Thank you to those who responded to the question in the section below- "Why do you make art?"
This is the side view of another postcard sized piece that took the idea a few steps further. I used cardboard, nails, push pins, T-pins, and silk claw pins glued to silk that was stuffed and then glued in place. Violent. Scary. Cold. Not something you want to step on in the dark. Felt GOOD making these pieces.
Next question- what aspect of your art work would YOU feel most uneasy about eliminating???? Color? Line? Balance/symmetry? Composition rules? Traditional methods of making art? Your sewing machine? Afraid of not using patterns? Do you make things about the same size every time? Materials-do you use the same stuff over and over again?
Beverley said that it's therapy and something she can do that is separate from her work world. Lorraine said something profound about why she makes art..."because I can". Bognar said it's something she is pulled to, and Anna K said it was an escape. Helen M says it's something she does for herself and demonstrates who she is. Deep! Wonderful thoughts. Bravo! Now here's the next question for you to ponder- but first a picture or two...
This is a tiny (for me) piece I did in Myrna's QU Self Expressions class. Almost everything I did in that class I spray painted silver. I wanted to get away from color and work only on design elements. I am SO powerfully drawn to and centered around color that taking it away was scary but also exhilarating. This piece is made of cardboard, nails, glue, and silk chiffon.
This is the side view of another postcard sized piece that took the idea a few steps further. I used cardboard, nails, push pins, T-pins, and silk claw pins glued to silk that was stuffed and then glued in place. Violent. Scary. Cold. Not something you want to step on in the dark. Felt GOOD making these pieces. Next question- what aspect of your art work would YOU feel most uneasy about eliminating???? Color? Line? Balance/symmetry? Composition rules? Traditional methods of making art? Your sewing machine? Afraid of not using patterns? Do you make things about the same size every time? Materials-do you use the same stuff over and over again?
13 comments:
Marjie,
i would be terrified if i had to remove these two things from my work.
The most important would be colour; i love vivid vibrant colours. I only became receptive to colours since doing your dyeing classes; it's like my eyes were opened! An amazing revelation (to me!).I tend to wear black to make myself invisible but my art had to be colourful, dramatic.
I would also be terrified if i was unable to work intuitively..if i had to work within a rigid framework. I like the work to evolve during the process of creating.
Most of all though removal of colour would be terrifying.
Thanks for asking this question...looks like i need to create something out of my comfort zone.
Anna K.
PS your siver pieces are amazing.
What a wonderful discussion. I would definitely be terrified if I had to abandon my safe colors. I am learning to expand by deepening contrasts in my work but it is still very gentle. Mid greens and lavendars. Looking at your silver and nails really lit me up. Touched a nerve. How I create seems more open to me. I am doing it this way now and maybe in a year I will be doing handwork.....who knows? Anna..........how we love our comfort zones! Helen
Last year I began drawing, acting on a longstanding desire to learn to draw. I draw daily, well almost daily. I spent a lot of time in classes. My drawing skills have gotten pretty good. Now I am at a crossroads. Do I keep working in charcoal, or do I start adding color to my work? I am terrified that I won't be able to do it well or at all. I begin a pastel class on Wednesday. You all are afraid to make art without color and I am afraid of adding it. Go figure.
In the rest of my life including quilt making life color is no problem. My living room dining room and kitchen are red. Upstairs are the yellow and green rooms, even a room with a blue ceiling. But adding color to my drawings...
Marjie your silver pieces are neat. Such opposite materials, nails and chiffon. You must be a complex person.
Next question- what aspect of your art work would YOU feel most uneasy about eliminating???? Color?
Marjie, this for sure I would not like to eliminate from my art. I do bold colors in types of art that I do. Line? Balance/symmetry? Composition rules? Traditional methods of making art?
In my art these are naturally there so I would say yes to all the 4 above. not using patterns? This would not bother me to the less. I do not use patterns to do my work, I draw or design my own. Do you make things about the same size every time? No how boring this would be. Materials-do you use the same stuff over and over again? It all depends on what I am making. A repetitious work is something I do not like doing, that is why I do not do traditional quilting, I fine it quite boring but am slowly getting into it so I can say I do it..lol Very Very wonderful questions, you make us think of what goes into art as I take it for granted, it just comes but if we did not have them, what would we be making..lol I think anyway. I do love your nails, Right now I can use that piece for my dil who just ask my son for a divorce after two years of marriage, and to think he thought everything was find..she is someone else so pass those nails!!! lol Anyway what I wanted to say, seeing your silver piece, looks like something that you have deep inside you that you want to get rid of is some sort of way...wonderful piece. love it
Profound, eh, well that was the first thing that came to mind and jot it down..I imagine we all thought the same thing..We all have our own reason why we do art, most are almost for the same reason, it gives us an ESCAPE from the world that is around us , per-say almost like taking a vacation by yourself and doing what you love. I am beginning to feel I am in a Myra's class. lol, she ask a lot questions like you are here, but it is good to think about them as we tend to forget sometimes why we are really doing it..I know I do, for one I have all the supplies, the stuff that goes along with creating art so I do it..want to call it a habit now..no I do not think so..I tend to forget till I am immersed into something and having fun than I realize why I do it...lol thanks a bunch Marjie..love and hugs, Lorraine
ps..of course this may not make any sense to anyone but me, lol I am babbling..
All week I've been reflecting on what I'm afraid to give up. I think it is the notion that your work must look like something people will recognize. I'm struggling with silencing those critics (others or just me) who feel that your art must look like a landscape, or a person, et cetera.
I've taken the Self Expressions class and am still working through the lessons because of resistence to just "let go" and create.
I will have to put this on my 2008 goals. "Create art without the expectation or goal of having it look like something recognizable. One piece per month."
I'm liking the way this sounds already, and by making my goal somewhat modest allows me to complete my other goals. Do you think I'm chickening out???
NOT at all!!!!! Bognar- this is hard stuff. I am working on 10 new pieces and will be posting some of them soon. You will see some wild and wacky stuff that may inspire you or may disgust you so stay tuned. Modest attempts soon pile up to be big leaps.
Wanted to see what you are up to, Marjie and see I can still post on blogs..I deleted my other blog..hugs, Lorraine
I've started back at QU and am really busy getting stuff ready for a juried textiles show and stuff for another guild. I will post pics when I am closer to the end. Thanks for letting me know about your blog. xxoo
New person answering some of your questions....I would be lost without color...I try to mix different mediums as much as possible and I try to experiment with different techniques so I don't get stuck in that rut..but without color..wow that would be very difficult ... and what a good project that would be to do work only in black/white or all neutral.
I don't use patterns, I like to be as spontaneous as possible...lack of balance is hard for me, but I work on not being "balanced" as much as possible...working outside our comfort zone is a good lesson to learn every day.
Louise Schiele, Sacramento, Ca
www.louiseschiele.com
Hi Louise,
You're right down the road from me!
Yes, color is a challenge to eliminate. It's a good exercise to try using colors we really avoid as well as going with total neutrals and then adding one we love to that. I am doing some more work with metallic paints and will be posting the results soon. Very fun and I'm loving the worlds it is opening up to me that I wouldn't have discovered if I had stayed so connected to color.
Color would be the most difficult aspect for me to remove from my art whether it is quilting or photography. While I appreciate a good black and white composition, I am always drawn to color (even if it is a quilt done all in shades of taupe). Another thing I would miss is the choice to mix and match so many different mediums: fabrics, threads, paints, dyes, photos, findings...the list goes on and on.
Hi Marjie,
I wanted to let you know that your pieces with the nails gave me an idea for a piece I just finished for Myrna's SE Studio class. (It doesn't look anything like yours). I never would have thought of using nails before! Thanks again for the idea.
Kristin F. in SC
P.S. If you would like to see the piece, I can email a photo to you.
P.P.S. When I first read your entry, and you asked the question of us, "why do we make art?" my first thought was that I don't know if what I do can be considered art. Most of the time I don't feel especially artistic, although I think that I am somewhat creative. I have always liked art but never got involved with it myself for some reason. Now that I am back to quilting, I want to learn more and more about almost everything connected to textiles. You have broadened my horizons with the dyeing and painting classes, so thank you!
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