Supersedure

Supersedure by Rebecca Reasons Edwards

A lot has happened in the past few years.  I brought my mother to Atlanta from California to live with us so we could care for her.  It was the most challenging yet rewarding thing I have yet to do.  Trying to divide the time between caring for my children and my husband and my mother and work left little time remaining to pursue art.

Most of what I did was small scale and took place in a sketchbook.  Since my artistic expression took place in the flat world of a sketchbook, my fiber art took a 3-D path.  I made several pieces using wire as armature and several pieces using geometry and garment sewing techniques to create the shapes I was aiming for.

In March 2011 my mother passed away.  In the months that followed I made bees while I thought about her role in our family.  My mother was always the queen bee.  She had a resolve that was steadfast.  She reigned as queen of every hive in her kingdom -- home, school, work and volunteer.  After my father retired and they moved to Carlsbad, CA, she reigned as queen of the homeowner's association for nearly a decade.  My mom was a mobilizer.  She inspired people to action.  But she was not one to stand by the sidelines and watch while others did the work, she would roll up her sleeves and work just as hard.

I realized that my role as a worker bee in our family dynamic had changed with my mom's death.  I was now the queen bee and it was my responsibility to keep the hive healthy and strong.  It was this realization that inspired this piece.  I was delighted when The Art Place at Mountain View purchased it for a permanent installation in their gallery's atrium.  This is a picture of how the piece was exhibited in the gallery.  Where it hangs now is a bright and sunny room.  The perfect spot to go and remember my mom.

Sunny Side Sarah

My girls and I painted this afternoon. A nice diversion from the evil glowing box (television for all of you who are not sure what this is). I painted a portrait of Sarah who wakes up every morning with smiles and sunshine. She's pure joy.

A huge thanks to the very talented Mary Martin Akers. I spent a month of Mondays in her studio this fall and learned so much.

Collage-O-Graphs with Heidi Miracle McMahill

Fiber Art Fusion hosted member Heidi Miracle McMahill this month. She shared her technique for Collage-o-graphs which were featured in Quilting Arts Magazine.

We cut sticky foam into shapes and adhered it to another piece of foam. Then painted with fabric paints. Then we pressed our fabric onto the whole thing, pressing in between the foam shapes to make sure we picked up the background. I see alot of possibilities with this.

This is the master -- foam pieces cut into shapes and adhered to the base.

First Printing.

Second Printing.

Winter Cleaning

UGH, the messiest space ever!

Ahhhhh, relief. Shelves mounted and everything in it's place.

Some people Spring Clean. I Winter Clean.

After the holiday mess has been put away I look around the house at the piles of unattended-to junk. Kids toys, clothes that have been cleaned out of closets, correspondence, old magazines, unfinished projects, etc. With the promise of a new year and the zest and committment to cleaning it all up, I find it theraputic to go through these piles.

This weekend I focused on my studio. When my mom came to live with us last year, we converted my studio into her bedroom suite. My studio now encompasses an upstairs bedroom, but for the better part of 6 months, it's been a place I've made piles.

One day to clean, one day to organize and put away. Now the project is done and I have the year to mess it up again with creative projects!

A few years ago I started keeping "like things"
together in bins. I put a little sign in the front inside
of the bin so I know what's inside.
Now they are all neatly stored on these shelves.

Fabric is kept in these Closet Maid closet organizers.

I love that I can sort by color and see my stash.
I know, I know, the light will make them fade.
Well what do you think is going to happen when a piece
is hanging on the wall? Duh, it will fade. Fabric fades.

A Variety of Projects

I didn't post much in 2009. My mom came to live with us in April and things have been pretty hectic around here since. The blog just fell to the end of the list of To Do's.

But art was still at least higher on the list and, while I wasn't particularly prolific in 2009, I was pleased with the work I did.

I spent more time in my sketchbook, honing my drawing skills, and journaling ideas for fabric projects. I painted a bit and sewed a bit more. While there was lots of discussion on the QuiltArt list about art vs. craft, I have decided to not consider this issue, but to make things that I feel like making. Things don't need to be defined. They just are.

So here are a few projects from November and December, with more to follow in the next few days as I find the pictures on my computer.

Fabric Paint on Black Sweatshirt. Happy Birthday Joel!
Do you know who this is?

Wild Girl Pin.
I made a series of these to use for Teacher Gifts.
This one is holding the cash gift we gave to Sophia's gymnastics coach.

Machine Embroidered Tennis Shoes.
These came from my sketchbook from earlier in the year.
I don't know if I should call this Machine Embroidery or Thread Painting or what.
Whatever it's called, it took me days to finish.
I turned this into a 5 x 7 piece which became
a part of the Fiber Art Fusion holiday gift exchange.

What's in My Journal

by William Stafford

Odd things, like a button drawer. Mean
Thing, fishhooks, barbs in your hand.
But marbles too. A genius for being agreeable.
Junkyard crucifixes, voluptuous
discards. Space for knickknacks, and for
Alaska. Evidence to hang me, or to beatify.
Clues that lead nowhere, that never connected
anyway. Deliberate obfuscation, the kind
that takes genius. Chasms in character.
Loud omissions. Mornings that yawn above
a new grave. Pages you know exist
but you can't find them. Someone's terribly
inevitable life story, maybe mine.

Things to do instead of art.

Play in the snow.

Have dinner parties.

Roller skate in the park.

Have more parties and make cakes that look like pizzas.

Cherish friends.

Make cupcakes.

Camp at the beach.

Watch the storms roll in.

Dig in the sand . . .

. . .for crabs.

Dance and act silly.

Swim in the ocean.

Go for a ride on Grandma and Grandpa's boat.

Play peek-a-boo with babies.

Watch travelers at the airport.

Go to swim meets.

Swim with friends.

Swing.

And have lots of sleepovers.

Time is Elusive

I looked up today and realized it is March 6th. I've been working hard to solicit donations for my children's school auction, have taught three classes at Red Hen Fabrics, prepared for and made samples for those classes and am getting ready to teach more this month!

I stopped watching the news and instead of being filled with angst and angst-related ideas, I have an idea for something completely out of character for me. I shared the beginnings of one of these pieces with a friend earlier this week and she loves it. A few finishing touches and I'll be ready to post it.

Until then, back to the studio.

A few doodles

I continue to draw daily. I find it a great way to start the day, warm up the brain, warm up my hands. Just doodling loosens me up.

Here is today's doodle:


And a card I made for a friend who is having surgery today:

Random Acts of Kindness

I'm pleased to report that kindness is in the world. Sometimes I doubt it, but it is there. Yesterday, while driving home with the girls in the back, a car in front of us broke down in the middle of an intersection. 4, 5, 6 cars zoomed around this broken down car being pushed by the lone occupant. I wondered if I could help, could I help push this car? Would the girls be safe in our car?

But before I could answer any of those questions, a man in a Lexus pulled over and ran to help. Dressed in work clothes, with a long coat on, he started to push. Then another car pulled over, and another man hopped out to help.

While all this helping was going on, people were whipping around me and the men pushing the car, hurrying to get home, or wherever they were going. I felt sorry for these hurried drivers. Sorry that they were in such a rush, they missed the heart warming scene of random acts of kindness.

Playing with Others

I have so much fun reading Ricë's blog every day. I look forward to her Journal Spanks and frequently add her challenges to my own journal entries. Why? Because playing with others is fun. As an artist, I spend most of my day alone (until the girls come home from school) and work in solitude. Reading Rice's journal spanks and completing some of them is like having a buddy over for coffee!

Try it, you might like it.

Binder clip

And for added fun, the mailman brought me a treat. A string of eyeball beads from Suzi B who makes some really pretty glass beads.

My face doesn't look like yours.

"My face doesn't look like yours."

Sophie's Goddess, age 5

"Of course not. I'm much older, see the wrinkles in my skin?
I also have blue eyes, yours are green. And see, your hair is brown."

"Sarah, yours is very pretty."

Sarah's Goddess, age 8

"Do you like your face?"

"Yes, I think she's beautiful. But yours looks better."

"Oh no Sarah and Sophie, both of yours are better. You drew from the heart, mine was drawn from the brain. Drawings from the heart are always better."

Rebecca's Goddess, Age Still Deciding

Teaching at Red Hen Fabrics

I'm very excited to be teaching at Red Hen Fabrics. I taught several classes in January and find it invigorating. All skill levels are welcome and my classes are fun and friendly!

Here is a list of upcoming classes. More will be added as I develop them:

Peek A Boo Jacket
February 21 and February 28
Take a sweatshirt, a selection of your favorite fabric squares and turn it into a fabulous jacket fun for young and old. Looks fabulous in batik's and black and white! This jacket has been featured in Altered Couture Magazine!

Art Quilting – Part I
February 23 and February 28
Fabric Collage and Innovative Piecing
The first in a series of four classes. In each class you will make a 9 x 12 art quilt. In Part I you will learn design basics, layout and composition, and an overview of materials frequently used in art quilting. You will use Fabric Collage and Innovative Piecing techniques to make a 9 x 12 art quilt.

Art Quilting – Part II
March 23 and March 28
Mark Making on Fabric
Making your own personal mark on fabric with stencils, stamps or freehand can be a wonderful way to express yourself and create your own fabric. We'll be working on hand-dyed or commercial fabric with Paints, Stamps, Shiva Paintstiks, Angelina Fibers, Crystals and more. Supply Kit required $10.00

Art Quilting – Part III
April 27 and May 2
Thread Work
In this class, Rebecca will teach you simple techniques for successful thread painting (also called free motion embroidery). We'll also explore couching yarn and fiber and layering with sheers.

Art Quilting – Part IV
May 18 and May 23
Embellish with found objects
In this class we'll learn a bead embroidery techniques, and explore found objects as inspiration for art quilting.

Fabric Art Post Cards
March 17 and March 21
Sending Fabric Post Cards through the mail is a great way to say you care! Make fun fabric postcards using art quilting techniques. With our scraps we'll make ATC's (artist trading cards) and Inchies, 1” square pieces of art.

Today's Doodle

Today I doodled for about 20 minutes. This page is about 5 x 7.

Celebration Time!

Last week we had conferences with both of the girls teachers. The teachers raved about our children and how smart they were, and how nice they were. Joel and I both blushed with pride. The girls had worked hard and their report cards were perfect! Time to celebrate.

Now we are not the kind of parents who take our children out on the town all the time. We tend to find games and activities that we enjoy close to home. But for the total celebration blow out, there's only one place the girls would name. And it happens to be a place that Joel and I despise -- CHUCK E CHEEZE'S.

It is the loudest place on the planet, except for Las Vegas. In fact, I thinkChuck E Cheeze's is early training for a life of boozing and gambling. The games, the lights, the sounds. And yes, the beer. Something to anaesthetise the parents -- keep those tokens coming. . .

Yet this is the place we took our girls on Saturday night to reward them for a fantastic job on their report cards!

Followed by pizza at our favorite Italian restaurant Capozzi's.

Which happens to be next door to Michael's. What a nice consolation prize for mommy, a trip to Michael's. Makes sitting in Chuck E Cheese for two hours tolerable. Ding ding ding ding.

Journals for the girls, pretty papers for the journals, cardstock in greens, purples and blues, Craft sticks, three new Zig's for mom, a white Marvey pen, a set of graphite pencils and a StazOn ink pad!

Children at War

For more information on child soldiers you can go here.

Be True to Yourself

While trolling the internet this morning I came across Suzi Blue. She's adorable. I watched a bunch of her videos on YouTube and they all have such a positive message.

The video above was particularly relevant to my recent anxiety about the art I create. And it reflects the words I share with other artists about their work -- be true to yourself and make the art you want to make, without considering what other people think.

But recently I've been working on a lot of class samples -- technique exercises -- with imagery I think potential students might like to see. And not making the art that I want to make. For the next few weeks I will spend my studio time working on a piece that has been in my sketchbook for a long time and for the past few months has been swirling inside my head.

For those of you reading and looking at this blog, thanks for your comments and input, I'll continue to post sketches, Ricë has some excellent journal spanks worth checking out.

Now I'm off to the studio.

Time Mandala

Today I decided to doodle.

The clock in my studio tick, tick, ticks. All day long. Even with the music on I can hear that sound in the background. It must be creating subliminal stress since I have been very worried about time and how long things take! I need to pull that clock off the wall and put in a nice quiet digital clock with an alarm I can so I don't miss picking up the girls.

Starfish and Failure

What is important is doing the work every day. Eventually you will succeed, you will definitely have failures. But the trying is what's important. So the starfish didn't quite turn out how I hoped, but I learned some important things about conveying texture, something important to my fiber work. I need to learn about painting with watercolors.

Sophie's Yellow Paintbrush

This is my Monday Morning Drawing. I am going to try and draw and paint something every day. Simple stuff around the house to hone my chops, which are rusty. Can you tell I like color? Bright, clear color. This was sketched in pencil, then inked with a Zig Micron Pen and then painted with my Prang watercolors and an Aquaflow brush. It makes painting easy.

One thing that stuck me while I was drawing this paintbrush is how perfectly aligned the word CHINA was. I did not set it up that way. Yet CHINA screamed at me the whole time I was drawing and I wonder: Are there any paintbrushes made in America? I'm going to find out. I'll let you know.