Are We There Yet?
A journey may start with a single step, but how does it end? In fact where is the end? This is precisely what I find myself thinking as I spend the day completing just one, then just one more, OK one more step after that and I am still not finished with Sunrise Over the Atlantic.
There is something very exciting about starting the journey of creating a new artwork. Because it is not reality, the vision in my brain is still well within my grasp. However, during the journey there are points when it seems as though I’ll never finish. As soon as the piecing is done it is time to prep for and start the quilting. When the quilting is done, it is time to square up and finish the edges. Even when the last stitch is in and the label and sleeves are sewn to the back, there is more to do.
Not Yet
Really? Yes, really. I’m not there yet. I don’t consider a piece like Sunrise Over the Atlantic truly finished until it has debuted on my site, been featured on my social media and its glamor shots are ready should the perfect call for entry present itself.
Are we there yet? Technically, no. However, I can see the finish line and that is close enough for this post. How about you? When do you know you have finished your artwork?
I am linking up with Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Fridays.
Stunning! I love your piece of art!
Thank you, Angela.
what is Gwyned thinking… fabulous heading
interesting work
When I was designing my new website after 15 years or so on the old one, I reviewed many fiber artist’s site. A few made my short list. One really caught my eye since the home page gave equal weight to the galleries and blog. It fit how I approach my outreach. I stole the idea, but made the layout and title my own. Glad you liked the title.
I really love this. I know what you mean about projects like this. Easy to think about and plan. Longer to execute. No pain to plan. Lots of pain to make the vision come true. But we thrive on this challenge.
Yes, Chris, I love the challenge. It is what keeps me going during the plodding and unsure times. Experience acts as a good reminder things will come together in the end.
In my world, an art piece is finished when it tells me so — when “just one more tweak” refuses to happen. This occurs even before the piece is faced or mounted on canvas or whatever; for me, ‘finished’ has to do with the content of the piece as expressed in the piece. The ‘finishing’ (facing, hanging sleeve, canvas, framing, photographing) is all required, of course, but only rarely do I rely on those things in order to call a piece “finished”. “Finished” happens for me when the idea(s) that gave birth to it have been expressed in such a way that both the piece and I are satisfied. 🙂
I hear you, Margaret. Perhaps one of the reasons I postpone thinking of completing the top, quilting and any enhancements as being finished is twofold. First, I have learned just how long it takes me to go from there to being ready to enter a call. Second, although SAQA doesn’t require work be made recently, say within the last couple of years, other organizations I apply to, do. Therefore, any work I am doing anything with isn’t finished until all the work on it is done.