Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Ephiany

Three years I did pilot stitching for a canvas work piece for a designer hoping to teach at a national seminar. (Which she did.) I had tons of fun. Learned some new things. Probably wasn't as helpful as some with my comments as I didn't have as much canvas experience as some of the other pilot stitchers. But I digress.

One of the things I was most interested in at the time was - where did her ideas come from? She couldn't really answer that question. They just were there.

I have finally found the answer. At least for me.

I've pushing myself this past year into designing my own pieces. I can't draw worth a lick, even though I've had art classes. But I think I have a pretty good sense of color. I certainly know when something doesn't work, even if I cannot always verbalize why it is wrong. But I've developed an ability to chart just by making myself do it. And the more I do, the more inspiration I see. It is kind of strange, but I guess I've trained some pathways in my brain and some connections happen automatically. I saw some bookend paper and woke up with a canvas work version in my head this morning. It's almost as if I opened a faucet and now there isn't enough time to capture all the designs I'm seeing everywhere. I guess that's why she couldn't tell me where her ideas came from. They are everywhere.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hooray! Good for you. If the spigot is open, the ideas will come. I've been carrying an idea journal for over five years. Haven't made much from it, but I know if I don't fill it up, the spigot will close.

I think color memory is one of the most important parts of design work. Understanding of balance and tension also helps. I love reading modern quilting books. The studio art quilters are always out there, always challenging themselves, always finding new color combinations and patterns. Even if you don't quilt, they are such an inspiration.