IN TIMES OF STRESS, CREATIVE ACTIVITIES HELP

In stressful times, creative activities can help. Indeed, numerous studies by medical doctors have shown creative endeavours can help improve our well-being:

• lessening anxiety
• keeping us grounded
• helping us reach a calmer state
• bringing out positive feelings
• lowering blood pressure
• reminding us to enjoy and laugh
• keeping our hands busy
• distracting us from stresses
• providing a sense of purpose or accomplishment

Any creative activity you enjoy can help, and many don't require us to go out and buy supplies. Some ideas include: sing & dance, colour, decorate cookies or cupcakes, take fun photographs, make some videos, garden (when it gets a bit warmer - or take cuttings from your houseplants to start new plants), declutter, rearrange your furniture, do some improv (start a story where each person adds 1 word or 1 sentence), learn to make paper airplanes or origami, get outside for a scavenger hunt, write. 

Pretty fabric covers up several little holes

Some have a practical side too, like sewing or learning to sew on a button or mending our clothes instead of going out to buy new clothes. Google "boro mending" to find some great ways to work around holes and tears in clothing while make some very creative designs.

As a local weaver said: 

"I for one find my weaving to be a good antidote to everything I'm hearing on the news.  I often nowadays feel a bit numb after hearing the news, and sitting down to weave keeps those numbed feelings and thoughts moving freely and gently in a safe space."

Sharing what we're working on by uploading pictures, phoning a friend, emailing, helps to keep a sense of connection within a community. 

The important thing is to try to do something creative every day.  It really can be a good prescription to stay positive and enhance our well-being. 

Stay well

MORE FAUX CHENILLE - AND A CONNECTION TO THE PAST

My husband and I visited an architectural salvage company recently who sell wonderful treasures from old rural homes: doors, shutters, spindles, windows, doorknobs, lighting, hardware, and much, much more, and keeping these items out of landfill. As I was seduced by the atmosphere in the barn and shop, I found 2 items I was compelled to purchase for use in an art piece.

One was the frame-like part of a vintage floor grate, measuring roughly 18" x 25, and the other a section of backplate for an old fashioned doorknob.

Once home, I got busy choosing colours from my stash of used textiles that would complement the floor grate frame and the door hardware, with the intention of sewing and slashing the layers of fabric to create a faux chenille look.

My vision was to put the doorknob backplate in the middle as the feature, with the slashed fabric lines radiating out from there, symbolizing stepping through a doorway to the unknown, to some connection to the past. The grate frame would be used as, well, a frame for the art. But after finishing the sewing and attaching the backplate, I felt something was missing. I added a few light green button-like beads, a few sequins, yet still needed something. Playing with other colours, twisting fabrics to add texture didn't yield any answers. I then put this project aside until the answer presented itself.

A week or so  later I was with a friend practicing free motion sewing, and was experimenting with sandwiching and sewing silk sari threads between 2 layers of water soluble film, forming small circles which I planned to fashion into small bowls.

On a whim I placed a completed circle on my doorway piece. It was exactly the right look! The circle complements the curves of the hardware and plays off the green buttons. Deciding that 4 more circles of various sizes would complete the piece, I quickly sewed them up using a granite stitch over the sari threads and water soluble film, rinsed them to dissolve the film, and voila, this piece was almost done. Once the circles were dried, I could then stitch them on and touch up other areas to reveal more of the hidden fabrics and colours.

Aha moments such as these don't happen often, but it was just the discovery I needed to finish this work. The sewing of the fabrics and circles may represent a nurturing side, an energy, a connection to others in my life, and the fabric layers the depths of our selves. I've realized that the timeframe for making this has been around the anniversary of my mother's passing. Perhaps my Doorway is a connection to her and to my past. This creation was meant to be I think.

UNFINISHED ART IN YOUR STASH? A GROUP PLAN CAN HELP...

How many art pieces or projects did you start in 2019 (or earlier) that aren't finished? If you're like me, I get excited planning and starting new projects, and make good progress on them up until the next idea comes along. Then my interest wanes and sometimes I finish them, sometimes not. On some pieces I'm unsure what step to take next, so the picture just sits until the answer comes, which may be months... or never....

Then I stumbled across an idea on a friend's blog - to post a list that is shared with others of those unfinished projects that we really would like to finish. The idea was to identify 12 outstanding projects, and target one each month to work on and complete by the end of the year. 

I shared this idea with friends in an open studio group, and was met with an enthusiastic response. A recipe for success we hope!

And so an excel spreadsheet was born and shared, and after a few tweaks, we each got our lists posted. 12 projects seemed reasonable, with monthly updates reporting on our progress. Some chose to add projects that hadn't actually been started, but ones they had been thinking about doing. I thought that was a great idea. While it would be nice to finish one piece each month, progress on a few is okay too as long as we are moving forward.

Sharing photos is of course welcome, as is asking for feedback, ideas, input, or whatever is needed to help us stay on track. But being accountable to each other is the best part. 

The goal of course is to have all the art pieces completed by the end of the year, giving us almost 12 months, but also not letting any new projects we undertake fall to the wayside. But any of those that aren't done will get added to a list next year.

"Now that’s all I want to do!  I’m very motivated..."

"I am excited to begin!"

"I am sure it will help me to finish my artworks, to give life to other works ..."

We are already seeing results after just a few weeks. I've managed to make a bit of progress on 3 of my art pieces, and finished one of the smaller ones - a fibre art interpretation of Electrified Cat's Moss. Although it had taken me months to find the right technique, once I did, it came together very quickly. And like the comment above, I too am motivated to get my unfinished pieces finished. 

I'll sign off this post by sharing a quote in Olympic speedskater and cyclist Clara Hughes' book Open Heart, Open Mind. This quote resonated with me, especially since I worked in sport for several years, but also because applies to any walk of life, and any type of project.

"You can only attract success for yourself if you want every single 

one of your competitors to be good and strong. 

When you wish good things for others, this comes back to you. 

The strength to be kind is not often asked for, 

but this is perhaps the most important strength to have."

Quote by an elder to Clara Hughes 

Very true.

RECYCLING FABRIC AND OLD TEXTILES INTO FAUX CHENILLE

I have a stash of old fabrics and thrift store textiles I've collected over the years, not sure what they would be used for but knowing they would get used up one day. I'm pleased to say I've now discovered the purpose for all these gems: a technique known as "faux chenille", also called "fabric slashing". 

I first tried this technique about two months ago and made 6 cushion covers (see photo below) (the first 2 were test pieces) with a 7th that I framed instead. And I'm now working on 3 different pictures using this same technique. 

Faux chenille includes several layers of fabrics stitched together, then cut between the stitched lines with sharp scissors. But it's the friction of machine washing and drying the sewn & cut fabrics that creates the frayed fabric edges, giving it a chenille-type look. The first time I washed the bundles was a bit nerve racking, but I was thrilled with the result. And it's a great way to recycle fabric scraps and old clothing and textiles. 

I'm learning the different looks that can be achieved based on the various fabric types, and the importance of colour choices - high contrast is most effective for this technique. I thought the spotted fabric shown at right would be great as a top layer, complemented by layers of pink, green and blue, however these latter colours overshadowed the spotted fabric, dulling what had been a fun piece of fabric. But this was part of the learning process, and a reminder to keep colour theory top of mind.

The orange piece below turned out spectacular, with some red, black and blue layers peeking through. As the top layer was from an old orange blouse with delicate embroidery and sequins, which did survive the washing process, I decided it would look best framed and for long-term protection.

Sewing line after line spaced about 1/2" apart and without a guide is great practice for one's spatial vision, and one's machine sewing skills too. Of course the distances don't have to be exact, and some variation adds interest to the overall piece. 

After completing all these cushion covers, I had decided to try making some pictures using this technique.

I chose this photo of a hosta leaf from my garden. After studying the colours in the picture, I selected several fabrics in shades of greens, blue-green and some fushia and purple to add to the edges, then carefully planned out the layers. The stitching and cutting were the easy part, following the veins of the leaf. 

Next came the washing and drying, again a bit nerve racking but also with great anticipation. I could not have been more pleased with the result.

I embellished some of the edges with pink tulle, couched on yarn for vein lines, and handstitched some beads and sequins to represent water drops. 

I'm so inspired by what I've learned so far and with the potential for this technique. It lends itself very well to nature images, and I now have a list of pictures I want to create. I'm part way through one of a Japanese zen garden and another of moss. And perhaps there will be more lichens in my future too.

If you're interested in learning this technique, there are lots of great tutorials online. Just google "slashing fabric technique" or "faux chenille".

SAVE PAPER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON: IDEAS TO MAKE YOUR OWN GIFT TAGS AND WRAP

I was shocked when I learned how much paper we go through each year for gift giving at Christmas. Some gets recycled, but much of the Christmas wrap has foil that can't be recycled. Think about how much paper your household may use this holiday season, multiply that by the number of homes on your street, add in your neighbourhood, the city, the entire country. Hard to fathom isn't it. The experts say we send the equivalent of 100,000 elephants to landfill each year in gift bags, paper and ribbons. 

This year I thought I would try to reduce the amount of gift wrap & tags we'll use in our household. We have several of those reusable gift bags. And after being given some pretty Christmas fabric, I sewed up a few gift bags which I've added to what we already had. Other wrapping ideas include decorated or painted kraft paper, newspaper, maps, tea towels, scarves, bags made from old clothes. 

My sister cuts up old Christmas cards into unique gift tags. This year I gathered up torn Christmassy tissue paper, colourful scrap papers, old book paper and sheet music, and turned these into collaged gift tags. 

If you'd like to make your own collaged gift tags, I've included the instructions below. 

 You will need:

• a variety of pretty tissue papers and scrap papers in various colours. I chose mostly reds, but also some purples and blues and yellows to add interest. Tissue paper is great as it is transparent once adhered to the collage. 
• heavy paper or cardstock, or art paper (paper that can handle water-based media is best)
• gel medium (I use Liquitex matte medium) and brush
• cutting board and knife, or a gift tag punch, or a package of pre-cut plain shipping tags, hole puch
• iron
• parchment paper

Instructions:

1. Select a heavy background paper that can take a few layers of collage. Begin to lay out scraps of the papers and tissue, overlapping and placing them at random. Tear them, don't cut, to add interest. Don't spend a lot of thinking time on this as the papers will be cut out later into the gift tags.
   
2. Adhere each paper down with gel medium, adding gel to the right side of the paper as well. 
3. When dry, cut the pieces into gift tags in the size you wish, or with a tag-maker punch. I have this great punch I purchased years ago from Creative Memories which also punches a hole in the top to add ribbon or cording.
   
4. At this stage I like to add a coat of gel medium on the surface to ensure all the papers are sealed. Let dry.
5. For each collaged tag, cut out or punch one plain tag - this will get glued to the back of the collaged tag, providing an area for writing and adding strength, especially if you find your tags are curling.  
6. Add a coat of gel medium on the back of the collaged tags. Let dry. Make a small pencil mark on one side of the plain tags, add a coat of gel medium to the marked side, and let dry.
7. Carefully match up the back of a collaged tag with the marked side of a plain tag. Keeping the edges aligned, place between 2 sheets of parchment paper and iron on high heat for several seconds on both sides. The heat on the gel medium will fuse the 2 tags together into one solid tag, and eliminating any curling that may have occurred with lighter weight papers. Let the tag cool before handling.

Have fun with this - and I'd love to hear your ideas for reducing paper and making your own gift tags and wraps.

NERVOUS ABOUT PUBLIC SPEAKING? HERE'S A TIP

I was honoured recently to give an artist talk on the lichen fibre art piece I had made for the Creative Reactions show in May. The invitation was to speak at a staff lunch & learn session at the Collection Facility of the Museum of Nature in Gatineau and came from the botanist I had worked with as I created this artwork.

The invitation meant I'd be speaking to a group of 25-30 botanists, all experts in specialized fields and with so much more knowledge than me about lichens, even those who couldn't claim to be an authority on lichens. And that left me feeling somewhat intimidated at first.

Since I've had some experience with public speaking and with giving artist talks, I was confident I could deliver an interesting presentation to this group. It would take a bit of preparation however. 

We can look to structure and tips when writing a draft: ensure a strong start, give an outline of what you will talk about, provide evidence to support key ideas, pause after making important points, a wrap up to end, and so on. But none of these would establish my expertise as the artist.

The key - I realized and kept reminding myself - was that I am the expert about my process of creating this piece of fibre art. Me, not them. 

And that was what the group wanted to hear about - how I made each lichen and interpreted it through fibre, why I chose lichens for this piece of art, what I learned through this process, how the goals of art being a visual tool for science were met. I didn't have to be an expert on lichens - just had to have learned enough to reproduce them in a visual format. 

So if you're at all uncertain about giving a talk in public, remember that you are the expert. You, not them. And that the people in the room really are interested in what you have to say. 

That was certainly my experience with the group of botanists I spoke to. They asked lots of great questions, and later welcomed me with open arms to participate - with my art - at their annual Open House. And where I discovered I was able to actually answer quite a few general questions from the public about lichens. Who knew my expertise had grown so much!

SHOULD VISITORS BE ALLOWED TO TOUCH ART AT ART SHOWS?

Should visitors be allowed to touch art at art shows? I hear a resounding "NO" from many artists out there. The biggest fears seem to be that dirt and natural oils on our hands will transfer to our art or that a piece will get damaged or broken. We want to preserve our artworks after all.

But I also hear a few artists saying "yes" it may be okay to touch art - sometimes, and in a gentle manner.

I had my fibre art lichen at a show recently, not an art show, but as part of a museum's open house. Museums these days are implementing more and more interactive displays, recognizing the public wants more involvement than just looking. People want to touch objects, maybe even hold them, augmenting that participatory feeling.

Fibre art in particular seems to invite people to caress it, even if we don't want them to. It's tactile. It's all about texture. Wools and textiles convey a warmth that reaches out to us.  People want to stroke its softness, pet it like they would a cat or dog. They want to interact with art - whether sculpture, paintings, fibre, paper, pottery or another artform - and especially when a piece stirs up emotions. They build a connection through touch.

I had no doubt lots of people would touch my fibre art at the museum's open house. Especially children, as the sense of touch is very much part of their development. They just reach out and feel it, sometimes gently, sometimes more roughly. And while I didn't want to say no to them, as I understand this need, I did want to make sure they understood they had to be gentle.

Most of the parents asked permission first. Several stopped their children when they saw those little hands reaching. Other times the parents touched without asking, their children following suit. That I believe is inappropriate, parents should set an example by asking first. Granted, I didn't put out a sign saying "Do Not Touch" or "Ask Before you Touch" but perhaps it's because I'm aware the protocol is to ask and not just assume touching is acceptable.

Many people rely on their sense of touch to interpret an object - for them touch, not sight, provides information about the object's properties. Looking at something that appears smooth and shiny isn't enough, it's the fingers resting on or stroking the object that confirms what it feels like: hard, maybe slippery, cool or cold. We learn from a very young age the exploratory powers of touch.

A potter I know provided a textured bowl at shows that one could run their hands over, relieving parents of anxiety about their child - or themselves - touching and breaking, and satisfying a sense of curiosity. What a great solution. And of course for anyone who is visually impaired, well, touch is of course very important.

Maybe us fibre artists need to consider alternatives to satisfy those who wish to touch, to provide a sensory experience that goes beyond just sight. A "look but don't touch" expectation doesn't always work. After all, we fibre artists understand all too well the attraction to tactile objects to make our art, and yet we expect the public to keep their hands off the finished pieces. 

Yes, art shows are primarily visual, but perhaps having some raw materials on hand, or tools used to make the art, or a few pieces of art in a "hands-on" area would satisfy those itching to poke and prod. Then the "Please Do Not Touch" signs can be posted in the other areas. We'll never be able to eliminate touching completely no matter how hard we try.

And while we're on the subject, why not think more about how to reach all the senses, not just sight and touch, and create a truly multi-sensory art show.

OCTOBER 21-27, 2019, WASTE REDUCTION WEEK IN CANADA

I recently wrote a blog post on repairing, recycling and altering worn out clothing and have since learned that Waste Reduction Week is October 21-27 in Canada. Glad to see that textiles is part of that upcoming week.

Each day has a different theme as pictured below, and a pile of information available on the Waste Reduction Week website: general news, the issues, solutions, and actions we can take for each daily topic.

The two I want to mention here are textiles (theme day is Tuesday, October 22) and plastics (Thursday, October 24).

More than 68 textile items are disposed of per person each year in the United States through recycling, donations, garbage and so on. That's a lot more than I realized and includes clothing, bedding, coats, shoes, and more. I was interested that some companies are taking the lead in converting discarded textiles into new fibres that can  then be made into new items. 

Here are a few additional suggestions from the Waste Reduction site that I had not included in my post, all great ideas:

• hold a swap with friends, family and colleagues
• search for DIY resources for altering and repurposing old textiles
• be conscientious about what you buy in the first place
• look to fashion companies that are recycling textile waste into new fibres

And on the topic of plastics, theme date Thursday, October 24, there must be more that we, as artists, can do to reduce or re-use plastics.

I know of some weavers, for example, who are reusing plastic bags in their tapestries, cutting up the bags into strips called "plarn". It adds a new dimension to their art. 

What other ways can we eliminate plastics in our artistic practices? I like to use old cereal bags as paint palettes and as a surface to glue on since paper and fabric don't stick to the cereal bag. And of course plastic containers can be  re-used as water tubs for brushes.

But these are only 2 ideas. What suggestions can you share? What messages can we send to manufacturers and suppliers of art materials to reduce the use of plastics?

Please share your thoughts and ideas on what we can do, not just during Waste Recycling Week, but all year long.

A TICKLE TRUNK OF TECHNIQUES

Remember Mr. Dressup and his Tickle Trunk from which he pulled an array of costumes for his skits? I may be dating myself but it was a show I grew up on, and I've always loved the concept of the Tickle Trunk.

I feel like I have a tickle trunk of my own now, only it contains a bundle of techniques I've learned for my art.

I've taken many workshops over the years in techniques and artistic concepts and am self taught in others, working with traditional and non-traditional materials, giving me not only many approaches I can draw upon but an eye to look on almost anything as a surface on which to create and to embellish. 

Sometimes I feel like I have too many techniques in the collection. It can get confusing after all to decide which to use and has left me feeling at times that I don't have a specific "style" for my fibre art.

But I'm learning that I do have an underlying style, the root of all my work. My artist friends tell me they recognize my work when they see it. The image I'm creating determines the techniques and materials to use as the base, then I draw upon additional modes for embellishment and details. Beading may be used for the frothy image of water on a painted background, painted tissue paper for a sky, embroidery for plants and flowers, painted brown paper bag and lace for a background. Thanks to my sister, who had broken her leg last year, I was able to use two of her fibreglass casts as a 'canvas'. 

While I have mastered my skills for some of the techniques I have learned, I am focusing on improving others, rather than adding more to the trunk. But my main objective is to practice building layers with and combining various techniques to add depth and drama to  my pictures, just like the Mr. Dressup's costumes are embellished with hats, shoes & other props, adding to their playfulness and building the character.

The list of techniques I've learned is long enough that I've actually had to write them all down. My "Tickle Trunk" inventory is posted on my studio wall, so I can refer to it anytime to audition the techniques for putting together a script for my art. 

ARTISTIC FRUSTRATION: VISUAL ART VS OTHER ART FORMS

It's an observation I've often made that was reinforced in the painting class I took last month at the Ottawa School of Art: that visual artists experience frustration if they have to backtrack and re-do parts of an art piece during its creation. 

Each artist in the class at some point didn't like what they had painted. We sometimes got stuck. We didn't always know how to move forward or how to fix what we had painted. We were irked when we liked something, took a step we thought was right, then realized we had wrecked what was good. Visual artists and fibre artists for the most part highly dislike having to "re-do" parts of a picture they thought were done. Oh yes we should be looking at these as learning opportunities, but it's still an exercise in frustration.

Our instructor reminded us throughout the week that painting is a process, it's about playing, adding layers, about the work evolving. She said anything can be fixed if we don't like it or it doesn't work. We just need to step back, re-assess, determine what colours, shapes, etc. are needed, then decide on the next step. Then the step after that. We are not perfect and we only improve with practice. If we change one section, it affects other sections. Keep going. Take a break when needed. Sit with it for a bit. Consider that we may not have had a strong enough vision when starting to create, or that the picture needed to reveal what it wants to be. Not to focus on the end result but to enjoy the process. Don't get discouraged. All great messages.

Yet still frustrating. 

I've seen many painters give up when something isn't working, the frustration of knitters when they realize they've made a wrong stitch and need to go back a row or sometimes more to fix the error, sewers when a piece doesn't fit or the machine is giving them trouble. A weaver friend felt she had ruined an entire piece of fabric she was making on her loom when she discovered an error in the pattern. She could not find a way to salvage it or make something else from the weaving and dreaded having to start over after spending all that time on it. It felt like a waste.

Perhaps we feel the frustration because we are left with something tangible on which we've spent time and money, and because that unfinished piece sits in front of us every day. We can save multiple versions of writing on a computer. We can 'undo' changes to a digital photo. We can move on from a piano practice when we can't see or hear it. But a painted canvas or knitted piece is harder to hide from view, we can't save an earlier version. 

And yet artists of other art forms seem to understand that changes and corrections and edits are part of the process. At least I think they do. Writers go through several edits before they are satisfied. They expect this and seem prepared to work through the changes. Yes, they know their first draft won't be perfect, that it will need a re-write, enhancing, then polishing. That first draft is more like a mind dump, then it can be reorganized, rewritten, polished, words changed up for others, polished some more.

Why can't visual artists think like that, whatever our medium? We may have a vision in mind, but often our vision will evolve. Usually into something better if we keep working at it, but it's hard to see that while we are in the process of creating.

Writing and painting and other art forms require learning of techniques, practice, allowing the creativity to flow, planning, and understanding the principles and elements that go into creation. But somewhere along the creative process, backtracking and re-doing and correcting seem like too much of a burden for us visual artists.

Yet, it's like tuning an instrument. We need to play with the colours, decide on the composition, understand the elements of good design. We may start boldly but as the piece evolves we can get drawn too deeply into details and begin to overthink the work.

There were times in the class I was taking that I didn't think my pieces were going to work out. Take the garden painting, for example. I started with a photo. I wanted to add my own vision by using more colours, interest, adding some mixed media pieces. Part way through I wasn't sure it would have a cohesive look. I'm very glad the instructor was there to give feedback on composition, colour selections, paint layers, tones and contrast, where it needed a pop of colour, etc. I got there, step by step. I haven't been painting much the last few years, focusing instead of fibre art. So practice is what I need, just like a dancer or a musician who will practice for hours before the recital.

It's not perfect, but it has much more colour than the photo, it's vivacious, fun and catches the eye. And that's what I wanted. Some sections have several layers of paint. It was easy to make corrections

Related posts:
Does Practice make Perfect?
Lessons Learned when our Art doesn't turn out
Getting Past the Hump in a Creative Practice