Thursday, October 20, 2005

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.

16 comments:

  1. They are gorgeous and lively and free and you should do whatever you want to do. At least do them for yourself if you feel good about it. The images encapsulate exactly what you have been searching for when you point out other painters whose work you admire.

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  2. Why not be part of the movement toward acceptance? FYI, Debby Jones also creates and sells framed fabric collage pieces--her online gallery begins here.

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  3. Of course, I love these pieces. They have a bit of a shrine-like shape -- and I'm all into that at the moment. Thank for sharing them. I'm inspired.

    And Amen to the philosophical art discussion. This is definetely a current of controversy running through the quilting community. Do you suppose there is this same kind of tension between watercolor painters vs. oil painters? Or sculpters who carve vs. those who mold?

    And like Sonji said, "you should do whatever you want to do." She's always right.

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  4. These are so energetic and full of wonderful colors. Made me think of maybe a good place to show them off might be Cloth, Paper Scissors. If these aren't about quilting, maybe you could find a new place to fit in, someplace other than quilters. Food for thought???
    I must be crazy for making suggestions like this to someone like you, who has a style and reputation ??? But hey, it's just an idea.
    It must be that second cup of coffee that made me do this. Yikes!

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  5. Anonymous10:34 AM

    Melody, these are just wonderful! And just looking at them, it's obvious that they were made with a lot of enthusiasm and a joyful heart. I find them so appealing!
    There is a lot of space between making only your quilted pieces and 'cranking these out like some formulaic art machine'. Why can't you make them when the spirit moves and sell them as they are available? That is the downside of art quilt groups. If you put a lot of faith in the group's affirmations, then it's hard to ignore it when the response is silence. But why does everything have to be approved by *the committee*?
    And re: CRA's work, I love it! I have several of her pieces, and though I can't even imagine working like she does, her work is original,fun and *all hers*, even though she produces tons of it. It's just a different way...of producing and marketing. It's all good! Stop worrying like this and do what moves you. Sheesh, you're starting to sound like ME!

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  6. These are so exciting, energetic, and joyful! Not all quilters understand about paint, and they might not know what to say about something they are so unfamiliar with. Think about all the "technique" conversations you usually have with other quilters and you see what I mean. You are just speaking a language they haven't learned yet.
    You've already conquered the quilt shows, maybe it's time to check out the galleries. Jen

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  7. Anonymous11:44 AM

    I do know its hard to be greeted with silence from a group you trust and respect - espcially when it involves our precious creations. However, I agree with all of the other comments - just keep going for it!! I think they are beautiful and way cool! Dont Stop!

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  8. Anonymous1:37 PM

    I love these :-)
    I often wonder if I'm still a quilter when some of my other work get accepted by people? A quilter by heart, but to make money of it...?

    In Denmark this artist
    http://www.refslund.dk/
    lives and works. Many of the Scandinavian quilters take classes with her even tough she rather frames (streches the piece onto a frame) her art pieces than quilts them.
    Is the time not right for your pieces to "come in form the cold" or for you to even give classes in this kind of texstile artwork?

    It surely is here!!!
    Thanks to Solvej Refslund...

    But still, - it's not a quilt.
    m <3

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  9. Hi Melody. These colors sing, your designs dance! Keep painting!!!

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  10. I suppose that's a problem when we put 'quilt' in front of 'artist'. Too restrictive.

    I took a workshop recently called Books on the Edge - "That ain't a book!". The artist who was teaching loved to live out on the edge of her field, reveled in the debate of 'what is a book?' Her philosophy was that it is her job as an artist to push the boundaries and definitions, to be breaking new ground, knowing that others would follow over time. It was very liberating.

    I think quilt artists let themselves be restricted because the main outlet for fame and fortune (LOL) is through quilt shows.

    If you follow your inclinations to abandon the stitch, exploring brand new territory, creating wonderful works that take our breaths away (as you are capable of doing), how can you be wrong? You are an artist.

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  11. Anonymous9:16 PM

    May not be *quilts* but they sure are ART. Mel, I know my opinion and $2.97 will buy you a coffee but I really, really like these. WOuld they win in a show? Maybe not. But I know I would buy them.....

    teri

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  12. Hi Melody! I just wanted to say that maybe that pause was a good thing! You showed them something new and different and perhaps they needed time to take this in? What if they had said 'yeah great' straight away? OK next! We can take our time looking at your work and absorbing it when we see it on the screen but in that situation, in that first moment you show them something different, those first reactions may be misleading. I think they're fab (of course!)

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  13. Anonymous3:58 AM

    My husband would say, "did you enjoy making it? Then who cares what category it falls into." If you feel compelled to make something, then you do, regardless of whether you can label or market it. I believe that all artistic endeavors just enrich each other. Your paintings will benefit from your painting experience and your paintings are influenced by your quilts, and I bet that, consciously or not, knitting factors into your creative melting pot as well! (But you know that already) So maybe these works don't get into galleries because that's not where your heart is, and maybe they never get accepted to a quilt show because of the format, but if you hadn't made them then perhaps your subsequent quilts would not have been affected by the journey. And we all know that your quilts make an impact wherever and whenever they are shown!

    Cheers, Kristin

    P.S. I've been wanting to ask if you met your CSofF girlfriends before or after you all became sucessful artists? Where you a group of like-minded girlfriends who prodded and encouraged each other into fame and fortune? I've been searching for a group on the same "page" as I am, or at least even reading the same book. As I endeavor to find myself as a quilt artist (and I do like the connection to traditional quilting), I feel more and more like the ugly cygnet in a community of ducks--somewhat like the reaction your fabric paintings got from your art quilt group.

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  14. Hmmmmm.... something is not just a quilt because it has fabric and stitches but at the very least, what you've got here is fabric art. I'm in agreement that you should start a movement to have this genre accepted somewhere. Like fabric postcards and such.

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  15. Gees, Mel - you are famous! Make whatever you want to make, when you want to make it! You *happen* to have chosen to share your fused paintings in a quilting setting until now, but so what? Stagnation=death.

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  16. They are beautiful and otherworldly-ish (is that even a word, lol). This is just another way that your creativity has expressed itself. To hell w/those that don't get it as long as YOU do, you know?

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