Spiderweb
Visualize a spiderweb. First the spider creates the spokes. Next she spirals around the web creating larger and larger rings. That is what I see when I picture a way to chart how creativity works. It forms the trajectory of learning something new. First you need to secure the basic foundation of what you are trying to learn. Next you venture out further along the foundation, expanding your knowledge. If only learning was straightforward, with no missteps, but it isn’t. Spiderwebs are often flawed, too. So, relax. Enjoy the journey of tackling a new skill or project.
Teal Cow
Teal Cow is a flawed spiderweb. Functional, even aesthetically pleasing, but not perfect. You would think after several years of learning how to thread paint, then collage said thread painting into a quilted background and finally stretch the whole shebang onto a wrapped canvas frame, the result would be perfect. It isn’t. But just like the spiderweb above it has its own beauty and is functional. So, I’m taking a deep breath and contemplating where I want to focus my attention in the future.
Rainbow Scrap Challenge
I decided to join the party as a way to regroup. Yesterday, I made the first of my red blocks for April’s Rainbow Scrap Challenge themed color.
Making these nine blocks pieced from fabric scraps is something I can nearly do in my sleep. It was the perfect antidote after my disappointment in creating the Teal Cow piece. I’m feeling less fragile now.
What is your solution when something you have been working on doesn’t meet your expectations?
I’m linking up to the following posts:
“Perfect”???? Who wants perfect? I love your piece! I do understand disappointment. Familiar with “Art and Fear”? Great book. To loosely quote them, something like, the seeds of inspiration for your next piece are in the perceived imperfections of your last piece. I am a recovering perfectionist. I now have a lecture called “The Beauty of the Imperfect”, lol. There is beauty in the imperfect, the visible hand of the maker.
Art and Fear is a favorite of mine. Thank you for the positive feedback. One thing I really do love about my Teal Cow is that the eyes follow you. No matter where I stand to the left, center or right, that cow looks straight at me. My hand is visible. 🙂
I’m sorry you’re disappointed in your cow finish, Gwyned. I love the color in it, and the way the cow is peeking out from behind something. I think we are always harder on ourselves than anyone else can be. I subscribe to the “finished is better than perfect” way of looking at things! And then start over on the next project and try again!
The actually 12″ x 12″ section “picture” section that rests on the top of the frame looks good to me. Where I am disappointed is that I didn’t appropriately plan for the wrapped (side) sections and turn around to the back borders. Just looks like a rookie mistake to me. It works – just not up to my past standards. Of course, I won’t give up. It will just take some time to dust myself and start the next project.
I don’t see what you don’t like. I think your teal cow is marvelous! Please tell me what bothers you.
I’m proud of the front. Love the cow, background and stonewall. Just wished I had done a better job with the sides. Too much bulk. The SEDOSO had already nailed the sides down when I realized just how bulky it was. Removing the nails would leave holes. Live and learn.
I think the cow is adorable!!! But then it wasn’t in my vision before I saw the finished product, so I can’t discount your opinion. But it is really cute!!
Thank you, Chris. The original image comes from a photo I found when looking for cow images on Unsplash.com. This was taken by Ian Branch and is copyright free. Of course, I heavily cropped the image, played with color and more to give it my own artistic voice. I’m glad you like it.
Gwyned, your teal cow certainly looks amazing to me! I find when a quilt doesn’t end so well for me, give it some time and it starts to look better.
Nancy, we are truly sisters from different mothers. The same thing happens to me. I believe it is because we are nose to the quilt throughout the process so all we can see are the mistakes and oops moments. Give the piece a few months or years in the dark and those mistakes fade into the background.
I agree with Jenny and the others. Perfect is rare. Your cow has great personality, and the fabric is doing what fabric does. That said, nails? You nail your pieces to…what? Just curious!
Margaret, I start with a wrapped canvas frame. Many quilters opt to paint said frame either in black or a color relating to the quilt. They then attach the quilt to the top. I prefer have my quilt “wrap” the frame. I design it to do so by creating a quilt that is 6″ greater than the size of the frame. In this case the frame is a 12″ x 12″ x 1.5″ The frame is positioned dead center on the quilt. They both are facing down towards the workspace with their “backs” on view. There is a now a 3″ surround of the quilt which is pulled up the sides, fold towards the back and secured to the frame using “nails” or more like thin, almost no head brass brads. This keeps the quilt securely in place and the brass won’t rust. There are many videos on how to wrap and secure canvas around the frame if my verbal description still puzzles you. The point is my edges of sides are continuation of the front.
The SEDOSO just informed me that he uses brass escutcheon pins to secure my art quilts to canvas frames.
I think your cow is wonderful, she looks perfect behind the “wall” and the scenery looks perfect too. I’m sorry if you are disappointed by the edges, your new piece of art looks beautiful to me.
Thank you so much for sharing and linking up!
Thank you Frédérique. I can always count on you for a boost of confidence.
Your teal cow is so realistic! I have been around cattle my whole life and peeking over a fence is exactly how they do. You will never make the framing mistake again but there will be others to agonize over, that’s a fact of life. No matter how many years we’ve quilted, things still don’t always turn out perfect.
The sad truth is this must be close to 50th wrapped canvas piece and I knew instinctively NOT to create the quilt with batting extending into the wrapped section. However, this time there was batting, thin enough I hoped to work… Well you know the result. I’m with the raven, “Nevermore”. I had the advantage of starting with a photo, so nailing the face over the stonewall was relatively easy. What I didn’t expect, but am thrilled by is the cow’s eyes look directly at you wherever you stand.
I am always amazed at your thread painting. This one is wonderful. Sometimes changing gears, as in a different way to cut and sew fabric, works for me.
I love the idea of changing gears, Judy. This is precisely why I participate in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, since it is so different from my thread painting and abstracted landscape work. I also like learning new techniques or experimenting with new materials and tools.
Hi Gwyned, what a lovely cow. I understand about not have gotten it as correct as you wanted to. You’ll just learn from your mistakes and move on. You do awesome work but that’s also part of the issue isn’t it? Every piece needs to be to that standard. I’m glad that you’re recouping with scraps. That’s what I do when I have no energy. It’s so calming and for me, there is nothing that needs to be correct when I play with scraps. They are my permission to play. Take care.
You are correct, Andrée. Seems there is always a new mistake to learn from, though, doesn’t there? It is also true that after creating for more 40 years I expect a lot from myself. Frankenfabric or intuitive piecing is a perfect anything goes form of relaxing.
I think your teal cow is beautiful, but we are much more critical of our own works than others. Your RSC challenge blocks are very pretty.
It is good to be critical. Reviewing our own work and figuring out what needs to be improved and how to do it, is all part of the process. I’m having fun making “solid” blocks from scraps. I’m happy to hear they appeal to you.
I think your Teal cow is perfect – and would love to see a series in them – mostly because I love cows – an you are so talented!!!
Alycia, you have me blushing. I do love the cow peeking over the stonewall. It has such personality. Therefore, making a few more cow portraits isn’t out of the realm of possibility. So pleased you enjoy the piece.
when I saw the cow in a thumbnail size at the link party I was stunned.
A different perspective, and cropped, it was so graphic. I am such a cow lover anyway, their gentle natures, the way they love music, their eyes. I know what you mean about demanding more from later works. LeeAnna
You know you have a strong piece when it reads well as a thumbnail image. Kudos to the original photographer of the cow in the field. Really, what’s not to love about a cow? The eyes get to you. I just wish I had done a better job prepping it to be wrapped around the stretcher bar and the SEDOSO had let me know what a disaster it was before he pinned it in place.
Thank you for you uplifting feedback.
Live and learn is right. . .although, I’ve had the opportunity to learn the same lesson on several occasions!! My eye is totally drawn to the cow so I didn’t even look at the edges. As I wrote in an earlier comment, I grew up with lots of cows and I love this one’s personality!
Ain’t that the truth. Some lessons require multiple review sessions before they become part of your DNA. I wrote the photographer of the inspiration photo to say thank you. He was the one who caught the cow’s personality originally. Really, how can anyone resist that cow.
Always good to hear from you Terry.