Random thoughts on influence & derivation

As far as I can tell, most artists worry from time to time about their work appearing derivative. After all, nobody likes to be accused of being a copycat or somehow lacking integrity or original thought.

Influence and derivation is something we have bounced around in the Twelve by Twelve Collaborative Art Quilt Project see: Open or Secret? and Influence and Derivation.

Sharing online can be a two-edged sword. When I first started blogging, I was inclined to put up anything along the way. These days I am much more circumspect. Kristin referred to Robert Genn’s post Silence is Golden which makes a lot of sense to me. So I filter what I put out there for public consumption but should I also shut down the computer so that I limit what I see and what I might absorb without being aware of it? For now, I choose to keep my computer on.

In the end, I create because I have to. I am also driven by a work ethic that says practice, practice, practice, refine, develop and grow. I may or may not have yet found my own unique voice but I undertake my work in good faith and spirit. When I choose to publish or exhibit a work, I am not afraid of thoughtful critique also made in good faith and spirit. What more can you do?

Ready for Flight

My flying goose units are now ready to be joined together

Australia’s Quilt Heritage

Quilt historian Annette Gero has written The Fabric of Society: Australia’s Quilt Heritage from Convict Times to 1960 which features full page colour photos of 130 quilts plus 29 patterns of the heritage quilts designed by Kim McLean:

You can listen to an interview with Annette on Radio National today.

Lounging Around

Linguistically speaking, New Zealand and Australia are not that far apart but every so often I stumble. One example that comes to mind, is that Australians have a disconcerting habit of referring to sofas or settees as a “lounge” whereas I always think of lounge as a room or a verb. Anyway, there is no such linguistic confusion over at the IKEA Home Project 2009.

IKEA is celebrating the 30th birthday celebration of the iconic IKEA KLIPPAN sofa and invited thirty artists and designers to create works using the KLIPPAN as their canvas and exploring the importance of ‘home’ as their inspiration. Each piece will be exhibited and auctioned, and all money raised will be given as a cash donation to the Victorian Bushfires Appeal in addition to the $1 million worth of IKEA products already sent to communities most in need.

The auction starts later this evening and runs until the 4th of August. You can see some of the creative sofa decorating at www.graysonline.com.

Budding Ideas

Mucking around with circles and Photoshop:
     

Flying High

Baby Nathan arrived on the scene at my friend’s place in Sacramento earlier in the month and he needs a quilt. I’ve made a start with some flying geese blocks:

Thanks to Photoshop, I know the quilt could end up looking something like this:

Mix & Match Dyed Threads

I’ve been enjoying Terri’s almost daily presentation of delectable hand dyed fabric gradations with matching threads. I went through a similar exercise myself in the first module of the City & Guilds online course I did with Linda Kemshall and, several years later, am finally quilting the piece:

You will see some of my threads have white/light spots where they were tightly tied and the dye could not penetrate. While I don’t mind this variation in this case, there is a skeining and tieing technique that avoids this uneveness. I knew that it involves some kind of figure 8 looping but was a little hazy on the details. Now Sharon of Pintangle has posted a handy tutorial on skeining off threads to dye and the haze has lifted. Thanks Sharon!

Quilting Friends on New Idea TV

When I first started quilting, I had the good fortune to fall in with a good crowd of inner city quilters including Melinda Smith (no relation) from Quiltsmith and gadget enthusiast Liz. Since that time, Melinda has moved from an online business to a bright, airy and spacious shop in the leafy streets of Annandale (an easy bus ride from downtown). You can meet Melinda and Liz and see a little of the Quiltsmith store in a clip onNew Idea TV (scroll down and click on the “Quilting” link.

Looking Forward

I’m looking forward to the Canberra Quilters Exhibition that opens on Thursday, 6 August. I see from the Canberra Quilters blog that Canberra food journalist and well-known embroiderer will be officiating and also launching the Canberra Quilters recipe book for which I contributed my favourite pumpkin lasagne recipe. The filling is good for cannelloni too.

Illumination by SAQA

Today brought the discovery of more illumination themed quilts. This time in the gallery on the website of Studio Art Quilts Associates.