Archive for Sources of Inspiration & Stories Behind the Art Quilts

Hooked on Pinterest – Eye Candy for an Artist’s Soul

Beaded Meditation Art Quilt by Nancy SmeltzerNancy Smeltzer, MFA

When I first started this blog 1 1/2 years ago, I was looking at the various social media platforms that were out there to promote my writings and my art work. One that kept being suggested was Pinterest . To be honest, at the time, all I was seeing were pages with photos of recipes, wedding plans and things that people were wanting buy, and the commercialism really turned me off. However, since that time, a lot of artists and other creative folks are posting some amazing photos of their works, and I must confess that I’m hooked.

After registering, you start creating boards with different themes, so one of the first that I made was of my Meditation Art quilts. This piece that I did for my friend, Keith Allen Kay, who does amazing energy mandalas. I tap into the person’s energy and “see” what the garden would look like where they would meditate and play. This board is all of my own work.

However, most of the other boards are a mixture of my own work and those of others. When you see a photo on someone else’s board, you can pin it to yours, thus creating a collection of whatever the theme that board is about. One such board  I call “Spiral Shapes”.

"Shattered" - a Spiral Mosaic by Kathy ThadenHere is a really cool mosaic by Kathy Thadden called “Shattered“. She uses a diverse collection of materials to create the lovely composition from a geode in the center, spiraling out to shell casing, and corks. The craftsmanship in the construction of the piece contributes to the crispness of the lines as they lead the eye outwards form the center. This photo is just one of many that I have on my “Spiral Shapes” board.

"Feather Dusters" - by David FleethamOne of my larger boards is one I call “Dramatic Nature“. This recent addition to that collection is this beautiful underwater photo called “Feather Dusters” by David Fleetham. The composition certainly fits the title of my board in that the dramatic swirling of the soft “feathery” creatures down the center of the piece balance out the hard coral on the right. The purple coral in the upper left couldn’t have been more balanced with the lavender centers of the white creatures. I imagine that this gorgeous photo was just one small piece of the reef that it was on, but what a beautiful “freeze frame” of undersea life that I will never get to see in person. I could so see this photo being worked up in textile techniques!

So, Pinterest has become a daily “fix” for my artistic need for color, texture, shape, and composition. Some of the pieces are so beautiful and intriguing, that my shamanic sensibilities, called “wolf awareness” kick in. That’s when my sense are do heightened that it’s almost as if I’m devouring color. It’s great, good fun to be in that State of Being, and totally legal, I might add.

 What is your favorite source(s) for inspiration? Do you use what you experience directly in your resulting art, or as a springboard to get you creating?

Why not leave a comment as to your thoughts on this posting. Please take a minute, fill out the form below or by clicking on the “comments/no comments link” at the top of the posting, and then share your ideas with the rest of us. We all grow when we share our thoughts and impressions, so why not join our growing community of those who appreciate art quilts and textile arts. We’d love to hear from you!… and PLEASE tell like minded souls about this blog! The more readers and contributors, the more I write because encouragement helps the words flow!

You can see more of my art work on my web site at www.fiberfantasies.com (be patient as it loads; it’s worth it), my spiritual healing work at www.transitionportals.com and can find me on Google + , Facebook (for Transition Portals) Facebook (for Fiber Fantasies),  and Twitter.

To find out how to buy my art work, please check out “How to Buy my Art Work” in the “Pages” section to the right of this blog.

“Words, Words, Words” – A Small Beaded Art Quilt Completed

"Words, Words, Words" - a small art quilt embellished with buttons and beadsNancy Smeltzer, MFA

Here is my completed entry into “Quilting Arts” magazine’s Readers’ Challenge “Text Me”. It’s completed a whole day before the deadline for the entries. I used to laugh in my early days of being a professional art quilter that I was glad that I wasn’t a painter, as you weren’t allow to submit entries to shows that were still wet. (That was back when local shows judged from the actual pieces, and not from slides.) Art quilts usually aren’t that messy, but I did have someone drive me to the place where I was to deliver a quilt as I finished sewing on the sleeve for the support rod in the car.

I chose to interpret the theme of “Text Me” by using different fonts that I generated in Photoshop Elements and then printed the fabric by running it through my ink jet printer. I’ve always loved the shapes of various letters, even those in other languages that I can’t read. It turns out that the first fonts were Gutenberg’s attempts to make his printed Bibles look as if they had been handwritten.

Detail of small beaded art quilt, "Words, Words, Words"I learned a lot about choosing fonts that are going to be beaded over while constructing this small piece (8″ square or 20.5 cm square). The font in the lower right of this detail shot was just too narrow to bead on top of successfully, even with size 10 seed beads. Since I did a lot of this piece while I was away on a trip, I also had tried out the use of the chain maille jump rings as the edging half way around the outside edge to see if I liked it. I had used it before on another small art quilt, but not until I had finished the embellishments on the surface. Try as I might to close these what are actually just very large jump rings, I could never quite close some of the loops totally. As a result, the sewing thread kept getting caught in the loops and I would have to turn them and wiggle the thread out between the opening of the two halves of the rings. While I will probably use these jump rings again on small quilts, as I like the scalloped edge that it gives to the piece, I will never ever add them on until the very end. To make them lie flat, I have a piece of stiff, wide ribbon sewn on the back, covering up all of the rings except the part that sticks out beyond the edge of the front.

These small art quilts give me an opportunity to work out some design principles and ideas on a small scale that I would never have done on my larger pieces. They are also a very portable size to carry when I’m traveling, so I won’t look too much like a ‘bag lady”. (Here in the States, a bag lady is a poor homeless person whose belongings are all stashed in shopping bags, hence not a very desirable look to try and copy!)

What are some of the tricks of the trade that you’ve learned along the way that would save us all some time and frustration as we work on our art quilts? My take is why re-invent the wheel, so do share some of your secrets with the rest of us so we won’t repeat the same mistakes.

To see other cool art quilts, check out this blog where art quilter’s post their newest every Friday…. http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/

Why not leave a comment as to your thoughts on this posting. Please take a minute, fill out the form below or by clicking on the “comments/no comments link” at the top of the posting, and then share your ideas with the rest of us. We all grow when we share our thoughts and impressions, so why not join our growing community of those who appreciate art quilts and textile arts. We’d love to hear from you!… and PLEASE tell like minded souls about this blog! The more readers and contributors, the more I write because encouragement helps the words flow!

You can see more of my art work on my web site at www.fiberfantasies.com (be patient as it loads; it’s worth it), my spiritual healing work at www.transitionportals.com and can find me on Google + , Facebook (for Transition Portals) Facebook (for Fiber Fantasies),  and Twitter.

To find out how to buy my art work, please check out “How to Buy my Art Work” in the “Pages” section to the right of this blog.

“Words, Words, Words” – a Small Beaded Art Quilt

Small beaded art quilt - "Words, Words,Words"Nancy Smeltzer. MFA

Every so often, it’s nice to work on a small scale, as my larger art quilts can take a month to complete. Here is the beginning of a small beaded piece, “Words, Words, Words”. When it’s completed, it will only measure 8″ square (20.5cm square), and is destined to be submitted for consideration for a Reader’s Challenge from the magazine, “Quilting Arts”. This particular contest that the magazine is holding is called “Text Me“. The theme is about using words as a decorative motif, so that’s what I did. I printed “words” on fabric that could be run through my ink jet printer, using different font styles and sizes.

As with all of these small art quilts that I make, I don’t have the luxury of spreading materials out over lots of surface area. Before I get started, I always pull out enough materials to make several quilts, as I like to have choices as to what to include. Even with a larger piece, there are always embellishments left over that I didn’t get to include, but those left over materials scream at me even more so with the creation if these small pieces. “So, why did you haul me out if you weren’t going to use me?” they seem to complain!

Un-embellished fabric after being run through an ink-jet printerHere’s the fabric, fresh out of the printer, after the backing paper has been washed off and the back of the fabric ironed to set the ink. When I was composing the image on Photoshop Elements, I thought the contrast between the white lettered ‘Words” had more contrast against the two yellow background blocks, but that’s not true here on the fabric. The letters in the magenta “Words” are probably too small to put beads on, which I didn’t notice when I was looking at the image on my computer screen in PSE. That’s a shame because I have some perfectly color matched size 10 seed beads to sew on them. The last black “Words” at the very bottom is also probably too thin to sew on. If I had more time, I would have re-done the fonts, but since the photos to “Quilting Arts” are due the end of the month, I’ll just have to make some compromises as I make my little quilt. That’s one reason what art classes are so important for all kids, as it teaches them creative problem solving skills. Unfortunately, here in the States, far too many art budgets are cut and many children are deprived of that aspect of their education.

What are some skills that you have learned from your art experiences that you might not have learned otherwise. For me, besides the fun of doing the work, art is just fundamental to my well-being, as it feeds my soul. How about you? 

For some other exciting ideas on art quilts, check out this blog…

http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/

Why not leave a comment as to your thoughts on this posting. Please take a minute, fill out the form below or by clicking on the “comments/no comments link” at the top of the posting, and then share your ideas with the rest of us. We all grow when we share our thoughts and impressions, so why not join our growing community of those who appreciate art quilts and textile arts. We’d love to hear from you!… and PLEASE tell like minded souls about this blog! The more readers and contributors, the more I write because encouragement helps the words flow!

You can see more of my art work on my web site at www.fiberfantasies.com (be patient as it loads; it’s worth it), my spiritual healing work at www.transitionportals.com and can find me on Google + , Facebook (for Transition Portals) Facebook (for Fiber Fantasies),  and Twitter.

To find out how to buy my art work, please check out “How to Buy my Art Work” in the “Pages” section to the right of this blog.

“An Image From Beyond” – When I’m Given the Picture and the Edict to Create it

An image "given" to me from an acquaintance who recently diedNancy Smeltzer, MFA

The images for my art work often come to me in that dream state of consciousness between being half awake and asleep. This image, however, while the State of Being was similar, was “shown” to me while meditating and thinking about a healing acquaintance, Brian Baker, who  drowned last week while on vacation in Hawaii.

The man was an amazing healer who specialized in sound and vibrations to literally shake issues apart. I most remember his didgeridoo, which he once placed against my chest as he toned through it at a gathering we were attending. That memory and the accompanying sensations is still very powerful. At the time, I had not started on my spiritual path, and I now know that in my cosmology, we’re vibrated into existence. It’s sort of like the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, where God’s fingertip almost touches that of Adam’s as the spark of Life is transferred into Man. For me, the metaphor that I’ve been shown is that each of us, as we’re manifested, come into Life on this Earth by being vibrated into existence by a huge Om sound. So, I now know why that intense toning that Brian did was so powerful for me.

So, what to do with this image I’ve been given? When I’m shown one like this, in that State of Being that the Aborigines call Dreamtime, I know that I’m supposed to make it. I have had several other times when I’ve been shown an image in a “dream”, the earliest of which is “The Moon Rises Over Thundercloud“. I imagine that the image for this new piece “An Image From Beyond” is partially due to what I know of the style of Aboriginal art and Brian’s use of a didgeridoo. The colors certainly aren’t traditional for that art form, but, hey, that’s what I saw. So far, having quickly created the image in Photoshop right after I awoke, I printed it out onto fabric using PhotoFabric from Blumenthal Craft. While all of the versions of that silk treated fabric that I’ve seen are 8.5″W ( 21.5cm W), the one that I used was 11″ ( 28cm) long so that I could send it through my ink jet printer. Now that the image has been removed from its paper backing that allows it to go through the printer, and washed and ironed, I’ll start on the quilt sandwich and make a mini art quilt. While it’s a given that it will have buttons and beads on it, I know that there will be some small shells sewn on to the piece, too. Keep posted to see how this quilt develops as I make this piece to honor Brian and his boundless energy.

Have you ever gotten an image from an unusual place, such as a dream? What was your image, and how did it compare with what the final piece looked like? 

Why not leave a comment as to your thoughts on this posting. Please take a minute, fill out the form below or by clicking on the “comments/no comments link” at the top of the posting, and then share your ideas with the rest of us. We all grow when we share our thoughts and impressions, so why not join our growing community of those who appreciate art quilts and textile arts. We’d love to hear from you!… and PLEASE tell like minded souls about this blog! The more readers and contributors, the more I write.

You can see more of my art work on my web site at www.fiberfantasies.com (be patient as it loads; it’s worth it), my healing work at www.hearthealing.net and can find me on Google + , Facebook (for Transition Portals) Facebook (for Fiber Fantasies),  and Twitter.

To find out how to buy my art work, please check out “How to Buy my Art Work” in the “Pages” section to the right of this blog.

“Fabric of the Universe” – A Study in Black on Black

A beaded art quilt, "Fabric of the Universe"“Fabric of the Universe”, a medium sized beaded art quilt, (31” W x 26.5” T or 78.5 cm x 67 cm T) was created in 2003 in response to an energy exchange with a lover at the time. We were laughing afterwards that our combined energy waves were somewhere out in the Universe and an alien was laughing for some unknown reason.

Thousands of black seed beads in the form of “waves” were sewn on to simulate those ripples. As the ripples intersected and reflected off of each other, a “fabric” made Detail of beaded art quilt, "Fabric of the Universe"of these energy impulses was created out in the vastness of my fabric Universe.In some places, the wave patterns intersected with stars and galaxies. In other places on this my map of the outer reaches of Space, the waves clustered, suggesting possible new celestial formations being created. Still, in other areas, there is a suggestion of chaos in these energy fields, and perhaps one can see a black hole or two where light could be drawn inside, never to exit. Such areas seem benign enough and don’t come with warning signs, “Enter at your own peril!”. I’ve encountered a few of those danger zones in my own life, also without the necessary signage…sigh!

Detail of beaded art quilt, "Fabric of the Universe"The black on black beading is incredibly intricate, yet doesn’t photograph well. Even though I knew that that would be the case as was sewing away, I still liked the idea that a complicated pattern of beauty was being created. It is very hard to bead black beads on black fabric at night, and I probably will never do that again on this scale. I find that to often be the case, however, that some of the most amazing things in life are only seen on close examination.

Another facet of this art quilt that I particularly like are the shi-sha mirrors from India. In the above detail photo, there are two in the upper middle and one at the bottom middle, each outlined with gold thread and tiny pearls. They collect little pools of light and send them out into the room, much like the stars in the sky. I find these tiny mirrors to be quite effective at relecting light, even though they are at most 1″ or 2.5 cm in diameter. Again, tiny details often have large effects, especially when shown in contrast to something else. In this case, it’s the sparkles of light against the dark background.

Bead next to bead, texture next to texture, my art quilts grow. I could probably get by with a lot fewer details, but I would feel that I was shortchanging a piece that I didn’t give my all to. Since I didn’t have children, my creations are what I’m leaving behind to mark that I was once here. While I could have picked a bit more durable medium than fabric to give myself a voice for the ages, I like the concept, that just as in life, we put a lot of effort into what one day will pass.

How do you feel about your own artistic endeavors. What part of your voice are you leaving behind?

 Why not leave a comment as to your thoughts on this posting. Please take a minute, fill out the form by clicking on the “comments/no comments link” at the top of the posting, and then share your ideas with the rest of us. We all grow when we share our thoughts and impressions, so why not join our growing community of those who appreciate art quilts and textile arts. We’d love to hear from you!

You can see more of my art work on my web site at www.fiberfantasies.com