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| The Day's Ending 16 x 20" mixed fibers, fabric collage, stitching by Jo Reimer |
This year I'm determined to clear out more of the nooks and crannies of my home and pass the things I won't be using to others who might. I started with the shelves of fabric stored in my studio closet, and lo and behold I found two mostly half-done fiber pieces. I was inspired to see what I could do with them. I've always loved sunsets (and sunrises) and these held promise. So I finished them both and they're now ready to sell.
Working on these two pieces for a good part of the last two days reminded me once again why I've fallen in love with the immediacy of painting and collage. I could have done each of these works tons faster with a brush or glue pot. And my back wouldn't hurt as it does after hours at the sewing machine.
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| The Day's Ending 2 14 x 18" mixed fibers, fabric collage, stitching by Jo Reimer |
Oh believe me, I know how you feel!
ReplyDeleteThe last art quilting I did just about broke me in two. I miss stitching, but I sure don't miss the sore back and fingers!
These are lovely---the colors grand and so inviting!
XXOO~~
Anne
Since I gave up quilting I've had fewer sore backs but the fingers are gone, bent with arthritis so that I can't do much hand sewing any more. I miss that.
DeleteThanks for your kind words.
My goodness those are beautiful though I do believe you about the sewing, I'm very glad you salvaged them! I too tend to keep my goals loose, living with fibromyalgia made that a necessity :-)
ReplyDeletethanks, Bren. My husband likes the one without the sun best because he says the color often happens after the sun has set.
DeleteLoose goals simply work best for me. It helps to sit down first thing in the morning and state my intentions for the day based on how I feel and what the rest of my schedule looks like.
I can imagine how sore your back gets as mine aches terribly after too much wood carving but these two pieces were well worth finishing.
ReplyDeleteI think the sore back is common to all makers. We get involved with the work and forget to sit/stand up straight. I often come to consciousness after working for awhile and find that I'm hunched over my work. It takes a conscious effort to stop frequently and stretch.
DeleteHi Jo,
ReplyDeleteThese are so beautiful! I love your idea of loose goals... I work best when I'm not under too much pressure :)
Thanks Ruth. After writing the above post I decided that my 365 Word for 2013 will be "Intentional". Loosely intentional, that is.
ReplyDeleteHi Jo,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I stumbled across your work. I am a quilter but I want to change. I've collected other art materials over the years and think it is time to actually use them. How did you decide to give up quilting?
Margaret
I went from quilting back to clothing construction and design, starting a small pattern business which I got tired of and sold. For several years I had felt this desire to learn to paint, so I simply put away my sewing machine and took a drawing class and then many art workshops in areas that interested me. I had done lots of surface design on fabric and I simply applied that knowledge to paper.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at this fiber piece you'll recognize the machine applique as collage with fabric. That's what I do today, I make collages with paper that I've painted using many of the surface design techniques using glue instead of stitches.
You don't have to give up your first love of quilting. Simply fold up your fabrics and put them into big plastic containers and store them temporarily. Put your sewing machine away, as well as most of your sewing supplies. Keep your quilting things because you might want to resume quilting at a later date, and you can always have a big sale in a few years if you don't.
Don't think of it as turning your back on an old friend. It isn't about giving up quilting so much as it is giving yourself time to explore. Make small time committments to try one new thing at a time. First, learn to draw or refine your skills. Concentrate on composition, or color, or shapes. Do this for 3 months.
Then learn something else, using the supplies you've already accumulated and do just that for another 3 months. Keep at it until you find an area you really like and you've developed basic skills in that discipline such as drawing, watermedia, pastels, oil, collage, book arts, etc. You can always combine media... It's really fun to sew paper.
As a quilter you have so many skills already. Simply apply what you know to another area of art.
Thanks for this question. I think I'll write a blog post about this.
Thanks Jo. I think you nailed it for me. It does feel like abandoning an old friend, the comfort of strip piecing, the smell of ironed cotton etc.
ReplyDeleteI know I have skills I can transfer. It is my love of colour over fabric that is driving this desire. I will be taking your advice. I have to clean out my sewing supplies to have a guest room again for company coming in three weeks. I will use this time to explore.
I'm glad I could help you get started. This sounds like an opportune time for you. The main thing when you're changing media is to give yourself time to get used to the new materials. It'll feel awkward at first but push through that. It's sort of a research project that you're pursuing, answering a set of questions that will help you evaluate and come to a conclusion.
ReplyDeletePlease let me know how and what you're doing. Personal email is joreimer@ Comcast.net