Week in Review 2014 - 06/06

Detail from
"Who's There?,"
the result of a
LifeBook 2014
assignment.

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

I am back for real this week. Last week I was easing my way back from vacation by catching up with my mixed media assignments from LifeBook 2014. These act as no pressure play for me since I have no desire to switch from fiber to mixed media as my primary art medium. I don't compete in mixed media, sell mixed media work, lecture about mixed media, teach mixed media classes or get mixed media commissions. I do all these things with my fiber art and because I do I feel the pressure to make strong work, get my work accepted in exhibitions and meet deadlines, even self imposed deadlines. I relish the challenge of commissions, yet the operative word could be challenge. I am at my most vulnerable when working on a commission. Let's face it, my work constantly surprises me in that I never know when I start what the final piece will look like. I begin with a concept and work from there. Even when I am commissioned I refuse to be pigeonholed to reproduce a specific image. Still, I want my client to be pleased. It certainly helps if I meet the promised deadline for the commissioned piece. That wouldn't happen unless I actually worked on the piece. First, I needed confidence. My instinct was that I needed to loosen up through mixed media. Maybe I did or maybe I didn't. What I do know is that my success with this week's mixed media piece gave me the confidence to start working on my commissioned piece again.

1) Little Lake Butte des Morts in Fall (Due August 3) 

The commission is a view of Little Lake Butte des Morts during the autumn. The commissioner is a neighbor. We share the same view of the lake that includes cattails in the foreground and gentle slope of trees topped with sky in the background. I have the advantage that this is the very view I see from my studio. It is fascinating to look up and check the lake, it is never the same from minute to minute.

a) Finish piecing the background - Started. I still need to add the sky.

b) Start the quilting

2) Wild Apple 12" x 12" Opportunity - (Due August 15)

a) Create several more small works for the exhibition - not yet

3) Leah Day projects.

The quilting motif is called Escargot Flambé 

a) Baste the face, torso and arms to Express Your Love II. - On hold until the quilts with deadlines are completed.

b) Do Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting lesson. - Done, sort of. Leah Day is no longer providing weekly quilting motifs to try, so I went in search of another source. I really like to doodle on the machine as a warm up exercise much the way musicians start with scales as they settle in to practice. This motif was from Melody Johnson. She is a member of the Chicago School of Fusing. Other CSoF members use and teach this motif, too.

"Who's There?," my take on this week's
LifeBook 2014 lesson.

4) LifeBook 2014 - Do the assignments. - Done

I am completely caught up with LifeBook 2014. YEAH! This Monday's lesson was SO much fun. For once I am thrilled with the results. Tamara LaPorte was our teacher. It definitely helped that she broke down how draw a stag. I can't help but wonder whether the focus on repetition and a pattern was so intuitive for me because of my background making fiber art.

Now, if I can only build on this momentum. Here is where I plan on focusing next week.

1) Little Lake Butte des Morts in Fall (Due August 3) 

a) Finish piecing the background
b) Start the quilting

2) Wild Apple 12" x 12" Opportunity - (Due August 15)

a) Create several more small works for the exhibition

3) Leah Day projects.

a) Baste the face, torso and arms to Express Your Love II. - On hold until the quilts with deadlines are completed.

b) Do Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting lesson or find another FMQ motif to try.

4) LifeBook 2014 - Do the assignments.


I am now linking up to two blogs on Fridays. The first is Nina Marie's Off the Wall Fridays and the second is Free Motion Mavericks.