1.07.2010

puckering, right or wrong

The pucker you get from eating an unripe wild plum: bad.

The pucker you get from tart lemonade: good.

The pucker you get unplanned when machine quilting a silk piece: Bad:



Puckers caused by careful placing and tightening of hand stitches on silk: Good:



The truth is, when I started this hand stitching, I didn't even think about puckers--they just kind of happened in the first few stitches. I liked what I saw, so I continued it, thinking I had discovered a great process. Once again, whatever it is about the universe that causes you to suddenly discover everywhere something you just learned existed, happened. I ran across this on the artmixter blog, by Scottish artist Marion Barnett. Great minds and all that.

Sometimes I think I should be reluctant to share how much of what is good about my art is happy accidents. But then I concede that part of the answer is one has to have the eye to notice and exploit the accident to make it into art.

So I continue quilting on two pieces, celebrating the puckers in the hand stitched one, trying to avoid (and sometimes unsewing) them in the machine stitched ones. Both projects are, however, living up to the plan in my brain. That's a good thing.

And that is all.







2 comments:

The Idaho Beauty said...

"...one has to have the eye to notice and exploit the accident to make it into art."

That's the conclusion I've come to. It's all in how we see.

Clairan Ferrono said...

I like the "making lemonade" approach to life myself.