Faced with an Commission Challenge









If a purchaser of your work, likes it, they will often return for something else. Artists really like their repeat customers, as they get to built a relationship with them over time. It gives us a chance to learn what they might like.

Stitched Poppies on Hand Dyed Fabric

Thanks to the purchaser for sending this photo. Those colours do go well in the mug rug's new home!

This was the first mug rug a customer got in the summer and this fall the same customer asked if she could purchase another mug rug in similar colours. Well, I had the textile card below but as the motif was going for a man and he rather likes fishing, I decided those flowers wouldn't do.

Of the red, gold and light green fabric, I only had one piece left unstitched and I thought I would like to use it. But how, oh how was I going to make it into a fishing scene??? I looked at it often over a matter of weeks and finally an idea just came to me. Instead of making very realistic fish, I would stylize them swimming under water. Once I had the idea, what fun it was to stitch in one fish and then then another and then another... Before I knew it I was ready to add the pieced work. What do you think? Very different from the poppies but equally as nice I think.

Kootenay Lake Fish?

'Fox at the Farm' is off to a new home too.

Buttons by Artists



Christmas craft fairs:

How delightful to attend our local Creston, Christmas Craft Fair. With it only being once a year we are left anticipating their arrival. What new artisans will be there? What new products will I see? Buttons! This year, I was surprised by two artisans making hand made buttons. One lady makes her buttons of clay and the other in glass. Lately in the early mornings, a time when I do my best free form thinking, I find myself exploring ideas for using these simply wonderful textile embellishments with my hand dye painted fabrics. And oh, what great gifts they make for the sewers on your list. Here are some gorgeous samples.

 

What might you use these one of a kind buttons on?

December. A month for Christmas Cards

Lots of card making this time of year. Do you make cards? How do you go about it? Below is a sample of how I go about my textile 'winter' cards.

Just a suggestion of a hill of snow and a tree outlined in the front with stitching competes this one. Simplicity can seem sophisticated don't you think?

 



Here is one of two panels of card tops I painted with dyes one day. Not all of them will be satisfactory to make into cards so I will use a view finder to make my selections.

Using a view finder to find a composition I like.

The vertical cards sell better, so I opt for this one.

Log  cabin in the woods - a personal favorite.

A horizon line and a few stitched weeds in the front lead the viewer's eye up the creek, well at least that was my intention.

Geese heading south. These were a first for me and a bit of a pain as the thread had to be broken at each bird but I think it was worth it.

 

'Skaters on Duck Lake'. Thank you to the locals who were sharing photos a week or so ago of skating on a nearby lake. I look forward to stitching more skating figures.

If you are in Creston, BC you can see a selection of these cards for sale at Creston Card and Stationery. Happy December!

A Week in the Life of a Textile Artist

Textile cards for sale, a textile card received, an art meeting, and textile art photos in an email are all art related things that happened this week.

New winter related art cards created for sale at Creston Card and Stationery

 

Someone purchased one of my own cards to give to me this week! How very delightful and thoughtful that was.

Click here for more information about my 'Clotheline Series'. Are you a clothesline user? If you would like me to paint a watercolour painting of your clothesline, email me at egidman@kootenay.com.

An art meeting at our new place. Of course as you can see it involves a lot of tea drinking and eating of treats. Fuel for the brain.

How terrifically excited I was to receive an email from Joan this week showing me what she did with two of her fabric pieces she painted at the 'Painting With Dyes Workshop'  at the Sunshine Coast this spring. Click here for a post about the workshop. 



Textile Art: 'Forest Scene'
Painted and embellished with hand stitching by Joan Baker of Sechelt, BC 

 This textile painting is so representational of the area where Joan lives. I love it.

Textile Art: 'Waterlilies'
Painted and detailed with stitching by Joan Baker of Sechelt, BC 

Do you see how Joan included the title of the piece and her signature in dyes right on the art work. This really lets you know how original this piece of fabric is. Thanks for the idea Joan.

Textile Art Travels

One of Three 'Mug Rugs' that were commissioned for Christmas Gifts.

The 4 photos below show auditioning fabrics to accompany the textile art. The textile art was created by first hand dyeing the fabric and then thread sketching details with a sewing machine.

Accompanying leaf print number one.

Accompanying leaf print number two. Yes, it better complements the artwork, I think.

The striped fabric was removed that I at first thought would be so good, but later realized looked washed out. The richly coloured brown print is pleasing.

Although I like the red strip, it was exchanged for a yellow strip to tie in the yellows in the art piece.

The complementary orange - blue colour combination on the left favors the blues in the strips of cloth. The one on the right is an analogous yellow, orange and red combination with the complementary blue showing up in the artwork of the sky only. The first one with the blue strips overwhelms the artwork so I chose the second combination with a change of one of the yellow strips to a less busy pattern for the final selection used in the completed piece below.

The shaded red (red with black) binding is chosen for the 'mug rug' I featured in the previous post 'Blog Hop Around the World', that you can see  here .

The customer purchasing the mug rug/mini quilts seemed pleased with the finished textile art pieces that were commissioned to be reminiscent of fall in our valley. These mug rugs are so easy to mail that they make perfect one of a kind gifts for sending away. These three are heading across the ocean!

 

A Blog Hop Around the World

Blog Hop: I've been asked to participate by answering four questions and adding the links to three additional artist's blogs. Should be fun.

What am I working on? Today I was working on unpacking boxes and organizing a studio space after moving from a home I had lived in since the 1980's. I have a painting space and sewing space developed so tomorrow I am going to be using some of my hand (dye) painted fabrics to begin creating three commissioned textile mini works of art. After about a month away from my creative endeavors, this is going to be fulfilling.

How does my work differ from others of its genre? Textile art: There are not a lot of people who paint with dyes onto fabric so I have developed a lot of my own painting techniques. All my painted fabric pieces are original so people purchasing my textiles are getting unique works of art.

Watercolour: Well I love plein air painting and I know not everyone who paints in watercolour likes to work outdoors. As I paint my life, my experiences are reflected in my paintings. For instance, I have an interest in energy conservation so I have an ongoing 'Clothesline Series' to promote drying clothes without electricity.

Why do I create what I do? Number one I have to create to feel whole and maintain balance in my life. More and more I am drawn to create functional pieces. Creating art work on textile for quilters fills me with joy especially when I get to see what creative things they add to my textiles.

In my watercolour, I attempt to capture the importance of the natural world. I know being in nature helps me to maintain focus on the important things in life. I hope my paintings reflect that to others. Currently I am working on some paintings celebrating the importance of the honey bee in our agriculture.

How does my creative process work? I am definitely influenced by what is important to me and what I am experiencing in my life. Recently I was asked to create a floral on an antique kitchen cabinet door for a home renovation. This was nothing I have ever done before but I like to reuse things and I like painting flowers so this project really suited me.

Shows, retail commitments, and commissions often influence what types of art work I am focusing on at any given time. What I paint comes from within me based on what I am involved in in my life. Interestingly, I have found social media such has facebook and pinterest have focused my attention to really know what it is that I like. For instance I have always liked dogs with red hair and recently created a pinterest board 'animals with red fur'. A month or so ago I was able to photograph a red fox in the wild and I plan to do some watercolours of foxes this winter. Often what I paint in watercolour will further be painted onto textile.

 

Blog Hop Around the World: Links and Samples of other Artist's work I admire.

by Win Dinn

 

I was invited to this Blog Hop by my friend Win Dinn. Click here to see more of Win Dinn's mixed media art. I especially like her 'Wingdings'.

I would like to invite a very talented fellow blogger Holly M to the Blog Hop Around the World. Here is one of my favorite samples of her textile art.

By Holly M

I would like to invite a talented quilter Marj Moore to the Blog Hop Around the World. Marj makes stunning wearable art along with quilts and just about anything else quilted.



Wearable Art by Marj Moore

 

My blog post for November 17, 2014. 

My sewing space is finally set up after our move! Using my antique dentist cabinet for my sewing notions in my new sewing space is working out great.

Great shallow drawers for thread.

 



 Using my hand dyed fabric as beginnings for 'mini quilts'/ 'mug rugs', I've been requested to create two fall motif mug rugs similar to one I made this summer. Click  here to view it. Of course they will be different as no two piece of hand painted fabric will be the same and I stitch details to suit each individual piece.

There wasn't much left of the strip of fabric I dyed that I had used in the piece of textile art from the summer, but with a small border I had enough for one more.

 Border added of commercial fabric with fall leaves. It seems well suited.

 Strips of coordinating colours are added with a stitch and flip method.

Letting my imagination decide what details should be thread sketched on is pure pleasure for me. Well sometimes it can be frustrating when I can't think what to do but today the ideas flowed.

Just the border to be added and a label. I am thinking about dark brown but the decision will be made tomorrow. Letting things wait over night sometimes brings different ideas.

I am looking forward to my twice weekly posting now that the move is over. Love to hear from you.

Moving a Studio

Moving is why I've missed posting this week. Wow, what a whirlwind we've had. A bit more to go and all will be done, then the organizing of our present house can begin!

My Studio Space

I can't really call it a studio yet because everything is in chaos. Where will my sewing area be? Painting area? Dyeing area? Office area? See that cabinet in the back. It is a very old cabinet from a dental office. I was going to give it away before the move but my wise friends reminded me what good storage it has for my sewing supplies so I kept it and I am very thankful I did. I vow one day I will finish the refinishing job I started on it.

A large set of ordinary cupboards not nearly so aesthetically pleasing as the dental cabinet but they will keep a lot of clutter out of sight.

 

My textile hand painted panels arrived safely.

More boxes on a nice big work area. Can't wait to get back to creating!

 Do you get anxious when you have no time for creating? I know I do. Life just seems out of balance somehow.

Today we took a few hours off from moving and enjoyed roasting Smokies over a fire with our neighbours. Can't believe this is in November!