Category: Art

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In the Studio~”It’s Back to the Drawing Board!”

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Post-Thanksgiving has meant renewed time in the studio this week.  Yesterday when turning on my sewing machine, the light on the panel was too dim to read and I almost panicked. On no, the computer’s main board has gone out! How would the cursor and light just quit working with no warning?…Then I discovered a little button on the side of the machine that I never knew existed–after years of sewing! When it was turned, the panel immediately lit up and was visible. Wow, such relief and no more excuses…

Edge Quilting

Finally, back to the quilting of the Lifeweaving wall-hanging. After repining and smoothing the black strips, I am working my way from the middle to sides in each direction. Using a tiny zigzag stitch over the edges is working well to connect the strips and add texture to the design.

I tend to work on several pieces, in different stages of the design process, at the same time. So, another project is the yellow flower design. The inspiration for this art quilt is this photo taken in a garden this summer.

Summer Flower

I love the colors and the pattern on the underside of this yellow bloom…Fabrics are being auditioned for the background, as well as the flower applique to be layered onto it…

AuditioningFabricsAt this point in the design process, colors are considered—Should they be realistic?…abstract? Also, decisions on size and scale must be made—Should I enlarge the pattern?

Pattern...

After a great holiday and much activity, it has been good to rest and focus in the quiet of the studio.

 New goals have been set,

                                  new inspirations have been gathered,

                                                                                    and it’s back to the drawing board…

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In the Studio…Reorganization

It’s a wonder how reorganizing a studio space can give a different perspective and encourage creativity. I guess it gives a sense of newness, of new possibilities, or a realization that there is more than one way to do things. I have been out of my studio for a while and as things are moved back in, I am rethinking the use of each area and what it is used for.

For example, the design area now has a table that is handy to spread out fabrics, books, and sketching supplies or it is great to use as a temporary office with the laptop and a lamp.

Design Area
Design Area

Across the room, by the design wall is a good place for the cutting table with patterns, rulers, scissors, and the pressing station is nearby. On the other side of the design wall is the construction area with machines, reference books, threads, and notions.

Perhaps, most important to reorganizing is de-cluttering the space and rearranging books, fabrics, and tools. I’m trying to decide how to store my quilting fabrics…folded on the shelves by color?… loose in wire mesh baskets? Katie Pasquini Masopust in her book, Design Explorations for the Creative Quilter, suggests sorting fabrics by color–yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, and green–then sorting each into 7 values, in a range from lightest to darkest. This will take some more thought and experimentation to discover what works best for me…

Of course no one says a studio has to stay neat and organized! But sometimes it feels good to begin with a blank slate of sorts…In returning to the studio, I have a new commitment to the goals made earlier in the year.

I have a new perspective and am ready to work!

*Happy Thanksgiving this week to everyone!*

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Creativity~ More Than One Right Answer

When I teach a design course, students are encouraged to brainstorm and draw multiple sketches of many ideas. After this, they are to select the idea that is most creative and best meets the design problem. It’s interesting to me that there are always a few who have one initial idea and want to immediately begin their project.

One Answer,(c) 2011 Joni Beach
One Answer, (c) 2011 Joni Beach

Why is idea generation important to the creative process? Because as Dewitt Jones, photojournalist, says, “There is more than one right answer…” Using divergent thinking, we think of multiple answers and solutions and then select an idea to develop through experimenting, playing,and improvising. We can evaluate as we go, making changes as needed to the design.

MoreThanOne,(c)2011JoniBeach
More Than One, (c) 2011 JoniBeach

In using creativity in problem-solving in art, as well as in life, the focus is on considering multiple possible answers and eventually selecting one vs analyzing to discover the one right answer…                                                                                                                                                         Many times it is not the initial idea that has the most creative outcome…                                                          Use creativity and discover more than one right answer.

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