Getting Ready for More Mosaics on Off the Wall Friday

 After much angst,  I did manage to come up with a photo for my upcoming Timna Tarr's Stitched Mosiac class.  Good thing too since it starts on Monday morning!  I did do a lot of research, but ultimately I took the easy way out and bought a picture from IStock.  

Points that lead to this choice

1. It has the same joyful theme that Tessa's Mosaic does so it will form a series
2. The color palettes will be similar
3. No faces to obsess about
4. Hands that I know how to do
5. Landscape orientation

You see, somewhere in my research it dawned on me that starting a series of mosaics would not be a bad idea.  Timna's farm animals series is really strong not just because of the subject matter but because she used similar construction methods, emotional themes, and the size of pieces.  

With the inspirational picture chosen, all that was left was to pack.  With this class, that's pretty easy and you bring all the scraps you own.  (Good thing I had most of them still packed up from last year!)  Now you might think, "Nina, can't you just bring the colors you see in the picture?"  Well ... no.  Our job as artists is not to just replicate the photo.  I mean why do that?  You already have a perfectly good photo that you paid $12 for.  No, our job is to breathe new life into the photo and for that, you need a full palette of colors.

Last year's class complete with scraps everywhere

Of course, don't even ask me how I'm going to, "Breathe new life" into this photo - but I'm sure that it will occur to me once I start running my fingers through my scraps next week.

Plus there will be 6 other quilters in the class who I can unload share your scraps with. 

Okay now under things I like....

I found this quote from the play "The Shape of Things" by Neil Labute concerning shock art which made me laugh...

"Anybody can be provocative or shocking. Stand up in class and take a piss. Paint yourself blue and run naked through a church screaming out the names of people you’ve slept with. Is that Art, or did you just forget to take your Ritalin?”

I know right?  So over shock art....not impressed at all!

So What Have You Been Up to Creatively?

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Creating Limits on Off the Wall Friday

Woman with Folded Arms, Picasso

 I wanted to say a big thank you for all the lovely comments last week.  I'm still working my way through the hop.  It's so fun to see what everyone is doing! Also, I'm still smarting about the fact that I didn't catch on to the theme "Get on Board with Sewing".  It really isn't a bad idea to set "limits" or
"rules" when you pick a project. I remember when Elizabeth Barton first brought up the idea to me of setting limits within a piece.  LIMITS?!?!  Why would you want to limit yourself when there are so many great choices.  She explained that not only does it narrow down the choices you need to make, but it inevitably would make the piece stronger.  With a little luck, you might even find that elusive voice that artists are always trying to nail down.

The Old Guitarist, Picasso

For proof of this, you just have to look at the work of great artists in history.  

Picasso's Blue Period (1901-1904) where he limited his work to blues, blue-greens, and small accents of warm colors.  The limited palette not only made for a strong series but also lent itself perfectly to the melancholy mood he intended.  

But you don't have to make your limits about color.  You can choose to make them about shape like Paul Klee.  

New Harmony, Klee

Flora On the Sand, Klee

City Night, Okeeffe

Of course, you can always limit your work by subject like Georgia O'Keeffe. (And no I'm not going for the obvious choice of her "not female genitalia" flowers but her cityscapes that I love as well)

Radiator Building, OKeeffe 

• So those are just a few quick examples that I thought of from the top of my head.  I highly suggest you play around with this idea yourself.  

• #1  Research an artist you love
• #2 Notice the Limits they chose in their work
• #3 Use those to guide you to your own rules
• #4 Design your piece
• #5 Do it again

It's been a while since blogger has given me so much trouble getting this post laid out - so I apologize about the mess...but you get the point.  Make up some rules .... stick to them....see what you get!

So What Have You Been Up to Creatively?

 

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Why Work In Series

Sonlight - Crosses 1

As I started moving my craft of quilting from the occasional original art quilt to squaring crossing over to the darkside (groannnnn), I found that I've had to play catch up on a lot of my art knowledge.  It seems that my fancy, expensive education did not include studies in art beyond what I learned in middle school.  So that said, over the last 10 years, I embarked on a self guided course on  - "How to be an Artist".

Elizabeth Barton

Now granted, I am taking the "Art for Dummies" course, but I  can safely say that I am starting to pick up a few things.  For instance, did you know that there are some advatages to working in series??  In the beginning I honestly could not understand why anybody would want to do so.  I mean, with all the interesting subjects out there, why in the world would anybody want to just study one over and over and over again.  During the class Working in Series with Elizabeth Barton, she clued us into some truths on the subject.  She writes on her blog that, "it can lead to a significant improvement in your work:

by getting better at an idea or technique through practice
by being more focused, thinking things through
by exploring an idea in depth
by not putting too many ideas into one piece
by making starting a piece easier by setting a few parameters
by developing a consistent body of work
by trying new things but with a constant theme "
  (quoted by Elizabeth from her copyrighted blog)

So that said I have endeavored to give this whole series thing a shot.  And the Crosses prove that there is merit in the idea - go figure!  With three pieces now designed you can see how each one has progressed and explored the one simple idea - A Cross and taken  that simple shape and idea so much farther.

Crosses 2 - not quilted yet

With my latest piece, Crosses 3 (a working title), I've learned something really big.  I am in no way, shape, or form done with this subject.  I have totally loved going back into this palette - which I didn't mean to do but my client liked.  I love making the blocks more complex - I love mixing the values more and making the transitions more fluid from light to medium to dark.   I love  - well - working with the Cross.




Anyways - as anybody who knows me will tell you  - my big rule in life is:

 Do What Makes You Happy

So I definitely can see where this Cross Series will be in my future and I'm do apologize if you start getting sick of them.  'Cause obviously, I haven't.

Crosses 3 - Still needs pieced

I would highly suggest any quilter who is interested in pushing their art life further to study working in series with Elizabeth Barton (who is an amazing teacher and artist).  She occasionally  offers it in person, but you can also take it affordably on line at Quilt University. (Next class scheduled is March 8th)  Also watch for her new design book due out this spring!

See more great design walls on Judy's Patchwork - Design Wall Monday!

Working in Series with Elizabeth Barton

Elizabeth Barton first planted the seed to work in series during her class at QBL in July 2008. Then though, I immediately dismissed it without much thought. I mean, first of all how does one work in series? Then how do you discipline yourself to actually to it. Since I'm the original ADD quilter, there didn't seem like much hope. Still over a series of blog entries on the matter, she slowly changed my mind. By mid-spring I was ready to take the leap into her class this year at Quilting by the Lake entitled - what else? - Working in Series. I had learned a lot, the first time I took her. I was sure I would learn even more this year. I wasn't disappointed.

The week was. . . intense. She started asking what our goals were for the class - mine were to gain some focus on my art work and to work hard. Now you wouldn't think you would have to mention that last point - but some people go to quilt conference to socialize, have fun and do a little sewing. I do all that - just not in that order. Well Elizabeth took me at my word. She started the week with a 3 hour lecture on what is a series and the first elements of design. She then assigned us all unique afternoon assignments that dealt with our specific series theme. I chose arches. I had literally looked at hundreds of pictures of arches in the last month and still wasn't sick of them - so figured that's a good place to start. I spent the rest of the day (till 10 at night) working up 6 sketches from photo inspirations. I basically copied down the main lines and then added and deleted as I saw fit.

The next day she gave a slide show and a review of the series process she wanted us to try for the week. We were to pick a theme, size, shape, and title. Then we were to write a theme paragraph to detail exactly what we wanted to express in our series. We were then to pick one of the sketches to start the series and make a few value colorations of it. With all that done, we could pick out three colors for our first piece - one dominate, one secondary and one accent. We were to sort them by value and tempature. Finally - we could start designing.

So if you had walked in our classroom of 8 students on Wednesday morning, you would have seen a lot of white empty design boards. Still Elizabeth assured us all that by Friday, we would have a piece from the series to take home. I had my doubts, but I've learned to trust her. I worked through the whole process chosing the title Everyday Arches. After a little prodding I even posted my theme paragraph which - not one - but two people (not from my class) actually read and commented on. I found that surprising that people really cared.

Anyways, all that design work paid off because by the end of Thursday night (I worked both days till 11 pm), I had my design done. After taking a good look Friday morning, Elizabeth said - "Well that one looks done - want to start another?" She's lucky I like her so well, or else I would have slapped her LOL!! I settled on just discussing the next and started sewing down the first. I don't care to work horizontal on pieces - even in series. Anyways, I wasn't the only one to get the series started. Each of my classmates got a good start on theirs. Elizabeth promised to post them on her blog which was nice - she also asked us to commit to 5 more pieces in the series. So I did - I know - what was I thinking? Ohhhhhhh yeah - I was thinking that I wanted to gain focus on my art and to work hard - sighhhhhhhhhhhhh.