Quilters are famous for reusing fabric in their quilts. Yet, for quilters there are several other ways to reuse and not toss materials. Let me share a few of the ways that I have taken this a bit farther. I am very passionate some might say obsessed about not throwing fabric or other materials away.
DesertTrees in the Wash, 25″ x 24″ 64 cm x 61cm 2021 Just one example of how I use small bits in my art quilts.
Business Cards
I use bits of batting and fabric to make my business cards. They are like mini art quilts. Some people benefit from a visual example of what an art quilt is. The fabric cards are about 4″ x 4″ 10 cm 10cm.
First, I write out my contact information using a fabric pen on a light colored solid piece of fabric. Next,I sew several small pieces of leftover fabric together. Finally, I make a small quilt sandwich with a small piece of batting inside. Then I stitch the three layers together. Trim and zigzag the edges.
a fabric business card- a work in progressa fabric business card -a work in progress with batting and backing
Short Pieces of Decorative Threads
Pieces of decorative threads add texture and dimension to my art quilts. They could be birds or twigs in the wind. I prefer to create a more impressionistic view in my landscape art quilts. I leave it up to the viewer to decide whether the small piece is a bird or a leaf blowing in the wind. Reuse, don’t toss.
A textile friend gave me lots sof small pieces of the decorative threads she had left over from making scarves.a closer look at some of the decorative threadsHere are some other yarns I use.Decorative threads and decor details I take apart to use their threads
Small Pieces of Fabric
Small pieces of fabric become abstract art quilts or fabric landscape collages. I have written several blogs on this topic. Here are links to two.
Pieces of batting can be sewn together to be used like a larger piece. Make sure the weight of the batting is the same. Cut straight edges. Sew by zigzagging straight edges together. Make sure to create no gaps. Often there is a narrow long piece of batting let over when quilting a large quilt. These are my coveted pieces for this technique. Quilters,Reuse,Don’t Toss
Two pieces of equal weighted batting can be sewn together.
Reusing items in Mixed Media
During the pandemic I turned my attention to mixed media or assemblage. I searched for small yet unusual items. These items would add interest to an art piece. Everything does not need to be a broken piece. Repurposing items also counts. My daughter brought back a small sewing kit from a trip to Europe. She never used it. I found a new use for them.
Blue EuropeanThreads, 9″ x 6″ 23 cm x 15 cm
I am not sure if buttons would be considered unusual items. Yet, when I stacked them up with contrasting colors the effect was unusual.
Reuse, don’t toss. Sometimes I have to give myself permission to throw something away. But with some thought, it is easy to consider another way to use something.
Assemblage is like a 3D collage usually with found objects. It is a 20th century art form that became more well known in the 1950s and 1960s. Art in a box is a type of assemblage.
Small Wooden Boxes
I recently found about fifteen 9″ x 7″ 23cm x 18cm wooden boxes. They were brand new, in light shades of grey and beige. A perfect setting for some assemblage. The box works as a frame. My mininalist style worked because there wasn’t room for much more. A chance to finally structure add some continuity to my displays. https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/product/cityscape-found-object-art/
First,she taught the class how to use a drill with wood or metal. Meanwhile,the students created a layered piece from a wide range of available materials.
Interestingly enough, Janet also came from the sewing world. Furthermore,she built on those skills while changing her materials from fabric to metal. She encouraged me to adapt my known skills as well to the different materials. Janet was incredibly generous with the materials that she had collected. However, I still had a lot to learn about the art form.
One of these adapted sewing design skill includes starting with an interesting background. I chose redirected wall paper that would add movement, color or texture to a piece. My usual way of working is to first select interesting materials I like. I have no idea of what project I may use them for. For example, I let the materials play with one another. They tell me if they want to be together or not. Sometimes the size and scale is not correct. Other times the colors are slightly off. At times even great materials need to be saved for a different project .
Orange Key,9″ x 7″ This box came to me as a gift box.
Choosing Materials
I prefer to see the materials in front of me before making a choice. There are just too many variations involved for me to choose. Color? Are the colors of the correct shade or hue? Too grey or too beige? Scale? Is the size correct for the box? Is the action on the wallpaper too big or too small for the box? A perfectly lovely item may need to be saved for a different art piece. Scale is an important element when working small. The quarter inch tiles I redirected from a interior designer fit the tiny bill. Each miniature tile has a slightly different shade of color to it. I couldn’t place them correctly without seeing them first.
Three Keys 9″ x 7″ Found objects like keys add interest.
The color range of the tiles was limited. Yet a few tiles provided tiny pops of color. Luckily, the tints complimented the muted shades of the container boxes. In addition, finding a unique artful use for a redirected item is definitely a win-win for the earth.
Texture
Texture adds depth to a piece. Fiberous materials also add interest. The 3 dimensional aspect draws the viewer closer. However, that could just be my special view on fiber. Interesting, vintage items also provide texture. “Junk” laying around one’s house can be put to good use. Surprise yourself!
In Conclusion
In conclusion, artists stretch their artistic muscles by learning new skills. Combining shapes, forms, and colors are basic skills that can be developed. After that, those skills are available for and can be applied to many art genres. For example, I recently witnessed a flower arranger combine various colors,textures and sizes to create an incredible bouquet. Everyone starts somewhere. Just start!
Sewing Room Assemblage may just be another name for a mess of sewing room items.I inherited those sewing items that I now wanted to use in my assemblage pieces. Think of assemblage as a three dimensional collage. My mother and mother-in-law were part of the generation that grew up in the Great Depression. They married before World War II. Their families started after the war in the 1950s.
A Generation Expected to Sew
Like many of their generation, sewing skills were expected. Neither my mother or mother -in-law were expert sewists. It has been over twenty years since I acquired all of their sewing supplies. This included special pieces of furniture to store the sewing items as well as numerous threads,needles pins, measuring tapes, thimbles and gadgets. Some of the items are recognizable to the 21st century sewists and some aren’t.
Thread Tray
A New Use for the Thread Tray
A piece of furniture especially made to store sewing items had seen better days. Yet, I kept the wooden tray for thread storage. That piece became the frame for my whimsical piece with thread and small animals that I had been saving. I lined the larger left side with a piece of fiber and added a necklace. The details of buttons lay on a coral felted piece a friend gave me. The most unusual item is the wooden needle case in the middle of the third row. The wooden spools add charm but I couldn’t resist adding some color with some that still had thread.
Spool Wreath
Spool Wreath
I do a lot of sewing. Needless to say I had many empty wooden spools. I generally don’t throw anything away. For several months,I kept my eye out for a way to use these spools. I finally saw a wreath on a door. It inspired me to consider making a wreath with my spools. After much thought, I decided to string the spools on a dowel. I added red wooden beads in between. I had to experiment with the width of the dowel. The 1/4″ .5cm wide dowel was wide enough to fit the hole of the spool and strong enough to stay straight.
Other Parts of the Wreath
Other parts of the wreath used found objects like the clipon metal hanger and the fiber paper plate holder for the base. The burlap bow was reused from a gift I had received. I prefer a minimalist assemblage style for my sewing room pieces.
Mistakes can be Good.
The shorter length rays were a mistake. I used a 1/8″dowel that proved too weak to hold the spools straight. The dowel broke. Instead of throwing the weak dowel out, I choose to shorten the length of the arm. I think it worked. Mistakes can add interest although unplanned. https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2018/11/mistakes-that-i-have-not-regretted/
Sew Fun, 8″ x 8″
Sew Fun
This sewing room minimalist assemblage piece,Sew Fun includes some of the more unique sewing items. I started with a wooden grid for design interest.The heart shaped item’s original use was to store pins and large needles. The three dimensional shape has a 1/4″ space between the two hearts for that purpose. The long wooden spool on the bottom originally was covered with thread. An orange packet of needles and an orange pair of scissors adds a needed bit of color.
A Metal Bobbin
I learned to sew on my mom’s Singer sewing machine with metal bobbins. The bobbin is an essential piece holds the bottom thread. That machine is long gone. Yet, I found a metal bobbin with orange thread on it. An orange color scheme was devloping. Some may recognize the small metal threader in the middle. I believe that these are still available for sale. They presumably help people thread small needles although I never mastered that skill. An orange batik ribbon for hanging completes the piece.
Red,White and Black Treasures, 8″ x 8″
Red,White and Black Treasures
The red,white and black treasures of thread were originally part of a small sewing kit my daughter bought in Germany. I lined the box with a thin piece of cork. Another long empty spool from the American Thread Company was added. I included the paper instructions for Muriel’s Yarn Threader price 75 cents. Who doesn’t have a lot of buttons? I created details with two levels of buttons in alternating colors. Black ceramic tiles finished the corners.
Brown European Threads 8″ x 8″
Brown European Threads
For the Brown European Threads Minimalist Assemblage, I used the bottom part of a lidded box. See the little bit of the hinge on the left. I couldn’t remove it so I just left it. I lined the box with a piece of redirected wall paper. There were several more European threads in the brown muted color range. A packet of Boye Needle Company from Chicago takes center stage. This is the type of packet that I saw many times in my youth. This time I placed the double decker buttons on small cream colored tiles.
Blue European Threads 8″ x 6″
Blue European Threads
Another variation of the sewing room minimalist assemblage is Blue European Threads. I used wallpaper for lining. I made double decker buttons with blue, green and yellow that match the European spools of thread. Some matching shiny round objects to offset the spools. Blue and green buttons are placed on blue tiles to accent the corners.
Conclusion
Sewing Room Minimalist Assemblage can take many forms. So take a new look at the items that you have around your home. You don’t have any? Search for unique items at garage sales or second hand stores. You can give a new artful life to the common sewing items from the 20th century.
An acquaintance who follows my work on Instagram recently commented on the progress of my work into hard materials. The comment stopped me in my tracks. What? It made me think. For me, moving into assemblage was something that I had been doing for a while at a very slow pace. Assemblage is a 3D collage generally of diverse found objects.Yes, fabric art quilts are soft and generaly 3D materials are hard. Yet, I hadn’t thought about it that way.
3D Found Materials
As an art quilter I had often added 3D found objects to my work. Whimsical toy soldiers, artificial flowers, pieces of jewelry are just a few examples. Seeing it from another’s view made me take a second look at what I was doing. Larger tile pieces would be too heavy to work with.As a result, I had chosen quarter inch tiles and other objects mainly due to their size and color.
Inspiration
I draw inspiration from the materials and how they play together. I gather materials without thinking about how I will use them. This process applies to the hard or soft art materials that I work with. My sources are redirected sample designer materials. If the small slate-like samples had not been available, I wouldn’t have searched for them. On the other hand, I wouldn’t have even known that they existed.
Materials Front and Center
In the past, I have spent time looking for the perfect piece of fabric for a project. It was frustrating and time consuming. Moreover, the results were often disappointing. I discovered that my imagined perfect fabric didn’t always perform as perfectly as I had expected. Working with what is in front of me proved more creative, artistic and satisfying.
On the other hand, a shopping situation with distractions galore overwhelms me. With the materials front and center, I can quickly see that the scale or color either did or didn’t work. This proves more fun anyway even allowing serendippity to happen. Materials,however, fabulous don’t always work for every project. Save them for another project.
Tower in City 9″ x 7″
Color! Texture! Movement!
My mantra is Color! Texture! Movement! That is what I want the viewer to take away from my art quilts. Changing to hard materials didn’t fundamentally change that for me. I do admit it might look differently from the outside or to a viewer on a tiny screen.
The whole concept of choosing hard or soft art materials did not cross my mind. Even though some materials are obviously heavier and harder than others. I selected the background wallpaper to build action and color into the piece. Slight variations of colors in the pieces of concrete flow. Variations of width of the materials add depth.
Scale
The size of the project and time involved encouraged me to widen my artistic scope. Scale followed quickly. One cannot make smaller items without being aware of scale. True confessions time- I wanted some projects with a lower price point. Even small quilts involve time consuming hand work. Yet,smaller doesn’t always mean less time involved in the creation. Depending on the materials at hand,working with a smaller scale can negatively affect the time spend on designing.
People see Things Differently
I appreciate getting insight into how others view my work. The hard and soft comment opened my mind. Some comments from people I take more seriously than others.A comment from an experienced quilt artist would catch my atttention. However, I generally ignore some comments. A gentleman once commented that a piece reminded him of a particular place. I listened and even googled that location.Yet, that place had not been my inspiration. While I was willing to listen, I was not too concerned. People see things differently. They bring their own experiences to how they view a piece.
Start at the End, Sometimes
Some of my fiber artist friends are extremely talented. One in particular would use unusual found objects to create incredibly engaging art pieces. Yet when she was finished she didn’t know how to hang or best display her large 3D work. So I decided that I would consider how to display the work before I got started. With these assemblage pieces I attached a hook first.Then I continued designing the piece. Working backwards is new process for me.
Cityscape, 9″ x 7″
A Unifying Look
Early in my creative process I acquired twelve identical wooden boxes of varying pale colors. That was a good start for me. Usually I never consider how a piece will look next to another piece. This gave me a chance to unify my look. Some assemblage pieces can be hung and some can sit on a shelf or table.
So I start with a frame or wooden box. Then I add a hook to hang it on. Next,I search for wall paper that complements the box color . With luck it adds texture. Because I am new to this process, I want to know where I will end before I permanently attaching the paper. This may change as I gain more experience. The viewer doesn’t know what the artist began with and how they might have added or subtracted from what was there.
What Do You See? 12″ x 7″
Metal or Wood
Assemblage artists generally choose materials from wood and metal. Personally my preference is wood. Metal just doesn’t speak to me in the same way. In the class I took I learned how to use an electric drill to make holes in metal or other objects. I still have my childhood skates that attached to my saddle shoes. I would love to use them in a piece. Several times I have tried to see what might work with the skates with no success. As much as I love them, I will save them for a later date.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, it is not about the materials being hard or soft. It is the color, texture and movement of the surface that inspires this artist to create something new and hopefully exciting. How will you push yourself to try something new? Do your materials inspire you to move to your next level?https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/03/beginning-steps-to-creating/
These pieces of assemblage are available at my etsy shop.
Paper as an art material is a new use for me. I usually cut fabric. A while ago, a visitor watching me cutting a tree out of fabric, he commented that it reminded him of a friend who does paper collages. While collecting materials for my new direction, mixed media assemblage, I acquired some used frames. I didn’t pay attention that some frames had glass and some didn’t. Yet, I soon realized glass doesn’t work with 3 D objects. So paper collage it was.
A New Art Direction using Paper
Paper Collage
I hadn’t really used paper as art material in my recent history.Yet, I found the process very similar to what I had done with my fabric layering techniques.Although I cut fabric instead of paper, it was the same process. The larger pieces go down first. Then I add the smaller pieces.I like using a long thin skewer or similar tool to gently move small pieces carefully.
Because this process was new to me, I made a sample. I photographed it to remember. Afterwards,I took it apart and began gluing. First, I glued the largest pieces. Then I added the smaller pieces. My go-to tool is a large pin to add glue under small spaces. It is the easiest tool I have found to glue in tiny globs.
My Motivation
Recently I have been trying some new assemblage techniques. I needed to make smaller pieces that would take less time to make and sell at a lower price point. The plan was to use items that I already had in my home and studio. Interesting pieces of discontinued wallpaper came my way and inspired me to use the paper as art material.
Using a Frame
I began with a frame or wooden box. Oddly enough for an artist,I had never used frames before. My art quilts are finished with a facing on the edges. There is no need of a frame. Probably the normal way of making art is to create something and then get it framed.
However,I worked the opposite way. I found a gently used frame or a shallow box. The art was based on what I had that would fit inside.I matched the colors of the frame. Style,size,scale and color guided me.
A Surprise
Working with new materials I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. A piece of plastic inside a frame had words on it that I wanted to remove. I figured that it was a decal. I laid it down and poured vinegar on it. After 30 minutes, the decal could easly be removed with a bit of rubbing. However, the rest of the liquid had disappeared. Where did it go? It was not on the drainboard. The liquid seeped into the plastic lining. I had to dry it several times as I turned it on its side and the liquid came out. Just a bit of an unexpected surprise!
Reusing and Reducing materials
Reusing and reducing materials is a great motivation for me. These materials were new to me. Wood, fabric,redirected tile samples and paper speak to me more that metal or plastic. I have used some small metal items. The paper I used was discontinued wallpaper samples.
Grasslands, 5″ x 4″
An Independent Study -A New Art Direction using Paper
In my college years, I completed several independent studies. The process was a familiar one to me. The self directed student chooses a topic or project. They dive into finding information or trying new techniques. The student finishes by creating a new project. As I was creating different assemblage with the found items,I realized that I had basically created an independent study for myself. No classroom credit awarded of course.
In Conclusion
It is such a joy and welcome distraction for me in these times of the pandemic to find this next direction for my art. This new direction is totally unexpected. My creative juices have been replenished.
Beginning steps to creating art suggests some new ways of thinking about making our world beautiful. Creating comes naturally to humans. We are innately artists. We try to make our world beautiful. Some of us draw; while some of us paint. Others create beautiful food and table settings for our loved ones to enjoy. Others create beauty in their gardens.
Unfortunately, many of us do not feel that we are artistic. I certainly didn’t for many years. Yet, each of us can create beauty in our unique way. Here are some suggestions for beginning steps to creating a more beautiful everything or whatever you choose.
Beginning Steps to Creating Beauty
Part of my career as an elementary school teacher was spent at an arts infused school. We brought in special artists to teach across the arts curriculum from drawing, painting to theatre and dance. I had been at this school before this program started.
When the program began, the whole school adjusted its focus. I witnessed sn incredible shift in students’ attitudes. We told the children that we are going to try and make all of our work beautiful. We would not criticize the work of others. Trying to do one’s best was the important part. The attitude of the whole school changed for the better. It was so powerful to witness that change.
Think Differently.
Looking outside the box. Many times it is our own perspective that keeps us from seeing things in a new way. Often we acquire materials or fabric with a particular idea in mind. Then it is difficult to get rid of that idea or to envision a new use for the item.
Do these look like coffee beans?
When I got this green fabric, it reminded me of coffee beans. That is the image that stuck in my head. I wasn’t sure how to use the fabric. It sat on the shelf for a long time. Then I began to think differently about it. How could I use it a different way? I decided to use the ovals as bit of motion in the truck of a tree. What little bits of color could I highlight to pull those colors to the forefront and diminish the greenish colors ? A peachy orange shade would do the trick. As my county recovered from the largest forest fire ever, my art quilts reflect that new growth.
Rebirth of a Forest,art quilt,29″ x 22″
Turn the Fabric Around
Another way to look at a piece of material or fabric in a new way, is to turn it around. If it has definitite figures on it ,what will they look like from another direction? New and unrecognizable is what I would be going for. When an abstract artist finishes a work, they often turn the art upside down and sideways to see if it might look better from a different angle. The original fabric for the trees and branches in Skyward was a black,white and gray fabric that had greyhound dogs on it. The movement of the fabric caught my eye before I noticed that there were actual dogs on it.
GreyhoundsSkyward, an art quilt
Imagining Shapes
While working on my nature quilts, I cut out shapes for trees, branches, fish, rocks, or waves. I look at the fabric to see if the shapes on the fabric tell me what it would like to be in my piece. Does a swervy line imply a wave? Maybe a mountrain will appear from the shapes on the fabric? If no shape strikes me on the fabric, then I create my own mountain or a river. The idea is not to find a piece of fabric that has a river on it. But to create a river from lines that the original fabric artist had not thought about..
Visualization
As I am creating, I try to visualize what the piece is lacking. What color or shape needs to be in a particular spot? This often guides me to a hue or textile choice. This is a newly acquired skill for me. I surprised myself when I realized visualization was happening. You can make it happen for you too.
Activities to Practice Beginning Steps to Creating
Here are a couple of powerful skills that can be practiced with no materials at all. Look at pieces of art in the real or virtual world. There certainly are many examples available on social media. Ask yourself, do you like this work? What do you like about it ? How would you make it better? If it were your piece to change, how would you modify it?
Keys to my Heart, 9″ x 7″
Another practice activity is to think of how many different non traditional ways an item could be used. I recently acquired a box of antique keys. I am venturing forward into assemblage, putting repurposed items together in unusual ways. What could the keys be used for? The possibilities are endless; a nose? hair? or other body parts or just purely decoration? While I searched the internet for inspiration, I came up empty. Left to my own devices,I have sprinkled this post with the ideas that I came up with.
Face with a Key Nose
In Conclusion
Start with baby steps. Create small bits beauty in your life. Practice helps. I took an assemblage class over two years ago. It took me this long for the ideas to perculate through my brain. Be kind to yourself during the learning process. Trying in the first step. There are no mistakes just whether you as the artist likes it or not. If not, modify it. Dip into your humanity and make the world more beautiful.
Recent attempts at assemblage came about from my interest in fiber and 3D objects. Sometimes it can be scary to try a new direction. Moving in a new direction is something that I generally do very slowly.The assemblage art form utilizes found objects that appeal to my deep sensibility for using redirected or upcycled materials. I had been adding 3D found objects to my art quilts since the beginning of my art career. The time came for me to further my skills by taking a class on assemblage. If I can try something new, so can you.
Under the Beautiful Redwoods-2018
Back in the Fall of 2018, I participated in an assemblage class taught by local artist, Janet Silverglate. The day long class met at her house outside under the beautiful redwoods of Felton, California. She introduced us to many new materials and skills. She was generous with both of them. Practicing with an electric drill was a new experience for me. The class learned the importance of working backwards on each piece. Figuring out how to hang or display the piece was one of the first necessary decisions to be made.
The Piece I made in Class
This is the piece that I made. I contributed the fiber background and the metal rim. Janet graciously offered the other parts including the green paper, and large button on the top. She also helped with the process of adjoining all pieces together that I was having trouble accomplishing. While I am pleased with the finished product, I recognize that I had a lot of help.
Piece made in class,2018
I thoroughly enjoyed the day completing my first assemblage piece. As with many beginners, I was in awe of the teacher’s skill and proficiency. She had a large room full of materials that she had gathered. I could relate to that process. I also gather materials without considering their future use. However, due to a lack of extra space,I wanted to restrict myself to the materials that I already had. I couldn’t imagine gathering materials for assemblage projects as well as a wide variety of materials for art quilts. Luckily, my inheritance supplied me with a variety of interesting items I could use.
Several Recent Attempts at Assemblage
I took a long while before I felt the creative juices flowing to try something on my own. Maybe the shelter in place helped in that regard. My thoughts were also that a successful piece begins with an interesting framework or support system. I was waiting to find a worthy object.
My husband supplied me with a wooden drawer from a small piece of furniture of his mother’s. The drawer was from some sort of a sewing unit. It had a wooden tray that originally was used to store thread and small items. I turned the tray on its side.
Making Decisions
My inheritance included many sewing items. I found the idea of covering the edges with fabric measuring tape appealing. First, I added screw in hooks to the top for hanging. Then I glued the fabric measuring tape to the sides. Here are some of my other first choices. I moved the buttons around. Eliminating some of the sewing items creates a more general audience appeal.
Trying out ideas with lots of sewing itemsHighlighting the measuring tape glued on the side.
Trying Different Things
Numerous attempts were made before settling on this final arrangement. I had many empty wooden spools that I wanted to use. Yet, previously I had noticed the lack of color in other people’s empty spool projects. I preferred the addition of some thread color. Luckily, my mother and mother-in-law had left me many sizes and choices of colors. Whimsical animals add fun as well as color!
Wooden Spool Assemblage,2020
Another Recent Attempts at Assemblage-A Wooden Spool Wreath
For a long time I looked for inspiration on what I could do with my empty wooden spools. I did have a lot of them. Finally I saw a unique wreath that inspired me to try to make a wreath using them. I happily found red beads to alternate for a holiday look. The framework is a fiber paper plate holder. It is turned upside down so that it will lay flat against the wall. I found a metal clip with a circular ring that I had. It attaches like a clothes pin. How easy was that!
Wooden Spool Wreath,2020
How to String the Spools
I bought several sizes of small width dowels to see which size would fit best. I chose the smallest one possible, less than 1/4″ wide to string the spoons and beads on. At first I tried to have all lengths equal. But I broke a dowel so I had to make do. I think that the different lengths are actually an improvement. Mistakes can be good. The tiniest dab of glue holds each bead and spool in place on the dowel. I repurposed a burlap bow I had received on a recent gift. How serendipitious was that! The finished product hangs in my studio window.
Black Lives Still Matter
Black Lives Matter Decoration,2020
What would 2020 be without a sincere homage to Black Lives Matter! I made several similar pieces using patriotic red,white and blue ribbons. On the white part of the ribbons, I wrote A Violation Should Not Be A Death Sentence and Black Lives Matter. It has been obvious to me for years now that black people were shot and killed rather than just arrested or ticketed for a violation. Now another variation piece has Equal Rights For All written on the ribbons.
Indigenous Inspirations, 2020
In conclusion, this year of Shelter in Place gave me the time to set aside any fears that I may have had about trying something new. Recent attempts at asssemblage helped me develop my new portfolio. Thanks for letting me share them with you.
First steps towards assemblage occurred before I was even aware that I was moving in that direction. Assemblage is a newer art form of putting different items together in a new and unusual way. That is to say that with a new focus on recycling and redirecting art takes on new forms.
In addition, it can take on many different forms including metal, paper and fiber. Materials are often found objects. Furthermore,they can either being used as found or taken apart to highlight intricate usually unseen pieces.
First Steps -Ready to try Something New?
Aboriginal,black and white assemblage 18 ” x 14″ 2013
In 2013, I completed my first 3D collage piece. For example,some black and white objects called to me. At first, a figure I had made using decorative details were arranged on a redirected piece of fiber. Above all if we consider aboriginal to mean the first, maybe the title is prophetic.
Mexican Inspired Fiber Assemblage
Later in 2018, more redirected fiber directed me to make some Mexican inspired fiber assemblage pieces. Here is my Fun with Fiber series.The sizes are generally smaller than 15″ wide. First of all one must consider how to hang the piece before continuing with the design process.Moreover,you may recognize small decorative details, fabrics and found objects in these pieces.
Native Sunset With Cats, soldBracelet of Beaded FriendsFun with Fiber 5Memories of the HuntWorry Dolls
