Always more to learn. And Omahi’s absolutely right about equipment vs. imagination (link in caption). Sometimes the true creativity comes from figuring out how to make your vision come to like with the materials and skills you already have . . . No excuses! Plus, the Guy has good Photoshop skills with fire!
What a delight it was to be invited to tape a show for the Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson online “tv” show, The Quilt Show (TQS)! In the past I have taped for two seasons of Quilting Arts TV (on PBS) and did a video workshop for Interweave (Art Quilt Design from Photo to Threadwork, available as a download), but TQS is on a whole other level of professionalism. It was filmed in the Comcast center near Denver…as you walked by the main office there was an entire cabinet of awards including a few Golden Globes! And to get it up front: THANK YOU ADELE Merrell for all these great photos and Gayle Schliemann from Bernina for a bunch more!
I have to say, I wasn’t all that nervous thanks to being UBER prepared and having done Quilting Arts before, but I was wired for sound LOL..by the time of the Q&A I was relaxed and ready to have even more fun sharing.
My episode will air sometime in late summer/autumn. Star Members of The Quilt Show will have the first view, then there will be one week where the episode will be free to everyone. I will be sure to post, but gosh there are so many wonderful guests that I am so glad I am a member–and did you know I joined the very first day TQS began: January 1, 2007? And now, here I am as a guest! WOOT! Life is GOOD!
The caption sums it up–I’ve been BUSY, so I am actually looking forward to sitting in an airport and on a plane! I’m also really excited about the opportunity of being on The Quilt Show. I’ve got samples and step-outs prepped: when you demo something you have to make a zillion versions of it, one for each stage of the process since there isn’t time to do the work while being filmed. I’ve even thought to the week after when I have a teaching job in Portland and another the following week in Massachusetts. I’ve got about five big events this year, and three of them are between April 4 and 18! Sheesh!
But I’m happy excited, the income from teaching will pay for the cost of the trip to Colorado–airfare, hotel, Uber to and from here and there, seeing some internet friends, meals, and shipping two boxes. Since I live in Maine and take Cape Air from here to Boston, we are limited to just ONE full-size suitcase per passenger. There are only 9 seats plus the pilot’s on the plane, and cargo is in the nose cone, small carry-on items go in the wings of the plane, and there is a netted area behind the last seat. That meant an expensive FedEx of long/large quilts and a flat rate box of goodies to give to the audience. But I’m READY! I’ll share pics on Facebook and Instagram and blog when I’m home and have had a brief collapse LOL!
Sometimes you need to do something else. You totally love your main “thing” (in my case it is clearly art quilting), but you need a break. And sometimes, that makes your main “thing” even better. I’ve learned over the years that good design is good design, whether it is landscape, interiors, architecture, photography, painting, sculpture, apparel, the principles are the same. So I have taken online classes in drawing and photography and been enriched.
I don’t know if I’ve done it every single year, and some years — like this one — it was done in (late) January instead. But I like reading what words have called me to use them and seeing where my head was in a given moment.
I’ve also taken a number of outstanding art classes from Val Webb over the years, ranging from birds to children to faeries to animals, using pencil, ink, watercolor, colored pencil…I learn so much, both about materials and tools but more importantly about SEEING. Observing. I’ll never want to be a colored pencil artist, but taking birds in colored pencil with Val taught me about patience and layering. I found I now do that with dyes, with paints on cloth, with thread, in my art quilts. And this year I also took a brilliant course at Sketchbook Skool, Watercolor. I always want more watercolor!
I used to have both my to-do-etc notebook and a sketchbook. I never had the one I wanted handy. So I said to heck with the cost, and bought a GOOD sketchbook and use that as my “everything” journal. I write lists, take notes at SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) meetings, suss out ideas for quilts, and sometimes even sketch or paint in it! Now I will start filling in the circles with words, quotes, ideas, images/sketches, may fill the white backgrounds with ink textures…we shall see!
So that’s what I’ve been doing…along with quilting. What about you? And here’s an end of the day/blogpost dog walks photo from yesterday:
You know the seasons have begun the swing to winter when it is time for the Common Ground Fair in Unity / Thorndike, Maine. Put on by the Maine Organic Farmers and Garderners Association, it is the best of a country fair. Because this is just a lot of pictures, I’ll just add captions and let you enjoy the day vicariously!
Some new buddies — two sheep and a goat in a lovely blended family!
The only daunting part is the long, sssslllooowwww wait to get in and park!
A fair isn’t complete without little kids getting to pet the animals
The handspinners have been to this fair for 31 years, what a beautiful spinning wheel!
And the other side of the same wheel
I was lucky to see some of the dog agility/herding demonstrations
Good Karma Farm is near me, up in Belfast, Maine. They had a booth and I am SO IN LOVE with this yarn, and blend of Alpaca and sheep’s wool. Find them at GoodKarmaFarm.com
I’m at a point in life where cardigans (on, off, on, off) are a must, but I found a pattern on Ravelry while there. I forcibly restrained myself from buying the bundles for these sweaters, but know I will knit one up as a cardigan before too long. AND I can go visit their farm! Yes, they have a website, yes they are on Ravelry, yes, they have a pattern for these sweaters (but it’s not on Ravelry…just write them)
Applies equally to quilts
An EXQUISITE hand made canoe
inside the spinner’s tent
Random too-cute-for-words kid
More new friends…was trying to sketch but rain was incompatible with paper!
Cashmere goats
a REAL Gyro, meat on spit, heavenly!
Love these earrings, have several pair. Now have the reindeer. Love the pussy willows, too….my colors…maybe next time! You can find her work here at papermoonjewelry.com.
Stunning tiles…made by Jon White of ODD INQ, www.oddinq.com, and kinginq on instagram (ends in a Q)
Immense horses for pulling large wagons
Even more immense Oxen. I mean HUGE… the hips were well above my head!
Perhaps my favorite photo of the day! The other end of the IMMENSE Oxen…the size of a small elephant!
It appears some cows like to get scritched as much as cats. This lady was petting the one nearest her, and the other one wanted equal time LOL!
I had a thoroughly wonderful day, walked my feet off. Combined with dog walkies about 14,000 steps today! Perhaps tomorrow I’ll sketch from photos!
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