Art Quilt Design from Photo to Threadwork: a dvd workshop review

Recently, I had the pleasure of watching Sarah Ann Smith's new workshop dvd by Interweave:

DVD or download available at the Interweave website.

It always interests me to learn a bit about how artists work.  I feel that workshop dvds are quite wonderful because, not only do you get to learn about a technique that you might want to explore, you get to see a bit about how the artist thinks.  Sarah uses a wide variety of materials and tools to accomplish her transition from a photograph to a textile composition.  

The workshop is divided into basically three segments:  preparation of materials, creating the composition elements and fusing them together, and using thread to add more dimension with the quilting. 

During the preparation portion of the  workshop you will be able to see the technique she uses to pre-fuse her fabrics with MistyFuse (my fusible of choice, too!), as well as how she is able to "tack" her various pieces in place until she has finished her composition, at which time she fuses things in place more firmly.  

In addition to the choices of fabric for each element in the design she introduces some additional tools: Derwent Inktense pencils, textile paints, and finally, thread during the free-motion quilting portion of the workshop.  The Inktense pencils and paint are used to add highlights or shadows to each of the elements, and Sarah does a nice job of explaining how she makes decisions about where these should go.  She discusses the need for establishing where the light source is, which dictates how the highlights and shadows should be placed, and she also (and as a painter I think this often gets missed) talks about the reflection of light from below a spherical object that "bounces up" to create a lighter area on the lower portion of the object.  We don't always think of it, but when it is overlooked (on any piece of art) it lessens the dimension of the object.

One place where I differ slightly with Sarah is the use of water-alone with Derwent Inktense pencils.  This is fine when working on paper, and probably acceptable on cloth, but it IS a fugitive media, meaning it can "run" or migrate when exposed to moisture.  I guess I'm paranoid and thinking of accidental exposure to water:  yikes!   I tend to prefer using Inktense pencils with textile medium.  One still gets the watercolor effect but, when dry, the media is permanent on the fabric.  

During the "composition" portion, she carefully explains how she finds and traces the various color values of each object as well as how to enlarge the photo composition.  She explains her method of layering the various cut pieces to create a nice overlap.  I enjoyed all the little "tidbits" about her titanium iron, how to deal with removing fusible on the iron plate, and also what she does to keep her teflon pressing sheet clean (I use the same process).   I cite that as an example because those are the small details that are often known to artists but difficult to say out loud because they are such a part of our method we take them for granted.  It is so helpful to know these things because they make working with fusible so much easier!

When Sarah moves to the sewing machine and the viewer begins to see how much impact the thread color choices have on the dimension of the objects it is truly inspiring.  Having a nice palette of threads is essential when adding depth and dimension to textiles.  To me, it is our most essential type of "paint" and what really defines us as what I refer to as being a 2.5 D artist.  Quilted work is not flat, not fully 

3D, but somewhere in between.  

Lastly, I was touched to listen to music performed by Sarah's son, Joshua, at the end of the dvd.  I haven't met Joshua personally, but I have known about his music through his mother.  I think you will enjoy it, too.

I believe that this workshop is valuable to just about anyone who is looking to work from photos to create quilts.  Frankly, there is great info here, even if translating a photo into a quilt isn't your objective.  It is worth a watch, and I encourage you to add it to your library.

One way you may be able to do that is to leave a comment here.  I will use my iPhone "randomizer" to draw a name from anyone who comments.  Cutoff for the drawing is midnight, September 28th.  I will contact the winner to let you know.  If you are within the US you will be given a DVD, and if you are international you will be given instructions for downloading your copy from the Interweave website.

Thanks for stopping by!  Please take another minute to stop by Sarah's website:  she has a lot of great resources and you can look at all her lovely work!

Other stops on the blog hop route:

Sept 20 - Jamie Fingal http://jamiefingaldesigns.blogspot.com

Sept 21 - Deborah Boschert    http://deborahsjournal.blogspot.com/

Sept 24 -  Vicki Welsh    http://vickiwelsh.typepad.com/
Sept 26 - Leslie Jenison  http://leslietuckerjenison.blogspot.com/
Sept 28 - Terry Grant   http://andsewitgoes.blogspot.com/
Oct 1 - Gloria Hansen    http://www.gloriahansen.com/weblog/
Oct 3 - Diane Perin Hock    http://goingtopieces.blogspot.com/
Oct 5 - Sarah Ann Smith  http://www.sarahannsmith.com/weblog/ 

Behind the Scenes of my dvd workshop taping at Interweave

I had such a great time preparing materials, packing, and then taping my workshop dvd for the great people at Interweave.  I loved the challenge of honing the material to present it to, in this case, a virtual audience.
This meant a great deal of preparation of samples, condensing the options for the various demonstrations on  camera, and figuring out how to pack it all up and bring it to a remote location!  My greatest fear was that I would forget a key component.  I think I had bad dreams about this for about a week prior to the taping.
Since I was using some of the materials and tools up until just before I left my own studio, I decided to pack everything into checked bags.  I have heard nightmare stories of the TSA messing around with paint, etc., and the artist arriving at her destination to discover a suitcase decorated with paint (or whatever).
So far, this has not happened to me.  I use a band of electrical tape around the rim of every paint and dye container, all of which is packed in a ziploc bag.  Things like matte medium were not only taped, but also rolled up in Glad "Press and Seal", and THEN put into a ziploc bag.  A girl can't be too careful.

For my printing demos, I created a print surface out of a cut section of pressed foam insulation covered with felt.  These turned out to be unnecessary, as the producer had provided a great print surface, but I didn't know that in advance.  It worked out beautifully:  I used my own print surfaces for a few segments, and theirs for other segments.

Once I arrived, I mixed up my print paste in the hotel room the night before the taping.  The morning of the taping, while Jamie Fingal was doing her dvd workshop, I was outside in the hall mixing my dye colors, making my gelatin plates for monoprinting, etc.

One of the fun things about taping at the Interweave studio in Loveland CO is that the set was customized for each taping.  I brought a lot of my quilts and cloth for this use.  I love that the backdrop of my dvd will have my things in it!

Here is who I picked to look at while I gave my intro:

Am I the only one who loves this version of Johnny Depp?

Cap'n Jack!

Excited to begin the workshop!

Here I am explaining why I think the best use for this complimentary AARP 

credit card is as a squeegee for screen printing!!

Workshop dvd for Interweave!

I traveled to Denver this week to tape a surface design workshop dvd for Interweave.  I had so much fun working with Helen Gregory and the videography staff @ Interweave.  It was a pleasure to be in Denver again, even if the visit was quite brief.
Here are a few shots taken on the set by Jamie Fingal, who had taped a project workshop in the morning.

my first "set up":  a discussion of some of the tools needed for dyeing

getting ready to begin....

here is a view of the studio set