Art+Quilt: Quilter Beth - actual texture

Is it acceptable to call someone that is working through my book a "student" even if I haven't had the privilege of meeting her in the classroom? I sincerely hope so because Quilter Beth is doing some absolutely beautiful work and I'm so glad she's sharing her it with the world.

These are her ACTUAL TEXTURE exercises from chapter two in Art + Quilt in which one creates a composition with neutral colored fabrics with as many different textures as possible. It is an exploration in moving outside of the box - getting away from our comfortable quilter's cottons. Seeing new possibilities in our materials as well as in our own artistic sensibilities. 

Beth says, "Since I come from a traditional quilting background, I have seldom used fabrics other than smooth cottons in my pieces. I found myself really enjoying the feel of these various textures. I also liked "pushing" myself to come up with ways to add texture through embellishments. I think the multiple textures (and the play of light off these textures) make the pieces much more interesting."

Please click on these pictures to take a closer look at the fascinating materials she's used. There are rubber drawer liners and straw hat brims. Her compositions are well balanced and thoughtfully done. She's given each of her materials thought and care. What beautiful pieces.

And the Winners Are....

You are a lovely and creative readership. You are both talented and clever. The people I admire the most are generous and open and sharing. I truly believe that whatever you put out into the world will surely come back to you and often magnified beyond what you hoped for. I wish for many wonderful things to come your way. I wish for you to be full of ideas and creativity and joy. Thank you so much to everyone who commented and contributed. 

Now - 

Drumroll please....

The winner of a set of cards - well. Actually. I decided not to choose just one. 

From the two posts with comments I used a random number generator and am awarding a set of cards to Rosemary of http://www.artrageousquilter.blogspot.com and one to Lori (comment number three on "Name That Newsletter." Again, thank you so much for all of your wonderful ideas.

And the name of my newsletter? I had SUCH a hard time choosing. 

Congratulations and many thanks to KATHY ANGEL LEE!

There were so many wonderful choices. As is often the case with me - I make lists, analyze, try to thing rationally, then end up going with the only thing that manages not to slip out through the sieve of my ever-leaking memory. After poring over the list for a couple of days, I keep waking up with the word LYRICISMS on the brain. So I looked it up and well, the definition says it all.

lyr·i·cism  (lr-szm)

n.

1.a. The character or quality of subjectivity and sensuality of expression, especially in the arts.

   b. The quality or state of being melodious; melodiousness.

2. An intense outpouring of exuberant emotion.

Of course, now - there is now the pressure to be melodious and intensely exuberant. I have those moments but need to be a better editor for my writing to be continually melodious and it gets tiring to be intense all the time. Ah well. Who can help but wax melodic when sharing the joy of creativity and who can help but to be exuberant when the sharing of art is so much fun!?

Could each of you contact me with your mailing address?

lyric ( at ) pobox.com.

Name That Newsletter - Whadyathink?

I absolutely LOVE hearing from you all. I knew you were smart and clever and would come up with some wonderful ideas. Thank you so much for your comments and keep them coming!

One friend suggested that it would be good for me to develop a consistent "brand." In other words my website, blog, etsy shop, and newsletter should all be recognizable as being from the same person. That makes sense to me. My official business name is "Lyric Art" so if you have anything that incorporates that I'd love to hear it!

Here are your suggestions thus far in no particular order. I've starred the ones I'm leaning towards but I'd love to hear more before I make a decision. Since you all have been so wonderful I'm going to add a second prize, a boxed set of six note cards. I'll have one of the kids pull a random number from a hat for that one. So keep the suggestions coming! If you have another idea go ahead and let me know! Winners will be posted Friday morning!

Lyrical Letters*

Lyrical Notes

Lyric's Lyrics

Waxing Lyrical

Lines from Lyric

Lyrically Speaking*

Lyric says enter here

Lyric's Headlines and Deadlines

Notes From Below the Surface

The Stitching on the Wall

Poetry in Motion

Lyric's Playground

Lessons from Lyric

Notes and News from Lyric

Lyricisms*

Noteworthy Lyrics*

Words by Lyric

Lyrical Moments*

Learn with Lyric

Name That Newsletter - Whadyathink?

(but first)

!!!THIS JUST IN!!!

Soar III has been juried in to ARTQUILTSillumiations, the 11th international art quilt show presented by the Professional Art Quilters Alliance - South. The show opens at the Durham Performing Arts Center March 26th and runs through the end of May, 2010.

All right now. I know you are all talented people. I need your help. I'm trying to be better about sending out my newsletter on a more regular basis. As in... more than twice per year. Ideally, every month. Yes, I am eternally optimistic. The newsletter includes notes on when and where I'm teaching, and updated lists of shows for quilt artists to enter. Feel free to send me an Email if you wish to receive the newsletter.

I'm the worst ever at naming things (my artwork would all just be numbered if I thought I could get away with it) and I know you all are very clever. Leave a comment with your idea for a name for the newsletter.

The creator of the winning name will receive a copy of my DVD, "Surface Design Sampler Platter." I'll post the finalists on Wednesday and the winner on Friday. Don't forget to leave me some way to contact you.

Believe

We all have insecurities. Not all of us have been blessed with encouraging parents and teachers and mentors. I've been blessed with all three and still struggle with self-doubt now and then.

I can't help but compare myself with artists I admire and wonder if I'll ever achieve the success they enjoy. I have to stop, turn around, step up on my soapbox and give myself the very lecture I give to everyone else. (Yes, I am an oldest child and have no trouble being bossy. I've worked very hard to develop a very gentle and encouraging manner - but it still comes out bossy.)

I say to myself, "Lyric, you can't compare yourself to anyone else. Sure, you haven't made more than a handful of pieces in the past umpteen years but you HAVE accomplished other things. You wrote a book for goodness sakes! That's something. None of your children are in jail! That's something too. (Of course, they have quite a way to go yet so you still need to keep your eye on the kids.) The book's done now so if you would just get off the computer you could get some artwork done. Not as much as (insert name here) but a few pieces would be nice. Those amazing artists who produce a painting a day or a quilt every week are not driving back and forth to preschool and hockey and lessons and rehearsals and scouts and meetings and school and ...... Well. You get the idea. There is a time and a season for everything. Be happy with now. Run any faster and you'll fall over and that wouldn't be a pretty sight!!!" That's what I says to myself says I!

I believe that there is a time for everything. Seasons and all that lovely poetic stuff. It's really true.

If your struggle is that you think it's not good enough maybe your little lecture should be about giving yourself time and permission to learn. It's the old Carnegie Hall schtick. Practice, practice, practice. Too many of us (especially coming from the traditional quilt world) think that if we aren't close to perfect right away then we are no good at a thing. It takes time to learn and grow.

If your struggle is that it might not turn out the way you wanted it to, perhaps your lecture should be about how every "failure" brings you one step closer to success. I don't have failures any more. I have many, many "learning opportunities" and quite a few "happy accidents." Each is valuable. Figure out how to let go some of the control and let things be.

This is where my kids would roll their eyes and say, "mom, you're lecturing again." It's O.K. I'll stop. But just one more thing. Tell yourself something often enough and you'll believe it. Doesn't matter whether the something is negative or positive. So take a deep breath, and choose to BELIEVE that you can do it. You will succeed.

Student Spotlight and Inner Critics

I love my students. They are why I teach. They inspire me and invigorate me and remind me why I spend so much time ordering supplies and schlepping them around. I've said it before and I'll say it again - you can't pay me enough for all the packing and schlepping. But once the students show up I have to pinch myself because I can't believe I'm getting paid to have this much fun!

LauraLea has taken both of my on-line classes through Quiltuniversity.com and always blows my mind with both her productivity and the beauty of her work. The piece above is a heliographic print. Sun, fabric, ferns, paint - recipe for fun!

LauraLea has used both a torn freezer paper stencil and a meticulously cut plastic stencil for this beauty. She painted it over a spray bottle piece that didn't turn out to her satisfaction. That's one of the things I like so much about surface design. If you don't like what happens the first time you play with the cloth, just do something else to it.

Here is another look at her stencil - a goddess tree. I think the repeated swirls are a stamp she carved.

And finally, some Shiva paint stick rubbings. Aren't they exquisite? Such beautiful textures she found around her home. Way to go LauraLea!

Why don't you all leave a comment and tell her what amazing work she does? Especially because she always seemed to have just a little bit of fear holding her back. She would worry, worry, worry - and then show up with these beauties. I know she's not the only one who has a little inner critic that needs to be shut away in a closet somewhere. She struggled and managed to lock that nasty critter away for a while. Good for her!!!

All of these examples are from Playing With Paint, which begins again next Friday the 19th.

How do you silence your inner critic? How does fear hold you back and how can you overcome it? I'll ramble a bit more about overcoming our fears in the next post. Until then, enjoy these beauties.

Over there - and over here

There is a wonderful little group of artists who maintain a site titled "3 Creative Studios". Sue Bleiweiss, Terri Stegmiller, and Vicki Welsch - three lovely and very talented ladies. Their site is full of free projects, on-line classes, shopping, and a block of the month.

In conjunction with their block of the month for January they are giving away a package that includes my book, hand dyed fabrics, mistyfuse, a hand knit clutch, and art print, and several other textile related goodies. We're talking serious yumminess here people!!!

Pop on over there, put together their block, and enter their challenge!

You have until the 15th.

Over here I'm gearing up to open my next on-line class "Playing With Paint" through Quilt University. Here's a little snippet of what is in store there. This is a clip from my Surface design Sampler Platter DVD. Same technique but we'll get more in depth during the on-line class. That and you have weeks to interact with the other students and I. Class starts Feb 19th although I think you can register for it up through the 24th. There is extra time after all four lessons open to catch up if you need to.