Nanny's Gift of Memories: Rayna Gillman

When Dawn asked me to write a blog post, I was delighted; this is one of the most interesting blogs in the ‘sphere.

I’m Rayna Gillman and I print my own cloth. (Sounds like the beginning of a 12-step program introduction and I’m so addicted to doing this that maybe I should consider it). You may be familiar with my book, Create Your Own Hand-Printed Cloth, published by C&T.

I never considered myself an artist: my seventh grade art teacher told me on the first day of school that I couldn't draw, after he saw my rendering of a tree.

Because my grandfather was an artist who drew and painted, I equated making art with the ability to draw, so that was THAT. I began quilting because I could use color, texture, and design without drawing. My grandmother was really my prime influence in several ways. First, she had an instinctive, fearless sense of color. Second, she improvised. Third, she gave me a raft of memories and a love for the past.

She used leftover threads and yarns and scrap cloth for whatever her next project was, which meant she never planned ahead. If she had orange, green, red and purple remnants at hand, that’s what she used together and they always looked wonderful!

"Darling," she said to me, "you can put any colors together as long as you use them more than once."

That advice and ability to improvise were among the best gifts I got from her! This early “art” quilt put that advice to the test. (Celebration 1997, first photo)

If you look at the purple and green hand-dyes in this piece, you’ll see I tried to cover them up with other fabrics. But I soon discovered that printing on them worked better. (Postcards 2, 2003, 2nd photo)

In my piece, Cacophony(2003, photo 3), my original intent was to cover up the blotchy raucous yellow fabric I had dyed. Without planning ahead, I just kept adding layers till I had covered the fabric and suddenly it was a whole-cloth quilt that was juried into Art Quilts at the Sedgwick (now Elements).

Once I discovered I could improve almost anything by printing in layers, I was off and running. And it became clear that if I didn’t like one layer I could add another and another. But I learned it was better to stop before the fabric became mud and that if you have to ask yourself whether it needs more, the answer is usually “no.” Improvisation is great but a little drop of thought as you go along can make something better.

If you were to ask which printing process I like best, the answer would depend on which day it is. This week it’s screen printing; next week it might be soy wax batik. Sometimes I love using paint, other times, thickened dyes. I love it all and I love teaching it all.

I improvise when I’m designing, too: a legacy from Nanny. Scraps and leftovers, randomly pieced, cut up and reassembled and moved around on the wall till they pleased me. I don’t know any other way to work: if I were to plan ahead I would feel as though I had already made the piece and I would never actually make it. (Usha's Quilt, 2005, photo 4)

The third way my Nanny influences my work is in my return, time and again, to memory and a sense of the past. A poignant photo of unknown relatives she gave to me led me to collect and use old photographs of people in my work. Sometimes I use image transfer, sometimes a screen: I don’t know who they were – but they are alive for me.(Kaddish detail, 2003, photo 5)

An antique collector, she taught me to look beyond the first layer to see what was behind it: old buildings, passports, newspaper clippings, a piece of china: everything has a story. If we don’t know what it is, we can invent one.(Time and Again, 2005, photo 6)

Layers. Whether It’s layers of cloth, layers of meaning, layers of the past, or layers of paint and dye, my work explores it all – improvisationally and without worrying about whether the colors coordinate. I didn’t start out to write about my grandmother’s influence but it is there, beneath the surface – and even on the surface.

Rayna's book has become the bible for many of us striving to learn the techniques of fabric painting and various other techniques. And her book provides quite an array of ways to alter cloth: stamp, screen, stencil and then the more amazing gelatin plate printing, soy wax batik, rubbings, discharge printing and on and on. Again and again I have heard fabric artists exclaim, "I just took a class with Rayna and we had such fun!" I can't think of this teacher, artist, woman without seeing her smile.

In the section of her book 'about the author' it says, "Noted for her instinctive sense of color and her improvisational approach to design, she encourages students to work spontaneously." That sounds a bit like children at play -- and I'm a firm believer that we need to let the child in us play more often.

Her book is packed with photographs that whet the appetite to dip right in and give it a try. The directions clearly lead from first to last step with many tips and suggestions in between. And if ever there was a woman that advocates 'recycling'-- it is Rayna who uses EVERYTHING as a found object for rubbings, stampings, or some unique repurposing.

Create Your Own Hand-Printed Cloth by Rayna Gillman belongs in any multi-media fabric artist's library or in any creative mum's home where she looks for ways to encourage her little ones to play with creativity. -- Dawn

Call for SAQA Artists: "Sense of Direction: Sightlines"

Multi-media artist Virginia Spiegel provides information about an upcoming SAQA invitational that she will curate, with entry deadline: August 15, 2009.

It’s always an honor to be asked to jury or curate an exhibit. I am particularly excited to curate Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) new invitational, Sense of Direction: Sightlines.

Sightlines is an opportunity for fourteen invited artists to create a suite of artwork, on a schedule and within the specifications, that is (pick your own adjectives): groundbreaking, challenging, exciting, stunning, unusual, dynamic, provocative, meaningful . . ..

It is safe to say, in case you hadn't guessed, that I am looking for artists who are able to create artwork that will stop viewers in their tracks. Sightlines' unique format is a golden opportunity to take risks and I hope the chosen artists will do just that.

It is my hope that not only will the individual artist's artwork be compelling, but that the exhibit as a whole will become an organic/ synergistic system compelling viewers to move through the exhibit.

Each artist will create from one to four major artworks with a line, literal or implied, beginning and ending at the edges of the piece(s), but meandering at will through the piece(s). On each side of the major artwork(s) will be two 8x8" square artworks with the sightline through the center of the squares. These square artworks will help create a continuous line and visual connection throughout the entire exhibit. Each artist will have a 10’ wide space to fulfill her/his vision through five to eight artworks.

This concept is somewhat difficult to visualize, but visiting this exhibition by tACTile, an Australian group of textile artists, should give an idea of the inspiration for and concept of Sightlines. The format allows artists to pursue their own themes while presenting intriguing connections among all the artworks.

Photo:
Jenny Bowker walks us through her series that was part of the Eyeline exhibit. "This is a series of quilts based on events in my life. I wanted them to feel thoughtful and autobiographical. I was staying in a hospital hostel at the time the quilts had to be made, and in a way this affected several factors. My daughter had been badly burned and everything narrowed so that everything was black or white - important, or it did not matter at all! The quilts had to be small so that they could be worked on in any location. I needed to carry minimal fabric and the limited palette helped to hold very different elements together and carry through a story line as well as an 'Eyeline'.

Shimmer - the first seven years
Flowering - puberty and partners - flowering times
My Cup Runneth Over - my four beautiful children
Long Cold Winter - the difficult years - divorce and financial stress.
Patterns Sliding through My Fingers - the making of work and creativity
The Perfect Pattern - I have always loved this pattern. I am aware it looks like a memorial but I have always loved the way the crosses fit together like jigsaw pieces so perfectly, complex, but simple at the same time. I had had good and bad times, times which are mundane and times which are spectacular. All of them lock together to make me what I am, and there is not one thing that I would change.

I truly have no preconceived roster of artists in mind for this exhibition and hope a wide and diverse pool of artists (who must be SAQA members) will submit a Request for Consideration. There is no charge to be considered for this exhibit and the Request format is quite informal.

The prospectus for Sightline is online in the Members’ Home section of the SAQA website. The deadline for sending a Request for Consideration is August 15, 2009.

The exhibition premiers at International Quilt Festival in Houston in 2011 and travels to the International Quilt Festivals in Chicago and Long Beach. A Sense of Direction: Sightlines will also be available for travel. Inquires may be made here.

Please feel free to contact me at Virginia(at)VirginiaSpiegel.com with any questions.

PHOTOS: Road to Lancefield by Beth and Trevor Reid. Two of the three of this series are shown here, not doing the trio proper justice. Please view them here. They were part of the "Eyeline" exhibit. "They are hand and commercial dyed cotton fabric, hand painted, wool polyester batting, machine pieced and quilted, machine embroidered, fusible applique. The background is free motion machine quilting. The Eyeline of trees and grass is free machine embroidered and the rocks are applied using fusible applique and hand painted for depth."

Bio: Virginia A. Spiegel creates art for the wall from her own hand-painted fabrics, as well as mixed-media collages. Her artwork is known for its evocative use of color and its focus on the beauty of everyday nature. She also frequently comments upon the complexity of human nature. In part, she hopes to inspire others to notice and take action against the current devaluation of the natural world. The thirteen trips Spiegel has taken with her sister in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness have greatly influenced the subject and direction of her artwork in recent years.
Website: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com
Blog: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/blog/
Tweets: http://twitter.com/vspiegel

Blurred Boundaries Exhibit clearly envisions mixed media fiber art

Lynn Krawczyk is a tough lady to pin down. She's zipping from one project to the next with a determination to fill every moment of every day with art and promotion of art and her own creativity. Thankfully she took a few minutes from her overwhelming schedule to guest blog for Subversive Stitchers and tell us about her art as well as the upcoming exhibit she's curating. Listen up mixed media artists -- this exhibit is for you!

Now, here's Lynn! -- Dawn

I am incapable of creating flat fiber art.

It’s a rare occasion when a work of mine has just fiber and thread on it. I understand that the roots of fiber art come from bed quilts and I admire the artistry of those who paint a spectacular portrait with nothing more then moving thread around on the surface of fabric, but I crave dimension. [Note the photo, Natures Couture Spring by Lynn Krawczyk]

One of the easiest ways I have found to do this is to pull in other elements such as found objects. Many times my entire design process begins there with that single object and the rest of the work is built up around that. I find it exciting to allow something to lead me and to combine seemingly opposite elements into the same piece of art.

My love of fiber art grew into a small business called Lost Arts Stitchery that thrived for three years and focused on art quilting and crazy quilting. After the doors to that venture were closed, I moved on to organizing art quilt exhibits. I found I enjoyed it as much as creating art and have taken as many opportunities as I can.

I have organized exhibits for the American Sewing Expo in Novi, Michigan (most notably my Breaking Traditions Art Quilt Exhibit which is now in its fourth year) as well as for the
Studio Art Quilt Associates. I’ve loved every second of working with the venues and the
artists. Its extremely satisfying to hold another artist’s work in my hand and place it into
an environment that honors it for everyone to see.

Photos in order: Plastic Fusion by Sidney Savage; Eye-land by Susan Sorrell; Human Nature 7 by Virginia Spiegel.

So when Cathy Arnett presented me with the opportunity to curate an exhibit for her retreat, Fabrications in Kalamazoo, Michigan, I jumped at it. Her desired theme? Mixed media fiber art – exactly the style so near and dear to my heart!

And not only 2D work, but 3D work is to be included in the exhibit. It couldn’t be better! I quickly contacted Virginia Spiegel to see if she was interested in being the juror and she agreed. I envision an extremely exciting exhibit showing just how far past the boundaries of mainstream fiber art some artists are going. It made the title come easily – Blurred Boundaries.

This week long exhibit will be one of the main attractions of the retreat. It will be in the
centralized meeting area, giving it a constant flow of visitors and making it accessible to people outside the retreat as well. It will not only be viewed by the attendees and instructors, but it will be open to the public. Kalamazoo has a thriving arts community focusing on visual arts, music and cultural arts. It is the perfect fit for this exhibit.

Blurred Boundaries asks artists to submit up to three artworks for consideration. They may be either 2D (ranging in size from 48” max to 12” min) or 3D (ranging from 12” max to 6”min).

The defining requirement for artwork to be considered for the exhibit is that it must contain a minimum of 25% fiber. This opens up a wide door for a variety of materials and techniques that are being left at the sole discretion of the artist!

The deadline for submission has been extended to June 28!

And the process couldn’t be easier. Images may be submitted online, the entry form is filled out online and the $25 entry fee and return shipping may be paid with paypal or personal check. The exhibit is making an effort to eliminate some waste by taking out the requirement to send CDs and print out paper for entry forms. All the information on how to prepare your images for submissions can be found in the exhibit’s prospectus here (Links to the online entry form and the service to submit your images can also be found there.)

And this is not only an excellent show opportunity but it also a sales opportunity as well as a chance to win a $100 prize. A low 15% commission for sold work provides a wonderful chance to sell some of your work.

Exhibit attendees will be able to vote on the artwork that they like best and the one with the most votes will receive the $100 People’s Choice Award. All exhibit participants will receive a small package of mixed media supplies to be used in future projects. I am incredibly thrilled and honored to curate this exhibit and to be able to work with Cathy Arnett and Virginia Spiegel on the project. But more then that, I am so excited to work with like minded artists who love to marry fabric with other mediums and materials!

I hope you will join us for this very exciting show!