quiltersmuse.com Blog

Robert Genn is a Canadian artist who offers a free, twice-weekly newsletter. In one of his most recent postings, he stated that an artist must live in the present tense.

I cannot think of a statement that has more truth. Once a piece is created, it is past history. It exists as a former moment in time, a vision completed, or a mission failed. At the very least, working through the decision-making process of creating art has been instructive for the artist, consciously or subconsciously.

Art, like life, is a learn-as-you-go deal. We are never perfect, and we often do not live up to our own expectations. The necessity is to go on and to continue doing what we enjoy the most, in spite of the critics. (They are sold a dime a dozen).

I have reached a point where I never show any unfinished work. When I used to do so, people have felt free to tell me what I should do, or what I could have done, or what I might do. Now, I don’t allow them to interfere with my mind-set, nor rob me of the joy I feel when I am creating.

Later, if my work is criticized and I have a finished piece in hand, any negativity belongs to the beholder. In the meantime, I have not allowed some outside force to prevent me from wanting to finish the piece.

Yes, live in the here and now and be your own critic. You’ll never find a more discerning one. As artists, we need to be true to our own instincts, and to express ourselves in the here and now, regardless of what others may think.

Pat from the Spider’s Web

“The Fabric of Their Lives” is a new article written by Amei Wallach for the Smithsonian magazine, October 2006. The topic is the quilts of Gee’s Bend, Alabama and a closer look at how the quilts have changed the lives of at least a few of the women in that community.

The article has many photos of the quilts and the quiltmakers, captured by John F. Ficara whose most recent book is Black Farmers in America. Some of the pictures of quilts are full page.

Before being discovered by the Arnett family, quilting was beginning to die out in the area, it is reported. After a very large sum of money was offered for one quilt, the community was inspired to continue quiltmaking, and some women were encouraged enough to take up the process. The result has been fame and money.

Today, there are postage stamps that celebrate the quilts of these women, and soon there will be yet another show. The final run of the current round of museum exhibitions ends at the deYoung Museum in San Francisco at the end of December 2006. To learn more, visit: www.smithsonian.com

Pat from the Spider’s Web

The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH, which is currently closed for major renovations, is sponsoring talks about Japan. The second in a series will take place at the Hopkinton Town Hall. Sachie Howard will discuss the Gardens of Japan from 1-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 30.

The Ancient Art of Japanese Calligraphy is a topic that will be explored by Andre Hurtgen in a talk at the New England College Art Gallery on October 4, 1-3 p.m.

These programs are open to the public.

Pat from the Spider’s Web

If you are at all interested in learning about what is going on in the greater world, then you will not want to miss this week’s upcoming program on “Meet the Press.” Former President Bill Clinton will be interviewed, along with Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, and Fmr. Senator John Danforth (R-MO). The scheduled time is 1:00 eastern standard time, a variation from its usual 10:30-11:30 a.m. time slot.

Today was a very fun day. A friend picked me up and we went galavanting. Our mission was to go to Henniker, “the only Henniker on earth,” to a fairly new quilt shop there. Quilted Threads has something for everyone’s taste, in fabrics, books, and all the latest gadgets. I happened to spot a “FabriCalc.” This looks like a hand held calculator and is used to estimate yardage when planning a quilt. I would have loved a demonstration of just how it works, before plunking down $40. for one, so decided against the purchase, at least for today.

We headed to an orchard on the top of Gould Hill in Contoocook, one of those sleepy little New England towns that still has a lot of open space that has not yet been gobbled up by developers. I was looking for “Northern Spy,” an apple that is a “good keeper” and which makes the most wonderful pies imaginable. They are hard to find, as they are an old variety and not many orchards still grow them. Since they won’t be picked until mid-October, we both put our names on a waiting list. In the meantime, we tried one of their “Chestnut Crabapples” from a basket that said, “Try me.” The apple was small, a little tart, and had a lot of flavor.

The farm itself overlooks a valley and distant hills. Once the foliage peaks, it will be a grand sight from there, indeed. Information about the orchard and a beautiful photo appear on this site: www.gouldhill.com

I purchased some Japanese fabrics that I may use to finish a quilt I started at least two years ago. It’s sometimes difficult to find nice indigo prints, and that is what I had in mind.
When we returned to Concord, we stopped at “The Golden Gese,” the oldest quilt shop in town, and the one with the most bolts of fabric, and the most room. The shop owner, Nancy Gesen, is a long time quilter who also founded the quilt guild here in Concord, NH. She had a nice selection of 1930s reproduction fabrics with miniscule prints that would be excellent for miniature quilts, so some of those were a must-buy.
All in all, we had a wonderful day. The company was excellent and the weather was gorgeous. All of the waterways that we passed were a deep azure blue, with the sun shining on them. I felt very blessed and happy to have such a good friend who shares some of the same interests.

Tomorrow, I will have to do some serious work after all of this goofing off, but it sure was fun to take a little time just for sake of enjoyment.

Pat from the Spider’s Web