Progress on 2013 Goals

It's hard to believe that we're almost at the middle of March... almost 1/4 of the year is done!  However, with that in mind today, I thought I should review and see how I'm doing on My Goals for the year.

"Best Friends" by Christina Fairley Erickson
Commercial and artist hand-painted cottons, machine applique, machine free-motion quilting

My first goal is to work on finding and defining my artistic voice.  I've outlined several steps to help myself with this.  First, is to work with Gail Harker, of the Gail Harker Center for the Creative Arts.  You might recall some of my previous posts about the fantastic exhibit, Complex Threads, which featured the work of students of Gail.  I'm set for this part of my goal, starting next week when I'll be taking her Experimental Hand Stitch 101 course. This course will complete my 100 level series classes, and I'll be continuing on the path starting in May with Studies in Design and Experimental Hand and Machine Stitch 201 which will meet approximately every 3 months through the end of 2014.  

"Best Friends" detail by Christina Fairley Erickson

Next, I decided to kick up my production to help with defining my artistic voice.  To do this, I've been making my weekly 5 x 7 Challenge piece.  So far, I'm keeping up with this (one week I didn't finish, but then did two in another week.)  I also wanted to do my small art quilt group's challenge every other month.  I've only got a couple weeks to go to finish this and I'm not sure that I'm going to make this one.  The theme of the current Fiber Funster Challenge is "Waiting."  while I have designed a piece, I haven't even started it in production.  Maybe I can get it going this weekend.

Finally, I planned to document my progress in my blog, which I've been doing.  This also has helped me with my second major goal, which is to ramp up my pictorial quilts.  I feel like I've made a lot of progress through the weekly production of 5 x 7 pieces, both with my technical skills and composition.  I do still need to start working on a plan for creating a body of work.  

My third goal has to do with studio organization.  Here I have made some progress, but not enough to be proud of... I am at least working in my studio almost daily, rather than my studio being such a disaster area that I end up pulling my work out into other areas of the house!

My next goals, opening an Etsy shop and working towards a solo show in 2015 are still in the thought process, although I have looked through Etsy and think I can stay on track to open by mid 2013.  Beyond that, I'm on track for completing my piece for the Salsa show (entry due in mid-April).  I haven't yet decided upon my second medium-to-large sized piece to create, although I may go back to my roots and make another horse-themed quilt.  I won a first place (and cash prize!) at an equine art-show two years ago and just received the call for entry for this coming summer. Alternatively, I may shoot for finishing one of my works in progress, such as my Waterfall quilt or Cathedral Visions.  

I'm scratching the final goal, completing a driftwood art sculpture in time to enter in the May show.  Although I love the driftwood art, I'm not having the time to do it as well as my main love, fiber.  

Well, I'm in a bit of overwhelm now, with all that I need to do.  Guess it's time to get back to sewing!

You might also be interested in:

Complex Threads 1

Complex Threads 2

Artistic Goals 2013

2013 Artist 
5 x 7 Challenge

"Opening" - The Fiber Funsters Group's Reveal 1

The Fiber Funsters, my small art quilt group, met this morning at my home for our monthly meeting. Our group decided last summer to start doing a challenge piece based on a particular word every-other month. Our first word was "Opening" and we shared these pieces with each other in November.     Today I was able to photograph most of our pieces to share here!  

"Convento Santa Catalina" by Carolyn
Hitter

The first piece to the left, "Convento Santa Catalina" was made from a photograph that Carolyn took at a convent in Arcquipa, Peru.  Carolyn's technique includes the use of tulle to create the shading and shadows.  She built up separate parts of the landscape and then put the different elements together, doing a majority of the stitchwork before backing the piece and keeping the quilting minimal.

Opening by Rebecca Simmons

Next, Rebecca also chose an opening flower (as did I.)  Rebecca made her piece using Tsukineko inks, basically painting both the flower and background.  She uses heavy stitch to accent the petals edges and veins.  The center of her flower has Angelina fiber and beading.

"Opening" by Debbie Hiatt

Debbie's piece is abstract, using up "leftovers" - scraps of silks most of us would love to have!  She highlights the "opening" in her piece with hand embroidery stitches, while the curved machine quilting echos the shape of the opening.

"Australia Rock" by Sally Simmons

"Australia Rock" in Narooma, Australia has a natural opening that Sally remembers vividly from her trip there. She used one of her photos to complete this piece, adding shading with tulle and very realistic looking greenery with threadwork.

Charo Lopez's "Open to Love"

What would this theme be without a piece that really opens?  Charo's heart stays closed with a bit of velcro, but you can also open it to see what is inside... the great loves of her life, her pets.  She says that Devon, the black cat, is her only pet at this point, but the others are waiting for her in heaven.  Charo used a template of hearts with glitter, paint, and rhinestones at different places over the piece, as well as lots of buttons (surrounding the main red heart both outside and inside, giving a real depth to the piece, and little heart buttons interspersed on the front.)  She printed photos on fabric of two of her animal loves, as well as having different charms to represent some of her pets.

"Open to Love" by Charo Lopez with heart opened

Close up of the inside of Charo's heart

Marylee designed this cute piece with "openings".  The little round balls seem to be rolling down the planks and through the openings like a pinball or pachinko machine, only to end up being gobbled up by a "Pack-man" shaped object.  Guess this dates me that I know pinball, pachinko and packman, huh?

"Opening" by Christina Fairley Erickson

I've shown the piece I made called "Opening" previously on this blog.  It is all machine embroidered.




While some of our newest pieces are still works in progress, I'll share them soon!

Thanks for all the inspirational projects at Seven-Alive! and Sincerely, Paula.


You might also be interested in:

The Fiber Funster's 
10 x 16 Group Challenge

Designing for a Theme

Designing for a Theme 
- Innovation Part 1