windows into wisdom
In 2012 I had a wonderful time thinking with a group of high school students and adults about wisdom. What is wisdom? Where is it found? How do we grow it within ourselves? Together we designed and created an installation reflecting our learnings on wisdom.
I enjoyed the wisdom imagery resonating in my head. Being slightly crazy, I decided to try to work in a series AND to try to work larger. I designed several quilts on paper, but began serious work on a fourth quilt. This quilt, "Wisdom: many laws to one love", was the first quilt to be finished.
I made a small sample door quilt, but the first three quilts were languishing on the design board, and in the meantime I had drawn a design while listening to a workshop on grant-writing. "Wisdom: shoots and branches" was the next to be completed. Creating this quilt, I just kept powering through (not overthinking can be a good thing for me), and finished it within weeks.
The next three quilts were tough. The designs didn't flow, composition was so-so, .... imagine a brick wall. I finally decided that I needed to power through and "finish" them all - no matter what! I sewed the last one to its backing yesterday. Perseverance! Below are four plus the sample in the sunny studio today. The fifth has a home with my mom (who loved all the squares and gave invaluable composition help to get me unstuck).
So, what did it take to just "finish" them? The second from the left was on a green background - ripped it off the background, picked a happy light blue, changed the size of the background, then needed to make the circle of wisdom smaller, added some squares just because I could! The fourth from the left still has composition flaws - added watercolor pastel, then some white gesso, bright coral thread for the border. Lesson learned - if the composition isn't quite right, fix it before you start sewing! The fifth one from the left, over a year later after literally living on the design wall - added watercolor pastel, narrowed the canvas, added more watercolor pastel, added white paint, and more white paint, and I finally stopped. And to think this all started with the sample door on the right.
And I'm thankful to be taking pictures with no snow on the driveway in Ann Arbor. I'm blessed.
I enjoyed the wisdom imagery resonating in my head. Being slightly crazy, I decided to try to work in a series AND to try to work larger. I designed several quilts on paper, but began serious work on a fourth quilt. This quilt, "Wisdom: many laws to one love", was the first quilt to be finished.
I made a small sample door quilt, but the first three quilts were languishing on the design board, and in the meantime I had drawn a design while listening to a workshop on grant-writing. "Wisdom: shoots and branches" was the next to be completed. Creating this quilt, I just kept powering through (not overthinking can be a good thing for me), and finished it within weeks.
The next three quilts were tough. The designs didn't flow, composition was so-so, .... imagine a brick wall. I finally decided that I needed to power through and "finish" them all - no matter what! I sewed the last one to its backing yesterday. Perseverance! Below are four plus the sample in the sunny studio today. The fifth has a home with my mom (who loved all the squares and gave invaluable composition help to get me unstuck).
So, what did it take to just "finish" them? The second from the left was on a green background - ripped it off the background, picked a happy light blue, changed the size of the background, then needed to make the circle of wisdom smaller, added some squares just because I could! The fourth from the left still has composition flaws - added watercolor pastel, then some white gesso, bright coral thread for the border. Lesson learned - if the composition isn't quite right, fix it before you start sewing! The fifth one from the left, over a year later after literally living on the design wall - added watercolor pastel, narrowed the canvas, added more watercolor pastel, added white paint, and more white paint, and I finally stopped. And to think this all started with the sample door on the right.
I'm glad I finally powered through. I may come back and document single quilts more fully, but today I am simply savoring the sense of having pushed though a time of creative drought. Feels good.
And I'm thankful to be taking pictures with no snow on the driveway in Ann Arbor. I'm blessed.
These look amazing and you have given an interesting insight into your creative journey.
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