Author: JP Dawes Artist

Watercolor Poinsettia

| JP Dawes Artist

I’m in a small yahoo group of like minded artists.  We have respect for each others talents and knowledge, we critique each others work without fear of being slammed. When we defend our artistic position of a piece, we are listened to and the others may understand the piece more…or not.

We’ve been having discussions lately about painting and sketchbooks. I think that’s because we have all signed up for the online workshops at Strathmore Artist Studios. Sorry, I tried to do a link on this for you but it will only take me to my sign in page for the workshops. Give it a Google if you are interested.

Back to the subject at hand. Here is the first watercolor I tried after giving it up in school. The important thing for me with this piece is that I threw out ALL THE RULES from school. This would have simply been a muddy mess. I was pleased enough with it to do some other watercolors.

Besides throwing out the rules, I also discovered that like the oriental brushwork I was doing at the time, it takes a gentle delicate hand. I can’t do this kind of work if I’m stressed or uptight. I must take deep breathes and relax all my muscles to have control of the medium.  HMMMMM, sounds to me like this should be a daily activity.

Artist or Seamstress

| JP Dawes Artist

There was a brief discussion the other day on the Quiltart list about others appreciation for our artistic talent. Please note that I did not say others appreciation for our skills as a seamstress. Of most of the categories of the arts, fiber seems to be one of the most misunderstood by the general public as well as our friends, extended family and neighbors. Much more misunderstood than a 2-D painter or a weaver or a woodcarver.

You might think this is because of the utilitarian history of quilts, but weavers got their beginnings with utilitarian items as did woodcarvers. Most of the arts and crafts have a foot in history as utilitarian crafts. So what makes quilting and art quilting have a different perception in the public’s eye? Or is the misperception to some degree in our own eyes ?

I’m going to venture it is that most art quilters and quilters in general are women. Women’s work is less valued than men’s work even in America’s culture. We as women artists need to ask ourselves if some of this is our fault. I had a piece outdoors photographing it. Later that evening I was talking to a male neighbor who is over 65. He surprised me when he said he saw me photographing some of my ART..not quilt, he said art. My misperception was that he wouldn’t have known much about art, but he did.

Fiber artists, textile artists, quilt artists, or whatever we like to label ourselves other than simply artists are mostly women. The men who label themselves one of these, seem to have no problem expecting their work to be respected and accepted. So, who’s problem is this? A new year is about to begin so maybe there is some soul searching and a little kick in the butt in order.

Apron making

| JP Dawes Artist

My son and daughter-in-law requested aprons for my granddaughter, Priyanka. She is beginning to help them in the kitchen so they thought she should be dressed for the occasion.

I looked at patterns and didn’t find one I liked that would cover up both her tops and bottoms. I used a vintage child’s art smock pattern and modified it so it could be slipped over her head. The original tied up the back. Since the back is one piece I had to cut the neck opening larger as well. To be certain it wouldn’t fall off her thin little shoulders, I added a tie at the back of the neck to snug it up if needed.

I will make her a couple more and I think the next one will have some elastic at the back rather than the ribbon.  Or I might just cut the neck square…I think that will work.It is reversible so the double thickness also gives a little extra protection to her clothing. Now that I have the pattern figured out, the next one won’t take that one.

Studio organization

| JP Dawes Artist

I was running out of wall space and had no place to hang a cork board. Since Ron had just painted the walls I figured he wouldn’t be happy if I started sticking pins in it or taping things to it.

The answer was this 6 ft. long piece of crown molding. He anchored it to the wall behind my sewing chair. That wall was wasted space since I couldn’t put shelving there and this is flat enough to not bump into  it. Next we nailed in picture hooks and using metal clips I can hang up paperwork of things I need to remember. I will have one hook for show prospectus that I’m thinking about, one for shows I want to enter, one for entries done, one for things that need shipped after acceptance is received and one for paperwork of quilts that have been shipped. This will stay up until my baby comes back home.  This is wide enough that I can still put post-its along the top.

I’m hopeful that this will keep things front and center rather than at the bottom of a  stack of papers out of mind.

SAQA Beyond Comfort

| JP Dawes Artist

This is a closeup of Purification No.02 which is one of my Sati quilts.  I learned this morning that it was juried into SAQAs  Beyond Comfort exhibit.

The link will take you to the listing of international quilt artists who had worked juried in. The exhibit will premier at Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, UK August 2011.  There are 30 quilts from 26 artists chosen by juror Marci Rae McDade.

Just wanted to share my good news!