Friday, October 8, 2010

RANDOM THOUGHTS - FROM THE CRAFT ROOM

I find myself over-whelmed a lot of the time when it comes to how I want to spend my precious time creating.

My first love of 14 years is quilting. While my style has definitely changed over the years with colour and composition, I just love to play with fabric, I love to touch it, stare at it and simply admire it.
MY FIRST QUILT


CURRENT WORKS


As you can see I love the modern look, I love quirky, something that makes me smile.

MY OTHER QUILTING LOVE

This is a direction that constantly pulls at me. Art quilts capture my imagination, they make me see so many possibilities. I admire so many talented art quilters, I buy Quilting Arts magazine and have numerous DVD's of theirs that I look at and dream about constantly yet, I always feel that my art quilts are not how I want them to be. I made small pieces to try out new techniques, I find it hard to really 'let go' and just create and always end up putting away unfinished pieces and go right back to what I've been doing for the 14 years. But I continue dreaming about the amazing works of art I will create in the future.

About 8 years ago, I became mildly interested in scrapbooking. I made the decision to make an album for the kids, only birthday and Xmas pages. Well that certainly didn't last, I threw myself into the craft and nearly forgot about my sewing machine for about a year.

This craft gave me a kind of freedom that quilting couldn't offer and before long I was addicted. Then I become frustrated with what people perceived scrapbooking to be, I was seeing clinical, sterile pages that didn't capture the imagination. I still believe this to be true when every now and then I flip through a magazine at the newsagents and see layouts that are all the same. I followed along for a while but had a real want to create my own products, put a bit of me into them, use paints, get messy and enjoy the process.
MY FIRST SCRAPBOOK LAYOUT

MIXED MEDIA



So, mixed media is where I have ended up with scrapbooking and unlike my progression with quilting, I have landed very comfortably here. I love to draw, paint, ink, wax, burn, dye and so much more. This art is freedom to me and the more I learn through other amazing artists and the fantastic magazine Cloth, Paper, Scissors, the more I want to create.

Don't get me wrong, I adore piecing fabrics together and quilting. I get great satisfaction out of my pieces, I love it that others love and cherish what I make for them. My quilts are homely and they serve a purpose, but the pull of something a little more arty is always there. I wish I had focus in one area, something I could put all of my energy into, all of this swapping and changing confuses my brain and a lot of the time I can't bring myself to do anything.

But I can't make a decision, I'm not ready. I love too many things and am not willing to let go just yet. So for now I will continue to flounder and my blog will show different things that I am doing and people will probably wonder how some of my works are related and that will have to do.

Oh by the way, here's something else I do to relax

My mum and dad gave me these 3 tapestries for my birthday, I love the modern feel to them, they are definately a long term project and will look so good up on our walls when they are done. I used to do tapestries when I was a teenager, this is the first one I ever did.

9 comments:

  1. You certainly cover a broad range Sue! Creativity feeds off itself as I am sure you know and it's evident in your work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You sound a bit like me. I first started with sewing, tapestry, embroidery and crochet, then moved to quilting which I jumped into with both feet, then moved onto scrapbooking (mine took over for about 6 years) and now I am back into patchwork and I have just bought a longarm for quilting. I also have so many crafts that I love and enjoy but quilting will always be No 1 for me too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Im a dabbler too, though not in art, your work is amazing I especially love your mixed media pieces, You have so much talent!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love that you shared your first quilt. I learned to quilt about 15 years ago, and wnat to change my style to more modern quilts. I get bored with the magazine patterns, and the traditional ones. Apparently though, I have a hang up about starting that change. I keep making excuses.... I'm about ready to toss out my stash, and force myself to start over. I've started "playing" with fabric again, maybe I'll let go and finally do something fun.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I know how you feel and have also dabbled in many crafts. I too love mixed media and love your art works.
    Stepping out of the square into yourself is a difficult to do when we have been brought up to conform
    I hope you find the art that makes you happy.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I relate to much of what you have said. I think the variety you include in your blog is what attracted me to your blog in the first place. Your creative ways with paper are particularly appealing. Keep up the good work, all of it! 8>)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sue what you are saying resonates with me too. I havent caught the quilting bug yet and my lack of sewing skills will probably prevent that from happening!
    I started doing tapestry a few years ago when I had a 2 hour each way commute on the train to work. In the morning I would sleep for the first hour and then do tapestry for the second.On the way home I would chat to my friends for the first hour and then do tapestry for the second. I completed about 4 over the year. I have the same tapestry - the one on the right that I started a few months ago. Thinking that I should get it out again soon.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey Sue
    I too know how you feel. I have moved from scrapbooking to more mixed media, art journalling. I think it is all a progression, I wonder where what we will all be up to in a couple of years from now!

    ReplyDelete
  9. totally know what you mean,i love a wide range but currently love sewing,which lead me to your lovely blog.Lovely pics.

    ReplyDelete

Hi, I love reading your comments and if I don't reply to all of them, please know I appreciate every one.
Have a lovely day :)