An artist improves has time goes on.....as an everyday working artist seeing changes in my work is not as obvious on a daily basis... the best way to achieve this is to take a look at a record of change, for an artist it is pictures.... this a visible record of how you have fine tuned your craft, smoothed the rough edges letting your experience move you in a more intent direction .......this is glaring, no escaping or fooling yourself , pictures of your work..past to present.....when you become a needlepoint artist , you have to learn how to use all your skills, drawing, color and design in one context...the canvas is limited to the size of stitch ...it has holes......over the years have have found how to use the canvas to it best advantage to create a design......last night late I was going through some old photos of pieces I painted in the 70's , looking at these photos with a critical eye was so revealing...it occurred to me just how much I have improved...a steady improvement all the time changing and picking up strength and the knowledge of what and what not ,the canvas can do..... this is not to say that at the times my painting was not up to the mark... but after all isn't that what makes a person mature , experience , like fine wine........a culmination of your total body of work......then just when you think you have it all figured out...up pops the exception, a photo of a custom piece I painted in the 70's ( a preview of what I could achieve)...two row boats in Maine.....even by my exacting standards of today ... and I am really a little too precise at times.......picky was the exact phase a friend said !...who me !...lol...this design holds its own...maybe it was the subject matter that just stirred me..( not a bad guess) or the fact that it is more suited to needlepoint than the endless bunch of over shaded flowers................cleaner and showing the canvas at its best advantage..... in the beginning you are so concerned with actually painting a design on the stitch...once you master this task, t the rest is just a matter of making the canvas a second skin....when i paint I see it in needlepoint form, the holes have become my friend..lol..... looking back at years and years of painting in pictures , brings back all sorts of memories ..... I feel I have had a great working life to date..... doing something that is always changing and makes people happy...not bad.......even though some days I feel like driving a bus !..lol
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
1977.....
An artist improves has time goes on.....as an everyday working artist seeing changes in my work is not as obvious on a daily basis... the best way to achieve this is to take a look at a record of change, for an artist it is pictures.... this a visible record of how you have fine tuned your craft, smoothed the rough edges letting your experience move you in a more intent direction .......this is glaring, no escaping or fooling yourself , pictures of your work..past to present.....when you become a needlepoint artist , you have to learn how to use all your skills, drawing, color and design in one context...the canvas is limited to the size of stitch ...it has holes......over the years have have found how to use the canvas to it best advantage to create a design......last night late I was going through some old photos of pieces I painted in the 70's , looking at these photos with a critical eye was so revealing...it occurred to me just how much I have improved...a steady improvement all the time changing and picking up strength and the knowledge of what and what not ,the canvas can do..... this is not to say that at the times my painting was not up to the mark... but after all isn't that what makes a person mature , experience , like fine wine........a culmination of your total body of work......then just when you think you have it all figured out...up pops the exception, a photo of a custom piece I painted in the 70's ( a preview of what I could achieve)...two row boats in Maine.....even by my exacting standards of today ... and I am really a little too precise at times.......picky was the exact phase a friend said !...who me !...lol...this design holds its own...maybe it was the subject matter that just stirred me..( not a bad guess) or the fact that it is more suited to needlepoint than the endless bunch of over shaded flowers................cleaner and showing the canvas at its best advantage..... in the beginning you are so concerned with actually painting a design on the stitch...once you master this task, t the rest is just a matter of making the canvas a second skin....when i paint I see it in needlepoint form, the holes have become my friend..lol..... looking back at years and years of painting in pictures , brings back all sorts of memories ..... I feel I have had a great working life to date..... doing something that is always changing and makes people happy...not bad.......even though some days I feel like driving a bus !..lol
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2 comments:
This is exquisite work you do. People don't realize that designing and painting needlepoint canvas USED to be an art medium. Sadly, that is no longer the case. The reflections under the boats are wonderful - and it would be challenging, entertaining, but easy to stitch this canvas, and the result would be a lovely, tasteful accessory for someone's home.
Judy ...only us old girls are privey to what needlepoint use to be....practice and honing one's skills...not just slapping any old thing on canvas, without taking in to account it is needlepoint canvas, not just canvas...mind the holes !
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