It's finished! it took a lot of sewing and I think Imay still add some more to the top.
Beverley asked a question about the dyeing and I must admit she is not the first to have asked. However without seeming coy or indeed churlish to share ,the question does raise a real dilemna for me for a number of reasons.Firstly I sell the fabric I dye- and that is how I earn my living but that is not the most important reason for my dilemna.
There is actually a lot of emotion invested in that bit of dyeing- sounds silly- but for 10 years I have looked out my work room window at a certain view of trees ( it is on a recent blog entry) - it is where I dream, where I lose myself where I feel sad and lonely and even depressed and then up again- it is where I wait for the summer to come and cast its coppery light with the setting sun- it is where I sew it is where I create,its where I think about my children ,it is where I plan my travels-all of that emotion is in that dyeing because that was the feeling I was trying to capture- my mood determines the colours and my state of mind the tightness of the pleating.Ultimately it took me a long time to arrive at this point of dyeing- to get that feeling- which a number of people have also commented on. I kind of believe that the whole "feeling" is part of the my whole emotional involvement in the dyeing- the thinking. I rarely make bigger work just for the heck- there is always a reason- that is how I am.I don't have a problem writing artists statements because my work is always about something- though often the work stands alone without aything else. I believe some of this may come from the emotion I invest in the making of any work. And it is an investment- my whole life is based around my arts practice- i rarely take a holiday from it.
The sellling side does raise a dilemna too- a few years ago someone who had purchased my fabric won a first prize in a quilt show. It was a whole cloth quilt substantially as I make it and the fabric was unmistakable indeed it was a major part of the quilt ( or from what I could see on the internet)- nowhere was there any acknowledgement that I had dyed the fabric. I didn't worry too much at the time- though I did notice- I reasoned I had sold the fabric and whomever bought it could use it however. But the reason I noticed was - the person won a prize with it, yet I have never won a prize with pieces made from this fabric- it seemed a kind of hard irony at the time.Anyway that's life I guess.
15 comments:
Your tree trunks are wonderful! I love how you've translated your studies of Durer into your own way of working with fabric, needle and thread. As for your forest fabric -- I don't think you're being coy or churlish at all. I also don't think that reproducing it is as easy as merely following your instruction. After your class I attempted a forest or two of my own, and they bear no resemblance to your beauties! We all bring our own emotions, plus choice of color, pattern of folding, and dye receptacle into the blend as well; which, as you've alluded to, effects the end product. I love your forest fabric, and had considered buying a piece in Holland, but ultimately decided not to, as the only way to do it justice would be to quilt it essentially whole cloth, and then it would be more your quilt than mine (but not yours, and therefore not fair in my mind). Ultimately, I think we have to filter our inspiration through our own explorations and studies and in doing so find our own, individual, ways to dye forests, fireworks, man made constructs, or whatever it is that touches our emotions.
I love the way you have quilted the tree trunks. I think the lady who won the prize should certainly given you credit for the dyeing. I don't know how you can bear to sell your dyed fabrics. I have a pile I can't even think of cutting and they are nowhere near as nice as yours.
Beautifully crafted details on the tree trunks - that Durer print must have really touched you creatively.
Celia
Dijanne, LOVELY piece of fabric and what you are doing with it. As a dyer myself, I do ask that I be given credit for the fabric when they are used to substantially support the design.
This is a beautiful piece and, in my opinion, your choice to share or not share information about how it was created is a personal decision and only yours to make!
Denise
Beautiful dyeing and stitching work, making for a fantastic piece, Dijanne! I love what you write about 'feelings', and the right to share/not share information. I agree with Kathy about getting credit for work someone else uses. That's done in other art media.
OMG this quilt is STUNNING it looks like a painting.. I just love it.. You are the QUEEN of QUILTING...
What an inspiration you are.Thanks for always sharing with us all...
This should, most assuredly, win a prize - and a top one at that ! It is so beautiful! Thanks for posting the photos
These forest/tree quilts are just wonderful. I am in love with trees and would love to do what you have done, but I would want it to come from my own creative experimentation. You are right to hold your techniques close!
These are positively stunning! I thought they were paintings as well at first glance.
It's a lovely piece. As a businesswoman, you are entitled to keep some information back, surely. although I doubt if anyone could reproduce that piece of fabric anyway.
Pity you werent given credit but I have to ask - are you sending images of your pieces to the right exhibitions/shows?
I might have said this before. This is the best yet! I love all your work, but I think this one is even more special.
I'd like to say something original, but it's been said already: your tree trunks are quilted so tree-trunkily! They're just wonderful.
And your fabric IS acknowleged in "Dreaming of Home: Gunns Plains" in the August Canberra Quilters Quilt Show. That's not a whole cloth quilt, but the variations in your beautiful fabric do soooo much to make the quilt!
Hi Dijanne, I meant to comment on this a while ago when I first read it but I'm afraid I got sidetracked. It's been rumbling around in my brain though so I thought I'd do it now even though it's a bit late! I love your forest material and your forest quilts. As you know (because I wrote to you at the time about it) I made one myself from the orange version of your fabric. I honestly didn't know at the time that you had a series of similar quilts - in fact I was pretty proud of myself because I thought it was a novel idea to do with the fabric and was pleased to bits that I'd managed to see trees on fire in the shapes/colours. Doh! Anyway, mine turned out to be substantially different from yours, but even so, I would never dream of entering it into a show. Why would anybody want to enter something that was a copy or close approximation to something else? I only had the one forest fire quilt in me - I can never do the same thing twice, and if I was to do another one that, for me, would be copying and valueless. However, my version was sold recently. Didn't want to sell it, but I was rather flattered that anybody would want it and I succomed. However, it's not a coincidence that a couple of weeks later, I ordered some fabric from a wonderful Aussie textile artist.xx
I was so thrilled about your win - it is about time! I still think your pomegranate pieces are among my favorites in the world.
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