We Make Art to Set It Free: Be Brave, Submit!

I haven’t always thought this way. At one time, I recited a constant monologue about not needing to sell, where I insisted that selling isn’t everything, I’m not in it for the money, it’s not about commercialism.

Somewhere along the way, those feelings changed.

Now, I want to sell my work. I liken it to a mother whose children have grown, so they need to go out and be part of the world, interact with it, contribute to it. I am thrilled to think of my work having something to say, as it graces someone’s wall, dialoguing with them and others who come into their lives.

So I’ve been looking around for places to send my work, both to display and sell. Being Canadian, I’m especially interested in Canadian venues. But really good American ones are a definite option as well.

Art Craft Design Culture offers fiber art calls, and I think that GoodEgg Industries has an intriguing mission:

Our mission is to support the Canadian independent craft community by bringing attention to the work of exciting, emerging craft artists and designers. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to share all of the creativity happening in Canada with the rest of the world!

Artists in Canada has a whole page of calls for entry resource links. I’m sorry I missed the “Wild Thing” call for entry by the Focus on Fibre Art Association, in Edmonton, Alberta:

Take your “wild side” for a walk and send us your result. In a short artist’s statement, tell us how this piece represents your inner “wild thing.”

Now that would have been FUN! I’ll keep an eye on this association! And I like the sample artist statement that illustrates the format they are looking for.

Artipedia lists a whole range of calls for entry as well.

AWOL gallery in Toronto has an annual group exhibition of hundreds of local, national and international artists in all media, The Square Foot Show. Why, the “sqaure foot” show? Because every piece of artwork must be exactly 12” x 12” inches.

Getting even smaller, if you want to make some Artist Trading Cards to display, check out the Richmond Art Gallery’s 3RD ANNUAL ARTIST TRADING CARD EXHIBITION.

The American ArtShow has an International section of calls for entries.

Cyndi Lavin, who has her fingers in everything creative, has a calls for entries section in her Layers Upon Layers blog.

It’s exciting that the American Craft Council is now open to full-time residents of the U.S. or Canada producing original, handmade work in the following media: ceramics, glass, metal, stone, wood, fiber, jewelry, leather, mixed media, furniture, basketry, clothing, lighting, paper, toys & puzzles, musical instruments.

That’s enough for now. I’ll be revisiting these from time to time, and honing the list for my own use.

Be brave: SUBMIT!

So Much More About Sewing Paper

Am I seeming a little obsessed with this sewing paper stuff?

That’s the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, I like it!

I found these two tutorials on sewing paper:

Julie Collings has excellent tips about sewing on paper, both by hand and machine. Her blog is called The adventures of bluegirlxo.

Julia Stainton, over at Belle Papier, has another thorough, helpful guide to sewing paper. While she concentrates on cards and other paper arts, it is still directly applicable to sewing art quilts.

Then there is Catherine Matthews-Scanlon, at Art from the heart. She has actually written a book called Scrapbooking Techniques: Sewing on paper.

Kerry Zerff at Scraptivity offers some thoughtful tips as well.

Renée Lévesque is doing some gorgeous paper work that involves sewing, and teaches a course on paper quilting, which she describes this way:

Paper quilting is a new art form adapting traditional and non-traditional pattern-making to paper. It combines needlework and collage to create innovative designs incorporating montages of paintings, stitching and paper layering, accented with found objects. The skills are simple, the equipment basic and the materials easily found.

There is also, of course, Bridget Hoff’s lovely book, Paper Quilting, and you can see more of her work at Falling Leaves Studio. I especially like her wall art.

I’d be pleased to hear about anyone else working with paper this way: which is how I found out about Terri Stegmiller’s Creative Paper Quilts, available for pre-order NOW!

And just for fun, here’s another piece I did at the Fran Skiles workshop:

The key is an A

A while back I wrote a post on The Art of Possibility.

Benjamin Zander, this piece is for you!

Fran Skiles: with attitude

I confess, the title’s a bit misleading, like leaving out part of a newspaper headline. Maybe the heading says “Dog Attacks Passerby” when it should say “Dog Attacks Passerby After Passerby Kicked It In the Face.” One of those sin of omission things.

So, what am I leaving out?

Fran Skiles: with attitude while ironing. That totally explains it, right? Who wouldn’t have attitude while ironing! It’s a job I personally try to avoid if at all possible. It is really only because I have embraced mixed media quilting techniques that I iron at all! Fusibles require ironing. Cotton cloth requires ironing, especially if you do not want a fold line evident in every single piece. Hence, I iron.

I have no idea where Fran stands on the love (or hate) of ironing scale. That was not a burning issue we dealt with at her workshop (puns are not the lowest form of humor). I do have a relative who claims she loves to iron. It is fun, and satisfying, for her. But she enjoys housework, as well. Obviously, she and I inhabit different universes.

I’m eighteen years behind in my ironing. There’s no use doing it now, it doesn’t fit anybody I know. ~Phyllis Diller

A few more ‘Fran Skiles Workshop’ pieces

I played around with this watercolor “base” in Photoshop Elements so that you could see the design. The actual watercolor paper is white stitching on white paper, and doesn’t show up very well. The rest of the pieces I show will just be finished pieces, without the original stitched watercolor. But the basic process, as described in other Fran Skiles posts, was to tear and cut the watercolor paper, then stitch it back together again (rather like piecing for a quilt, but with no seams, or fraying). This became the base for many different techniques, the primary one being collage. We created the collage papers as well.

House

Dress

Paper Quilts! I’m smitten!

Something happened to me at that Fran Skiles workshop while we were cutting, ripping, burning, painting, inking, monoprinting, gluing, crumpling, folding, stitching, and who knows what else to paper: I FELL IN LOVE WITH PAPER, all over again!

How could I forget my childhood sweetheart? The one I cozied up to any chance I got, and produced pictures with my trusty Laurentian Pencil Crayons (I received a new box every September). I have WAY more stuff to use on paper now!

I cannot explain this urge. Yes, I was already adding paper to my art quilts. But I have gone several steps beyond, perhaps several leaps, and am now obsessed with all that I can do with this humble material. Fancy bought papers? Not for me. I have to create the surfaces, just as I have done with cloth. Plain white copy paper, plain white tissue. These are my chosen main materials. I do continue to glue the paper to a plain cotton fabric (with acrylic medium), but it is simply used for strength. I’ll be posting a few pics as soon as they come off the assembly line (ha!ha!).

I’ve noticed that Judy Coates Perez is into the paper quilt thing in a big way, as well. I especially love what she calls Illustrated Document Number 1. She also has a Mixed Media Paper Quilt # 2, and 3.

Teesha Moore has a charming one.

WaterRose shares a very unique paper quilt (hint: Martha Stewart is involved).

As usual, Cyndi has an excellent tutorial.

Deb Silva has a gorgeous paper quilt on her Creatively Amused blog.

I’m intrigued with Dawn Wilson’s work.

Linda M has made a quilt where the top and batting are entirely made of paper (What’s your Fortune?).

Jackie Gardener is doing some wonderful work in paper quilts as well.

OK, I can stop thinking I have to explain, or worry about facing totally incredulous faces, or questions like “Why would you use paper when there is so much gorgeous fabric available?” All I can say is, paper has a different feel, both physically and psychologically. And thanks to acrylic medium, all your manipulations and treatments are preserved . . . for posterity!

Nest

Below is my first paper top quilt. It’s about 30″ long, 24″ wide. I’ve kept the edges a little rougher than I used to: I like the way the threads catch the paint and medium to give a “deckled” edge. I call the piece Nest.

Here is a detail.

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The Artist Statement Can Be an Exercise in Indecisiveness

I was recently trying to compose an artist’s statement for a show. As a friend of mine grumbled while attempting the same task, “This is harder than making the actual art piece!”

The distillation of purpose required for describing one’s work is immense: you want some profundity without pompousness, sincerity without preciousness, honesty without unnecessary exposure. When I try to explain why I do art, indecisiveness assails me. Am I bravely exploring my inner landscape, or wallowing in excessive introspection and self-indulgence? Am I thinking too hard, feeling too much–or not enough? Would it be more succinct to say: “I just love doing art, dammit, and can’t seem to stop!” Or “I just do it, and try to figure it all out later! ” Or maybe, “Gosh, my guess is as good as yours! Hit me with your best shot!”

Perhaps a timer would be appropriate: stream of consciousness writing until the ding, and it’s done. Hmmm, that could get pretty hilarious. And probably quite revealing. I dare you to try it: I double dare you.

A number of years ago I met an artist who refused to tell others what his paintings “meant.” My observation told me that this annoyed people, at least those I saw asking, to no end. They were insulted that the artist would not honor their curiosity, which they seemed to consider a compliment that he should “repay.” Either he was withholding out of a sense of “superiority,” or he really didn’t know, wasn’t able to say, and was, therefore, a sham.

When I think back to the discussion and hurt feelings, coupled with my marathon writing session for writing five lines to describe my wall hanging, I wonder if he wasn’t just trying to conserve his energy!

See your soul

“ You use a glass mirror to see your face: You use works of art to see your soul. “

George Bernard Shaw

Boldness brings rewards

Boldness has genius, power and magic.

Engage, and the mind grows heated.

Begin, and the work will be completed.

I read those words, by Goethe, in Robert Genn’s Painter’s Keys, and was immediately inspired.

You can think and think, and plan, and think some more, but until you begin, nothing happens.

That sounds so obvious, but many books and articles have been written about how to begin, how to face the blank page, how to deal with a blank canvas.

Beginning in essential, because that’s what brings something into being. Until we can communicate telepathically, the work of art in your head will not be accessible to anyone else. To incarnate an idea, you must begin.

Forget about obsessing whether you have anything worthwhile to show or say, if the timing is right, if so many others seem to be doing it better. Do it for yourself, and do it BOLDLY! Experience your own genius, feel your own power, be surrounded by the magic of something coming into being!

And be bold enough to tell other you have done it. Your boldness will inspire it in others. That’s part of the magic. So forget about growing old.

Grow bold!