Early Morning Club, Week Three

Monday, July 28th

I am taking an online class on designing lines and this piece is based on one of my drawings.
The lines in my fabric piece aren't as heavy as I wanted them to be. I wanted the weight of the lines to balance the negative space, letting the composition be just lines and the spaces in between. But in the fabric piece, the lines are thin and as a result the balance is lost. The piece felt empty and incomplete, so I added little squares.

This also differs in that the lines are pieced, rather than fused or glued in place.

Tuesday, July 29th

My favorite from the week, which surprises me given the circumstances under which I made it. We woke up early to celebrate Robbie Keane day. With all that excitement, I just didn't want to head downstairs and work. I did it, although I have to admit that my attitude was poor. I began in a haphazard manner, just placing fabric without thought. But after placing a few pieces, I began to envision interconnected triangles and circles soaring into space. There is movement in this piece. Not many of my pieces have movement. That is something to work on.

I limited the palette again to mostly neutrals. I find a smaller, neutral palette to be pleasing to work with and look at.

Wednesday, July 30th

This is a fused variation of Monday's piece. I wanted to try skinnier lines that were less rigid so I cut them without using a ruler. I like this one better. The spaces created by the lines are more interesting. And I like the mostly primary circles. I think it looks fun, like a game board or a puzzle.

Thursday, July 31st

I used leftover bits of strip sets for this piece. There's a lot of texture in the fabrics I used.


Friday, August 1st
This piece didn't work out as I wanted. I was trying to create a syncopated rhythm, but don't think I really achieved it. It reminds me of the standing stones piece I created in my first week, which is interesting because that wasn't my intention at all. I might try this again, but make small to large versions of the same shape, rather than of different shapes. That might help achieve syncopation.

Saturday, August 2nd
I wanted to work with more layers in this piece: an interesting background, foreground shapes, and then accent strips. It's hard to tell, but there are three light rectangles in the background. They were meant to provide additional interest and help connect the foreground shapes. But there is not enough contrast so it's hard to see them. I also think that the accent strips would be more effective if they sometimes interacted with the brown shapes.

Sunday, August 3rd

I like this piece as well. The yellow shapes on the blue remind me of city lights and skyscrapers as night, which is an area I have wanted to explore for a while. But this piece also moves a little away from the grid structure that I have been using a lot.

General Thoughts

It is difficult to find things to say about each piece. I have no formal art training. I've read a few books here and there, so have picked up some words and ideas that I think I understand, but don't know for sure. I've never participated in a formal or even informal critique of my work or of someone else's.

So when it comes time to write about each piece, I can only go by my instincts: I like this or don't like that or wish I would've done something different. But a truly informed understanding of each piece and why it works or doesn't is beyond me at the moment.

That's OK. It's not meant to be a put down, just a fair assessment of where I am at the current moment.

I am enjoying this process. It's satisfying to watch the pile of completed pieces rise each day. And even if I can't really say whether my work is improving, I can say that my mind is. I'm feeling more relaxed and willing to try different things, even if they don't work.

Could it be that I am becoming comfortable with the idea of failure? That would be a very welcome development.