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It's the big (or in this case), little, finish! My first one of 2014, and I'm quite pleased with it (even if I do say so myself), but the reasons for that later. Let's start at the beginning, shall we?
This one was an interesting process for me. As you know, when I started it last week, it was with a concrete, yet somewhat nebulous purpose. One, I wanted to make something for the SAQA trunk show; two, the brief was a 10 x 7 inch piece, that showed our "artistic purpose", and three, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. lol
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For many of you, that might not necessarily present a problem, but I always know what I'm going to make. I never start something unless I see it clearly in my mind first. In this case, I didn't have clue one about what I was going to do.
But, I thought, "I have most of the month to make it, so if it doesn't turn out, I'll just make something else". and I also thought "MAKE something already!". :)
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So I pulled fabric until something spoke to me, decided to put down some skinny birches, and then the little evergreen which resulted in somewhat of a disaster - to the point that I was just going to chuck it - and then, with encouragement from BSP, I decided to play with it a bit more, which resulted in the fat birches in the foreground, which STILL wasn't doing it for me; and it wasn't until I decided to add the hare*; that I finally "saw" it - and really, all there was to "see" was the snow.
But until I had a figure in it, I didn't know where I was going.
But until I had a figure in it, I didn't know where I was going.
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So it got me thinking about ways of approaching our art.
Some of my artist friends say they work like this all the time.
They begin with a nebulous idea, or maybe not even that much (!), and just start throwing fabric and paint and stitch around, and magically come up with a beautiful piece of art (okay, I know that's not how it really happens).
Then there's people like me, who spend as much or more time thinking about the piece than actually making it, who have a plan, who execute the plan, and don't think it a success until/unless the plan comes to fruition.
And there are some people who fall somewhere in the middle.
And I began to wonder if it's the "abstract" folks who are more comfortable with figuring it out later.
Because for me, this piece didn't start making sense until I put a rabbit in it. Once I put the rabbit in it, I had a story, and mes voila, I knew where I was going, and suddenly I had "art".
And that's because I'm primarily a narrative artist. Whether I'm "illustrating" something (oh, the horror - the fine artists of the world just shuddered! lol); or whether I'm telling a story with my work - there is a narrative.
So, I can't "see" the work until I have something to say. You know? (Have we been down this road before? *heh*)
So, I can't "see" the work until I have something to say. You know? (Have we been down this road before? *heh*)
And perhaps abstract artists are more comfortable with finding the story in the work, rather than starting with something to say before they make it.
Thoughts?
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My little hare on the other hand, cares naught for artists and their thoughts, nor their teeth gnashing nor hair rending. He's about to hop right out of that little birch copse in search of his next nibbly (although the evergreen was rather tasty.)
As for why I'm so pleased - it's simply because despite not knowing where I was going with this, I ended up exactly where I most like to be. :)
See you on Friday with the weekly links post!
'Til then...
* not really a winter hare, obviously, but I needed some contrast for all that black and white and a white rabbit wasn't going to do it! Artistic licence - I haz it! ;)
Posts
He is a fine and dandy little hare and it's a lovely piece. You've got me thinking about how I work. I don't know if I can articulate it yet. I need to give it some thought. You are very good at self analysis . Hilary x
ReplyDeleteperfect!
ReplyDeleteGreat piece and a very thoughtful post!
ReplyDeleteLovely piece and I loved your thought processes. Sometimes we need to take that leap of faith,
ReplyDeleteThanks Bev. You're right - but it was a very uncomfortable process for me - one I won't indulge in too often! ;)
DeleteMr. Rabbit (or is it Ms?) turned out wonderfully!!! I love the texture of the snow in this piece too. I thought I missed the deadline for the SAQA 10x7 pieces - maybe I should go check that out again. When I have created pieces that were more realistic I started with a plan or at least an idea of where I was going, but with my free form piecing I let the fabric do the talking. It is a lot of fun that way.
ReplyDeleteKit, as I said when I saw it in person on Sunday, I LOVE it! As you know, I tend to work intuitively most of the time...maybe because even when I have a vision in my head what results is never quiet the same. I love to just let the piece lead me where it might and I hope that in the end I've got something presentable. :o)
ReplyDeleteI love your hare and the snow! I was recently reading a book by Richard Box called The Embroidered Countryside and he says at one point that when you give a piece some interest (ie the hare) it becomes interesting. Simple but true! I do like a piece that has a story to tell.
ReplyDeleteLovely wee piece, Kit -- and I so appreciate your sharing the process. I think I an "in the middle" artist, m'self. Sometimes I'm "given" pictures, whole, and sometimes I just have a though/idea/concept that I chew on for a time (sometimes a long time) and then I begin to work and the puzzle pieces fall into place as I go...
ReplyDeleteI love the bunny, and this feels like you. I love the sweetness in your work and the innocence of the various little critters you incorporate into your pieces. In my opinion, the rabbit/hare needed to be there. This makes it "you", if you get my drift.
ReplyDeleteAs far as my approach to work, yes obviously, I am one of those abstract artists who enjoys the discovery of it's purpose after the fact. And honestly, I like to keep things open because I don't have an agenda about how I want viewers to feel. I prefer to be guided by my "true self" for lack of a better word. That's where the magic happens for me.
I think you have had an experience which is quite valuable and maybe one you'll consider exploring again. Just seeing what comes out and making your decisions intuitively as you are creating a piece can be very rewarding. Of course, you are considering all of the technical aspects required to execute a successful piece, but you are more free while creating it.
Those are my 2 cents.
I love this little piece, it's so lovely… :)
-sheila
Hi Sheila,
DeleteFirst of all, thank you. :)
Secondly - it seems to me that abstract artists might feel more comfortable winging it because in abstract work, whatever your intention - no matter whether you had one or not, the onus is always on the viewer to create a narrative. I always feel that abstract art is a much more cooperative process between viewer and artist - and because you must necessarily relinquish that control once completed, you might feel more willing to start there in the first place.
Whereas with narrative work - it's built right in. You're (I'm) trying to convey something to the viewer from the get. Although like you, we can't control the viewer, (nor should we want to); narrative work does imply an intended understanding.
Anyway, blah blah. lol
I found this process quite discomfiting, and though I know that can be good for me as an exercise on occasion, I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time white knuckling it. And as per my explication above, it wouldn't be satisfying to me either. I *feel* this has been a valuable process for me - although I'm not quite sure how. lol
Something about giving myself a little freedom, I suspect. ;)
Thanks for joining in the conversation. xo
You know what is so funny, and I totally feel you here - I have the same strong feeling about my creative process. When people try to box me in, and make me plan when I don't want to, I will push back. Each artist knows what feels right to them, when it comes to their creative process, and I feel that's what you need to do.
DeleteI will say that I do have pieces that I do plan, like some of my figurative work, and I approach that with a different mindset, but it's not as fun as when I get to be totally free.
xo backatcha… :)
aww, this is so pretty and super sweet at the same time. i hear ya on processes. when improvising, i hardly ever know what will happen and i like that kind of risk. but sometimes it feels good to make a plan and then make it happen. whew.
ReplyDeleteanyway, hooray for your lovely quilt!
I usually work from sketches with textiles and then scan them in and blow them up until they are the right size and um and ahh about the right techniques to use for ages. Primarily as it's a time consuming medium and I want to get it right :) With conventional mediums I generally sketch and go, with abstract I do a very quick sketch (or none at all occasionally) and then go. I think for me the difference is that when I'm doing abstract art I'm usually trying to convey a feeling or emotion and I try to 'feel' that while I'm painting, it relies more on instinct and expressing the feeling as I'm creating. With textiles I'm usually pictorial and while I don't always tell a story I generally have a distinct 'look' I'm striving for.
ReplyDeleteYour post has made me want to try an expressionistic abstract in textiles though, never really thought much about the how and whys of my way of making art before, which I really should have - so thank you! :)
I love this piece Kit. First of all I'm a sucker for trees and your birches speak to me of things like inevitability, life cycles, hope; the hope prompted by the energy of the hare and the evergreen. I don't mean to over analyze - just attempting to verbalize why I like this so much.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm working I run the gamut from systematically following a plan (like Beach Buddies) to trying to capture an emotion and not knowing where the heck the piece will end up (like Faultlines of the Heart).
I'm SO glad you worked through this piece and didn't chuck it because the end result is delightful. Thanks for sharing your art and your behind the scenes ruminations.
I think you have to be open to both possibilities as each piece is different--the process should never be the same, or you'd be doing the same work over and over. Letting each work unfold as it will is what keeps me coming back--if i force things, the piece languishes in a pile until i hit that moment, sometimes months--or years!) later.
ReplyDeleteAnd i LOVE love LOVE the snow--on your *work*, being tired of it in real life :)
This piece is wonderful. I love everything about it.
ReplyDelete"artistic purpose," lol.
ReplyDeleteWell, I laugh, but really, I think you have done that. I enjoyed all the comments too. Like you, I am a planner, and I identified with the idea of a narrative quite a bit. I may change the plan, but there's always a plan, and if the story isn't working, I get paralyzed, even on a supposedly decorative piece.
I have been thinking a lot about self-expression recently, and placing most of the emphasis on the experience of the maker, rather than the viewer. The viewer is a lost cause -- we really have no way to anticipate how others will perceive something. I think that as long as we stay true to our own concept, no matter how we like to work, and we create something that feels right to us, then the piece is "true." The reception is not important. But at the same time, I also believe that a true piece will find the right audience.
Deep thought for a decorative stitcher!
Thank you four sharing these thoughts. I am torn between working in a more abstract way and one that requires more planning and thought. Neither sit entirely easily at the moment but I am enjoying the exploration. This is a lovely piece and the rabbit/hare needed to find its place in there.
ReplyDelete