Nellie"s Needles

Friday, March 23, 2007

Lake Series, The Beginning

I've been pondering with awe about Paula creating 100 clocks for Art Socket. It's difficult to comprehend making that many art pieces of the same thing. But it got me to wondering and has made me curious about what I could learn from that sort of experience. Consequently, I've begun a series of lake scenes using my ortwork technique.
Lake #1 - 13"x8"- 2007
This is a personal challenge to see how far I can go before feeling burnt out on the subject. A number of pieces, about 30 or so, featuring my beloved Lake Michigan have already been made in the sunset, beach scenes, and Postcards from Michigan series. In this one I want to portray the lake in its many moods ... just as every day it's different from the one before ... as is every hour ... and every minute.
There will hardly be a dent made in the bags of scraps I've saved and gotten from other people. I'm also purposely using recycled materials for the whole project. I have old drapes and lots of home decorator fabric samples from interior decorator friends for backings. The batting is cut from old army blankets that we no longer use at the cottage. They were brought back from the war by Lee's uncles.

This brings me back to my initial intent when I first began quilting. I intended to use only fabric samples of which I had a lot from my mother's-in-law shop and recycled fabrics. At the time I wondered why fellow quilter's looked aghast and hooted at me. It didn't take long to find out why. A quilter in a fabric store is akin to a kid in a candy shop. For the last two years I've been pretty good about resisting the temptation to shop. If you've looked at the posting "Studio South" you've seen the supply that's been purchased and read about the containers full under the cutting table. If I lived another lifetime, I wouldn't run out. So, here I am using scraps/orts ... not just mine, but other peoples as well.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, I'm looking forward to your series! Your Ortwork is so very cool. I sure wish I could (would) stop buying so much fabric - but it all speaks to me and begs to come home!

quiltcontemplation blogspot said...

Lovely piece! I a impressed by your work. I have been thinking about using some scraps this way for a self portrait piece.

Joyce said...

I love your Lake Michigan scene. I think quilters all know that scraps multiply when you are not looking. Fabric also flies into your hands when you are in fabric shops. THere's nothing you can do about it.

Michele Bilyeu said...

Nellie, I am sooo inspired by you. Not by 'just' your artwork, but by the amazing process of how you work. I loved just looking at the scraps in your bags on your art table! I am not just a scrappy little thing but I am also kind of chintzy. I have been known to cut up and use just about anything to save fabric. We are a recycling family in a state where recycling is a big deal, so I am totally delighted to see just how wonderfully creative you are about using what you have and not always yearning for more like so many quilters do. Not that I don't yearn or shop...I do. But I like to shop for bargains as well as for beauty and I yearn to be as beautifully creative as you are!

p said...

Nellie,
Thanks for the artsocket reference...wouldn't you be shocked if you find yourself still working on lake series after the 99th?
Look forward to hearing what you learn from doing this, I'm only on clock #43 and I have to say I feel at times like I am just now getting started, what a fun challenege to try to do a series.
Look forward to seeing more Lakes!

Terri Stegmiller said...

Lovely piece!

LuĂ­sa Silva said...

Nelie, you are allways suprising me. This pieace of art is absolutly beautiful, spetacular and serene.

FARBTUPFER said...

That´s so beautiful. I think I want to try this technique.
Many greetings
Waltraud