Something New. Something Old.

A CREATIVE STUDY:  PETROGLYPHS, POTTERY & PREHISTORY
JUNE 4-6 

(optional Fri. night potluck)

Many artists have found inspiration in prehistoric and archetypal imagery from caves, cliffs and ancient ceramics. This is the first of a series of “creative study” workshops that will illuminate how you as an artist can take inspiration from the images and imagination of the past, while transforming the images into something uniquely your own. This workshop models a time-proven creative study process (based on that developed at Learning About Learning Educational Foundation and the Paul Baker Theatre)  that can be adapted to many inspirational sources.

We’ll go from collection through synthesis to creating, and explore textile and mixed media techniques that relate to the aesthetic and philosophical qualities and intent of the earliest art-makers. Use handmade brushes as tools, make pigmented paints with ashes, earth, rust and minerals. Learn to use two different techniques for transfering photos and sketches to fabric using a home printer/copier-- directly printing on fabric you  prepare with Bubble Jet Set and doing a transfer print with polyester film and gel medium.

We'll also have a chance to drum, share poetry and stories, and share a meal under the moon and stars. And, of course,  enjoy the beautiful early summer weather in the Texas Hill Country. We've added a sleeping porch to the house, so if you wish, you can even sleep (sort of) under the stars, though the airconditioned comfort of the bedrooms are also available. Only one $30 private room remains, otherwise, for $15 you can sleep in the studio, or for free on the porch or air mattress. Remember to bring swim suits and towels for the pool and hot tub! The workshop fee is $160 whether you stay two nights or one!

Rest, play and work, from Martha Beck

This came along in an email newsletter from Martha Beck just at the right time.

Past experience has taught me that although we all have the same amount of time in one day of our lives, we can put a great deal of life in our days by re-establishing our natural rhythm. It's not about working harder, smarter or faster; it's about working in harmony. (Check out this month's telecourse below to get Terry and Susan's take on this issue)
 
The rhythm of our essential selves is like almost every other rhythm in nature. It has two phases which I call "rest" and "play." When you rest in harmony with your essential self, you feel as drowsy and contented as a cat in the sun. Right now, look back on a wonderful lazy day in your past. Maybe you were falling in love or you just finished a huge project. For some reason, you've given yourself permission to just goof off.
 
For the next ten minutes, give yourself that permission again. For me, it helps to pretend I'm in the company of "resting buddies." These are real people in my life with whom I've goofed off in the past. As I picture them, that energy of loving relaxation comes back easily. It can also help to be around an animal -- a horse, an iguana, or a dog -- who is just being.
 
As you stay connected with your essential self through rest, there will come a moment when something piques your interest. You will want to get up and investigate, or you'll be thrilled by the idea of exploring some area of your life - familiar or unfamiliar. (For me, this often takes the form of something I want to write.)

Hers is one of those newsletters I'm always happy to see in my inbox, and when I take the time to read it there is always a gem or two. Yes, sales pitches, too, but a girls gotta eat.

Here's what I did in my 10 minutes.

Stepped outside on the (windy) deck

Watched the wind play in the cedars

Thought about my blessings and made a gratitude list for the morning

Noticed the spring green and the blue sky

Filled up with the wild energy of the moving wind

Live, on a screen near you!



MIXED MEDIA TEXTILE ARTS!

The Quilting Arts people launched my video workshop this week. Take a peek. Buy it now! I am so jazzed to see this, especially since I thought I was really lame in the first part of the taping, but they know how to edit a segment...

Here's what the newsletter says:

Mixed-Media Textile Art Workshop DVD Available Now!

Be among the first to take Susie Monday's new workshop!  Mixed-Media Textile Art, the newest of our Cloth Paper Scissors Workshop™ DVDs, is now available. Get ready to take your mixed-media textile art to the next level with Susie's masterful demonstrations.  At your own convenience and in the comfort of your own home or studio, you can explore new techniques and enhance your design skills.

You can order from Interweave in the link below, or wait til I get wholesale copies that I can autograph and personalize for your library -- and I'll include a few pdf downloadable related lessons, too!

Mixed-Media Textile Art (DVD)

And while you're shopping, you might want to take a look at Jane Dunnewald's new DVD on screenprinting. It's a perfect complement to my DVD if you don't know anything about prepping a screen or making your own -- even this preview will get you started!

Cloth Paper Scissors Debut

I'm honored to be writing now for Cloth Paper Scissors, the Interweave Press mixed media magazine. My first article will be in the May/June issue and its a profile of mixed media artist Robert Maloney. I hope you'll all pick up a copy and tell me what you think, when the mag hits the stands!

And, speaking of publication, I've also just received word that my Cloth Paper Scissor DVD Workshop about Rainbow Printing will be released in Apri and that it will be featured in teh CPS newsletter of April 7.

Hi Susie,
We will be promoting your DVD in the April 7th newsletter. Can you please send me some tips or a brief how-to related to your DVD for that newsletter? We would also need an image. We will need all of this no later than April 1st.
 
Thanks Susie. Please let me know if you have any questions.
 
Have a good night.
 
Warm regards,
Barbara Delaney
Assistant Editor
CLOTH PAPER SCISSORS®

I am holding my breath til I see that hour-long me-in-front-of- big-scary-camera workshop! I learned a lot in the process, and beg those of you who have the opportunity to see it sometime to tell me how I could improve. (I'll let you know where/how to purchase when I get the word that it's on the way -- or you can go to CLP's website and sign up for their newsletter.) I KNOW I was really disorganized and rushed at the beginning (breathe, Susie) but I think I improved as the tape rolled.

Sensory Alphabet Workshop in April

What is the Sensory Alphabet? And why do you wnat to know about it?

What -- see above and below for the nine elements. Why is a little trickier to answer, but for me, these 9 "viewpoints" have been the key to my creative work since I first learned my alphabet at age 12 in a children's theater program at Baylor University. They were -- and remeain -- my entry points into my own strongest kinds of imaginging. Knowing my alphabet is what helps me find my artistic and creative voice in any medium. The alphabet has served me as a writer, as a visutal artist, as a textile artist, as a designer of books, videos, and informational materials, as a journalist and as a museum designer.

Looks simple, looks artsy, but really what these ways of collecting, looking and giving form for me, and I think for others, is provide the path to find what I am best at doing, saying, making and percieving -- and that's whether I am starting a business, planting a garden, working an equation or making art. Maybe you'r e ready to dig deeper into your own strong suite, get off the "collect-another-technique" trail (as fun as that might be), and start making work that reflects your individual and unique perspective. To speak in your own voice as an artist.

Or maybe you are just ready for some play time outside your regular and expected directions, the well-trod road of expertise and self-expectations -- time to stretch into really different, though simple, materials and media.  Either way, you'll like this affordable and rejuvenating workshop I think!

The Sensory Alphabet workshop coming up in April at El Cielo is a short and intense two-days of looking at your own way of using this alphabet of perception. If you'd lilke to get started (or continue with conviction) your own path to your own best work, consider joining us at El Cielo on April 16 (optional evening potluck and sharing) 17-18. The details are in my workshop brochure (see sidebar and click on the link to download) or email me for an electronic brochure mailed to your very own computer!

ON-LINE LIVE at last

The planning wall has finally come to life!

Well, almost. At any rate I am to the point of taking registrations of my test pilot group.
Here are the details (if you expressed interest before, you should have gotten an email today).

The test pilot group will be open to the first 25 participants who respond. I don't think I can handle more participants than that and still do a good job of facilitation with the level of participation I hope we have.

Dear Colleague:

You have expressed interest in being one of my "test pilots" for a new on-line teaching format and for an online workshop that I will facilitate. After a busy winter season teaching and learning I am ready to launch the workshop, with the start date for the first week of classes set for Thursday, April 1. The online workshop will last for 7 weeks (the last week is optional since it involves more expensive materials and equipment), but I would like this free trial to have participating artists who can commit to at least the next 6 weeks to work through the exercises, or, at the least give me feedback as to the format and content.

Here are the specifics of what I am offering with this course (it is a workshop-in-progress, with tweaking no doubt along the way!)

TEXT ON THE SURFACE

Week One -- Getting Started with Text on Textiles -- Ideas, inspirations, examples and collections to get going. Finding the right words for your personal stories, research and word-weaving. Fast forms to get your hands in motion and to start the ideas flowing. Supplies to gather, materials to look out for, prep to get you going, playtime in the studio and on the journal page. Writing exercises to continue throughout the course. (For specifics see my post two back in the archive)

Week Two -- Cut and Paste, Word Collages.
Week Three -- From Text to Textile.
Week Four -- Stamping out a Message
Week Five -- Write with the Sun -
Week Six -- Putting it all together.
Week Seven -- OPTIONAL -- Waxing Poetically

The online workshop will be offered on a private, password protected website with another password protected website that will be used for comments and discussion hosted on posterous.com. There will also be pdf downloads of lessons, supplies, etc. (It may take me a few weeks to get them formated for download). The workshop will be conducted through these two online web-based platforms. If you do not have highspeed internet service I suspect the process will be too tedious for you to use. In the future, perhaps I will also offer the workshop as a CD or DVD.

You will need to know (or be willing to learn) how to post comments on a website, send email to posterous, shoot and download photos into your computer of your work to share, attach photos to an email, search the web, set up bookmarks on your web browser. You will need a computer and printer/scanner if at all possible, and I reccommend that you have an all-in-one copier/printer though this is not essential. If you are accessing the workshop on a public computer, you must have the ability to log-in to password protected sites.

I am not, for this first trial, providing any supplies or material kits other than an option for you to order thermofax screens from me. Supply services may be added in the future.

As this is the FREE pilot launch for this course, those of you who commit to participating will help me improve as I learn more about how to make this powerful format work for all of us. In that light, I ask that you commit to the following:

PLEASE respect my ownership and copyright for these materials and use them for personal use only, not for distribution. Do not share your confidential password and log-in information with others. The password will be changed every three months, so if you wish to participate in comments or review the materials, be sure to do so within that time period.

Fully participate in group discussions, including posting examples of your work (photos), ideas, things you discover about the techniques and exercises, etc. Your comments and posts will be submitted via a separate but linked website on posterous.com. This means you simply will email photos, comments, etc to a dedicated, private website, accessible only to the members of this pilot course. Each lesson has a live link to the posterous site. I would like the option of using your submitted examples on future course websites and to illustrate exercises, and will credit your work with you name, if you wish. See the first assignment.

Stay the distance, at least through the next 6 weeks of lessons. I will post one lesson per week. Each lesson includes several assignments-- some design exercises as well as some technical “how-tos.” You can, of course, complete the assignments (or not) at your own pace and in your own good time, but discussions will track the course timeline and weekly lessons. I will also make all the written lessons available as pdf formated downloadable documents, so that you can keep them handy as you work and for future projects. At the end of each assignment, you’ll find a checklist that you can use to monitor your progress.

Participate in an evaluation at the end of the workshop so that I can improve and make the materials better and more useful.

VERY IMPORTANT!! Share your experience with others, so that when I offer the tuition-based version of the workshop, I have you as an ambassador to help me market the workshop online and to the groups that you participate in.

If this still sound like fun, please send me a prompt email return and I will mail you the registration information, password and links to the sites. Thanks for sharing the adventure!

El Cielo Workshops

The brochure's in the (e)mail; here's the scoop. I hope you can join me on one of these FUN adventures into your own creative process, the world of mixed media textiles and adventures in ideas (not to mention the beautiful setting here at El Cielo). Please register as soon as possible, hold your place with a $25 deposit, or pay in advance (3 weeks, please) to get a %10 discount.

Nurture your creativity as you come away from a weekend with renewed energy, new materials and techniques in surface design applicable to fiber, ceramics, jewelry, painting and mixed media work. Susie Monday leads artists’ retreats and workshops throughout the year at her studio near Pipe Creek, Texas, about an hour from downtown San Antonio. El Cielo Studio workshops are designed with the needs of the participants in mind; free time is scheduled throughout the weekend for reading, reflection and personal work in the studio. You are welcome to bring projects in process for Susie’s critique and for peer feedback in an environment of trust and respect. You’ll share meals, poetry and stories, music and advice for living an artist’s life. Enjoy the 25-mile vistas from the deck and strolls down the country roads. A spa and pool, and large screen media room are also available to participants. The fee for each workshop retreat is $165 for a 2-day event with $15 discount for early enrollment/payment. Comfortable accommodations and meals are available from $15 - $30 per workshop. Limited enrollment. Most supplies included. Call 210-643-2128 or email susiemonday@gmail.com

FINDING YOUR CREATIVE PATH

APRIL 16-18

(optional Fri. night potluck)

Discover your artist's path and creative strengths as you explore the Sensory Alphabet, the non-verbal vocabulary that each of us uses to take in the world around us, to play with ideas and to create form. In this workshop filled with multimedia experiments and investigations --  including drawing, sculpting, painting, moving, collage and photography -- you'll discover more about your strong suits as an artist and maker, and learn more about what cognitive scientists know about the ways our brains work and invent.

NATURE INSPIRED ART

MAY 7-9

(optional Fri. night potluck) How does an art quilt idea grow from nature’s inspiration? Learn two dimensional design skills as your take some of your favorite images from nature into your own art work. Explore surface design techniques that use the power of nature (sun, water, and rust) and explore several techniques that use your nature photos on the surface of fabric. Take home a journal quilt or small wood-frame quilt ready for stitching. ($10 additional supply fee if you wish to work on a wooden frame piece.)

A CREATIVE STUDY: PETROGLYPHS, POTTERY & PREHISTORY

JUNE 4-6

(optional Fri. night potluck)

Many artists have found inspiration in prehistoric and archetypal imagery from caves, cliffs and ancient ceramics. This is the first of a series of “creative study” workshops that will illuminate how you as an artist can take inspiration from the images and imagination of the past, while transforming the images into something uniquely your own. This workshop models a time-proven creative study process (based on that developed at Learning About Learning Educational Foundation and the Paul Baker Theatre) that can be adapted to many inspirational sources. We’ll go from collection through synthesis to creating, and explore textile and mixed media techniques that relate to the aesthetic and philosophical qualities and intent of the earliest art-makers. Explore some simple natural dyes; use handmade brushes as tools, make pigmented paints with ashes, earth, rust and minerals

WHAT PARTICIPANTS SAY ABOUT EL CIELO WORKSHOPS

“A workshop at Susie’s is always money well spent. I learned techniques I have read about but never tried ... I also now feel confident that I can make art quilts!” “This workshop was a fabulous, uplifting, nurturing environment to create in. The journaling was particularly helpful, I would definitely recommend it to a friend.” “This weekend was totally awesome! I am humbled by Susie’s talents, her teaching abilities and her hospitality. I will come back as often as possible.”

Susie Monday has taught creative process and art techniques to adults and children for more than 30 years. Her art is in numerous private and public collections around the world. She will be a featured artist on QUILTING ARTS TV in the new season starting June 2010. Susie is also the co-author of NEW WORLD KIDS; The Parents’ Guide to Creative Thinking.

For a free quarterly newsletter, email susiemonday@gmail.com www.susiemonday.com 210-643-2128 3532 Timbercreek Road Pipe Creek, TX 78063 Read Susie’s blog at http://susiemonday.squarespace.com

Are you interested in a custom designed workshop at El Cielo (minimum 5 participants) or on site for your guild or other group? Many of Susie’s workshops go on the road! Please write for available dates and fees.

If you wish to download a copy of this brochure, please see the sidebar for a link for downloading.

Uncle, That's me calling it.

And double that, uncle. I just wrote a long eloquent entry and the stupid website logged me out without the supposed automatic save!!

So, here we go again.

Remember "uncle," that's me calling it on the online course deadline. It will be done when it will be done. I am so close, but then my computer power management chip went fluooey, causing me to have a major crash and to have to have my entire system restored, rebooted, etc. All is well, I did have a fairly recent backup of my files, but I don't have all the software that I have downloaded -- that has to be redone. And more importantly to the pressure cooker, my MAIL program seems to be intent on downloading all 7.3 gigabytes of mail that my gmail account has in archive since September of 2007. Go figure. I am trying not to take it personally, but I am taking it to heart.

Sometimes when a project, an endeavor takes on swimming-upstream direction it's a good idea to look at what's going on and try to adjust to reality. Perhaps this, my online course,  is just not meant to be done by end of February! I have a tower of deadlines, a DVD script to finish that will, indeed, be a digital course all on its own, with someone else to market it! My dreams seem to be coming true but in a manner different that what I imagined. Gee, how often does that happen? If I stop spinning my wheels and try to do what seems to be the next best step, I suspect that all will go a bit better, right?

I still plan to launch my own version of an online workshop -- but the schedule is changing as of now. I'm giving us all another month to get it together and meanwhile, I'll tell you what I have in mind.

I've still got everyone's name on a little database of addresses (fortunately that stayed intact!) of those who have expressed interest -- oh, let's see, two months, three months back --  and I'll let you know when its time to go.

Meanwhile, here's the outline of what I'm thinking about and a few steps to get you who are interested started on the process, in your own "sweet" time, I hope.

ONLINE COURSE -- WORDS ON THE SURFACE

Week One -- Getting Started with Text on Textiles -- Ideas, inspirations, examples and collections to get going. Finding the right words for your personal stories, research and word-weaving. Fast forms to get your hands in motion and to start the ideas flowing. Supplies to gather, materials to look out for, prep to get you going, playtime in the studio and on the journal page. Writing exercises to continue throughout the course.

Week Two -- Cut and Paste, Word Collages. Use a variety of collage and composition techniques with magazine and found text to make original collages. Step-by-step exercises in making collages with contrast, meaning and form. Hand-cut letters to make it personal. (Optional: Playing with scale, using your copy machine or all-in-one printer to make magic with collage).

Week Three -- From Text to Textile. Paper Cloth collage techniques combine fabric and collage with tissue paper and glue. Then put your collages to work on fabric with phototransfer techniques using an inkjet printer and thermofax (optional). Several different techniques for transfering images using common digital equipment -- your's or the copy shop's.

Week Four -- Stamping out a Message -- Learn to make original alphabet and word stamps with easy to find craft store materials, erasers and other cut-and-glue techniques. Techniques for making clean stamped images and more.

Week Five -- Write with the Sun -- Sunprinting using words and letterform images. Layering words and text. Tricks for humid or cool climates from the experts. Mixing your own paints for sunprinting.

Week Six -- Putting it all together. Ideas for using your words on the surface, your text on textiles. How I put an art quilt together. Continuations and completions. How to keep working from your own stories. Group gallery of work, samples and ideas in process.

Week Seven -- OPTIONAL -- Using soy wax batik to add words to the surface -- scrafitto, stamping, brushwork and tjanting tools. And even how to use wax writing to make an original screen print. This is an optional week since not all participants will want to make the investment in materials and tools that are required for batik and screenprinting.

What you can do to get started now:

1) Start cutting out words and letters and save them in a cigar box. (or something similar). Just cut or tear from magazines and newspapers

2) Keep your eyes out in the craft store for foam letters, magnetic letters and word and phrase stamps that you like -- especially if they are on sale

3) Keep your eyes out for a working fry pan at the thrift store if you plan to investigate soy batik.

4) Make a collection of quotes that you like on a topic or two dear to your heart. Put them in digital form.

And on to the City

I arrived in Houston last night to present two lectures and a one-day workshop for the Houston Fiber Artists, HAFA. Great reception and hospitality so far, and I'm off to the second lecture in a few minutes. The Friday workshop has given me the opportunity to jump back into my planning for my online course test -- yes, it really is coming. On Friday I'll do the "live" version of Words on the Surface, and next week I'll launch the on-line version. So if you missed the Houston workshop, stay tuned for sign-up info about the course coming soon. My test pilot group will receive first dibs on enrollment, since I'll keep it at 15 max for this first venture online.

If you haven't added yourself to my test pilot group, please send me a note through the sidebar email form or just directly. I'll put you in the notification group. Words on the Surface will include creativity exercises and writing, collage, mixed media printing, stamp-making and fabric stamping, sun printing,  ink jet printing and maybe a couple of other techniques -- in a 6 lesson format with one lesson a week. I hope to include video and slide shows, and a lot of links to online resources and examples.

P.S. The completion of the Youth Ambassadors program at Selah and then at Say Si was a great success. The kids are now at Tapatio Springs, for their final wrapup with Georgetown University staff and their mentors, in liu of traveling back to Washingon, DC. An impossible journey given the snow!

J. David Bamberger speaks to the Youth Ambassadors group about his amazing journey to restore habitat in the Texas Hill Country, entreating them to do the same in their own countries -- both for the land's sake and for the economic potential in such activity.

Art and Leadership: Bamberger's Selah

 

Photo from Bamberger Ranch website.

Art and leadership. Leadership through art. Artful leadership. Of my out-of-the-studio hats, I'm wearing one of them the next three days, teaching with a group of colleagues. The students are Central American highschoolers who are attending a two week leadership symposium, the first week in Washington, D.C; the second week here in Texas. We are spending the next three days together at Selah, the ranch/ecology and environmental center founded by David Bamburger.

David and his work was featured on NPR a couple of days ago, you can hear more about the ranch here. And check out the website, here.

As to our activities, I'll be working with my colleagues from Alamo College's International Program -- Julia Jarrell, Daniel Gonzalez and others (including the "hosts" for the meals, logistics and amenities, the ILS program participants who are 20 young professionals and community organizers from South America). We will spend some of our time touring the ranch (hopefully the rain will stop!) and part of the time in creative arts activities.  San Antonio highshool students will host the Central Americans in their homes over the weekend and take them to their highschools on Monday. Next Tuesday we'll go to Say Si, a wonderful arts education and pre-professional training center for young artists, and continue working to create a multimedia presentation for the hosts, community leaders and peers. The Leadership participants will be exploring the roles, voices and actions that their world needs in the future. Here's a excerpt from our activity outline:

ROUND ROBIN of three activities with group divided into three teams, ILS participants sign up to work with one activity, being trained to help and then taking over some of the leadership with subsequent groups. Each activity takes about 50 minutes  including sharing at the end of each. Facilitators and staff will take photos as the activities are done and at the end, take pictures of each of the Leadership student participants with their products, as time allows.  I will also have a flip video camera and try to take some short action videos clips, too.. All our staff who have cameras need to bring them.

A. Leaders of the Future Badges

Badge making in pairs. Students and participants interview each other about their concerns, hopes and dreams for their future and the the future of the planet. What kind of important roles and careers and viewpoints and values are needed (environmentalist, activist, balancer, peacemaker, visionary, inventor, etc) The partners learn a bit about each other in the present, too. Then make colorful badges with magazine pictures and words (ENGLISH LABELS ON LABELS.doc attached. Please reproduce about 10 copies per page on colored paper if possible. Translate or do similar labels in Spanish and make copies of those too. Cut apart ahead of time if someone has time to do so, other wise we can do at the ranch)

B. Voices from the Future Masks

Students will think about who could be the “spokespersons” of the future – animals, plants, natural phenomena (like the earth or the ocean or reefs) and people. They will design and make strong graphic masks with paper bags, black construction paper, newspaper and white paper cutouts. If time, students will in small groups do some improvisation of what these voices from the future will say. Possibly make cartoon bubbles that go with the masks.

C. Recipes, Remedies and Cures

Starting with some brainstorming, create skits and write about the problems they see that must be solved to have a peaceful, sustainable, healthy future. Students will write, individually, then adding in groups, about the recipes, remedies and cures for these current ails. They will be in the form of recipes, etc. (ex. Recipe for Safe Cities: add  3 parts healthy sustainable infrastructure to 2 parts excellent schools, mix well with imagination, invention and technology. Do not forget to add concern, equality and love for one’s neighbors. Mix well, Let season. Do not put in too large a pan. Smaller batches may be more successful.) Begin work to make these into small group skits that could be part of presentations.

Dinner

Star Party if weather permits

Continue nature program with Bamberger staff and ILS

Order from Jane's Corner

Here's a note that Jane Dunnewold, my friend and mentor, put on out on one of the online lists this week. If you plan to order Jane's new book ART CLOTH -- an update and reworking of what is certainly one of the classic resources of the surface design field, COMPLEX CLOTH -- then do her the favor of ordering from her Art Cloth website. I certainly will. And, even better, add my name to the drawing for one of Jane's wonderful pieces of art.

"I was dismayed to go to Amazon and see how deeply discounted my new book will be - even before it has been released. I know that's the way of the world, but it led me to some serious thinking about how to compete with discounting while offering value to those who are committed to sticking with and supporting artists by spending a bit more - rather than going for the discount. With that in mind, I've decided to host a "raffle" of sorts - to thank those of you who are willing to support artists first hand - without the middle person, like Amazon, involved.

Anyone who pre-orders my new book on my website - complexcloth.com - will automatically be entered in a drawing for two of my larger works of art. The pieces are yet to be determined - I need to get some work back from Interweave before I can make the decision about what to offer, but they will be GOOD pieces. The drawing will occur on June 1, 2010. Anyone who has already pre-ordered from my website is automatically "in."

Please feel free to pass this on to other lists and friends. I am not
against Amazon at all, but am interested in leveling the playing field so that I might actually be able to hold my own against big business! And may I say, while engaging in a little fun with an outcome a couple of people will really enjoy!

(Is Amazon the equivalent of an on-line big box store? Am I the local corner artist?)

Cheers,
Jane

and yes, every copy ordered on the website will be personally signed."

Story Wall

Story Wall, 16" by 20," art quilt by Susie Monday

Forgive the cross-posting, but since it looks like I need all the possible posts I can find to appear here -- due to my busy schedule and apparent inability to write on this blog lately -- you can see my new little quilt here, and then go to the challenge quilt site at textileabstractions.blogspot to see the other challenge quilts in the group -- we hope there will be 12 by the end of the day!

This wall-themed small quilt is quite obviously inspired by the paintings found in rock shelters in South Texas and other parts of the desert Southwest. The images were my own petroglyph experiments and adaptations of rock art photos I found in various books. None of them is a literal copy of an actual rock painting, since I wanted to avoid copyright and cultural appropriation issues -- though in this case, I think these artists are our common ancestors, even those of us with primarily European heritage.

I used fabrics that I first rusted and then screen printed, then used a photo transfer technique that I have recently experimented with for teaching purposes. First, you take an image, copy it using an ink jet printer onto wet media polyester film. While the ink is still wet on the film, turn the image face down on your fabric, which could be pre-moistened with a thin wash of fabric medium or gel medium, or even just dampened with water. Brayer or rub the image to transfer it onto the cloth. The image will also transfer on dry fabric, which then can be painted with medium or water --  each technique leads to a slightly different but quite painterly effect. This technique seemed quite suited for the theme, since the results are kind of rough and integrated into the surface texture of the fabrics.

I pieced and fused the little art quilt using other fabrics in the earthy palette, all small "samples" that I've made in different teaching situations. Then added a layer of batting and a backing.

I added a good deal of hand stitching with a variety of threads and thin yarns. Then, I added one more layer of printing with a thermofax screen, and finished if off with machine free-motion stitching that emphasized the different shapes.

The biggest challenge for me with this quilt was narrowing down how to interpret the theme, and making some global decisions about how I will "answer" each of the challenges for this project. While I welcome the idea of creating from different impulses, I still want the work to teach me something and to also still speak with my voice in a particular way, holding a sense of series through the media chosen, the techniques used and the approach to each different theme. I decided that each of my challenge quilts would make use of a photographic image in some way, would have a frame created by a border, and would use a transfer technique in an interesting fashion. I also want to keep a narrative perspective, rather than a completely abstract approach (dispite the name of this challenge group!).

Deja Vu

Sometimes, it takes time for things to come around, to come to fruition, to make sense.

In a former life as an arts-in-education designer and educator, my colleagues and I fought an uphill battle to demonstrate the importance of creative thought as a lynchpin of public (and private) education. Although our non-profit, Learning about Learning Educational Foundation, was a model program, garnered prestigious awards, and for 15 years succeeded with finding funding and delivering amazing programs, training and products, we knew we were ahead of our times. Since the foundation closed in 1986, neuroscience and brain research has affirmed what we knew from experience: we humans construct our knowledge; we create meaning and knowledge from rich environments; metacognitive practice and understanding aids our development; and that each of us is an absolutely unique learner and creator.

What we also know: Children, given access to individual strenghts as creative beings; given processes to nurture, communicate and work from their creative selves could find pathways to success -- in school, in life, in careers.

Susan Marcus and I worked for several years to write and publish NEW WORLD KIDS, The Parents' Guide to Creative Thinking, for the parent audience -- mainly because we knew the frustration of trying to turn the huge bureaucratic bulk of the educational "system," and because we wanted the proven tools we had developed for nurturing creative thought to be in parents' hands. Now, with the book published, the educational -- particularly the outside-of-school educational world is paying attention (again?).

Susan, Cindy Herbert (another colleague from LAL) and I just completed a teacher training session for 20 plus educators -- about half of them from the Dallas Museum of Art -- and another batch from other out-of-school-time programs. The immediate aim was to train the DMA folks to run a two-week 5-year-olds' program this summer based on the book and on the program that has been operating in Ridgefield, CN, at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.

The immediate program will be great -- and we know from Aldrich -- an eye-opening experience for parents and their kids who participate. But more importantly, we see that perhaps these ideas are coming to fruition in a new scale and scope. One of the wonderful things about the Dallas time was that we reconnected with others whose common foundation -- exposure and work with one time or another with Paul Baker -- led to an immediate ability to speak the same language.

Now, I have to figure out how this new strand (I guess, it's acually an old strand re-spun) fits into my life as a working artist. What do I want to do with these new demands to teach, train, create materials? How do I continue my own creative journey? We (Susan, Cindy and I) are wise in our own strenghts and interests, know what and how we want to live our lives (and that's not in an airport or motel room on the road).

Plus on top of all this, I'm blossoming with possibilities for my own quilting-arts teaching -- I've been asked to tape a segment for Quilting Arts TV and a one-hour workshop for the Quilting Arts video series. Wowser. Plus I AM going to do my own on-line teaching and launch a test by the end of the month.

Sneak Preview of Challenge Quilt

I am participating in my first Quilt Challenge group -- a little personal challenge in follow-through for me, since I tend to get lots of things started and then, whoops, quite a few of them drop by the wayside. The challenge is one in which 12 participants each make a smallish art quilt every two months, with each member choosing a theme single word in turn. The word/theme for the first quilt is "wall." And along the same set of goals, here is my mantra for the month:" MAKE ART EVERYDAY. No matter what else is going on, or where ever else I am other than the studio (this month has a good deal of travel for teaching in it). So far, so good!

For the quilt challenge, I decided to continue some work I 've been doing with prehistoric imagery for this first challenge -- since it seemed to be a perfectly good fit -- rock walls, rock art! And it's given me a great opportunity to continue experimenting with transfers using polyester film and textile medium -- an interesting way to get a kind of organic quality to the image that fits the theme.

I also wanted to try and use words in each of the challenge quilts, but this one may take the prehistoric images as a preword word! If I find a poem or excerpt from a poem about cave walls or shamens maybe I will try to work it in via the quilting. If this one doesn't work out, I have another piece of fabric in the works that might be better. It's been interesting for me to have a two month stretch to work since usually I don't spend this much time on a small art quilt.

This photo shows the kind of effects you have from the image transfer, though this is a sample from another project, not fabric I am using in this piece.

This work was inspired by the Petroglyphs and Prehistory workshop that I taught here at El Cielo this fall. You can see more of the design work that is adding up in this piece on my blog entry for that event here.

How to make an art quilt my way, part 2

When last you saw this quilt ....After being stuck for a time, and being out of town for longer, I finally made some real progress on what is turning out to be someone living an archetypal life between Eve and Our Lady of Guadalupe, complete with pomegranates, of course.

The snake snuck in, though. And a new arm.

 

When we last left this quilt, it was still on the design table. I got it fused together, and then up on the wall for final fiddling around and problem solving. I also took lots of photos and screened the results on the computer to start the process of thinking how I will trim the finished product -- though That Decision won't really come until the end, after all the quilting.

Next I go to the machine (or machines -- I am considering renting time on the local quilt shop's long arm to do the "first layer" of free motion work. I don't much like it for all the detail work, since I like to change colors of thread. One factor pushing me this way is that it seems my machine is acting up and, gee, I suppose it must be time for a service call.

Visioning along

I've made good progress on my Visioning Project with SAQA. And the next step is here!
Please help me by filling in your answers to my simple survey and help me on my way.
If you have other comments or information about courses you've taken on-line that you'd like to share, add a comment or send me a direct private message using the email form on the sidebar. Thanks, so much.

Daily Practice

Go with the flow, but it's nice to have a few paddles that you've practised using.

When the pedal hits the metal, you need a foundation of good practice to keep a modicum of balance in place. I've been tending a family member's serious illness this past week, (my dad, he's better), and it takes every bit of good behavior on my part for me to stay centered and available. What works for me is having certain minimum daily requirements for my physical, mental, spiritual and emotional well being. I'm not legalistic about these, sometimes a week might pass before one of my DMR actually makes it onto the to-do list. But I have noticed that the more I practice these habits/skills/routines and rituals daily -- when I DON'T need them --  the easier it is to make it through the rough patches.

The MDRs change over time and sometimes the focus is on one "realm" of being more than another. But recently, these are the practices that are getting me through. These are the real ones, not the ones I wish I did, not the ones I think I should be doing. And I slip up a lot on the dailyness aspect. but they are the minimums and more often then not, I get around to each and every one of them once in 24 hours.

1. Walking, at least a mile, usually about 3 in 1 to 2 mile stints. This one works on ALL the fronts, physical, emotional, spiritual and mental. Usually at home the walks are dog-driven necessity. (We call Bandera, the coon hound, "The Treadmill.")

Bandera, aka "the Treadmill

2. Keeping my email box purged. This is not easy, and stuff still gets shuffled to some unknown folder at times. But mentally, it helps not to open the email and see 300 messages that are just kindof parked there o "in."

3. Cooking. Cooking good, simple, nourishing comfort food is both a creative and physical best practice in my life. It keeps me centered to handle ingredients and to participate in the alchemy of transforming these six things into some one delicious smelling and tasting one thing.

4. Stitching by hand. When I need a meditative moment, having some handwork to attack with the slow steady pace of a nice running stitch just gets me back into now. I carry handwork with me as often as I can, and its been essential for those hours in hospital waiting rooms. Count it practice for all the mes.

5. Affirmation and prayer. Enough said. Remember to breathe. Everything really is going to be all right. I don't have all the information. I can be present, right now, right here. Spinning out into future scenarios is always always a waste of precious energy.

How to make an art quilt if you're me

 

Start with color.

 

I do this a lot. Over and over. Til its right from the beginning. And yes, the studio stays a mess til this part is done.

(and a bit of a notion of an idea, theme, relation to something earlier done)

Continue with shape and composition.

Work from strong suit to strong suit.

Keep it on the table until it's together enough to put on the wall.

(Where I am now.)

Pin up and look. Keep it up. (still to come)

This pomegranate virgin is in my heart, singing of abundance, life force, generousity of spirit. I am holding her in my heart right now.

What is your process? Where is your strong suit? Do you let yourself start there or try to follow someone else's formula for success. I think your main task as an artist is to discover those gifts, honor them, and let them lead your process. Don't believe other people's formulas. Maybe you try them out to see what works and not, but in the end, just as you stitch together your cloth, you stitch together your way  of working. It will be as unique and as personal and as much a part of your "voice" as any other aspect of visual style or content.

Visioning for Online Teaching

I'm on the SAQA Visioning Project (I think you can still join up if you are a SAQA member) and my goal for the year is to get-- finally -- my online courses into reality. I looked up some previous posts and I have been dithering about this since 2007, so its time to do it or stop thinking about it. At least see how and if I can make one work!

I'll post more on this and the Visioning Project, but in case you've showed up from my Tweet or Facebook or other announcement, here's how to put your name in the hat to be a beta tester (or test pilot as I prefer to call you!). Just send me an email either directly or though the form on the sidebar of this blog.

The test course will be launched in January, so you don't have to worry about holiday commitments. I will also send you a survey between now and then and ask you to share your technical experience, your web use and your gut feeling about how my courses can be adapted for online students and participation. There are so many options, that I think that's why I've stalled out on this one!

Surface Design Technique: Polyester Film Transfers

Polyester film transfer on cotton, "Century Plant

I am doing some transfers of photos using polyester film (it's a wet media product made for graphic artists) with my ink-jet printer and then adding gel medium or fabric medium to melt and blend the photographic images-- which also makes them permanent (if a bit stiff). This spiral piece also has a thermofax screen print ontop (the charcoal dotty stuff).

 

This is a logical progression from some of the screened water-soluble medium work that I also have been doing lately.

And what is it with the nature imagery. I hope I am not turning into the quilt art equivalent of a boring bluebonnet painter....

Let me know what you think. Should I quilt these as whole cloth quilts?