Wendy on the Move

Is this not a beautiful piece??!!!!!!   My mixed media class aboard the Westerdam was filled with interesting pieces and students.  One in particular was Wendy Ross ( referred to by some as Miss Montana).  Wendy arrived on board with a gift for all participating on the quilting cruise: a felt needle booklet with the Montana Quilters  logo printed on cotton and attached. NICE Wendy... Thank You!

 This was a mixed media technique class using napkins, tissues, handmade papers, stamps, pencil drawings.... pretty much whatever!!!!  A neutral piece of fabric becomes the 'canvas.'  The faces and background text is Wendy's ink stamping. Birds, flowers, butterflies, and leaves are largely tissues affixed to fabric. Some Shiva paint stick work added... and Wendy's original pencil drawings of small flowers and ghost-like butterflies were added.  I am so grateful and pleased when students send me a  photo. Wendy wasted no time getting this finished and photographed.  So cool.

For Wendy... this class produced both a great result and as well or maybe more importantly some key learnings about objectively seeing and evaluating composition.  While I seldom if ever specifically post back and forth conversations re: work, with Wendy's permission, I am noting our dialogues re: learnings as you might relate.

Wendy's initial note read something like this... I don't know that you will remember; as you walked about the room as we were working on our individual designs... you had commented about a couple of green triangular patches that took precedence in the center of the piece. My buddy Tim next to me taught me to take a photo of the piece to help me critique - I did and saw immediately what you were talking about. (THANK YOU, Tim!) Ugh! I peeled it off and retouched the areas with Shiva paint. One thing I have learned since coming home:don't be too hasty! Instead of  slapping 'stuff' on a piece of fabric, I will fall back on Tim's advice and use my camera to preview and review and if necessary move things around until I lose that restless feeling!

Tim was absolutely right.  "Photos tend to come with objectivity about shapes and value."   

I sent the following back to Wendy.

DANG.. the real learning is always in the struggle. That restlessness you speak of is normal and your words to self about "don't be hasty" are valuable. I DO remember the 2 green triangles. Tim's advice is very good and I will tell you how I noticed them.... I was on the opposite side of the table and thus looking upside down essentially only seeing the shapes/values... not the individual elements so much. We can easily be seduced by individual elements sometimes inhibiting our ability to see the WHOLE.   I've always said... We all know when the composition feels right... it's a bit of a struggle figuring out when it doesn't feel right.  Now you have 2 "why am I restless tools!")

Now, I can only hold my breath til a photo of Tim's finished piece arrives. I know he's quilting it now.  ;-)  Happy quilting all!