A Modern Approach...WIP

The production of new digital "skins" is on hold until I get a new Photoshop program.

 Meanwhile, I've been working on another art quilt - a modern approach to crazyquilting.

 

No. 3, 100 Small Art Quilts

No. 3

No. 2, Art In Common Project, 100 Small Art Quilts

No. 2

RIP Jenny Hunter Groat

Today... a nod to a beloved friend, mentor and artist, who I've only known online since 2000, but who has been large in my life in terms of how much she added to my world, especially my art world, particularly my carving world.  At various times in my life I took up carving, painting, calligraphy and modern dance in my younger days, then again in my early fifties until both my knees gave out. So, I felt an immediate kinship with her.  Jenny was an accomplished and reknown dancer, calligrapher and painter. I met her through the Carving Consortium, an online carver's group, where we shared many pieces of carved art!  Jenny passed away at her home in Marin on Saturday, leaving a devoted husband and bereft community of artists worldwide.  She will always be my inspiration!

Take the time to look at some of her incredible artwork!

http://www.jennyhuntergroat.artspan.com/

http://www.jennyhuntergroat.artspan.com/blog/

I thought of Jenny as I carved my "Isis Dancing:"

No. 1, Art In Common Project, 100 Small Art Quilts

I really like this 8 inch format for art quilting. Now that I'm in free motion, I'm no longer doubting that I'll have any trouble coming up with 100 of these.  As I'm working on one quilt, I'm starting another in my head or gathering up materials for the next one.   Here's No. 1!

A few years ago I worked in Andover and every day I went to Harold Parker State Park for lunch to keep my sanity.  I took a lot of photos there and have begun to harvest them for my digital art now. Nature is probably the most predominant subject of my art.   I've used the carving of this little wren again...I love birds in my art.  I'm sure you'll see more of them here, though probably not this one again.

Some of these graphics are digitally printed onto fabric on my Epson Stylus NX 430 printer.  Some  are on cotton but others are on translucent silk organza. Other small images are printed onto Leslie Riley's TAP (Transfer Artist Paper) and then ironed onto my substrate, which in this case, is white cotton.  I've embelluished with pieces cut from dungarees and two small strips of handpainted fabric on the very top and bottom.

New Project: to create 100 small art quilts!

New Project:  to create 100 small art quilts!

I’ve joined a new group, Art In Common, with instructor Kathyanne White http://www.digitalalternativesurfaces.com/

·       Each to be about 8” or so

·       To focus (although not exclusively) on digital imagery and to combine other printmaking and fiber art techniques with it

My first realization, however, is that I need to develop a new library of sorts of my own digital images to draw on. Of course, as soon as I started saving my images in TIFF form (which, I’m told, is what I should be doing) my old Corel program started to freeze up and I couldn’t print through this program - just to test my patience level,  I suppose. Not so good at this…grrr.  I’m going to have to get a new program but it won’t be Corel again.  And this is where the real challenge is for me – to learn Photoshop!  I just have such a hard time understanding the directions to it!  But….I’m biting the bullet!

So, feeling somewhat daunted by the thought of producing 100 of anything, Kathyanne advised me:  “…when we are working as artists we tend to do what we have done so when you decide on a project and do 25 of them and then another 25 and then another 25- you start to get out of your head and start to do work that is more inspired and original. So for you - say you want to create 100 quilts that are 8" x 8"- just do that one at a time and create something new you go for each time. Let the ideas flow and keep at it. You are an artist and your ideas will flow and you will keep unfolding work as you go. This is like working in a series - so another and another and another and as it goes forward you start to look at your work in a new way and try different things as you go forward and you don't stop till you get to 100 and see what you have discovered about you and your art.”

And so, I have taken my first steps on this new journey!

The Dory

Evening Primrose

Geraniums

 

These pics are just the beginning of a collection of images that I will draw on while making my small art quilts.

 

 

Text Me

There's a new Reader challenge in Quilting Arts magazine called "Text Me."  I couldn't resist!  Although I really must have the option of doing self-directed work, I'm very easily enticed by themes!  Here's my response - two distinctly different styles.  I don't know if this is why I have so much trouble developing my "own" style, but I often do one thing and then feel compelled to do the opposite!

"I'm Having A Bad Day!"

"breathe"...a meditation quilt.