewalk in a larger piece

and keep in mind I never work too large, imagine the scale of these prints in a piece four times the size.

Thanks for the excellent point, Ellen!

In the past several months I have addressed the concept of size in my art quilts.  Although it may not seem that way, the size you decide to work is very significant not for the resulting work, but for the working methods employed in order to get there.

Let’s start by discussing the impact of the overall size.  Large pieces demand attention.  Even from across the room, a large piece has presence and drama.  An artwork that is five feet square will make more of a statement than a grouping of smaller pieces.

There are advantages, however, to working small.  A small piece requires that the viewer move in close and really examine the work.  It becomes more of a personal viewing experience, less dramatic maybe, but there is an opportunity to fit a lot of drama into a little space.

Most of us work somewhere in between very large and very small.  I know for myself, no matter what I tell myself when I get started, I always seem to end up with a piece that is in the 24″ x 30″ range.  Maybe a bit larger or smaller, but really not far from these proportions.  This size must be my comfort zone.  But although many artists would consider this to be small, for me it was just too large.

Why too large?  That is where the technical aspects come into play.  Let’s look at this piece “Dreaming of Brandon”

This piece is in that same size range.  Despite the fact that it is not a huge piece, I did think it had some drama in that the closeup was so tight that there was an immediacy and impact to the piece.  Here is the problem for me:

If you look closely at this detail shot of the arm, you can see where my frustration comes from–the functional stitching that must go on every fabric work layered with batting.  If you work with these materials you know the requirements–any areas that are not secured with functional and/or decorative quilting will eventually look puffed out and may sag.  Therefore, quilt stitching is necessary for an area like this arm which is only about six or seven inches wide.

Although many fabric artists WANT that stitching to add texture to their work, there are areas in my work where I do not want the additional texture or pattern of the necessary stitching.  This was one of them.  This is neither right nor wrong, just the way I ultimately see the finished piece.  So for me, even working 24 x 30 when the piece contained large pieces of fabric became a problem.

So by contrast, here is a piece still on my design wall, almost completed:

Of course, it is hard to compare apples to oranges on a computer screen, without being able to see the actual size of the two pieces.  But this piece is only 12″ square.  That means by the time I secure the edges of each piece of fabric, I do not need to add additional lines of quilt stitching in order to prevent puckering or sagging:

These resulting smaller pieces work for me, because I can use more elaborate stitching where I want it, as opposed to where I need it.  This might not be a problem for others, but it was for me.

Frustrations in your art are an invitation to make changes in the way you work, to evolve and grow.  For now, this change is working for me.  It does restrict my ability to enter shows, as the trends now is for ever larger pieces that fill the gallery space with big impact.  But unfortunately for us as artists, the reality is that we need to do what we do, what we are driven to create, regardless of the trends around us.

I just completed a piece showing water breaking over rocks which will be exhibited in Taiwan next year.  It got me thinking about water, and wanting to share some easy tricks.

Depicting water using fabric may seem difficult, but it only requires a few fabrics.   Usually, only three are needed–a light, medium and dark fabric.  Sound familiar?

Here is a closeup of the water in “Seascape” showing the three fabrics.  The lightest tone is the base, the medium tone shows movement and the darker tone looks like shadows around the base of the rocks.

The pieces are cut into random shapes, the darker pieces go closer to the rocks.  Since the base fabric has some movement, it does not appear to be flat, and therefore doesn’t need much help.

In this piece, called Pinebrook, the water is a single fabric.  Because it is a tie dye look alike with lots of highs and lows already in it, it serves well, especially as a narrow strip through the woods.

The water in this series of beach scenes is done with one base fabric and one darker fabric in strips, stitched closely to add more “texture” to the surface:

Want to know a secret?  The base fabric is actually the back of the fabric used as the accents.  Sometimes, all you need is ONE fabric.

Water is reflective, so often it is necessary to add more fabric to depict what is being reflected:

The more curvy and ripply those lines are, the more they resemble reflections in moving water.

Here four fabrics were used; the blue base,  a darker one (actually if you look closely you can see it is a blue print on white), the green, and the white highlight.  Bits of the flamingo fabric are tucked in to look like reflections, and the same curvy lines from the beak into the water.

Remember that water is usually not blue, it is more likely to be gray, green, or even brown.  Here is a bit of the lake seen through some trees:

Light, medium and dark, the curvier the lines, the more it looks like it is moving.  Simple.

What more complex?  Not necessary, but here goes:

The base fabric here is plain (meaning without a pattern or print) and there are multiple randomly cut pieces that give the water it’s movement.  Not sure you can see it in this picture, but there are lots of unexpected prints in here, all kept from getting out of control by the solid base.

Finally, that new piece.  I won’t show you the whole thing (that waits until it is exhibited) but here is a closeup of the water, inspired by a recent trip to Northern California.  I got lucky, I found a tie dye look alike that already had lots of colors and movement in it and was striated to look like water all on its own:

All I needed were those curly pieces of white fabric to look like the white caps breaking over the rocks.  And the rocks themselves?  A single tie dye look alike had enough going on to look like rock.  Easy.  Try it.

The SAQA Sightlines Exhibition is now hanging in the:

Alexandria Museum of Art

933 Second Street / P.O. Box 1028
Alexandria, LA 71309-1028
P:(318)443-3458

In 2009, I was one of 14 international artists chosen to participate in an exhibition organized by SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) called Sightlines.  Every artist was asked to produce a series of pieces ten feet wide, that would begin and end with two 8″ square pieces.  In the body of each work a “sightline” or line of vision would run through the pieces, and each artist’s work would flow into the next.

The piece I produced is entitled “Traveling Companions On Life’s Journey”

I used many of the random shots of people I had been collecting for several years.  They span the cycle of relationships, from young love to the final piece which shows an elderly woman walking alone.  The sightline is formed by both the position of the couples, and by the yellow rectangles placed behind them, ending with a yellow purse, like the period at the end of a sentence.

The figures were created first…

Here is the study for the man in one couple, along with the completed couple…

All of the couples were completed before the background was assembled

The layout was designed on paper before translating into the four lead-in and lead-out pieces, and the large sections between.      Some of the couples did not survive the cut.

Free motion text was added to further emphasize the sightline that runs through the pieces, and to serve as an explanation of the piece.  It reads:

Alone
We embark on life’s journey
Some have families who prepare us, pack our bags and see us off
Some make their way to the train station on their own
Some find like minded travelers with whom to share the trip
Some get off the main road and take a different route
Some bring their baggage with them
Some acquire it together along the way
Sometimes the road is clear, the air is clean and the scenery is beautiful
Sometimes the road is filled with rocks and the weather is inclement
Some reach a fork in the road and decide to follow different paths
Some reach the final train platform together
There, we leave our bags behind, say goodbye, and finish the trip home
Alone

The exhibition opened in Houston at the International Quilt Market and Festival in October 2010, and has or will be seen in the following venues:

International Quilt Festival-Houston, November 4 – 7, 2010
International Quilt Festival-Cincinnati, April 2011|
Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, Golden, Colorado, April 15 – June 30, 2011
International Quilt Festival-Long Beach, July 2011
Alexandria Museum of Art, Alexandria, Louisiana, Dec. 2, 2011 – Feb. 25, 2012
Morris Museum, Morristown, New Jersey, April 26 – August 12, 2012
Everhart Museum, Scranton, Pennsylvania, September 27 – December 31, 2012
Grants Pass Museum of Art, Grants Pass, Oregon, May 28 – July 26, 2013

To see more of sightlines or to purchase a catalog, please visit  SAQA: Sightlines

I had a wonderful surprise this morning, when my copy of The Best of Quilting Arts, your ultimate resource for art quilt techniques and inspiration arrived on my doorstep.

Pokey Bolton of Quilting Arts Magazine has put together a really wonderful collection of art quilt techniques that cover everything from the basics to surface design, people and animals, recycled and natural materials, embellishment and mixed media.  It is a beautiful book and I am thrilled to say that my chapter on “creating figures in fabric” is included–as well as my piece Twilight Time as the opening to the section on people.

Just like the magazine, every section includes easy to follow instructions.  A great comprehensive guide to all things art quilt!

Buy The Best of Quilting Arts from Amazon

Apparently, every now and then Amazon deeply discounts a book for an unspecified period of time.  Right now they are offering my second book, Photo-inspired Art Quilts for only $12.00.  That includes the book and the instructional DVD.  This is less than half the cover price!  Buy Photo-inspired Art Quilts for only $12.00 here.

If you are not familiar with this book, it outlines my techniques for creating an art quilt from a photograph.  I share all my working methods, from choosing a photo and cropping for more impact, creating a full scale pattern and how to use that pattern to create a fabric collage that is sewn together using raw edge machine applique.  The book contains lots of information on  fabric choice, the importance of color and value, and finishing techniques.

Nancy Zieman (you may know her from her long running PBS series “Sewing with Nancy”) hosts the accompanying DVD, which has video of me at work, and shows lots of my pieces pictured in the book.

So if you have been waiting to buy this book for yourself, or want to purchase it as a gift this holiday season, take advantage of this very special price.  I have no idea how long it will last, so don’t wait!

Buy Photo-inspired Art Quilts for only $12.00 here.