Sunday 30 May 2010

quilts are they art?

One of the many things that is challenging about being an quilt artist is the constant need to justify my work or defend it.  Particularly using the word art describing what others think as craft.  I have leaned to own my work by not caring about what others think about terms used to descibe it. 

Art to me is the creation of something new and original that give others a different point of view or a different way to express themselvs.  Art is a way to describe and to reflect on a persons life and experience.   My art describes me, the personality I have and the thoughts and images that live in my head.  I am vibrant,  deep and colourful.  Using fabric and paint I can make the light I have with in shine and radiate. 


"The medium we use in art should not
determine what art is, but rather the
maker of the art exploring the medium
and the ideas they possess should be what is
admired and defined as art."
Catherine Parkinson

Monday 24 May 2010

quilt challenge-52 playing cards in a year

A group of artists and I have started a challenge to make 52 playing card sized pieces of art in a year.  One card a week.  We can choose any theme or art medium we want to providing it fits onto a jumbo or normal sized playing card. Once a month we are going to get together to show and tell our work and to share techniques used in the previous month.  At the end of the 52 weeks we are to have a gallery show of our work over the year.  I will have to work out a way to display my wonderful work too.





I have decided to work with nature as my theme. I am going to go through all my quilting arts magazines and try out all the ideas I have meaning to try out for months and to use them in different cards. 

What a simple and fun way to create!

Tuesday 18 May 2010

quilting signature

I've been spending time over the last few months working out what my quilting signature is.  My recognisable art style.  It was easy to write what I didn't do but was much harder figuring out what I did.  I started with a what I like and don't like list.  I knew I loved vibrant colour,  raw edge applique and strong design and that i don't like wishy washy colours,  floral fabrics and no cohesion of the quilt design. But that still didn't really decide where I was heading and what I represent. 



 So to try to work out what I like I started trying to do  different ideas on journal quilts.  I've done printing,  shadow applique,  painting,  crayons,  beading,  mono printing,  shiva paintsticks,  and many more ideas.  I've started to reallise I like to do whole cloth work using surface dying/printing techniques.  I also like heavy machine quilting using a variety of coloured cottons which enhance  the quilt.   


Wednesday 12 May 2010

new techniques

I am constantly amazed at what life throws at me and how much a human being can cope with.  One thing that helps me is being creative.  I am working on finishing off pieces of work I have had partially finished for ages.  It gives a great sense of achievement to have this done.  This first piece I did at a class  at fabricland in Papakura, Auckland.  It was an interesting technique  and although I love the look of this piece I'm not sue that I will do the same technique again.  It was quite fiddly and time consuming.


This is a close up of the quilt.  It is quite heavily quilted









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Tuesday 4 May 2010

creating

I love expressing myself though the arts.  Be it music,  photography or textiles.  I have been creating art photos this week.  I think have got some good results. 



This was a white camelia which I have changed on my photo programme

I love the softness of this photo. 





The nature we have around is just so beautiful.  So perfect and lovely.
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