My Studio Choices
This week I taught a workshop (via zoom) to a creative, energetic group of textile artists.
As part of the class, I shared my personal studio choices.
Every artist has to make lots of choices – subject matter, medium, and method of presentation
The choices you make will determine a lot about your work.
I came to these decisions sometimes by coming in through the back door; I was working in certain ways and then realized what those practices had become.
Now, however, these are conscious decisions that guide my practice. I’ve thought about them. I’ve written them down. It is possible I may change some of them, but for now here they are.
1. I want to make work that is ABOUT something. I am amazed, looking back at nearly a lifetime of artmaking, how late in my life I made that decision. I’d been drawing and painting still life and landscapes and designs in various methods for a long time. But I had not decided – or even realized - that my artwork could be a way to communicate my ideas. Now that’s a very conscious part of the process.
Small Expectations was one of the first works I created in my series about the journey of young girls. It was a new experience to create work ABOUT something. (On my website HERE)
1. I only want to use only fabrics that I create myself. I buy blank fabrics and create the color and pattern through a number of surface design methods.
In my studio - creating some original fabric.
1. I only want to use acrylic paints in my artmaking. There are other methods of creating beautiful and creative fabrics that many textile artists use: dyeing, discharging, digital printing, for example. I admire the work of many artists who use these methods. But, in my small space that easily accommodates a single kind of chemistry, I have chosen to limit my work to paints only.
(Fortunately, I have discovered that acrylic paints can create an almost limitless variety of effects and patterns.)
Just a few of the varied effects that can be created with acrylics on fabric
1. I want to limit my methods and materials. I enjoy simple, low-tech methods of artmaking. I use hand-cut stencils and mark-making devices; I use resists and monotype printing; I have added some screen-printed patterns. It gives me pleasure to create interesting, layered surfaces without seeking out new methods.
I do design and experiment on my computer with PhotoShop Elements and I do incorporate those photo images into my work. I do this with a gel medium transfer – a very tactile and hands-on process.
This is the Way to Get In. This art quilt is very complex - both its content and the images. But I created it with very simple methods. ( On my website HERE)
For artmakers … A new year is a good time to think about your studio practices. What do you like? What would you like to do differently? Your choices may be quite different from mine. I hope you make choices that are pleasing and interesting to you.
For art appreciators … You can develop a deeper appreciation of artists whose work you admire by learning abut their studio practice and artmaking choices. What thought and methods went into the creation of the work you admire?
For all the artmakers: Happy creating
For all the art lovers: Happy appreciating
Thank you for reading. I always enjoy questions and comments.
--Bobbi
bobbi@bobbibaughstudio.com
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