Fused Framed Fabric Art

About five years ago (where does the time go?) I painted some fabrics with acrylic paint. I think this happened because some of my friends were taking an Elizabeth Busch class at QSDS and she uses cotton duck and acrylics and makes wonderful quilts, which by the way, she quilts by hand in some cases! Yes, through the canvas and paint and batting.
Well, obviously I am no Elizabeth Busch, but I can handle myself with a brush and some paint so I dove in and began to paint stuff, ala Sonji, who I was yet to meet.
I fused the fabrics of course and began to mount them on 16x20" mat boards, figuring they would be suitable for framing when completed.

I began to work into the surfaces with colored pencils and gel pens ( a new discovery for me in those days) and had a simply wonderful time making this series, which I called the Chamber Suite.

Some of the fabrics were cut with the deckle blade of the rotary cutter, and some edges were left as they were, ripped first and then painted. This detail shows the white gel pen, enhancing the painted surface.

I used all sorts of acrylic paints, metallics included. Some were really cheap squirt bottles from the craft store, and some were from my tubes of good paint. They all looked great together.

Gold gel pen details.

I took advantage of the background mat color to emphasize the colors in my composition.


The paint could be multicolored and gooey, and then once dry could be cut up and fused to the calmer plainer background fabrics. I threw in some dyed cheesecloth for texture.



The section of the paint was breathtakingly beautiful to me and set the mood for the piece.





As I worked on these, I found myself in another world, bringing together the fabric from quilting and the painting and drawing from my art school days.

When they were finished, I backed them with foamcore and slid them into 16x20" clear plastic art bags, made just for display purposes.

Now I was ready to bring them to my art quilt group for show and tell.

Thud.

Well, the response was non-existent. These weren't quilts. These weren't even stitched. What was I doing? Hmmm.

OK, so I am a quilter, who may or may not be known for my quilting abilities, and my fabric dyeing abilities, but that shouldn't preclude wandering off into painterly realms, should it?

No response is about the worst thing that could happen to an artist. Especially one who is stretching and experimenting. If you hate them, say that at least. I got the feeling that they didn't get the point. Well, what was the point?

Here's the thing. I loved making the compositions. I loved making the fabrics. I loved making the detailed lines on the surface. I often make a quilt top and wish that I didn't have to quilt it. That it could all end right there. Just the smooth flat fabric, in a superdooper design...but no, I must make it into a quilt. It's my stinkin' career for heaven's sake.

I am not one that ever liked the idea of taking my drawings and paintings to a framer. One of the reasons I loved quilts for the wall so much is that one finishes the whole thing oneself. And it can be folded or rolled up and sent somewhere without breaking any glass. That made me happy.

But for these fabric pieces, I began with frames of a standard size. Mats were available in this same standard size. The frames could or need not have glass involved because these are painted fabric, not paint on paper. What the difference is eludes me.

Well. So what is my point to bring these to your attention? Good question. I would love it if this kind of thing was accepted, sorta like fabric postcards are. Or stamped fabrics, or mounted quilts on canvas stretcher bars. Y'know Chris Roberts-Antieau makes framed art from fabrics. They are EVERYWHERE, but of course, they do have stitching on them...

O gee. I may have just lost my mind.

Do I want to be packing this stuff in my suitcase, sending it off to galleries, sitting in art fair booths, cranking it out like some formulaic art machine?

Nevermind.