A better solution?

I shared my distress with "Black Ice" with a friend, whose judgement I trust.  She decided that she didn't trust a screen view of a photo to accurately display the value contrast and colour of the piece, and dropped in this afternoon to see the real thing.  She wasn't as disappointed as I was with it, and thought it still had value and was worth finishing. Just prior to her arriving, I had turned it to landscape format rather than portrait, and found a much more pleasing design.  I had also darkened the colour of the snowflakes a bit with black acrylic paint.

It has yet to be trimmed, and will be narrower and a tiny bit shorter than it is now, which may also help consolidate the design a bit.  So it is to be trimmed and bound, in black, and entered into the show it was planned for.  That organization can make a final decision about it.

Not so sure

This is the piece I've been frantically working on for the the past week.  I took a piece of white fabric, and spatter painted it, with black.  Disaster.  So I overdyed it with a very dark grey dye.  Then I created some stamps, and used them to print three snowflakes on it.  It was then FM'd quite densely allover.  This is what I now have, although in this picture the quilting was not quite finished. I'm not very happy, despite the amount of work that went into it.  I working title was "Black Ice", but that certainly doesn't suit anymore.

There is close to 35 hours of work into it, up to this point, so I don't want to declare it part of my "crap quota", just yet.  I wonder if my best bet might be to cut it into three smaller pieces, each large enough to make one snowflake a focal point.

Producing, but not entirely happy with it.

Just doing a bit more "navel gazing", I guess.  Lately I've had the opportunity to view a couple of fibre art shows, both in person and on line.  My work seems  little "blah", in comparison, or is this, maybe, just my normal lack of self confidence?  I have two pieces on the go.  They are quite similar, but also different enough to be, maybe, a series.  I've almost finished the FMQ'g on one, and it appears lacking.  My usual  first response to this problem is--add beads.  My worry, this time, is that it won't be enough.  Giving it further thought, the issue may be that the result didn't meet my original vision, but, at the same time, maybe it has developed a "vision" of its own.  If that's the case, then perhaps, I should be spending a little more time in the planning process, and rely less on serendipity.

Many of the on line resources push the idea of sketch books.   I use a sketch book, but mainly to record my ideas, with some notes about size, materials etc, not for the development of ideas.  I also try to keep a record of the various techniques I try out, and the results.  I'm not very good at being consistent with that.  None the less, I have made a vow to explore the use of sketch books, as a design aid.

Another issue is that I'm so comfortable with such a range of techniques, that I've never really developed a recognizable "voice".  I'm not sure I care too much about that, as I'm usually more challenged with the availability of multiple techniques, but this doesn't allow me to revert to "tried and true" when I get into trouble.  That being said, I've been told, but only by a few, that they recognize my work by the elegance and simplicity of design.  I'm not sure whether this is a compliment or not.

Right now, while physically working on my two pieces mentioned above, My brain is searching for the kernel of an idea in response to the latest call for entries from FAN.  Small ( 7 by 10) pieces using the specific design components of lines and circles.  At least the design process of something that small will fit in my sketch book.

Slow progress

I've not been feeling well the last two or three days.  When I was working I only rarely took sick days.  Those who worked with me said that I was never sick, but sometimes "dragged butt" for a few days.  I think that describes how things have been since the weekend.  Slowly but surely, I have finished the cushions I spoke of in the last post.  It's been a few years since I did anything like that, and my arthritic hands objected to the process quite strenuously.  I have learned to never do anything like that again.  So this means yet another physical skill that has been lost to the aging process.

This also means that I have no further commitments, and can do whatever I want, studio-wise.  As part of pacing the difficult work, I made a set of ATC's for this month's trade.  The theme was "Windows", so I pulled some pictures of stained glass windows off the internet, and made a collage of them.  I'm pleased with how they turned out.

Actually, I do have a commitment.  A class proposal I made to the LQG has been accepted, for next April.  Now we just have to wait and see if anyone signs up.  I have a sample to take to help promote the class, and have the entire class planned out in my mind.  All that needs doing is getting everything down on paper.  

This brings to mind the old saying that " those who can, do, and those who can't, teach".  There are a lot of things I can no longer do, but I can teach.

A frenzy of activity

But all's quiet now.  I have 22 cards for the craft sale in early Dec.  As well, I'm planning to take all of the stock I have left over from craft sales over the years, and mark it all down, in hopes of getting rid of it.  I'm firmly committed to my goal of not ever doing craft sales again, and this will help with my resolve.  Not sure what might happen if I end up bringing stuff home, though.  I'd rather garbage it than send it to the thrift store.

This means that I now have to get to work on the cushions I have promised to make for a friend.  She had quite firm ideas on how they were to be finished, including supplying the fabric she wished to be used.  She is a high profile needlework designer, and instructor, and these cushions are to be used in promotional activities for her newest designs.  So I know enough to do what I'm told.  I have now cut everything, and further prepared for every step of the process, and should have them finished in a couple of days.

I have recently entered two distinct art exhibits, committing to three pieces.  One of the three is finished, but the other two are just germinating in my mind, at this point.  The theme of this exhibit is "Ice".  I've done a lot of snow and ice inspired pieces over the years, and find the designs of those pieces keep interfering with my thinking.  There is no reason not to take some inspiration from those pieces, but I like to think that my designing abilities have matured a bit.  So I'll keep plugging along for awhile.  One design that immediately sprung to mind on hearing the theme was to take a picture of a well filled glass of B&B brandy, on the rocks, with the bottle beside it, print it on cloth, and add thread painting.  I could title it " My Favourite Kind of Ice".  Still haven't totally rejected that one, Just have to work out the technical details.  Maybe my design sense hasn't matured much as I think.

Another opportunity

When I was wallowing in my frustration at not being able to machine quilt, an opportunity presented itself, in a reminder that the gift shop in Selkirk, was looking for Seasonal items.  The last three days have been spent in producing 15 greeting cards, and three small purses, all using items from my stash.  The only thing I had to buy was a glue stick, when the one from the stash emptied itself.  I used previously painted papers with abstract images using alcohol inks.  I found quite a pile of greeting cards blanks c/w matching envelopes, that had been given to me.  Unfortunately one card suffered from glue in the wrong spot, and wasn't good enough to offer for sale.  But that doesn't mean I can't use it for myself.  And I knew where to find a big plastic tub full of specialty fabrics that worked out quite nicely.  

Now, I figure that, if I can buy more card blanks, I could make a few greeting cards to take to the craft sale I'm committed to in early December, so I would have a few new items.