Another year gone and a new one has begun…. Looking back, 2009 was not a year that I would want to re-live…. Quilt wise, I didn’t accomplish much at all. I couldn’t seem to crawl out a super creative funk…. I did have a few short lived bursts of creativity, but only a fraction of past years.
My main goal for 2010 is to spend more time creating my art and quilting. I have realized that I need that creative time for my mental as well as physical health. I plan to get back to keeping up with the Fast Friday Fabric Challenges again, and participate more in other groups on and offline. I will try to not over-think what I am working on, and embrace the diversity of my creations instead of worrying about focusing on a certain direction. I enjoy working with my sunprints, flower photos, rocks and stone walls, and more. I have tried to put it all together into a more cohesive body of work. Maybe if I just let whatever wants to come out at the time happen, I may find that there is a thread that connects things.
Aunt Fern in Garden
While spending the time I did with my grandmother, I scanned some old photos she had. This photo jumped out at me…. I have been taking more and more photos of old houses, barns and other abandoned and deteriorating structures. I tend to wonder what some of these would have looked like when they were occupied and taken care of. I added beautiful flower gardens around the photo of the run down house on the road I live on for “Water Road House”, and also used that house as inspiration for “My Dream House”. This photo of my great aunt shows what I have been imagining… The somewhat wild, full garden of blooms around the house and garage. I also have memories of a great grandmother working in her gardens when I was young. These memories, photos, and my love of gardening seem to be merging into some of my latest works
Water Road House- SOLD
My Dream House
I have no idea what this new year will bring…. Last year I wanted to find more focus in my work, but trying to make myself work in a certain direction didn’t seem to work well. This year if I plan to “just do something”, I may find myself creating more, and may even surprise myself at what turns up.
Additional goals are business related, and involve moving my blog to my website, blogging more regularly, promoting
my work differently (better), and more. Scheduling time each day for creating, business things, and whatever may help me to reach my goals. The new year brings new challenges and new hope….
I am a former textile artist and new pattern designer with a degree in horticulture, wishing to share my love of nature, flowers and gardens with everyone through my photos, sunprinted fabrics, and now pattern designs. Chronic Lyme Disease has caused major changes to the direction my life. I have to limit the amount of time spent digging in my gardens, and quilting has become more difficult. I discovered pattern design as a way to get art back into my life. I now use my gardens and photos to inspire designs that can be used on fabrics and print on demand items.
