October 22, 2008

"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try." ~ Beverly Sills ~

Ah.

I realised the other day I'm starting to sound like a broken record. "Get in the studio...." "Get inspired...." "Do something...."

Yeah, I do have a strong feeling that I will be disappointed in the results of my efforts because I have alot of funky ideas I want to try right now. There are too many floating around in my head. I see myself starting something cool and having things go wrong in the middle of it. I'll be saying, "no, wait...I wanted to do this...." and then it will rip! Or the fabric will melt under my iron, or pucker, or shred. It's these thoughts and my time contraints that keep me from diving right in.

Yeah, Yeah, excuses, excuses.

Once while I was searching for some elegant mantra and elaborate mind boggling insight, my stepfather gave me these simple words of wisdom, "Just do it!"

What it means is: Take your head off. Unscrew your brain. Replace faulty battery, if battery operated. (Check for charred firewood and ashes otherwise) Press reset button. Rescrew on your brain. Put head back on. Proceed with caution until warmed up. Beware of squeaks.

I don't want to be doomed. I'll give it a try....tomorrow!.

October 21, 2008

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." -A. A. Milne

OK, I found a quote that justifies my studio condition. I agree that whenever I start to tidy up, there are little jewels of fabric hidden underneath that distract me from my cleaning. Those little "teasers" that I leave out for myself, that end up getting covered up with other clutter, are quite wonderful.

Right now, the piles stacked on top of everything are the new upholstery fabric swatches and are they ever yummy! Oh, where can I put them where they won't get lost? I want to start sewing them right now.

Gotta go! sew!

October 15, 2008

I went into my studio last night and stood there looking. I have a lot of cool stuff in there, and boy, it needs to be tidied up. It has been too distracting these warm sunny fall days. I've been outside gardening.
I have a few things up my sleeve to start on. I hope to get my camera in on the action this fall/winter to post what I'm doing.

Today's fortune cookie:

"You will be called upon to help a friend in trouble"

I hope it's someone who needs fabric...I can help out there and be helped at the same time! Less Stuff!

October 13, 2008

What a weekend! Wow. The weather was just great! Blue skies, spectacular fall foliage, and I gardened most of the weekend. I spent most of my two days outside in the warm sunshine. Just what I needed to raise my spirits!

Well, not exactly.... There is more!

My friend called me to tell me she had extra upholstery fabric books, would I like some? Say what?

So last night, I sat in my living room pawing over several books of upholstery fabric. Oh, I was in heaven. Later when I went to bed, I found myself drifting off to sleep feeling the waves of new found creativity.

There is a feeling that comes over me, I'm not sure how to describe it, of knowing that I can create something from these fabrics....it's a confident feeling, of seeing the unseen, understanding it and knowing that it needs, at some point, to come out of me.
That doesn't describe it really, but if you've ever felt the creatve wave...I think I'm reaching a crest. I'm hoping to ride the crest soon. I am really happy about it...'cuz man, it's been a long time. Metallic threads, upholstery fabric here I come.

It was a rest and renewal weekend with fabric being a cure!

October 10, 2008

"Difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

There has been alot going on in my life that is painful right now. My life seems to match the economy in many ways, in a spiralling downward pattern. Where is the leverage I need to stand tall and perservere? Maybe in my art.

I need to obtain the audacity of faith in color, composition and tactile, creative oblivion right now.

Spirals, yes, they do appear in my work. I've always seen them as rising up though. It's funny, how we percieve things, huh?

October 9, 2008

"Your spirit of adventure leads you down an exciting new path"

- fortune cookie

Well, it's been awhile since I updated this blog. Summer has come and gone. The fall brings the annual Creare quilt show (hallway art show in a local business) which usually is a nice show. I have four pieces there, including "Continuing Convergence". I enjoy having the opportunity to hang my work with more traditional stuff. I see things differently in every place I hang my work.

I had a chance to see the World Quilt Expo and that was reviving. I bought a bunch of YLI metallic threads in a broad assortment of colors and now I have to use them. My palette is complete, it's time to work on inspiration.

The fall certainly has its vibrant palette.