She Has Found Her Home in NYC
Here are the photos from the Renaissance in Mid Town Manhattan. A perfect place for her to call home. She is sooo NYC chic!
A Portrait Full of Color
When I first started making art quilts I was inspired by color and my pieces reflected my love of color. Even my artist statement reflected my memories as a child placing two pieces of construction paper side by side and the excitement I felt in how the colors interacted. This piece was a refocus of sorts back to that original love of color. I think I’ll call her “Sista”, a suggestion from a friend. I used my airbrush to soften the edges of her braid and added the circles with acrylic paint to unify the piece.
Something "New"
I bought an air brush! It took a little to learn; mostly how to take care of it, clean it and learn to mix the appropriate paint consistancy. I know I have said in the past, why paint when we have all these beautiful fabrics to basically use as paint, but one thing that has always bothered me with fabric is the inability to get smooth and gracefull transitions from either light to dark or from one color to another in a very small area. We have beautiful ombre fabrics that transition over a large space, but not so much in a small space. Maybe the only way to do this is to paint or airbrush? So I’ve been experimenting. I love the subtleties can get with color and especailly layering of colors as you can see in this pracice piece. I have some other ideas still in my head, that I will be working on. I will, of course post, the results here.
NYC Here She Comes
Here is the finished piece and process photos while she was being made. the first step was to cut rectangles. It turns out there were 1100 pieces give or take a few. I then washed them to encourage the fraying of the edges. They came out of the dryer a mess of tangled threads and scrunched up pieces.
I cleaned them up and frayed the edges a bit more then applied fusible to the back of each piece avoiding the soft frayed edges. I didn’t do all the pieces at the same time. With each batch I was sure I hade enough of each value to finish, but I kept having to cut more and more and more! I enlarged my original approved sketch and placed it under a piece of white cloth, then started layering the rectangles. .
I enlarged my original approved sketch and placed it under a piece of white cloth, then started layering the rectangles.
Then I stitched. Here she is finished. 62” by 114”. They will stretch her on a frame to finish at 54” by 108”.
She was made to hang behind a concierge desk in a NYC midtown Manhattan hotel. Once she is hung, I’ll post more photos and give the name of the hotel. It’s been very exciting and such an honor! I can’t wait to see her in her new home!
Ink Tense Pencil Class Fun
I taught a class of talented people having fun with ink tense pencils.
The Denim Project
I was contacted by a NYC interior design company and commissioned to make a 54” by 108” piece in denim for a NYC hotel. Very Exciting! The first step was the sketch approval. They were looking for a model or model’s faces partial obscured. The inspiration photo was a model wearing a high fashion hat. These were my sketches. The last one was chosen with a few alterations, a more structured high fashion hat, more dramatic eyeshadow, and I added a high collar. I’m waiting for the first payment and then I will have 8 weeks to complete it. Stay tuned! Subscribe to my monthly news letter for a look at the progress.
Chiaroscuro
I was published! See my article in Art Quilting Studio Autumn 2024 magazine.
Chiaroscuro (from Italian, “chiaro” meaning light and “scuro” meaning dark) is the use of a strong contrast between light and dark that effects the composition. Get your copy toddy to read more.
Only today with Social Media!
I made the piece May I Have This Dance from a copyright free photo I found on the internet. I had no idea who the dancers were, just that the shot was a perfect capture of that elegant intimate moment of the Tango. I love all forms of dance, having taken Ballet for many years when I was young at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Oh, what wonderful memories. I still have dance in my heart.
May I Have This Dance won best of show at Fiber Arts Fiesta 2024 in New Mexico. I then decided to enter it along with She into Text on Textiles a special exhibition at Houston International Quilt Show. Both will be displayed From October 30 - November 3 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Th International quilt Festival posted May I have this Dance on their Facebook Page. It was liked by over 1.6K, with 95 comments and 208 Shares. One surprising comment came all the way from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was the male dancer in the photo who recognized himself in the piece and a day later the female dancer also commented. Something like this could only happen with the social media we have today making it truly a very small world.
How to Write an Artist's Bio
The Artist's Bio (February 2024 Albuquerque Fiber Art Council Newsletter)
A Bio is meant to be an introduction of you and your work. Most of the time it is written in the third person, as if someone is else is writing it about you. Start your bio by including who you are and what type of art you work in and possibly where you create this art (country, state and city). You will need to convey to your audience your "style". What makes you different from someone else working in the same medium.
Here are some prompts you might consider in writing additional information and making it interesting. Do you have education in the art you are making or are you self taught. If you have education in a different field, how does that influence your art. If you don't have formal education, what experience do you have. Are there past projects you can mention that give you credibility?
Think about events in your life that have lead you to create art. Those things will be interesting to readers. Have you moved to a different part of the world and your art reflects that, or do you have another hobby or life experience that has influenced your art and how? These things will help your audience relate to you and cause them to be curious about those influences in your art.
As with the artist statement mentioned last month, try not to be too wordy. Just hit the highlights of your education and career. Most people want to know why you create, what motivates you to create and how your art may be different from other's. Always end with where people can see your work and how they can contact you.
I hope this helps! Keep creating and writing those exciting Bios.
Happy Creating,
Michelle
How to Write an Artist Statement
The Artist Statement (January 2024 Albuquerque Fiber Arts Council Newsletter)
An artist statement is written to help the viewer understand your piece of art. I get it; it’s really hard to write about yourself. People who keep journals, I think, have less of a problem. Hopefully these prompts will help you write the perfect artist statement.
An artist statement is written in the first person (I…). Think about these things and maybe answer some of them in your artist statement. What inspired you to create this piece; was it color, a photo, a style or something happening in your life like visiting a particular place or friend? Why did you choose the particular color or colors? Was is because you love a particular color, or it reminds you of something like a moment or place in your life? What do you want to translate to the viewer; a feeling? How do you work? Are you structured or a little aloof, and does that come across in your art? Is there a particular technique used that you want the viewer to know about or that is unique to your work? Will this piece lead you into a particular direction in the future so that the viewer might want to see more of your work?
You will likely be writing a statement for every piece you create. Try not to be too wordy. I don't know about you, but if I see a lot of text I don't even bother to read it. I just don't have time. Make sure the first sentence draws a person in. If the viewer reads the first sentence and is interested, they will read the whole statement.
I hope this helps! Keep creating and writing those exciting artist statements!
Happy Creating,
Michelle
Organization
I write a newsletter for the Albuquerque Fiber Arts Council and thought I would post some of them here.
Organization July 2024
Organizing your creative space can be a challenge whether you have a large space or a shared space with another purpose. We all want to be able to access the materials we need for creating at a moments notice and then hope that by some miracle it will all get back in its place overnight.
That miracle never seems to happen for me and things tend to pile up until I finally can't stand it and I need to a major cleaning and reorganizing. It's a constant battle. Each time I reorganize is a little different than before, but never quite perfect. I have learned some things over the years which leads me to this question. Are you an "Inny" or an "Outty"; that is do you put everything out of sight or do you need to arrange things so that you can see what you have?
"Innies" always seem to others to have perfect organization almost to the point of walking into the room and not knowing that it is a creative space unless they are currently working on a project. Everything is neatly put away in cabinets and hidden containers. This method of organizing seems to work well in those rooms that also have another purpose like a guest room. The guest may never know you create in that space.
"Outties" on the other hand have things organized in containers on counters and clear containers in full view. Everything can be seen from any point in the room. One only needs to look up and spot the item waiting to be used. This method seems to be great for spontaneity. Everything is within reach and no time is waisted looking for an item neatly tucked away.
I find that I'm right in between these two methods of organizing. I'm an "Inny" at heart, loving the neat and clean look of everything put away, but I'm an "Outty" when it comes to actually working. I don't have time to dig things out, nor do I bother to put things back in their home while I'm in the creative groove. So while I'm creating I try to concentrate on creating and not worry about how disheveled the room is getting and when I can't stand the mess anymore, I pick it all up and put it away. I'm still waiting for that miracle of all those things getting back to their places on their own!
So are you and "Inny", an "Outty" or a combination like me? What ever you are, I hope you have fun creating!
Happy Organizing, (oops "Creating"),
Michelle
The Ultimate Sandwich Quilt
A student had seen this piece in my studio years ago and could find it on my website. I’m not sure it was ever there. Some things you just make for fun. I bought all the fixings for this sandwich and my son an I carefully constructed, photographed and then ate it. It’s still the best sandwich I have ever eaten! I wanted to sort of pixelate this on the left, like what happens when your satellite tv starts to go out and things start to separate into blocks of color.
Abandoned
Here it is finished. I was pleasantly surprised about how much fun it was. I love how it looks like a watercolor and ink, but on fabric! That’s fun! I wanted the quilting to leave texture and not draw your eye away from the Adobe.
I love these old adobes! There are many in New Mexico.
More Ink Tense
Could this be the start of some thing new? I really had no intention of this becoming anything. It was just something to do when my dogs were tired of being in the studio. They hang out with me during the day until they get bored and hungry around 4:30. I try and drag it out till 5:00 before calling a day in the studio and going into the house to feed them and make dinner. I grabbed a piece of fabric and started this one evening while waiting for dinner to cook and watching a movie. I never expected to even like it. LOL, but I was quite surprised at the results. Here it is in progress.
Finding A Name
It funny how the name came about for this one. I didn’t want to call it Cock a doodle do. I thought maybe Roost a doodle do, but I wasn’t sure about that. I started to type in Cock and must have hit something else and it came out because of spell check, Cocoa doodle do! That I decided, I like! Funny how those things happen! Anyway he is 38” by 47” from a copyright free photo.
My Modern Minimalist Jazz Quilt
Okay, so I’m really an art quilter or I prefer the term fiber artist, but this is my modern quilt. I was president of the Albuquerque Modern Quilt Guild 2020 and 2021 and will be again for 2023, so of course you can’t be president and not make a modern quilt or two.
Take Six named after Take Five. “Take Five" recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet remains the biggest-selling jazz single of all time. This is my minimalist quilt rendition of Jazz. This was one from many mini pieces I made in a 70 day challenge. This one measures 52” by 52”. I love Jazz!
#Jazz #jazzquilt #fiberart #modernquilt
Judging Quilts at the New Mexico State Fair 2022
I had the wonderful opportunity to judge 115 quilts and household items at the 2022 New Mexico State Fair. There were some beautiful pieces from some obviously talented people.
Winter, But It’s Not Winter Here At Least
Not the right time of year for this, but it’s a quilt for a call for 4 Common Corners. The call was Snow. Simple and understated. This one because it’s mostly white is all about the quilting. #saqaart #fiberart #artquilt #winter #snow #4commoncorners
Positive Feedback
It’s wonderful to receive feedback like this about my workshop and teaching style. This was from my workshop “7 Elements of Design”
I just want to tell you how much I enjoyed your class last week. I learned a lot. It was the first design class class that I've taken that made sense, not all theory. I shared it with my husband. I actually had him do the exercise with the tracing paper. Then we looked at "art" pictures in a book and identified some of the elements. I love your teaching style, so relaxed and fun.
KS
Thank you KS, It was a pleasure! Cheers to you and making beautiful art!