Doing the Work
Here I am in the studio this morning. Sewing. Standing up.
It’s not that standing while sewing is all that unusual or a bad idea. If you get tired and shoulder-achey while sewing it can provide relief.
But I’m sewing standing up because this piece is big, and heavy, and hard to handle, and the tree I added is toward the middle of the piece where it’s a stretch to reach. This is hard work both for me and my little sewing machine, and quite a slog.
I am not complaining. I choose my materials and my working methods and I could have chosen to work some other way. But, well, you’ve got to make work in a way that interests you and that’s pleasing. It’s not about being logical.
I have great admiration for textile artists who create beautiful and sensitive small works, often including hand sewing. They can be just lovely. But it’s not who I am. I like to work big. And I like to collage.
So, sometimes, at least part of the creation process is just – work. It’s stuff I have to do to get to the end, or to get to other creative parts I enjoy more.
Artmaking is a wonderful mix of experiences. There’s the emotional longing to create. There’s the inspiration of putting an idea onto paper in a sketch book. There’s the challenge of decision-making along the way. There are the hours of solitude int the studio – just you and some music. There are tasks that are just work. And there’s the pleasure of seeing work develop before your eyes.
This afternoon I got to sit and sew for a while. This is a small portion of the same quilt. I have collaged its fabric layers and now I am using the machine stitching as a form of drawing, a loose outlining and defining of this young girl. Aaaah! Just artmaking pleasure. The piece is easy to handle. My sewing machine is not stressed out. And I can see the shape take place as I sew.
These are the moments artmakers live for.
The most not-logical project I have created was just about a year ago, at the beginning of pandemic seclusion, when I wanted to tackle a large, 4-panel quilt. I had a vision for using raw-edge panels and an intricate mix of photo transfers and other kinds of imagery.
It’s What Were We Supposed To Be. Here’s a detail.
If you’d like to see more, the whole 4-panel composition is on my website, HERE
I have a few new ideas for projects in the studio this week. I look forward to all parts of the process.
Thank you for reading.
I always enjoy questions and comments.
--Bobbi
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