Quilt Top Finished

I got this far today on the Baby Greens. 

I still need to finish quilting the bird quilt.  I am 3/4 finished and finally got the tension issues sorted out.  I think it was the bobbin.  It must have wound weird or something.  Why I didn't think of that sooner.  It would have saved me a lot of grief.

 Tomorrow I am going to a Cambodian Art Fair downtown.  I saw a write up in the paper a couple of weeks ago and reached out to them, thinking it might be something interesting to see.

Maybe to have.  We had a lot of original art and my neighbor had a lot of Asian and Chinese art in her house. 

McGee - Alive, but in hiding

The Cambodian Fair happens twice a month so if it is good we might make it something fun to do.

Downtown offers a lot of interesting things.  Like breakfast, those fabulous beignets........calories!

Yesterday Carrie and I went shopping for some clothes.  I have lost enough weight that most of my clothes no longer fit me.  Even the ones I bought after the flood seem  to hang on me now.  That is a good thing.  But I needed a few things that fit me better.  (so in compromise, today I ate a donut and a hamburger.)

I started another month of Performance Classes and these are Core Body work outs.  My shoulders and butt muscles are killing me from the Friday class!  But I can tell you that I was able to hold a plank position for one minute while using one hand to shake a rope back and forth 20 times!

Super Woman!

It wasn't pretty, form wise.  But that will get stronger as the month goes on.

Gotta start somewhere!

The Earth Wiithout Art

I saw one of those sayings that I loved!  I wonder how people see these things that are right in front of us but most of us don't notice?

The Earth Without Art is just EH.

Certainly not my original thought but I love it.    And I agree with the sentiment!

I am in several art groups, I design fiber art, I design quilts, I bead, I dye stuff........none of which I do perfectly, but I love doing it all!

Celebrate ART!

The questioning artist

All artists ask the same questions -- do I do good work? Is my art something others like? Do I like my work? How can I improve? Could I have done more on this piece? Should I have done less?

Artist Stefen Baumann (Isn't he a hunk?) says all artists are ultimately skeptics asking -- do I have talent? Does my art have feeling or meaning?

He offers that these skeptical conversations create barriers between who we are and what we are capable of creating. Artists often allow these barriers to affect their confidence in their art.  We are generally our own worst critics.  Family and friends will often fall in two separate camps, those wanting to please and only saying nice things or those who just don't feel comfortable with our work and may be critical just because.  My husband is one of those latter critics.

When the answers in our own minds are negative nothing will convince us that our piece is good. Then it is time to let that piece cool. I can tell you that I have a lot of pieces "cooling" .

The aspect of questioning our talent and work doesn't need to be negative. But you knew that! How do we get there though when we, and most likely others as well, have offered negative thoughts about our work and undermined that confidence we need to have. I am part of a cybergroup who have made it clear they don't consider art quilts as quilts. When I began to experiment with that venue, it was quite a blow to see those comments written about my work.

Joining an artist's guild, outside our regular quilt guild, may be the answer. Some groups offer a contemporary slant that may be more compatible with your ultimate vision. Or one where members experiment with techniques or materials. I like being part of a fiber group where there are many varied types of art being done. The artists there tend to be less critical of "different" because they are doing "different" themselves. When visiting or joining such a group it is, of course, important to see the differences in the work of others as a joyous and exciting thing, not a negative statement of your own style and body of work.  The internet offers a lot of opportunities for experimentation.  Or form your own!  If you are looking and wondering you know there are others out there too.  Put a notice in your guild's bulletin.  Generate interest from two others and you have a group!

Set some times to meet over coffee or lunch and discuss where you want to go with your art.  What do you want to try that you just need some friends to stand beside you and give you a push?  Perhaps some fellow artists who want to step out of the "normal" state of quilting and need the synergy of others to fly beyond traditional boundaries.

So, what about you? Are you questioning your talent negatively? Do you join in with others who have different styles and openly receive their work?  Do you wish you had such a group to play with?

glen