From Concept to Composition

Janet Fogg: The Process of Work

They Came by Canoe

There are many ways to approach designing quilt art. One of Janet Fogg's favorites is to start with a challenge. Perhaps it is a group challenge or a personal one. The moment an idea pops up she likes to spend some time brainstorming possible design ideas. She makes lists and does thumbnail sketches that assist with her decisions. Most of her work is pictorial. She graduated with a degree in Graphic Design with an illustration concentration. Visualization is key.

Once Janet has an idea for a visual story, she searches for objects, takes photos or makes more thorough sketches to create elements for a composition.  Sometimes she incorporates traditional quilt blocks into her designs. She auditions blocks that will work with her imagery either with form or theme.

Once she has the concept for a quilt, she prepares what she needs to create the composition on her design wall. She likes to work large so she traces elements from her photos or sketches onto clear plastic transparencies and projects them onto the wall with an overhead projector. If blocks are involved she drafts them first onto paper or lightweight cardstock attached to the design wall. Next, she projects the pictorial subjects, deciding placement and size, during the projection. This makes it easy to see how the elements are going to work before committing to drawing in the lines in pencil. 

The next stage is refining the lines and doing a final ink drawing to create the master pattern. At this point she creates a palette of fabric that works cohesively with plenty of value change and then she gets to work. A long term project deserves careful planning at the beginning.

Our Line Art Work Portfolio Expands

Our Line Work themes are slowly being completed. They focus on the interplay and movement of lines created with all types of fibers, such as threads, yarns, ribbons and cloth, of course. These pieces explore concepts like rhythm, connection, complexity, and boundaries through linear patterns and textures.

Here is a small representation of the work. Some are playful. Some are abstract. Some are organic. Each artist has chosen her own way to cross the line.

 

Catch a Glimpse

The first preview of Line Dance has arrived. These cropped images offer a glimpse of what is to come. It’s always exciting to see how each artist interprets the theme, resulting in a rich variety of styles, from hand stitching to intricate piecing. A closer look is still ahead. Enjoy!

 

 

Creating in the New Year

Themes have been chosen, ideas are forming and work is beginning. How does one gather ideas. Elaine likes to use Pinterest, setting up a Board specific to the project and then when she finds inspiration in the form of an image, she stores it there. A virtual filing cabinet, if you will. Her next step is to jot down notes of what she specifically likes about each image. Eventually these notes are turned into broad based sketches that she uses to begin her work.

This digital, virtual world offers so many apps and software applications that allow an artist to pursue ideas in so many different ways. It is a fun time!

So you wonder, what are our themes for the new year....drum roll please.

The first is The Sum of Parts. This work will measure 18 inch wide by 40 inches long. 

Three 18 inch squares will be similarly related. The three themes, Line Dance, Crossing the Line and Tangled will likely produce work in a series for each artist. Look for these later this year.

Joy to All

 

In the New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Now go make some art!

Another Viewing

 

Female artists inspired by female artists is a big deal. The Sherwood Center for the Arts was keen to display this work, which invites much interest among the viewers. 

This artwork

hung so beautifully at the Sherwood Center for the Arts, was enjoyed by all the viewers. 

It will hang there through October 5 so schedule a fun day out at the Sherwood Center.

You will not regret it.

Up Close and Personal

 

Each work was inspired by a female artist of the makers choice. Read how each artist was inspired and take a closer look. 

These first two by Lynn Anderson were based on the work of Billie Buford. Lynn especially likes the color tints that she works with and the movement of color across a piece. Her use of line as another intersecting point of interest appeals to her as well. She found it fun, though challenging, to produce a work with these details. The pieces use shapes to mix the colors and stitch to depict the lines.

Annette chose Lucinda Parker, who is a local Portland artist known for her big works displayed at the Convention Center and hotel lobbies around town. She has always enjoyed her abstract representational work of the landscapes in the Pacific Northwest. Her current fascinations are the mountains and volcanoes, most of which she has climbed. Annette also enjoys hiking in the mountains of the PNW which connects her to this beautiful work.

These pieces, A Single Moon over Many Landscapes 1 & 2, were inspired by Danish photography artist Inge Schuster. Hilde has always been drawn to her early architectural work. Her images are full of emotion, with a moody atmosphere, simple compositions, and faded colors that she finds very moving. Small touches—like a lamppost, a bench, a cat’s silhouette, or a few tree branches—give her work a quiet human presence. She often includes a super moon too, which adds to the magic. Hilde worked to bring in some of these same elements.

Georgia O’Keefe was an American painter who spent part of her life living in the southwest and also New York City—quite a contrast. Deb began to appreciate her art while living in New Mexico. This New York piece Nightscape inspired her with it’s monochromatic tones and simple lines. She wanted to elongate it and create it in fabric

Huguette Caland was a painter, sculptor and fashion designer but it was her paintings that Elaine admired most and wanted to interpret in Fiber. She tends to use bright, pure color and often applies paint with a grungy, muted texture. Her use of layers is most intriguing. She adds little elements such as checkerboards, stripes, dots and houses over the top of the base layer. These tiny elements are not a part of the focal image but make you want to get up close to notice. It is this level of detail Elaine tried to capture in Tickled Pink.

Leonora Carrington was one of the very few women Surrealist painters during the 20^th Century. She used symbols to express her feelings as a woman. Kat's work, Sliding into Spring, reflects her own perspectives as a woman in the 21^st Century. More than in the past, girls are encouraged to be brave and strong as they slide through childhood into womanhood. They can fear the journey, but also embrace the adventure, looking forward to the possibilities that life can bring, just like how spring brings daisies to show us the possibilities of a new season.

  

Ruth Aiko Asawa was an American modernist artist known primarily for her abstract looped-wire sculptures inspired by natural and organic forms. Betty has always enjoyed both the simplicity of the shapes and the complexity of the work to form them. The neutral colors and the depth of layering have also intrigued her. She wanted to capture this 3-D work in 2 dimensions and in fiber rather than metal. 

SHOWing Off

 

We are at it again. This time our work will be on display at St James Lutheran Church in downtown Portland. Join us to hear more about the artwork at the Artist reception. July 20.

Our newest body of work has been exciting. Each of us choose a female artist, whether she be painter, or photographer or sculptor from whom to draw inspiration. That became the starting point. Our work was to be 18 inches wide by 40 inches long. Inspiration could be color or style or form or mood. Just whatever we artists found appealing. Some needed to translate a landscape piece into this portrait size while others needed to crop their vision. The results are truly amazing. Here is a snapshot view of the art. Enjoy!

Walls in Stitches

If you are looking for some great fiber art, I suggest you head to St James Lutheran Church for Hilde Morin's most recent exhibit "Walls in Stitches". 

Architecture is a recurring theme for Hilde. She beautifully blends softness with structure. And, reimagines material and form, creating works that feel both organic and architectural. This exhibit invites viewers to explore fiber in a new and tactile way. It is not to be missed.

City Art Blocks

The first of three napkins serving as inspiration for our work. This colorful grid lends itself to so many interpretations. Use a little color or a lot? Use a grid or not? Focus on just a few colors or the lot? These are the questions that needed answering. This is the napkin,  a bit of Mondrian, perhaps. 

 And these are the quilts. It's always interesting to see how each artist answers the call. Each is an 18 inch square.

 

Let It Rip

 

Mixed media lends itself well to fiber art. For this challenge, each artist was to incorporate paper in the work. It was a nice change of process. Searching for the paper in each piece is a fun viewer experience. The size is a repeat at 18 inches wide by 40 inches long.  For a closer look at each piece, click on the Art Quilt Portfolio tab at the top.

 

MIXing in March

We gathered together and had a lively meeting with much sharing of work.

But first, we tossed around ideas for a theme for our next work. It was decided that each MIX member would choose a female artist of their liking and create a work of art inspired by that artists. The size will be uniform at 18 x 40 inches. Some research will be required but that's what makes it so fun.

Here is some of the shared work. 18-inch squares from the second napkin theme called Competing Narratives.

And, from the third napkin comes a body of work called Line Dance. 

There will be more to come on both of these This is merely a glimpse.

Betty has been busy making postcards. She placed four of them in a frame she found at the local craft store. Her handwork always sets these apart.

Stay tuned until next time.

Made You Look - A MIX fiber exhibit

MIX joined with Hilde Morin to present a fiber exhibit in Portland. Made You Look does just that. It can be seen when walking by the PDX Commons Cohousing building at 4262 SE Belmont Street. The MIX portion is featured in the window so you won't miss it. It includes 10 works which are 18 inches wide by 40 inches long. Also included are a number of 3 D pieces which are featured on black pedestals.

Walk inside and admire the works of Hilde Morin.  Many feature her renowned curved piecing and are stunning. Yes do Take a Look at "Made you Look". You will not be disappointed!

 

MIXing in July

Our gathers always begin with the business at hand. This day was no exception. A review of our recent exhibit at the Stitchin' Post Gallery concluded that it was delightfully displayed both by theme and color. It is always fun, in a dynamic exhibit such as this, to find the common voice of each individual artist among different works. A number of pieces  were sold, which offers additional validation to the artist. We all agreed that we would like to exhibit at this lovely gallery again.

Next was finalizing the details for our upcoming exhibition at the PDX Commons building on Belmont in Portland, OR.. The work will be both the Let It Rip and As I See It collections, as well as some 3D work. Hanging apparatus and art sleeves were a part of this discussion. The show runs from October 1 to November 30. More on this later.

We always save the best part for last--a sharing of work.

Hilde shared a piece that she has been working on. This is only a sneak peak. The work is a beautiful rendering of trees in a forest. Curved lines and color are central to both Hilde's work and this piece. The green tones are exceptionally calming. Lovely!

Annette shared a work that is a dandelion casting it's seeds to the wind. In this detailed view, each of the white lines you see is a stitch line. Look closely to see this amazing stitch work. She based this on a photo she had taken of the flower. You will look at this piece for a long, long while.  Amazing!

Elaine shared three works that have been juried into the Columbia Fiberarts Guild online exhibit. The theme is Color Play. These fit that theme quite well. Don't you agree!.  

Dreaming in Hexacolor

La La Fa

Lightening Strikes

Well that's all folks!

MIXing in June

After completing two sets of three Extremes in the 18 inch square format, we moved to the theme "Inspired by a Napkin". This is the third napkin in that series. Look to earlier posts for the other napkins chosen. Several of us decided it might be interesting to take this at face value but explore various techniques to form the elements. You will just have to wait and see.

 

Sharing other work is my personal favorite part of our MIX meet ups. These images are of Betty's work. They are each 5 x 7 inches, The stitch work is simply beautiful.

Elaine had taken an online class at Jeanne Oliver's site called Hat Tricks. She shared the hat that she had embellished. Differing art mediums are a fun exploration. Try one with found items around your home.

 

Adios, until we meet again!

Touring the MIX exhibit at Sisters

Grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy the show. Thank you, Jean Wells for inviting us to show our work and for providing this wonderful YouTube video,

MIX at the Sisters Fiber Arts Gallery

These are just a few of the images from the exhibit. It was beautifully hung and very well balanced by style and color and concept. The 18 x 40 inch quilts anchored the show. The first image is the work from the theme Let It Rip. Each of these quilts has some elements of paper in them. And, it is very fun to get up close and personal to find them. 

The second image features the 18 x 40 works from the As I See It theme. This abstract theme produced a wide variety of works from a covid inspired piece to  life path. A few pieces from the Inspired by a napkin theme can also be seen.

As is usual, these images do not do justice to the works. They are full of surprises with beautiful hand and machine stitched elements as well as tiny piecing that delights the eye. Head to Sisters now. The show will be up until June 20.

 

What a Great Mix!

Come see the latest MIX work at the Stitchin' Post Fiber Arts Gallery, from May 26 through June 20. It is part of the Sisters Art Walk on Friday, May 26. Sure to be a fun evening in the ever enchanting Sisters, Oregon

You will find new work produced by the 6 MIX artists, including five of our recent themed works. 

• Extreme Stitch, an 18 inch square
• Inspired by a Napkin, an 18 inch square
• As I See It, an 18 x 40 drop down
• Ripped, an 18 x 40 drop down, and
• Just For Fun!, a 16 x 8 horizontal view

A must see, it truly is a Great Mix!

 

April ...comes little by little

 

First up is business as usual. We sorted through all of the details for the upcoming show at the Sisters Fiber Art Gallery. And, there were a lot. Check back soon for the nitty gritty. 

 As artists, we work in a variety of ways and explore many different techniques. And so, our meetings would be totally wrong if there was not a sharing. And that is exactly what we did. Snippets of some work evolving.

Annette"s Rip'd work

Elaine Millar's Rip'd work

Hilde's Rip'd work

Hilde's covered box

Kathy's Inspiration from a Napkin #2

Betty's Inspiration from a Napkin #2