Born to Shine

There is a school of thought that believes, and advises, that it is the kiss of death to reveal an artwork before it is finished. Thank goodness  Jude Hill doesn’t subscribe to that view. We are all the fortunate recipients of her musing out loud as she shares her  “personal journey into gift giving and story cloth.”

Nor does Katie Kendrick, who allows free access to what she is “joyously becoming.”

Denise Aumick has plenty of show and tell over at Wild Thread Studio, as do Tammy Vitale, Pam Carriker, Twila Grace, Cyndi Lavin, Susie Monday, Leah Piken Kolidas. I have their URLs on my Google Reader and visit often, because they are engaging and fascinating to follow. I have never been able to resist the workings of an open and creative mind.

I could go on and on and on. The web is literally bursting with the fireworks of inventive minds and hands~of artists who, like the women above, share often and well.

Judy Coates Perez would have to be Ms. Share Extraordinaire. Despite her many accomplishments as an artist, in May 2008 she attributed her success to the fact that blog readers spurred her on:

Through the blog I have learned so much from people. Several years ago people asked me if I taught workshops and I had to tell them no because I really didn’t know what I should teach. When people ask me questions on the blog about how I work and what products or tools I use I realize what people would want to learn from me. I appreciate this kind of feedback so much. This has really helped me move forward with taking the plunge into the world of teaching and WRITING!

So pull out all the stops, and share what you know. Heck, share what you don‘t know! There’s help and encouragement just waiting for you to ask. All of us can find a place to contribute in the big art constellation called the Internet. As Andrea Bocelli sings, “Like stars across the sky, we were born to shine.”

Repurposed Art

Cyndi Lavin asked a question this morning on her blog Layers upon Layers (Now BlissTree):

Do you spend time shooting elements for later use too?

I had to leave a comment, which went like this: Oh my, YES! I can hardly take “ordinary” pictures any more. I’m always thinking of line, texture, shape, colour for future artwork. And like Christy (whose work I really like, by the way), I take pictures of my own work in various stages to also use in future work. It’s like the mirror in the mirror, it keeps going on forever. When you “repurpose” your own work, it’s much like a color that looks completely different beside other colors. And you can take any small piece, and produce a whole design out of it, or make different design papers for collage. Thus, any one piece can instigate a myriad of others. It makes creating a series such a fascinating journey!

Design paper from embroidery on a friend's shirt

And Tammy, over at Women, Art, Life, had more of her incredible quotes: they always get my blood flowing a little faster. Read the angel poem she found, by Judith Roche, and I’m sure you’ll be hungry for more. Right now, I feel like painting angels!

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!

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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