Welcome to my blog!
Welcome to my blog, where I will discuss books I am reading, music I am listening to, and anything else that influences my art!
Once a librarian, always a librarian. As such, I like to be inspired by the library and all of the wonderful books and possibilities and discoveries yet to be made by serendipity on the shelf or in the catalog… and I like to bring library books to my classes for project ideas and inspiration!
In bringing library books with me to class, I know that everyone will have access to them. Right now, I’m into books about quilting. I have no idea why this spoke to me, but instead of questioning why I’m into quilting, I’m just going fully into it. Actually, I think I know why I got into these quilting books: because I was doing a project on mandalas, and when I searched the library catalog for mandalas, quilting books came up…I think. I may just be imagining how this happened, but it doesn’t actually matter how or why it happened, only that it did.
One of the books I have checked out is “Minimal Quiltmaking” by Gwen Marston. This book is fabulous because it talks about process, and I love process. To me, the process of making art is just as, if not more important, than the finished product. The process is where all of the joy, pain, struggle, and emotion lies. The author came up with a concept that she dubbed “Liberated Quiltmaking,” (what a great phrase!) which I absolutely love and which she wrote several books about, if you’re interested in learning more. I will do my best to sum up her process without reducing it. From my limited understanding, I can say that “Liberated Quiltmaking” is about beginning on a project by working intuitively before figuring out what the finished piece will look like, and letting the process lead the artist to the outcome. In this particular book, the author showcases minimalist quilts by herself and others which are informed by abstract art as well as the Amish tradition of quiltmaking, which is quite striking in its similarity to abstract art, as Gwen points out in her introduction.
Another book I have out from the library about quilting is “Foolproof Art Quilting” by Katie Fowler. When I opened this book, I came to a page with quotes from Alice in Wonderland, which, confession, I have never actually read. (I know!) Time to check that out from the library next. I love the quote Katie shares, which is from a conversation between the White Queen and Alice. The White Queen tells Alice, “Why sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Who would think that this quote would be found in a quilting book, and what a wonderful and needed surprise indeed. This book has an amazing section about creativity and what gets in our way as we try to create – mainly ourselves. I was so happy to find such powerful writing about creativity in such an unexpected place. Thank you, Katie Fowler, for your beautiful work and insightful writing. I really enjoyed the “prayer flag” size fabric pieces, and I agree with both Gwen and Katie that working small can be a great way to free ourselves up to experiment and try something different without investing a lot of time, money, planning, or general artistic angst!
