Defining Style

Before I Knew You 2008

I think artists find their style by following their heart or muse. Trying different medias may lead to a style or a style could be a combination of different medias with subject or color schemes as the unifying factor. I use lots of fabric painting and surface design in my pieces, including intuitive stitching.

I Came Singing   2008

 I also enjoy working with imagery in photoshop and printing on fabrics. I think when viewing my work that they come from one vision.

Its not the style that matters, it's the tapping into flow that takes you to your style.

Art from the heart.

Driving Force

"Passion will make it happen."  Those of us old enough will perhaps recognize the words from FlashDance- one of my favorite movies. An untraditional dancer braves a traditional audition, with encouragement from an attractive admirer. Ah. Kinda of like the Modern Art Quilt/Textile Movement in the world today. We have struggled and gotten all kinds of things accepted that were forbidden just 25 years ago, machine quilting ( a biggie), free or unbound collage, painting on fabric, surface design of all varieties and my favorite, digital fabric printing. We are a moving and shaking force and expanding. "May the force be with you!" (another movie quote- guess?)

                 A new piece called A Thousand Wishes, recently exhibited at SDA Conference. Painted cotton duck and printed manipulated photo. The photo was reprinted on silk organza and sliced after sewing on top of piece. Not sure I'll repeat this, but it was fun to experiment!

Can't Resist?

Recently, I held my Masks and

Resists Workshop that is part of my 

Fabric Transformations  Series. 

We had a blast in a rather full class. We started with resists you apply and wash out, then moved on to removable masks and finished with discharge.

Sketching with Thread

Last month,  my daughter and I went to view the Fairey Exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. She bought along a artist's pad and sketched some fairly fast drawings. I have always admired people who can render likeness in this manner. This morning, I realized I sketch with my sewing machine. Years ago I would painstakingly draw designs on work with a 'removable' pen and sew along these lines. Then spend a good deal of time erasing them. Gradually I stopped, not even sure when. Now I just place my piece at needles point and start to quilt. This process is very intuitive. Sometimes I'm not crazy about what happens but more often then not, I have a sewn drawing that totally fits the piece. It is about trusting my experience and allowing that 'flow' to happen. Try it, sit down at your machine with a small piece and quilt. Watch out for wide smiles!

Collages on the Go

More! more! MORE! Eh-ha-ha-ha! Here's a few more tiny tid-bits. Collages on the go. Enjoy!

Pause- a new work

Working for the first time in awhile, I feel like an exploding volcano! I want to push my boundaries with my photography.  I worked this piece up in Photoshop using layers. Then, I divided it into 6 printable sizes. Very patchwork, eh! It was fused to a very stiff interfacing and stitched into it. I'm exploring printing on a created substrate, so this work is firm. The process requires working with a new product called ink aid. So far it is very permanent. I will apply medium after I'm finished.  Let me know what you think.

Top is detail, bottom Full View- I'd switch them if I could.

Finding, Watching and New Wonders

Off I go wondering on the web again. Never know what you'll find- lovely to find your work in unexpected places- like this photo at Exeter Fine Crafts Gallery. It's a web announcement they sent out with my work on the mannikin left front and on the wall behind the floral arrangement.

Googling Your Name

Ah, Whatz in a name! 

Last night I was trying to find something about a exhibit and couldn't remember, 

(CMS- Crumbling Mind Syndrome), 

AND so I googled my name. WOW I am on and out 22 pages longs. I found things I didn't know about much less remember. I found my piece done for President Obama's special inauguration exhibit at Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center, Silver Spring, Maryland,on Quilt Visions Newsletter! 

Try it sometime. It was verrry Interesting!

Batting Average- a short history of batting

The choices of what to put between the layers of our creative textile creations, can be confusing. Way back in the 'day', when I first started quilting- I would pretty much use whatever I could find, like old blankets or felt. Being self taught, I just did the natural thing. Historically, blankets covered in tied patchwork were called Haps. One day I decided to wet a finished piece and throw it into the dryer to 'pouf' it up so the stitching would stand out. I liked this so much I continued until I forgot to pre-wash a piece of old red blanket. Well, I had a result I really didn't appreciate much.  I was still hand quilting and appliqueing then and disasters like this were not worth the risk anymore!  So the search was on for a 'new' batting. In 1980, I was introduced to a 

new quilting guild. They used polyester batting and I gave it a whirl. I didn't like it at all. It stuck to my fingers, was difficult to hand quilt and the finished quilt seemed stiff and decidedly un-blanket like. SO, I moved on to try cotton. This batting needed to be quilted every 2 inches or it would shift. Thats when I decided to learn to machine quilt, which was not accepted then. It was untraditional. BUT, I figured, if the ladies hand stitching quilts had machines to quilt with, they would have. So, off I went, hunching over the machine, learning to quilt. BUT cotton was limp and unattractive for wall-hanging quilt batting. SO, I tried wool, which stitched well, smelled wonderful and had good body but was ex-pen-sive! Then, cotton natural, a needled cotton batt was introduced. It was firmer and didn't need lots of intensive stitching. I used this for many years and still have some I pull out for certain projects. I've also tried fusible battings which are quick and easy but seem to work best for small projects. I even made a transparent organza pieced quilt with organza inside to meet the 3 layers criteria of some exhibits. That was fun as it was an interior collage of sorts. My current favorites are stabilizers. They come in a variety of thickness and I like choosing just the right one for the project at hand. It is amusing for this old batt to review the progression of all the different kinds of battings I've used. I guess you could say I'm batting a thousand!

Check out Fog Rising on the Textile Source Blog: Celebrating Textile Design and Innovation! Too very cool!

Best Thinking

Following a thought...

Where do you do your best thinking? Where do those ideas, inspirations and sudden flashes of creativity come from?

 I get some of my best ideas on walks. I can jog out of the house in a burst of frustration and churn up the tunes until I get to a very steady incline near a heavily wooded part of the road. Then, slowing down, I take in the scene- the birds, deer sign, trees, the way the sky looks, you know.  I just melt into the surroundings. It calms my mind and then the magic happens. A idea will pop up or a solution to a piece I am working on.  This peace and excitement are part of my art. Those feelings from that place becomes the energy I use to work. It propels me forward. It is an essential part of my art. 

6 New Collages

On a roll for collages, more to come. Here's 6 for now. All matted. Way too much fun!

Crafts Show or Bust! part 6 Where do you Store all of THAT!

storage










I have a wonderful huge square room for a studio. NO closets though. I have learned to arrange furniture to create spaces for a kitchen area, desk and a place to store my booth equipment when I'm not doing a show. I arrange the 2 panels of the booth to the right when you walk into the studio. The studio door alines with the L-shaped 'closet' and blocks all my mess from view. This works well when I have open studios and the door is left ajar. The front of the 'closet' allows me to hang a small portfolio and announcements. This is on view immediately as folks enter for Open Studios and is adjacent to my sales desk. So far this arrangement works well.

 The next OPEN STUDIO IS MAY 9th, 10-5!!

Crafts Show or Bust! part 5 There and Back

Finished and back. This is an athletic event.  Check with your Doctor before attempting!

It was a great show though and I like meeting people and  talk about my art! 

I am lucky enough to have a freight elevator in my building  to take all of the exhibit equipment up and down the stairs to the truck. We also have carts, which helps allot. Each time I do a show I learn something. This time, I discovered labeling the legs of the booth helps with a quicker and more efficient set up. This is important for me because my booth is second hand and has right and wrong sides. And we all want to present our best side!

Crafts Show or Bust! part 4 It's a GO!!

My booth and all the trimmings are now stuffed into the truck
for transport to Paradise City Crafts

Show. I purchased a convertible dolly/cart and it has already made a big difference! I can load 3 panels at once and wheel them to where I need them! 


The building where the show is is huge! Last time I carried everyone of the 9 panels and all else to the rear of the building where my exhibit space was- this cart is golden! 

Now to pack some fancy smancy clothes to wear during the show.

Pictures -top to bottom

folding cart

bulging portfolios

inside the truck

pile to go at the studio

Crafts Show or Bust! part 3 Back to the Backings

One more week and I'm off to Paradise City Craft Show! March 20-22. 

pictured above- Inner Heart.
Left- piles of collage work.



 Scarves are pressed, rolled, and packed, now to finish up some pieces. I have the traditional flat rollable work, but some work is mounted onto stretcher bars. I apply a painted stabilizer back, as shown here, for a professional finish. I usually paint my hand and press onto the backs of pieces, as a sort of logo. Add a printed clear label and done. All of this requires allot of computer time to make the labels and catalog inventory.

 I have alot of collages now as a result of making some for Fiberart for a Cause. I mount these in mats and place in clear bags with labels.  These are displayed in bins. I usually have sample in a frame so customers can see how it could look.

Whew!

Fabric Transformations Workshop Series

This 4 week series covers a variety of low tech surface design methods; Fabric Painting, Sunprints, Resists, Momoprinting, and more. 

Take one or All! Make your stash NEW!!

You'll learn new techniques or be inspired by new ideas. I will offer the workshops at my studio #336, at the Salmon Fall Mills, Front St , Rollinsford, NH (Directions at www.millartists.com)

The workshop run is 4/11- 5/2/09 from 10-4. The first day will start at 9:30 for registration and payment. The cost is $200.00 for the entire series or $55.00 per individual class. There is a small materials fee. 

To register or for information- contact me at wenreddy@yahoo.com. Please indicate "surface design class" in subject box.

Crafts Show or Bust! part 2 The Scarves

As I am preparing to iron 20 plus scarves, create labels, print labels, push holes, thread and pin to the scarves, I felt myself getting heavier. I guess I better do this sooner than later. I start to press and the magic happens. The wrinkled mass of silk flattens and glows. The light touch of simmer shines back at me like, well, bird song? Each scarf is a new delight of color, some vivid and obvious, while others are subtle and beacon a closer look. Now I remember why I do this!! Piling the ironed scarves to roll for transport, I decided to share this task brighten with remembered pleasure.

Auction Time for SAQA

One collage leads to another or is it not working on my art since- well, November, due to the art business , I FINALLY got 'forced'  back to the studio to create some collages for Fiberart for a Cause, noted in previous post. I kept going and going, kinda like that cute pink bunny in the battery commercials, clapping my hands and making 3 collages at a the same time.  I have noticed when I get an idea it's a good idea to try it small first and then expand the idea into larger pieces. Sooo, I got an email calling for collage donations for the upcoming SAQA auction- too fun! Here's the piece from that call for art. 

Thank you SAQA!!

Collage Mania

Virginia Spiegel has organized Fiberart For a Cause which calls artists to donate small collages, proceeds to the American Cancer Society.  

Here are 6 of my 10 donated collages.

Note link on right.