Mood swings

Well, now I'm doing my happy dance. Yes, I did get juried into the big sale at the end of November. The deadline was extended, so I'm hoping it was a genuine jury process, and not a matter of them taking just about anyone who applied, because there were so few applicants. I don't care! The e-mail said that they would be getting back to individual applicants to sort out individual details. My fear is that they are going to ask me to apply for a retail sales tax license. But it's probably time. So the next 6 weeks will be busy.

Right now I'm working on finishing the sample hangings I had for the class that was cancelled. I'm trying out some different methods of beading with them, and so far I'm happy with the results. I'll post pictures as they're finished.

Disappointment

I found out yesterday that the class I was to teach in another city was cancelled due to lack of interest. Quite a disappointment to me, but, at least, I was told before I had invested a lot of $$ in supplies etc. I've also heard nothing about a juried sale I had applied for. We were to have been informed by October 2nd, so I'm guessing I was one of the rejects and will be getting a letter telling me so. This is how that organization works. For another sale, where I have frequently done well, I have been told that one of my best selling items doesn't have enough stitiching on it and will not be accepted. This is not turning out to be a good year. So now I'm reduced to one pending sale. Hope that one pans out.

Finally finished

Here is a picture of the piece I have been obsessing

aobut over the past three weeks. The title is

"Inua-Spirit in the Wind" I made it for the Fiber

Art Connection of Southern California Challenge "Inua"

The piece is about 22 by 33

, but, as you can see, is free form. I started with

white cloth and used paint sticks to colour it.

The green/black colour represents the colour one

sees in the depths of a solid piece of clear ice.


Here is a close-up showing the intense FMQ'g, and the holes that have been cut through the piece. Each hole was faced, cut and finishe don the wrong side. I then put on the back using an envelope technique. This means that I sewed the fabric , right sides together over the front, cut a slit in it and turned the whole thing to the back. I then cut out the holes and hand stitched the backing around the holes

Here is another close-up, again showing the dense FMQ'g.

This was a very intense piece. Once I had started, it was

as though I was possessed. I had to work it through.

I had tried a similar piece a couple of years ago, and it

went nowhere. I think I was too rigid in trying to make

my quilting lines regular and precise. I had to loosen up

quite a bit to get the effect I wanted. But I found it

very difficult to make the work look loose

and un-planned. A lesson to me.

Artist's date?

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to help set up a juried show of fine craft. The jury process is hard to understand. I've been told that, either the sponsoring organization, or the jury itself, usually has a vision of how a show can present a cohesive image or concept. Pieces are then selected on the basis of how they contribute to this image. I had trouble trying to figure out what that concept might have been with this show. The only answer I came up with was "variety", although, IMHO, the show itself was heavily weighted toward pottery. I suppose I'll never have an answer. I had applied for this show and was not selected. It's frustrating to know that my work is exhibited all across the USA through the travelling exhibitions of the Fiber Art Connection of Southern California, and across Canada through FAN, but has never been selected for a local show. Obviously, I'm doing something wrong. There are 6 fibre pieces in the show hung yesterday. and they are quite varied. Two quilted pieces, one of which is hand painted fabric, densly quilted, the other a raw edge applique piece organized into a triptych. There was a hand painted piece that had been hand embroidered, (very nice!), an embroidered piece that absolutely left me cold, and a three dimensional, hand crocheted and knitted piece that was downright weird, and could have used more technical skill.

I know that the two quilted pieces and the hand-painted embroidered piece were all made by people who tend to "follow their own star", so to speak--doing their own thing and exhibiting wherever and whenever they can. Perhaps I worry too much about local acceptance. Maybe I just need to try to produce the ideas that are in my brain. But if they are never seen, what have I gained by making them?

Obsession

I'm working on a piece right now that has taken over my life. For almost two weeks I've done nothing but work on this. I feel like I'm possessed. It is free form and, right now, a picture wouldn't do it justice. I am pleased, I am excited! What a fantastic experience!

I had a volunteer commitment yesterday, that required me to be in a facility--just be there. I knew that I needed a break for the piece I was working on ( see above), so took some beading. Several members of my support group took a beading class earlier in the month and have been very excited about it. Since I had the book, I started to work through it one technique at a time. I can see some real potential here. I doubt it will result in anything saleable, but the finished pieces will be very different, and perhaps, well worth exhibiting.

Contrariness

After looking at the commitments I've made for the next few months, I withdrew my "Intent to Enter" for the Inua internet challenge. The deadline had been Sept 30 and I hadn't even started the piece. Once the deadline was gone and the pressure to produce gone, my creativity took over and the piece is now half finished. It might have been finished if I wasn't so fussy about how things look. I think I've done more reverse stitching on this piece than any other. Then I received notice that the deadline had been extended to January. I still haven't re-entered, but the thought is there. I've attempted this image before and hated the way it ended up looking. I couldn't figure out what was wrong until I made a mistake in this and realized that it actually improved the look. So what I had done to that point had to be removed ( free motion quilting by machine--ever tried to remove that crap?!) I love the new look and the sense of movement it gives the piece--that's what was wrong--the lack of movement and very static lines in a piece meant to represent wind. Duh-h-h!!

I'm also busy with two finishing commissions. One involves washing and blocking a huge piece of crewel on linen twill. Never again!! It is washed and has been blocked twice. I haven't inspected it, but hope I don't have to block it again. I know that it often takes more than one attempt to block linen twill, but my hands just can't do that sort of work. And doing it means that I can do no more hand work of any sort for the rest of the day. I'm also making a three dimensional door stop. These pieces have to be very heavy and firm, so require an armature and weights. I have the armature made, the twisted cord for edging made, and I've found the lead shot I use for weight. Now I have to put everything together.

DD has also given me a commission, but no money involved here. She has committed herself to making a backdrop for Santa pictures. She is very fussy about what is made, and how it's going to look. So now we are looking at screen printing( modified process) snowflakes on 6 meters of blue fabric. Oh Yeah! I'll just run that off in my spare time. Well, the fabric I do my trial run on can be used to make bags to hold the lead shot. Nothing is ever wasted.

Sale weekend

While my friends were all away at what seems to have been a fantastic beading workshop, I spent three days at an art show and sale that was held in conjuncityon with a large judged art exhibition. The purpose was to attract new members to our artists' cooperative, but market our stuff as well. Well, the sales weren't great, but it was a great chance to increase the visibility of our organization.

This was the first time I took collages that featured polymer clay buttons made by Pat Sernyk. There's no way I could ever produce the buttons she does. So I bought some and got her permission to use them in my work. they sold very, very well. So now, along with the journals, I have two items that sell well. This means more production before another sale.

During the quiet times at the sale, a friend helped me put together the CD I needed to apply to participate in the yearly sale of the Manitoba Crafts Council. I've never been in this one, and it has a fairly high profile, so I very much hope that my application is successful. They are planning to offer a "common till" arrangement--which I need to function legally. The show at Ft. Whyte, that I have participated in for the past four years, is dropping their "common till" as it just isn't profitable, so that may mean no sales for me after the end of November until next July. This won't necessarily be a bad thing, as I'll really need to concentrate on my teaching over the next few months. I'm toying with the idea of making a hand out card that is large enough to include some of the things I offer, such as teaching. I would like to have this ready for the class in Brandon in October. Something to think about.