Introducing… Grandma Spoon (with her hair curlers still in), Lady Spoon, Wizard Spoon and a Spoon Alien (with a feather boa?!)
CREATIVITY + INNOVATION Page 38 of 38
Sometimes it’s good to be wrong
Apologies if you are a fan of quilting, but for years I just didn’t get it as ‘art’. I had it in my head that quilts were ‘granny blankets’ from a pre-duvet era, favoured by ladies in rocking chairs who passed their days patiently stitching hexagons together into symmetrical pastel patchworks, which usually ended up in the spare room to keep visitors warm as they slept. An important homemaker’s skill and well-loved craft, for sure, but art?
Boy was I wrong.
When in California recently, I wandered into the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, lured by a pretty scarf in the shop window. The main exhibition on at the time was called ‘Poetic License: The Art of Joan Schulze’, displaying 40-years of ‘art quilts’. As usual, my curiosity got the better of me, and I had to have a look.
And am I glad I did.
Inside I discovered a retrospective of Joan Schulze’s prolific career as a fiber artist, a stunning collection so far from my naïve image of ‘quilting’ that I was genuinely shocked. Moody digital photographic images on silk, fused with painted textures and markmaking, stitch and funky storybook collage in a palette of breathtaking colours. It was nothing short of exquisite, and has changed the way I look at quilts forever. And I think that is much of the point of art – to make us question our own views and preconceptions. I might even buy myself a sewing machine.
The exhibition is on until May 9th. Do go and see it if you can. Peer at the work from up close, squint and stare, stand back and breathe it in. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Books of the week
ART: Layered, Tattered & Stitched by Ruth Rae – inspired by my new-found interest in all things stitched(!) I bought this great book, which is full of gorgeous fabric art project ideas
ADVENTURE: The Wild Places – written by an old friend of mine, Robert Macfarlane, this book is breathtaking in places. As urban society encroaches ever further into the countryside, this dreamy book explores the few wild places left in Britain
STORY: The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister – I read this in one sitting on the plane back from the US. A delicious novel for foodies.
And here are a few I made earlier…
One of the great things about An Artful Journey was being able to experiment with new techniques, without being worried about the outcome.
Me scribbling notes furiously – thanks to Chrissy for the pic
We created 20+ individual pages fairly quickly (or should I say ‘in a chaotic creating frenzy’), using a variety of mediums and methods – acrylic paint and glazes, alcohol inks, distress inks, embellishments, vintage ephemera, stamps, Shiva’s oil Paintstiks, pens, pencil, old maps, texture tools, embossing powder, etc. Anything was OK, and it was amazing how everyone had the same instruction and materials but produced completely different work. Here are a few examples of my pages, that have been pulled together into a lovely chunky book.
Lots of ideas to take away and use in other places…
The pictures speak for themselves…
A sample of the delights created by my ‘An Artful Journey’ classmates:
By Chrissy Gardner – don’t you think this looks like the cover of a chick-lit novel?
Check out some of the other lovely ladies’ work on their websites and blogs: Peggy Krantz, Cathy Kirwan, Stella Singleton, Andrea Thinnes, Danielle Fraser, Davi Huffman, Monica Moran, Debbie Williams, Tiffany Moore.
Back soon with some of my own creations!
Tribal gathering
Over 1,500 years ago, this misty mountain land was home to the Ohlone Indians.
Thought to have been descendents of aboriginal tribes that came to North America from Asia across the Bering Strait, the Ohlone were sun-worshippers, hunters, and fishermen. They were also keen crafters, and their womenfolk wore deer skin aprons and bead necklaces. They found cinnabar at the Almaden mines and used this bright red clay to paint their bodies.
Fast forward 1500+ years and the mountains of Los Gatos are visited by another tribe. A tribe of women who have migrated from all over North America and further afield, armed only with Golden Gel Medium, Shiva’s Artists’ Paintstiks and Tim Holtz Distress Ink, collectively beating out the war cry “Let us paint!”
I feel incredibly lucky to be part of this tribe, tightly bound together by a shared passion for creativity, a curiosity to learn and a love of life. Our aprons aren’t made of deer skin and we haven’t come here to weave baskets, but we feel the same magic in the redwoods that has been felt by tribal women for centuries before us.
We were gathered in Los Gatos, California, for Cindy O’Leary’s ‘An Artful Journey’, an art retreat which could have just as easily been called ‘A Heartful Journey’. It was a rare opportunity to indulge in the luxury of a four day creating adventure under the supporting guidance of inspirational artists, and in the company of some very special souls. Safe in the knowledge that ‘there are no mistakes’, we happily painted, laughed and told stories into the early hours. It was absolute bliss.
Thanks to Kelly Rae Roberts and Mati Rose McDonough for being such fantastic instructors. You shared your wisdom and techniques and talent so generously. And thanks to the rest of the tribe for leaving the everyday behind, and wholeheartedly diving in. Together we made many things – a chunky book, a happy mess, and a whole bunch of wonderful new friends. (Workshop photos to follow in the next post)