Friend Linda's gift of the wonderful art quilting book TWELVE BY TWELVE has inspired and energized me. Unlike my other blog, which is a hodge-podge of ramblings about my various activities--quilting, yes, but traveling, crafting with the grandchildren, entertaining, you name it--this one will be focused strictly on my endeavors in art quilting.
I've been quilting in earnest for over ten years, and I am passionate about it. I love all sorts of quilting and have made upwards of 100 quilts, ranging in size from three-block table runners and banners, through mid-sized wall quilts, and all sizes of bed quilts. I love traditional quilting, and I plan always to keep a foot in that camp. But I aspire to be a true art quilter!
I've made four art quilts, under wonderful teachers at Quilting Adventures--Esterita Austin, Katie Pasquini-Masopust, Cara Gulati, and Marcia Stein. At some point I'll show and discuss each of these art quilts. For this first post, however, I'll discuss what this aspiring art quilter has decided to do in the way of honing my skills.
Sometime ago I bought a book called ART + QUILT by Lyric Kinard. Kinard says in her introduction that she hopes that the book will give its readers "a solid foundation from which to spring" and "direction for further study." She also promises that it will "give you the tools, if you are willing to take the time to learn to use them."
The book is organized into chapters which contain many exercises. My plan is to work through the exercises, keeping them as suggested in a notebook. Doing this I hope will not only hone my skills and teach me new tools and techniques, but I hope that in the process, some art quilts will come into being.
Doing the exercises, too, will give me something to talk about in this blog! An online diary, if you will, for this Art Quilter Aspirant!
Congratulations, Alice. A nice goal and action to which to aspire! I am eager to read and see your progress. I will need to check out that book you will be exercising with!
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