The Studio

I have been consumed with massive organization of the studio. It corresponds with a special edition from the publishers of Quilting Arts Magazine about studio re-organization. Helpful to look at to be sure, quite timely.

Until now I have always looked at maintaining some kind of order in the studio as a necessary evil second to what I create within it. But as I grow in my art making I have come to understand it is much more important than just a space in which I create quilts. It's not an office it's a studio which needs to inspire as much as anything.

My studio is on the third floor and is attic-like with slanted roofs. It is away from everything and a refuge. Although I live in the city so the direct view is out of the windows to the house next door the indirect view is to the backyard wooded area. It gets a lot of light.

Until now I have paid little attention to how I use this space. Over the years I have rearranged furniture and the like. Determined the best place for the sewing machine and added fabric storage. But I realized that when my father was diagnosed with cancer it became the create work when can, dump and run space. I had no idea how out of control it was. I became paralyzed to create within it.

I have ordered new cabinets, organized tools and supplies at least to various areas, recycled more paper than I care to admit, purged yards of fabric to give to children's programs found my checkbook and continue to consider improvements to the space. It's exhilarating. My design wall has always been a floor below in the extra bedroom we call the forbidden room because our cat Ilya likes to claw it. I may have figured out a way to incorporate it on the third floor which will make it much more conducive to intuitive design, everything will be in one place, currently I take piles of fabric downstairs to audition.

The walls are white but much of the furnishings are color, bright. For me it has to be fun, 60's bright, like my art. Photos another post I'm still getting the hang of posting them and I get frustrated.

I think part of my enthusiasm is a result of my artistic growth and seeking to develop a way of working, to establish a rhythm of working and the space I work in has to facilitate that. It doesn't need to be huge although that would be nice, it needs to function so that I am not looking for things but have immediate access to things. Or see something to spark something in me.

I have been thinking that my work is too thought out, too planned. I need to experiment but to do that I need to feel uncluttered I felt trapped in the clutter and trapped in my thoughts.

I think it gets down to moving up to the next level of seriousness about my art.

Fiber Art: Thread from Body to Soul Show

April 5, 2008 was the opening
night for the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh member's show Fiber Art: Thread from Body to Soul.





The exhibit was juried by gallery owner Joy Borelli-Edwards. Joy Borelli-Edwards has been in the business of art for over 20 years and recently moved from the North Hills into the Lawrenceville section of the city. The gallery space is lovely. In addition to the gallery the building also has studio space for rent. Additional information about the gallery and the award winners can be found at be galleries.

The photos I have posted are compliments of Brent Ruka who had the foresight to bring a camera. I ran out of the house without one. Brent's piece "Husband Cloned" is fabulous! I don't have a shot here but she received an honorable mention and it can be seen on Joy's website honorable mention page 1.

The evening was an overwhelming success. Word has it that over 400 people attended the gallery was mobbed!

In addition to the variety of fiber art the Education and Outreach Committee of the Guild headed by Amber Coppings partnered with the MGR Foundation in Lawrenceville to create fiber art with young people from Lawrenceville. Their work is hung in the lobby space of the building. I will blog on that when I return to show I was busy helping with the reception and didn't get a good look at the exhibit.
The lobby was packed with people as well, that's where the food and wine was. What's very cool is WYEP radio collaborated with MGR Foundation to record the children's stories.

The Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh is well known for Fiberarts International this amazing group of which I am so pleased to be a member, does a phenomenal job, not just with the International but with every exhibit and the promotion of fiber arts.
Click here to see all of the work piece by piece in the show.

Photos: Top photo Tina Brewer can be seen in the yellow hat talking with Adrienne Heinrich in front of Atticus Adam's "Night Meadow", a prize winner. In the next photo the woman looking at Francine Morison's quilt "California Zinnias". In the next photo a couple is standing in front of Shawn Quinlan's "TheThree G's" which received an honorable mention. The next photo a woman is standing in front of Millie Barnes "Starry Splendor." Finally our guild President, Desha Jaramaz, is talking to someone in front of Peggy Relich's quilt "Nine Stars."