Week 24 - in the Studio

I’ve been working hard for a great art show this past weekend, it was the first event to showcase two of my new series, Starting from Anywhere and Timeless Moments. It was exciting to plan the layout, make the show cards and get some great words together to talk about my work.

 

Then it happened, you know, the thing we’ve been living with for the last 2 1/2 years... not me, but in my household. Oh my, gosh darn, and several other expletives! There were a few tears shed, but I was offered Plan B. I was able to go early and hang my pieces, others volunteered to look after them...thank you dear friends! But it wasn’t the same....

 

So I’ve done a few other things this weekend, I worked in the garden, read a book and I started using a CMS or Content Management System to organize my ideas, plans and goals. It’s called Notion and the basic one (which I’m sure is enough) is free. And I’ve done a bit of research about dealing with disappointment... one source talked about 5 steps to work through it:

• Let It Out - don’t let it fester, feel it - ok I shed some tears

• Get Perspective - talk with your support network - ok, I dumped on my family

• Know Your Own Heart - My art and I were not being rejected

• Practise Self Acceptance - Like breath, disappointment comes and goes. So breathe into it and let it pass

• Don’t Let it Fester - Winston Churchill said it best: “success is the ability to go from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm”

 

I appreciated these stages, disappointment will come and go, and there is always another opportunity and I will regain my enthusiasm. But I also remember to acknowledge all this and make it part of me.

 

So I spent time looking at different e-commerce sites to put up my work and I have some plans for videos. I was also totally thrilled with a piece I made for the Silent Auction at the show - I’ve been mulling over some small works for my Industrial Shoreline series and it I think I totally nailed what I had in mind.

Sailing into Hope

The piece is about 6" x 18" and is my response to the theme "Resilience in the Time of Climate Change". The board behind is a piece from my husbands family farm in Manitoba, I used a hand dyed vintage linen napkin, some indigo dyed fabric and paper collage. In the artist statement I wrote that "strength and focus will be two of the important components to making change for the future"

Here are a couple of closeup views:

This morning I pulled more barn board out from our shed to work on more pieces...any suggestions for a title for this sub-series?

Colour It, Fuse It! - a NEW Online Workshop

I'll bet you are often wondering what else you can fling paint onto and create wonderful effects on your fabrics? Did you know that you can paint, stamp, glitterize (is that a word?) and generally add colour to fusible web and interfacing products? Yes, you can!

Isn't this gorgeous? Would you like to make something like this?

 All you need is a few fusible products.....

Some paints and tools.....

You can paint, splatter, sunprint and more.....

Make sunsets......

 

And seascapes.....

Would you like to learn more? Then check out my introductory video:

My online workshop is open for registration here: http://susanpm.com/online-workshops/

Join in the fun!

Mrs. Matisse Does Applique!

I've updated my workshop pages and have some great new ideas that I've love to share with you! I think they are all pretty exciting but I had so much fun designing this one, I thought I'd share it with you:

What if Henri's wife had great fabric and fusible web to play with?  Design a unique mosaic-style foundation with painted and dyed fabrics then cut out shapes for a still life or floral arrangement. Additional interest can be added with paintsticks, markers and coloured pencils. Explore the many design options possible with fused collage. Stitch and thread choices will be an important part of the day!

Check out other new ideas for your guild or group here: http://susanpm.com/category/workshops/ and here: http://susanpm.com/category/surface-design/

New Work - a little smaller this time!

I've been preparing for three shows this summer, the Sooke Fine Arts Show, the Bowker Creek Brush Up, and a Surface Design show at the Metchosin Art Gallery.....whew!
I've had fun making some small pieces with fabric and stitch to offer at a lower price point. I love the matting, they look so clean and neat! I think they're fun. You can buy some if you can't make it to any of my shows: http://fabricimagery.com/category/art/

Here they are:

New Work

I just put some of the last stitching into a piece that I'll be teaching at the Pacific West Quilt Show in Tacoma, WA in August. Check out www.apwq.org

In this 3 hour class, students will be painting a variety of fusible interfacings, webs and stabilizers, then foiling and stamping on them. We'll work on a small collage, ripping, cutting and layering our painted pieces to create a piece suitable for further embellishments.

Now I need help with a name of this one? Any suggestions?