Being an Artist – Page 21

Native plants and animals

Today I hung the show “Paper, Canvas, Cloth” at Campbell House Galleries. This has been an amazing journey for me. The show is a collaborative effort between me and 2 friends. Our styles are quite different, but the theme of our art works well together. We each appreciate the beauty of nature.

On this journey, I’ve realized I have a pretty strong artist voice. I really love making nature-inspired art. I also love the challenge of making an art piece which expresses a concern for the environment, but I don’t want it to scream environmentalism.

“Silenced” is all of this. This piece features Carolina parakeets, the only indigenous parrot in the United States. These colorful little birds would form huge flocks near bottomland hardwood forests and were listed officially as extinct by the American Ornithologists Union by 1939. The species decline was apparent in the 18th and 19th century and was attributed to deforestation. Vigorous flocks were still noted in the late 1800s, but the bird had virtually disappeared by 1904. The reason for this rapid population decline isn’t known, but hunting played a significant role. They were hunted for their beautiful feathers and to reduce predation of crops. Their flocking behavior made easy killing, because they would return to the vicinity of dead and dying birds. The final cause for it’s rapid extinction is speculated to be poultry disease, but there is no evidence to prove that.

As humans, we are constantly altering our environment to better our lives. I hope “Silenced” reminds the viewer of the natural beauty around us and also shows how fragile our world is. While making this piece, I wondered how do we rationalize our communities continually growing and creeping into natural landscapes. Something usually has to give and that something always seems to be native plants and animals.

Join me for:

“Paper, Canvas, Cloth”
November 4 – December 17, 2016
Campbell House Galleries, Southern Pines, NC
featuring the work of
Sharon Ferguson, Marilyn Vendemia, & Nanette S. Zeller

Kindness and no regrets

And the count-down is on. A week from Friday my exhibit opens at Campbell House Galleries. This week I’m wrapping up the final details: framing the last few pieces, installing new hanging slats to the large pieces, and adding labels to the newer pieces. Once this is completed, I will be photographing all the quilts.

This has been a very interesting process for me. I’ve always said that I love to learn…I thrive on learning… and I’ve learned a lot about myself this year. Preparing for this exhibit has reminded me to keep moving forward. I know I will continue to grow as an artist and I’ve already thought of ways to improve some things. Yet, there are a number of things I still haven’t figured out. Therefore, I will continue to learn and that’s what makes everything so enjoyable for me.

Any free time I’ve had this summer was devoted to studio time. So I didn’t have time for some of the opportunities I’ve been considering. Once this exhibit is hung, I will take a short break to re-energize, then I’ll be tackling the many ideas I have in my head. What I’ve learned during this process is to always keep moving forward. Sometimes that can be as simple as just putting one foot then the other. Moving forward also requires having the strength to only look back with kindness and no regrets.

Join me for:

“Paper, Canvas, Cloth”
November 4 – December 17, 2016
Campbell House Galleries, Southern Pines, NC
featuring the work of
Sharon Ferguson, Marilyn Vendemia, & Nanette S. Zeller

Where this road takes me

Four weeks from now, I will be hanging a show at the Arts Council of Moore County’s Campbell House Galleries. The exhibit entitled “Paper, Canvas, Cloth” features my work and that of 2 of my friends. We have known each other many years and we each have very different styles. Sharon who paints and draws is a classical realist. Marilyn paints in oils with a tonalist style. I am mixed-media art quilter. Although very different styles, I know our art will look good together because we share similar themes and color palettes.

This is a pivoting point for me. I’ve been in art exhibits before. I’ve been a featured artist in several local art galleries. But, I’ve never been in an art gallery show where I am featured with just 2 other artists who aren’t art quilters. It will be interesting to see how people view this exhibit. Will they consider what I do as art?

Because this exhibit is pivotal point for me, it makes me ask what’s next? What is the long range goal? Some decisions will be based on the reception I get in November, but more so, it is about what I plan to do personally to move forward.

Working to prepare for this show next month has given me time to process my feelings about what’s next. I know that there are exhibiting opportunities that I plan to apply for at the end of the year. I know I have a solo gallery show scheduled 2 years from now. But I also know I’m going to have let it all play out, because part of the challenge is affording to create the art.

When you exhibit, you have to hoard your work so you have enough to hang on the walls. If you’re hoarding, you can’t sell your work unless the owner is willing to give it back to you during the exhibit dates. But then, some galleries want all or a significant portion of your work for sale. Some exhibits want to keep your work for several years. There has to be a balance of making enough to sell and making enough to exhibit. I’m considering ways to streamline my processes, so I can make things faster.

What others have done is seek teaching and publishing opportunities. This is something I’m seriously considering. But, teaching and publishing also takes time away from making; another balancing act. For now my goal is to get this show hung, then use November and December to re-group and set the stage for what’s next. My plan is to start 2017 with boots to the ground, running. We’ll see where this road takes me.

Join me for:

“Paper, Canvas, Cloth”
November 4 – December 17, 2016
Campbell House Galleries, Southern Pines, NC
featuring the work of
Sharon Ferguson, Marilyn Vendemia, & Nanette S. Zeller

One quilt at a time

I often refer to my life as a journey. I know I keep moving forward. I keep changing. And, I definitely keep experiencing new things. As I’ve been working on my art this past few months, I feel like everything I’ve ever done is coming full circle. Well, actually it’s a spiral or mobeius. My life starts on one end and I keep coming back to the same intersection. In reality, I’m slightly misaligned from the last time I crossed that point. There’s too much that has happened, so I am someone different than the last time I was here.

But why does it feel like I’ve gone full circle?

When I was a small child, I played outside a lot. I loved discovering new things. I picked flowers, dug in the dirt, played with earthworms and hugged a few trees. I loved animals. I used to have a slip of paper that I wrote in grade school which read “When I grow up I want to be a conservationist.” I have no idea how I knew that word, maybe it was from the countless hours I spent reading Ranger Rick magazine. I pursued that dream for many years and eventually earned a Master’s degree in wildlife biology.

Then life happened. I needed to work and found gainful employment in IT at the peak of the dot.com era. When that bubble burst, I started exploring art and found employment editing books. During these years, I almost completely walked away from my childhood interest of conservation. My art “sometimes” had environmental components, but it never had a real meaning. I just made things because I wanted to make them.

I’ve realized the environmental theme has been more evident in my art these last few years. I have a story in my head & heart that I want to share. I mentally visualize the things that mean so much to me. I remember the forests, the plants, and the birds. I think of the earth as a whole and how we’re destroying it. I want you to see the beauty. I am back in my youth, full circle almost, but with a different age and understanding of the complexities of it all. I’m picking flowers and dreaming big about how I will save the world one quilt at a time.

Join me for:

“Paper, Canvas, Cloth”
November 4 – December 17, 2016
Campbell House Galleries, Southern Pines, NC
featuring the work of
Sharon Ferguson, Marilyn Vendemia, & Nanette S. Zeller

Mental lists

Things are plugging along here. I finished quilting the Osprey wing. I just need to trim it down and finish the binding/edge treatment. I’ve decided that finishing this quilt is something that could wait for the last minute, so I’ve begun a new piece.

This new quilt is going to be a companion piece to a one I made a couple years ago. Similar idea and color palette, something more whimsical than I have been working; a giant tulip! It should be fun to work on.

As I’m building my collection, my mind is definitely processing what comes next. As I posted last week, I’ve been accepted for a solo show at Page-Walker Arts & History Center in Cary, September 2018. I know this gallery well, so my mind is thinking what sort of artwork groupings I should have. What is great about having 2 years to work on this, is that I could create pieces specifically for the walls of this gallery space. So many possibilities.

I’m also thinking about what comes next. I can’t allow 2018 to be the only exhibit opportunity in my future. I have so many ideas and I’m looking forward to pursuing them. Just 7 more weeks and “Paper, Canvas, Cloth” will be hanging at the Campbell House in Southern Pines. Once that is up, I’ll start focusing on all my mental lists.

Join me for:

“Paper, Canvas, Cloth”
November 4 – December 17, 2016
Campbell House Galleries, Southern Pines, NC
featuring the work of
Sharon Ferguson, Marilyn Vendemia, & Nanette S. Zeller

Self-doubt

Being an artist can be a very isolating. I spend a lot of time alone in my studio, especially now, as I prepare for my November exhibit. I’m down to crunch time and all I’m thinking about is getting things done. I feel like I’m running out of time. I need to be in the studio more. And I wonder, how will I accomplish all of this? I take comfort that it’s all going to be OK. So I breathe. I know I’m not alone, many artists face the same angst. It’s par for the course.

As an emerging artist, there’s also this underlying insecurity. What will people think? I think my work looks OK, but I’m very biased. It’s like saying your baby is the cutest. And “everybody” thinks their baby is the cutest.

I’ve realized, I’m in a different place right now. My ideas are coming from deep in my soul. It’s a life-long journey coming together and expressing itself in fabric. My art has purpose to me…I’m no longer making it just because. I have stories behind each piece. I’m moving forward. The isolation is there and the angst, but I do my best to ignore it. I’m not going to let the negative speak defeat me.

A few months ago, I made a decision to let go of something that I was deeply invested in. As I walked away from that activity, I was reminded of a call-for-entry deadline that was fast approaching. A friend of mine frequently reminds me that we never get accepted if we don’t apply. So, I pulled my stuff together and, with a kiss on the cheek, I sent in the application. Of course, I hoped for the best, but would be OK with any decision they made.

Today, I received a phone call from out of the blue. An affirmation. They are impressed with my work. I’ve been offered a solo show in a public art gallery. I had a choice of 2 dates, so I picked one. I’m going big, so I’ll need the time. September 2018. As one door closes, another opens.

Having an affirmation like this is a kick in the pants that says don’t give up. Keep trying. There’s no room for self-doubt.

“Knock, knock, … who’s there?”

I finished “Knock, Knock” last week. Well almost, I need to hand-stitch the facing and hanging sleeve to the back of the quilt. And, it may need a little dab of paint, here and there to add highlights. I’m holding off showing the finished pieces until I get closer to the exhibit in November, but I’m happy to show off some sneak peeks.

If you look at the pictures, it may become obvious why this quilt took so long to complete. It’s final size is 32.5″ x 42.5″. I couldn’t have done this intense quilting on my domestic sewing machine. My workhorse machine for the last few years only has a 7″ opening to pass my fabrics through as I sew. Thanks to the grant I received from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County I was able to purchase a machine with a 16″ opening which allows me to quilt larger pieces. I’m very happy that I took the initiative to apply for this grant and also very honored to have had the support of so many people while I was working on it.

So, why am I calling this piece “Knock, Knock”? The focal point of this quilt is the ivory-billed woodpecker (you can see its outline in the blue backing fabric and the small flying-version in the stitched detail photos). Many of you know of the pileated woodpecker. Well, the ivory-billed is the widely believed-extinct, bigger cousin of the pileated. The ivory-billed loved bottomland hardwood forests of the southeastern United States. These mature-virgin forests have been greatly diminished from aggressive timber harvest. It’s unlikely that there’s any place large enough that this large bird could survive, but with reported sightings in Arkansas in 2005, there is hope.

Some are still looking for this majestic avian species. For those willing to have hope, they will continue to wander the southeastern swamps listening for a distinct “knock, knock” of the ivory-billed woodpecker as it taps on a tree to call for others of his kind. It all reminds me of the child-like game…”knock, knock, … who’s there?”

Learn by doing

I’m almost finished with “Knock, Knock” the swamp quilt.

The last few days I’ve been doing a lot of heavy quilting. There’s no going back now. I have a couple more hours of quilting to do on it…then it’s time for cutting it down to size and putting a facing on it (finishing the edges). Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I think I should have that completed today. I can’t believe I’m finally saying that! Yee Haw.

It’s kind of crazy working in textile arts, be it sewing, knitting, embroidery, or whatever. We have to work so close to our creations. We see things differently at the 10-12″ view of our work than when we do at the actual viewing distance (about 3-4 feet or more).

When I was quilting this piece, I decided on the thread colors of the swampy water and how close I wanted to make each quilted line. I set to work quilting the lines back and forth. I felt good about it. Midway along I put the piece on my design wall and thought “oh my.” I probably didn’t need to get the lines that close and the thread colors blend more closely to the fabric than I thought they would. Seeing it hang on the wall, I’m still very please with the results…so that’s a good thing. It just made me realize I probably put more work into it than necessary.

What I’ve “re-learned,” is that close up details (or even mistakes for that matter) frequently aren’t noticeable from a distance. We need to give ourselves a break from being critical about what we see up close, because it may not be noticeable at 3 feet away. Step away from your work every now and then. Don’t sweat the small stuff and learn by doing.

Good karma following along with me

I’ve been in my studio a lot the last week. I’m trying to create a regular work habit. I’m under pressure to get some new pieces finished for an upcoming show in November, so there’s no time to waste. I’ve put priorities in place and that’s helping me keep focused. I’m seeing results and that’s helping me be motivated.

My art is comprised of a lot of phases. It’s never as easy as saying, well let me throw this together. I get an idea and know what I want it to look like, but how it gets there is always process. For example, the piece that is currently on my design wall is pretty large. I’m working on a forest scene. I could slap some fabric down and have you imagine that they are trees, but I want it to be more realistic. I need to work on the shading. I have lots of options. That’s were things get interesting and challenging.

I never choose the same option. On the parakeet quilt I just finished, I used colored pencils for shading. I love working with them, but had a couple glitches I didn’t expect. Fortunately, I was able to recover from the issues and I’m happy with the final outcome. The glitches do put me in a panic, because they could turn into a irreversible catastrophe.

The current piece I’m working on also needs some shading. Because of it’s size, I decided to use Shiva paintstiks and a stenciling technique to add depth. On this too, I stumbled with a few glitches, but in the end I’m good with it. Another catastrophe diverted.

Of course there’s more to this quilt than just a couple of grey trees. In the foreground of the photo, you’ll see a paper cutout that I used to find the right proportions for an ivory-billed woodpecker who is going to play in these woods. Layer upon layer, the design forms. Each step, I get to choose the options to create what I envision. But with each step, I’m also at risk of another irreversible catastrophe. It is harder to recover from these on larger pieces, there are a lot of hours invested in what you see. There’s a lot more hours ahead. After each layer, I pat myself on my back and get ready to move forward. I’m ready to move forward on this piece…and looking to good karma following along with me.

Making Progress

I‘m still trying to make progress on the Carolina Parakeet piece. Unfortunately, I’ve had some interference with my time, but I’m doing my best to keep focused. I thought for sure this quilt would be done right now. So close…yet far enough away that I feel a bit frustrated.

I was talking to a friend this morning and reminded her that she was indeed making progress on something she was working on. The progress was just taking longer than she expected. —Ah, just another validation that talking out loud sometimes solidifies your own thoughts. — I too must remember I am making progress.

I’m happy where this is art quilt is going. I’m sharing a comparison photo that clearly shows I’m getting somewhere. The birds and branches are all detailed and I’m working on filling in the background with quilting. This is taking time, however…

The good news is that I’m creating dense quilting. Something I’ve wanted to do in the past, but just struggled doing on my domestic sewing machine. My Sweet16 sewing machine, with its sweet 16″ neck opeing, is making my work so much easier. I can sew and sew and sew and sew without having to re-adjust the bulky quilt so frequently. Makes me very happy.

The bad news is I’ve developed a muscular strain in my back and neck which is causing me great discomfort sitting. I’m working on resolving the issue, but I’m still limited to just short runs at the machine. Again, the key is patience, I am making progress.