Time to Create More Art

For the past five years I have been attending monthly creative sessions at a small business in Hamilton, Montana called In Good Company. This business is comprised of four women fiber artists who began their business making and selling hand-dyed fabric and silk ribbon. Then they began offering monthly "TARTS" classes---short for textile arts. Each month we get a small packet of supplies and materials for completing a surface design project of some sort. We take it home, play with it, make something, and bring it the next month to "show and tell" and talk about what we liked and didn't like about the products, process, results, etc.

Not only are these classes educational and the packets creatively stimulating, the gathering of like minded individuals has been an invaluable experience. The shop also sells many of the products, supplies, and literature related to the techniques we experiment with.

Today we were told that these women are planning to end this creative union as of this coming June. Although not totally surprised, I was disappointed. I have used these classes as way to jump start my creativity, expand my knowledge, and try out products and techniques that I might not have attempted on my own without some sort of guidance and having sometimes unique products provided to me in small "trial" size quantities.

I totally understand the decision In Good Company has made and wish them all the best in whatever they do with their creative lives, but we will miss them as an entity and a driving force for art quilting in the Bitterroot/Missoula area.

It is their hope, and mine, that some sort of art quilting activities, interaction, and mutual support will continue to happen in this area whether it be formal (as in a guild or some such thing) or informal. They have nurtured enough fiber artists that there is a strong contingency of us in the area and most are enthusiastic about the medium enough to support something---we just aren't quite sure what yet!

I'd like to see us be able to bring in some national and regional level teachers, have local workshops and "play days", maybe retreats, and possibly continue having a show as In Good Company has done for the past five years.

I'm not sure how this will effect my productivity or my creative energy. I do have my art discussion group which I love, but I have enjoyed the varied levels, styles, and energy of the members of Tarts over the years. Hopefully I will continue to experiment with surface design and play with new and different techniques and products on my own using them to expand my knowledge and continue to have new ideas and work that is fresh and creative.

I will enjoy the next few months and savor the good things I get from Tarts and In Good Company. In July I will find out how well I can do on my own and see if I can keep motivated creatively every month without a new technique or design idea from Tarts to spur me on.

Thank you Jamie, Sue Anne, Susan and Sue for everything you have shared with us. You are inspiring, motivating, supportive, and set an example we are all proud to try to live up to. I hope you are all able to enjoy your freedom from the business end of things and create more art.

Create more art.

Goals for the New Year

Today I submitted two show entries so now I currently have 5 shows that I have submitted entries to and am waiting to hear about. I start getting very anxious a week before the stated notification date and start watching for mail or e-mail from the shows. I know that most of them wait until that date and sometimes even later, but I still am ever hopeful that a big fat envelope will show up in my mailbox a week early!

Keeping track of what pieces have been submitted to shows for jurying or have been accepted and are thus committed to shows is very complicated. I have to pay attention to the dates they want the pieces to be shipped to them and how long before they will be returned, as well as how long the jurying and notification process will take. Some shows have a quick 2-3 week turnaround (thank you Mancuso's!) and other shows take several agonizing months to let you know your fate. My husband is attempting to create a database for me that might help with some of the confusion of what is going where and when.

I have to say I really enjoy the process and that might be partly because I have a pretty good success rate of getting into shows. I haven't yet made it into any of the prestigious art quilt venues, but I keep trying and am ever hopeful. I have been in two AQS shows and as I mentioned last post will be sending one to AQS Lancaster this year. I've been in quilt and art quilt shows all around the country and one mixed media show. I have had very good luck regionally getting into galleries and selling my work. I guess if I had gotten more rejections I might not find the process so rewarding! I get anxious as the notification date gets close and then it distracts me from getting other things done. I'm waiting for one tomorrow and then one on Friday and it is definitely preoccupying my mind.

One thing I have learned is that you never know who might see your work in these various venues and what opportunities might arise from that. I sold a large piece as a result of having it in a show in Lowell, Massachusetts, and there is a magazine publisher who has noticed my work after having seen it in a machine quilting show and that has provided me with a recent opportunity.

My goal for the last three years has been to get my work out there and get a name for myself in the art/quilt world by entering shows and trying to win some awards. I have won several awards in major shows and have sent my work all over the country. I feel that I have been successful in this goal and this year I need to set a new direction for my efforts. I have not won a top award at a show yet and I have not had a quilt in Houston or Paducah (size matters here---they want larger pieces than I usually make!). I'd like to submit some articles to magazines and see if I can get published. I'd like to make enough money with my art to get myself a nice printer, a nice lighting set-up for photographing my work, and attend one of the shows where my work is being shown.

I have never been one to formally set goals, but after a few of years of having a pretty good clarity about what I wanted to do, now I feel like I need to redirect my efforts. Wish me luck!

Here are some more pictures of recent work:

"Nothing Lasts Forever" - Tan sections are made from layers of glue-fused tissue paper (Kleenex!) that is painted. I stitched the paper pieces to brown felt before layering them onto the quilt.

This next piece was in my September show at The Artist's Shop. It is not my favorite piece as I feel it is rather unsuccessful, but I had people tell me it was their favorite. One woman did not understand why the price on this piece was lower than on another that appeared to have taken much less work. That's because I tend to include the level of success and sale-ability (is that a word?) a piece has when I price it. Definitely a subject part of the pricing process, but I feel it is legitimate. This piece is called "Nature's Window". I just kept doing things to it to try to make it better and as a result it is overdone and not cohesive. Someone will like it (as I said, some do!), and it will be a bargain for them!

I showed the full view of this piece, "A Hoop That Never Ends", in a previous post, but I thought this detail showed the embellishments that make this piece interesting. The hand stitching on this piece took a great deal of time.

Now to get working on those goals!

Ornaments and New Works

I spent about a month before the holidays making small quilted and beaded artworks with hangers that I call “ornaments” but most of them are too large to actually hang on a Christmas tree. I layer fabric with heavyweight stablizer like Timtex and use a gluestick to secure them. I quilt them, satin stitch or couch yarn around the edges, then embellish them with beads, yarn, etc. They are rather time-consuming to create and I don't really make much on them for the materials and time put into them, but people do buy them and seem to enjoy hanging them year round. Some of them are still hanging in River's Mist Gallery in Stevensville and in The Artist's Shop in Missoula. The prices on them range from $22 to $30. Here are some more:

Here are a couple of pieces that I made this fall. The first one was a project using pearl cotton and embroidery floss to make buttonhole stitches around circular objects like washers, plastic loops, pony beads, and whatever else you might find. I suspended them from the top of the quilt and called it “A Hoop That Never Ends” which is from a song in the Disney movie, Pocahontas and I believe refers to the circle of life.

The piece below, "Fade to Dark", started with the ombre fabric that fades from light orange/red to almost black. I love the textures and lines of this piece and I feel that the quilting was rather successful. This piece really glows when it is hanging on the wall. It has been in two galleries and the lighting really made it stand out. There is quite a bit of stamping using Lumiere fabric paint and a stamp I made myself. The beads are mostly dyed bone, but there is also a stone donut in the top left corner with a cascade of fiber strands dangling from it. The red strips in the area of criss-cross strips is a faux suede. I used a double flange around the inside of the binding which I think is quite effective for the piece. I have been using a lot of flanges, which are actually just unfilled piping, around the edges of my pieces. They are easy to do and add another shot of color to the "frame".


I found out yesterday that my piece, “Tapestry Strutting”  (see my August 26, 2011 post for a picture) will be shown at the AQS Lancaster quilt show. They chose 202 quilts for the judged show and they have $44,000 in prize money. They are expecting at least 20,000 people so it is good exposure for my work. I was very happy to get that "fat" envelope in the mail. I thought it was somewhat of a risk to choose this piece because it is so different, but I think the color and the quilting are very effective. I have enjoyed living with it on my walls at home. Wish me luck---I'd love to get published in American Quilter magazine with all the winners again! [“Red Sky” won 3rd place at AQS Des Moines a couple of years ago so it was in the magazine]

Birthday Treats and Halloween Sewing

I made cake pops to take to my son's class for his 9th birthday. I had never made them before but we had tasted them and both liked them so I gave it a try. Rather messy mixing and shaping, but they turned out really cute. It is my own design. Some of the kids thought they were "angry birds" which I had never heard of so that isn't what they were intended to be. I told them they were "friendly" birds. The tail and beak are candy corns and the eyes were premade sugar candy eyes. The kids were almost afraid to eat them and some wanted to take them home to show their moms. They all ended up eating them though and they were very well liked.

Once again a costume was required for the now 9-year old son. My usual MO is to search the house for items that can be "adapted" instead of starting from scratch for a costume. This year I laid eyes on the long stuffed tube I had made for my son a number of years ago to wrap into a coil and sit in or lean against. I quickly stitched up a head and tail to stuff and attach to the ends of the already made stuffed tube. I put eyes and a forked tongue (maybe not truly python-like, but a hit with the 9-year old) on it and made a python. I attached the head part to an old adult size t-shirt so it would be positioned over his shoulder and I wouldn't have to pin it every time he put it on. We wrapped the body around him and strapped coils up by wrapping them with ties that went over his shoulders. I put a "safari" hat on him and a pair of toy binoculars and he was transformed into a National Geographic explorer having a bad day! The costume was a hit! It did require a number of gyrations for both of us to get it off and on him each time, but once he had it on there didn't seem to be any problems for him and actually in the trick-or-treating crowds it acted as a sort of bumper protecting him from harm!!

Although I spend a lot of time making sure my art pieces are well made and sturdy, when I make a costume I use large stitches and safety pins, and I don't worry much about raw edges and other imperfections. It is only for a couple of days of wear so for me comfort is the key requirement, not quality. A good idea creatively executed that the kid will wear without complaint is a success!
Here I am helping him put it on at his class party:

And here he is with the complete outfit:

We went to a neighborhood where there must have been hundreds of kids trick-or-treating because most of the houses decorate and prepare for the masses (although we were late getting started and many ran out before we got there and had their lights off already!). One house we went to told my son that his was the best costume she had seen all night and had to bring her son to the door to show him. He had lots of other comments about his costume which wasn't surprising since the crowds are full of ninjas and witches and other purchased costumes so anything homemade is unique. Another successful Halloween and a happy 9-year old trick-or-treater!

Hunting Season

"Geometric Forest" - From a recent TARTs kit that involved using rayon thread to create design features. Not my usual color palette or design style, but I like it. Information on TARTs projects and lessons can be found on In Good Company's blog--see my list of links.

Opening day of rifle hunting season is tomorrow (Saturday). That means the boys are off doing their thing and I'm home doing mine. Plenty of time to work on my art and not worry about meals, dishes, housework and that kind of creativity squelching stuff! And I can turn the heat up when I want to!

I'm currently working on a piece using one of my recently created soy wax batik fabrics along with some hand-dyed fabrics and batiks. The colorway is pink to dark red with some gold and a touch of blue. With the rainy days we've had I haven't been inspired to take any pictures because the lighting is so dim, but I will get some on here soon!

The soy wax batik class I took last month was very fun and I came out with some wonderful fabrics to use in my work. I tried to get a nice variety and think I succeeded. I think they are all usable and will add a lot to my work. Thanks goes to the women of In Good Company of Hamilton, Montana for holding this class and providing the myriad of colors of fabric paint and piles of mark-making tools! I would not do this at home because of the space it takes and mess it makes so I was happy to get to take the class and not worry about that.

Just got back my three quilts from MQX (Machine Quilting Exposition) West and found out that I received a Faculty Award from Linda McQuean which was unexpected. Each teacher at the show is allowed to pick a quilt they like and give it a ribbon without having to justify their choice. I think that means my work isn't technically as perfect as it could be but it has artistic appeal! The quilt, "Blackberries and Dandelions" has a lot of fans here locally and has received a few other accolades for its artistic appeal. I'll have to work on that technical part though....

I did not get into Artquilt Elements, again. I have attempted to enter this show for several years now and have never gotten in. It is highly competitive and I'm not sure my work fits in with what they tend to include in their show. It would have been a particular honor this year since the SAQA/SDA joint conference is at the same time and nearby location from the show. OH well, maybe next year...

Back to sewing. Need to get the binding and then beading done on this pink piece I'm working on!

For Sale, For Show, SOLD!

Since the last post was so WORDY, I thought I'd give you some pictures! The first one is currently getting ready for judging at Machine Quilting Exposition (MQX) - West in Portland, Oregon. It is called "Go Where It Takes You" and is 18"w x 21"h and priced at $280.00. It was created for a challenge requiring us to use the grey/blue oriental fabric and the white background fabric (which actually has a touch of light purple but very subtle).

Next is a little piece I made a while back that has not sold but is definitely worthy. My local gallery, River's Mist, is hanging this months show tomorrow and if she isn't able to fit this piece in, I will likely take it to The Artist's Shop or Art City. Price is $85.00 and the piece is 8"x14". It is called simply, "Abstract Triangles".
This last one is called "Oxygen" because that is what it told me to call it! It has fabric leaves hanging from bead dangles and is one of my favorite little pieces. It is only 8-1/2"w x 25"h but has nice impact because of the light background and great color--and leaves of course! The fabric that inspired the piece was from Selvedge Studio in Missoula, Montana. Not the first time one of their fabrics has inspired something for me! Price is $110.00, but this piece just sold at The Artist's Shop bringing my total number of pieces sold in my solo show there to 8 (as of Saturday)!

Have been busy with show entries, son's birthday, and such, so anxious to get back into the studio so I can show you something new!

By the way, the piece I blogged about recently that I made for the Trout Unlimited fundraising auction sold for a disappointing $100.00. They started bidding at $25 which was rather low in my view as I had valued the piece at $450.00 and if I had put it in a gallery likely would have put a price over $500.00 on it. But, hopefully whoever got the piece will enjoy it and appreciate it. It is a lovely inspired piece. Wish I could have enjoyed it myself a little longer!

Final Days of Solo Exhibition, Other Venues

My solo exhibition at The Artist's Shop in Missoula, Montana will be taken down on Wednesday this week (October 5). I have now sold 7 pieces there and am very happy with the success of the show. It has been well received and I've had lots of wonderful comments about my work. Please stop in and see the show if you are in Missoula--and sign my guestbook!

I do not have any other shows booked in the area until next spring. In February I will participate in the annual fiber art show in Hamilton, "An Affair of the heART" sponsored by In Good Company. There are many fiber artists in the Missoula/Bitterroot area that participate in this and it is always a wonderful show.

I will be curating a show in Stevensville, Montana (River's Mist Gallery) in April, 2012, that will focus on fiber of different types including clothing, weaving, quilting, and whatever else I might find in the next few months to feature in the show. I haven't worked out the parameters of this show yet but I am currently keeping an eye out for artists to include in the mix.

I have a solo exhibition booked at Montana Art and Framing in Missoula for May, 2012. I'm hoping to have another show in Hamilton and am waiting for a gallery there to get back to me to finalize this. I'll keep you posted...

Remember, you can always find my work at The Artist's Shop in Missoula, Art City in Hamilton, and River's Mist in Stevensville. I will be giving a lecture/trunk show at the Missoula Quilt Guild at their November meeting. I am no longer showing at Madison Creek Furnishings. For details on the galleries please visit my website: http://www.heidizielinski.com/CurrentVenues.html

I just sent three pieces to Portland for the juried Machine Quilting Exposition West. If you are going to Houston for Quilt Festival look for my piece, "Glorious Leaves" in the SAQA Sense of Adventure special exhibit, which will also travel to the other IQF shows and to the Gerald Ford Museum.

As always I am waiting to hear from a couple of shows as to whether my work has been accepted or not and I am getting ready to fill out a couple more show entries. It is never ending! Hopefully one of my pieces will be in a venue near you sometime soon!

Thanks for visiting my blog. Let me know if you see my work at one of these venues and what you think of it. I can take it!! Also, if you would like to receive notification of my upcoming shows, please e-mail me your snail mail and/or e-mail addresses and I'll send you a postcard or e-mail you the info. (heidi@heidizielinski.com)