Tag: Other Artists

Various and Sundry (aka Clean Up Time)

I realized this morning that I had about twelve browser tabs open, many with sites that I wanted to share. This is a post that is all about cleaning up my desktop.

Jen made a comment on my blog that got me to thinking about a problem I was struggling with. Her profile led me to her blog, A Quilting Jewel, which I mentioned in a previous blog post. Jen quilts with her aunt and she is very prolific. I like the way she shows her work in process.

Notebookism is a blog about notebooks and journals. I write every day and go through several journals a year with just writing and a couple of others with notes and drawings for quilts. I was led to this site somehow after looking at the Myndology website. They have some interesting finds in the journal department and they don’t seem to post much.

Michael Nobbs, a Welsh artist, started following my Twitter stream. I always wonder why people follow my Twitter stream because I don’t say very much on it. I certainly don’t say anything very relevant. Perhaps that is the whole point? Anyway, I went and looked at his stream and found some interesting sketches that he is doing and others to which he links, like Seattle Sketcher, which I mentioned he other day. As a result I decided to follow his Twitter stream as well. I think the Creative Mom podcast, as well as my thoughts on a Daily Art Practice, are turning my mind towards sketching. Don’t worry! I am not abandoning quiltmaking. Quite the contrary; I think that viewing sketching sites can inform my quiltmaking. When he received the notice that I was following him, he sent me a message thanking me and a link to his website. On the main page he has a drawing of a teapot, which immediately attracted my attention. There is also a link to his blog.

Matt Sparrow has some interesting quilts and information about thread listed on his blog. I like the batik star he posted. He said the pattern is called Enchanted Star. It looks like an Ohio Star with some 4 patches thrown in.

The Fresh and Modern Quilt Pool at Flickr is really inspiring. Not only are many of the quilts interesting, but the photography is inspired as well. I found this pool by working my through the Denyse Schmidt pool, also on Flickr. Some of the quilts are in both pools. There are lots of simple patterns and the use of fabric is really good. I particularly like the way people have used the large scale prints. One nice thing about Flickr is you can blog straight from the image (if you have set that up) and it makes a very nice layout on your blog. You can see an example in the New Star Block from Flickr post.

As I may have mentioned, the Creative Mom podcast has a bunch of associated sites including the CMP Circle Flickr Pool where members and listeners post their various projects.

Finally, Deirdre pointed me to the Quilt Show blog. I am a little annoyed at the Quilt Show,because of the way it has changed Alex Anderson’s podcast. I liked the way she interviewed people in the past. Now she just goes on and on about the Quilt Show. I am sure it is a great, but I don’t watch it, because I don’t have time and I don’t want to pay for something I don’t have time to take advantage of. I know things change. Blah. Blah. Blah. Anyway, the blog, even though it has a lot of ads, has a lot of nice quilts pictured. There are a variety of different topics also: block of the month, process of fabric design, guests on the show, etc. It’s worth a look.

Enjoy this surf around the web.

Another Reason to Mention the Creative Mom Podcast

clipped from www.etsy.com
Sweet Pink and Green Birdhouse Lovee - Small Quilt
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I have been listening to the Creative Mom podcast for a couple of months now and it has been on my list of things to tell you about. Amy Cowan creates CMP, where she offers essays, book reviews, pattern reviews, a community of like minded people, creative prompts, enthusiasm and a travelogue of her journey through the creative process.

This is a very professional podcast. She is organized and prepared for the podcast. The sounds is perfect. Her voice has a calm and relaxing timbre. There are few ums, uhs, like, hemming, hawing or dead air. Amy rarely mentions her personal issues. On the occasion she make s a brief mention, she doesn’t go on and on about them and she often weaves the explanation of the issue into the theme of the podcast. This is a podcast for the creative person who thinks about art on many different levels: the physical act of making, a daily creative discipline, and something to be studied.

I know the mom part may turn off some of you, so I want to get that out of the way too. Amy’s two boys are definitely involved in the podcast.Mostly they work as headline readers for her next section. Listeners hear their little voices saying “I am the art and the art is me” or “books to read, books to read” for the book review section. Amy reviews books that she reads to her children as well as adult books. Amy observes her children and weaves those observations into the theme of the podcast as well. I don’t think the involvement of the children would annoy those of you who are sensitive to the child worship that sometimes occurs on the web. That doesn’t happen here.

While Amy does different kinds of art than I do (more sketching and photography, mostly), I have found that I enjoy listening to her talk about her process and what she does to keep going. I feel inspired when I listen to her podcast. She has been working on a bird project for at least a year. Listening to the podcast makes me consider whether or not o focus on one word or subject for a period of time.

As I have gone through Amy’s older episodes I came across a collaboration she is doing with one of her listeners, known as Gooma8x, and was directed to their joint Etsy site. The quilt above was posted there and it is gorgeous! Amy and Opal (Gooma8x) also have a joint blog called Here2There.

Finally, I also discovered another Amy goldmine in Threaded Thoughts, another blog.

It is apparent that Amy is in her creative sweet spot right at the moment and we are the lucky recipients of her largesse. I urge to check out one or all of the various media streams Amy has created.

2009 FOTY Possibility?

Jen posted this picture of a quilt she is working on to her blog, The Quilted Jewel (http://aquiltingjewel.blogspot.com/).I have been mulling over the 2009 FOTY block, and talking with TFQ about it. I still have not come to a decision. The block in this picture may be what the doctor ordered.

I like the movement and the 4patch, which is a block I was thinking of working with. I also like the way it fits together and is a real block not just pieces like FOTY 2008. I am not sure what is going on with the sashing and will have to have a closer look at it. I think I would have to have a background fabric if I decided to do this design.

TFQ and I are thinking about doing the same block to see what we come up with, which is still in process. I am excited about that possibility as well as I have been feeling like I need to work with someone on something. I don’t feel bad about collecting ideas regardless of what we decide to do.

A Quilting Jewel
A Quilting Jewel

Clipped from aquiltingjewel.blogspot.com

SFMOMA and the 1000 Journals Project

I have been slack about posting my various holiday adventures, but, with this post, will try and redeem myself. One of the great things I did on my break over the holidays was go to the SFMOMA with friend Julie. My goal was to see the actual journals from the 1000 journals project in person. Julie has posted a great set of narrated photos about our adventures.

The 1000 Journals project has, for some reason, captured my imagination. Faithful readers will know that I have posted about it, gone to see the film and have been trying to get my hot little hands on one of the journals. The film depicted a lot of back and forth with the SFMOMA about this exhibit because Someguy wanted to allow people to add to the journals. A great idea, but the curators aren’t used to allowing people to touch the art. I was really happy that they finally were able to work everything out.

They ended up putting the project in the Koret Education Center. There are people there to watch you, somewhat, working on the journals, so it probably made them feel ok about touching.

Stupidly I didn’t plan ahead and bring an art kit like I had planned, so I rummaged through my purse to see what I had:

  • an old temporary drivers’ license
  • breast health center “how to get your results” sheet
  • pink pen
  • Golden Gate Ferry schedule from 1997

With the pencils, glue sticks, pens, etc that the SFMOMA provided my theme turned into bureaucracy. I was able to make a page with which I was pretty satisfied. As Julie said, it was hard to make art standing up. Not very comfy. Other viewers of the exhibit also have a different sense of personal space than I do, so I had to glare at some people who were just too close, and ask them to step back.

I was disappointed to see that some contributors had basically defaced the books with a message of anger and hate of their own. If I had had colored paper, I would have glued it over those messages, which, I guess, is defacing the books as well, in a way. There was a lot of 13 year old boy potty humor as well. Sad to think that people aren’t enlightened enough to think up something that they would be proud to have endure through the ages. Perhaps I am just being a snob because what they wrote doesn’t fit my idea of ‘good’.

I had fun. I found that I actually can do a visual journaling piece. It made me think that, perhaps, I have too many options at home.

I am happy that I got to spend the day with Julie (no children/young adults=freedom) and that I got see and write in the journals. I feel like I made a contribution. The journal I wrote in was number 754.

Random Blog Ring Bullseye

Ellen Guerrant
Ellen Guerrant

I barely know what a blog ring is, but today I clicked on the random link from the Pink Chalk Studio blog and ended up on the Occasional Threads blog. I saw this bullseye there and thought I would share. The writer loves the colors, which are not my thing (no turquoise, what was she thinking???) 😉 , but I really like that little black strip separating some of the pieces. This also looks like the Wonky Circles quilt.

Bright and Cheerful Prints From Melody Johnson

I just use the fabulous prints that I can buy. As a result, I sometimes get a complex because I don’t dye my own fabric. Melody Johnson has always made quilts that I admire, so I was thrilled to see some new quilts on her blog made with actual commercial prints! WOW! They are very bright and cheerful as well.

  blog it

Prairie Point Tutorial from Melody Johnson

You never know when you might need to know how to make a prairie point. Her recent blog posts are full of color, too. Just what we need in the midst of grey January. Here is a post on making prairie points.

Prairie Points Two Ways

 
 
 
3. Fold down one edge………………………………..4. Fold down the other edge. Prairie Point made.
 
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Stephanie Metz Upcoming Sculpture Exhibit

Stephanie Metz is having an upcoming exhibit of her felted wool scuplpture. I prefer her Figurative Studies of women over her animal work, but it is very interesting to see in person. Email her directly for more information.

From: Stephanie Metz [mailto:stephaniegmetz@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 10:03 PM
To: Stephanie Metz
Subject: Stephanie Metz Upcoming Sculpture Exhibit

I am very pleased to have my new felted wool sculpture Super Suckler included in the upcoming exhibit Natural Blunders. Come say hello at the opening reception on January 24th, or check out images of the work at www.stephaniemetz.com.

Thanks,

Stephanie Metz

 

The de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University presents

Natural Blunders

January 24 – March 20, 2009

Like artists throughout history, those in the Natural Blunders exhibition use nature as a departure point for compelling and resonant works of art. Uniquely, the Natural Blunders artists address the historically antagonistic relationship between humans and nature, highlighting the recent trends toward cloning and aggressive breeding techniques. In this exhibition, you will see a broad range of responses toward the environmentfrom veneration to more critical responses toward our traditionally Western adversarial relationship to nature. Ultimately, the works in Natural Blunders can be viewed as an artistic rebellion against what is essentially a world out of balance.

Curator Karen Kienzle

Opening Reception

Saturday, January 24, 2009, 6:008:00 P.M., free

Featured Artists:

Alastair Bolton, Cheryl Coon, Lauren Davies, Susan Felter, David Hevel, Elisabeth Higgins O’Connor, Misako Inaoka, Ernest Jolly, Michael McConnell, Stephanie Metz, Paul Paiement, Jane Rosen, John Slepian, Kathryn Spence, Tara Tucker, Sarah Wagner, Gail Wight

Also on view:

Futurefarmers: Nearby Nature and Flora and Fauna from the de Saisset Museums Permanent Collection curated by the SCU Biology Department

de Saisset Museum

Santa Clara University

500 El Camino Real

Santa Clara, CA 95053-0550

408.554.4528

www.scu.edu/desaisset

FREE ADMISSION

TuesdaySunday, 11:00 AM 4:00 PM

Closed Mondays

Please note: if you would like to be removed from my mailing list, please reply to this email to that effect.  You are on my personal email list, which is not shared, sold, or viewed by anyone else.

stephaniegmetz@yahoo.com 

Hop, Skip & Jump by Denyse Schmidt Project

I decided to work on the Hop Skip and Jump pattern by Denyse Schmidt (Denyse Schmidt Quilts book) as my next project right now. I rarely sew from patterns, but this one seemed like a good one to use with the blues that I had weeded out from my new fabrics. I had thought of modifying the pattern so that there were no curved pieces, but I didn’t. I am not afraid of curved piecing (note Flowering Snowballs/Cross Blocks), but each of the 16 pieces required for each block must be cut out separately. It is an arduous task, but I am into it now and will just continue on.

One problem I already had was with the copy place. The pattern directs the maker to enlarge the pattern by 400%. I have terrible problems with office equipment, copiers in particular, so I went to an office shop and they offered to do it for me. The girl couldn’t get the entire pattern on an 11″x17″ sheet of paper. She asked me at one point if it would be a problem to have the top of the pieces cut off. Finally, I told her she could reduce the size slightly and that seemed to work. It doesn’t bother me to have slightly smaller blocks. I can make a few more with no problem.

For once I have cut all the blue pieces for 6 blocks before I have sewed any of them together. I haven’t decided on the background yet, so I haven’t cut background pieces. I thought I had just bought a white on white that I would use, but I can’t find it so either it was my imagination, it is hiding from me or it isn’t washed yet.

This is my favorite. The background is a very cheerful dot print where the dots are irregular and a variety of different colors. I am all about cheerful, you know. 😉

The above is my second favorite. I don’t have enough of this particular black on white print, so I would have to use a variety of different black on white prints with the same weight/ratio of black to white. I wouldn’t want it to be too overly black.

I really wanted a very calm looking quilt, thus all the blues. This background is one of the P&B New Basics from 2000. I recently bought a yard of it and have at least a fat quarter somewhere else. The problem is that it is very close to some of the value of the other fabrics so the pieces blend together. I think they blend together a little too much.

There are a couple of factors for the background: one is that it has to have the look that I want. Another is that I have to have enough of the chosen fabric to use as a background. The bottom line is that I want this to be a quick quilt. I don’t want to spend weeks on picking the background. I also, however, don’t want to hate it when I am halfway through the sewing. I am happy to hear what you think.

Candy Cane Nine-patch Quilt


Nine-patch Quilt
Originally uploaded by knitknat

KnitKnat has put together a wonderful quilt in this ninepatch that doesn’t look like a ninepatch. S/he does not call it Candy Cane. In honor of the Season and because it reminds me of the nice blend of pink and red that make up candy canes, I have decided to think of it as a candy cane quilt.

One of the elements that is so attractive about this quilt is her use of fabrics. In a limited color palette, an artist can end up with a boring mix of fabrics. In this case, KnitKnat has chosen very well and the eye moves around the quilt because of the different sizes and shapes of the motifs.

The crowing glory is the little circle/flowerette centered in the setting stones. All around a quilt I wish I had made.

New Star Block from Flickr


New Star Block
Originally uploaded by kirbyloulou

I saw this block about 2 weeks ago and have not been able to get it out of my mind. With the many, many blocks in the DS pool, I wasn’t able to find it again either. I was really glad to come across it today. Love the pointy corners.