It’s 26 weeks since I started my self-guided weekly art project. It’s the half way mark and I am still inspired! Today I share my latest textile sketch – Cockatoo Feather. What designs appeal most to you so far? I would love to know – leave a comment or vote in my mini-poll below. I also invite you to participate in my celebration giveaway of a copy of the catalogue for a matter of time.
Week 26: Cockatoo Feather
This has been a busy week as part of the exhibition team for the Sydney Quilt Show. Rain has foiled my daily walks but I found this feather from a sulphur crested cockatoo on a quick sprint to the post office between showers.
I have made improvisationally-pieced feathers for Feather Folly back in 2009. This time I distilled the design to capture the boxy shape of the feather and the yellow highlights:
Vote in my poll!
View the Copa Abstractions collection from my weekly art project so far. Some of these studies will form the basis of larger works. I have some personal favourites but I am curious to know what designs appeal to you. (View the poll on my blog. You can see the results after you have lodged your vote.)
Celebration Giveaway
To celebrate the 26 week milestone, I am doing two things. First, I am rewarding myself with a week off. (Actually, I am going to be teaching at Grampians Texture in Halls Gap and I give myself permission to focus on teaching and enjoying a new environment.) Secondly, I have decided to host a giveaway. To be considered for a complimentary copy of the a matter of time catalogue, I invite you to leave a comment with your best self-care or time management tip for promoting creative productivity. I will close comments next at midnight Wednesday 22 March (my time in Australia) and let you know my selection on Thursday.
I look forward to seeing YOUR weekly art project. New participants are welcome to join in at any time. Be sure to link back to your specific blog/social media post so that we can learn more about your inspiration and process.
Weekly Art Project Link Up: Week 26: 15 March 2017
(Week 11 of 2017)
[inlinkz_linkup id=703635 mode=1]
Join the Weekly Art Project!
- Make a pledge to participate – you can do this privately but there is power in a public declaration.
- Define the parameters of YOUR own weekly project*. Write it down somewhere!
- Record your results.
- Share a photo via the link up that I will post on my blog each Wednesday. (The link up for each week will stay open for 14 days.)
* Your project can be in any medium and size. If you would like to explore working in a 6x6in square format, download the Weekly Art Project Design Sheet to develop designs at this scale.
alison schwabe says
I think the cockatoo feather design is THE most distinctive set of all so far – including all your piecing I’ve seen since you took off with the improvisational piecing thing.
Deborah Boschert says
Wow. That’s a pretty bold statement. I think I may agree. The feather is something special.
Brenda Gael Smith says
The feather was a rush job but I like the way it turned out too!
Susan Stitch says
I just found your blog from a facebook post — I love your personal challenge! I hesitate to start such lofty endeavors because my inner voice convinces me I’ll never be able to finish, so why start? My creative/productivity tip is to set a timer for one hour (or even a half hour) and to do nothing but create for that period of time. When the timer goes off I have permission to keep going or stop (depending on what else is going on in my life).
Candy Walker says
Hi Susan, your comment works for me. My initial pledge was just to work for an hour on my WAP’s inspired by Brenda. To manage I need to make fast decisions at each step. I think ahead (daydream) so by the time I get to the fabric I have a kind of mud map how it might come together. My record so far is 75 minutes completed. Brenda & I have consoled that small does not necessarily mean quick. When I am on a roll I have done 2 & that puts me ahead a week which is a nice place to be. This week I am behind again ha ha, but getting that time then goes to the top of the list before Friday.
Brenda Gael Smith says
Welcome Susan and thank you for your wise words. By the way, I didn’t start out with a 52 week long project. Back in September, I made a public commitment to make a 6x6in textile sketch each week until the end of 2016 (16 weeks). At that point, I could have ended the project but I elected to continue for a full year. Some weeks are harder than others. I will be writing a more in-depth post next Wednesday 22 March.
Brenda Gael Smith says
Hi Susan – you are the winner of my celebration giveaway. Please email me your postal address and I will post you a copy of the a matter of time catalogue.
Marianne says
J’aimerai juste qu’il y ait un jour de plus à chaque semaine pour créer:))))
Deborah Boschert says
I’m loving this project, Brenda. This is the first time I’ve commented, though questions have arisen over the past several weeks. I’ll just spill a bunch here.
Tell me how you feel about the works framed on top of the mat vs under the mat. Do you take this into consideration when you’re composing?
Are you striving to make this a cohesive series? If you were moved to try an entirely different interpretation that didn’t fit in the series, would you? Why or why not?
Surely you like some better than others. Do you learn more from the weak ones or from the strong ones?
Are you ever starting over, or is each piece the first effort? You may have addressed this already on your blog.
Do you have a vision for exhibiting these small works? With the inspirational photographs?
How are you feeling about the 6×6 size half way through?
How important is it for these small works to inform larger works? Or do they stand on their own? Or both?
What is the role of quilting in these pieces? Are you planning the quilting along with the composition and color choice? Or does it come last?
I’d love to hear how you feel about designing with straight lines vs curved lines. And how does the designing step feel different than the execution step?
There is one that stands out from this group for me — not as the best or the worst — it just feels different. Can you guess which one?
I am so eager to see 26 more! Great job, my friend!
Candy Walker says
Great questions Deborah. I am going to answer them for myself as I have contemplated some of them already. I have thought about how to incorporate the existing finished pieces into a larger one & I have a plan that might work…
I have some questions for Brenda about working in a larger size.
How large?
Would you use the same design or ‘re-work’ the image?
Would you keep with the square or new shape?
It can be a challenge to take a small work & make it larger – when enlarging a small sketch, for example there are larger spaces to deal with in each area of the design. That’s the exciting bit – the possibilities.
Brenda Gael Smith says
Thanks for your curiosity Deborah. Some of these questions have arisen before but I can see how it would be helpful to draw my replies together in one place. I will be doing a more in-depth review next Wednesday (on my “week off”) and I have written an article for a textile publication too. Stay tuned!
Allison says
Just found this and am loving it! Thank you for the inspiring push!
Brenda Gael Smith says
Thanks for stopping by Allison. I look forward to sharing my textile sketch each work. It helps to keep me motivated too 🙂
Maryte says
Brenda,
I love your project. It is amazing how you can express so much in such a simple way. The simplicity is just great and I look forward to your other designs!
Rebecca Staunton says
Hi Brenda My productivity tip is to write down three creative goals for the day the night before. It may be that my goal might be to dye background fabric on one day and the next it might be to audition other fabrics for the quilt etc. I also like to work on more than one piece or sketch at a time so I find I am better organised if I have written down my goals.