May 1, 2008
Take it further in May
Posted by sharonb under Challenges, Take it Further challenge | Tags: challenge, challlenges, TIF |I hate that what do you do question as I have often wondered how to describe my various creative activities.
How do you describe yourself as an artist? One moment I am doing one thing that could be described easily as Art and the next I am doing something else that is craft! One moment my curiosity has lead me to to look at something quite strange as beautiful like the mould that grows on food in the fridge and the next I am looking at something most people would find familiar and boring and finding it fascinating like the bubbles in the washing up water.
Have you noticed that the term maker is being used to describe the activity of various people who may in the past be referred to as crafts person, or applied artist? For instance the British Crafts Council provides some interesting and thoughtful reading but in the Makers in Focus which looks at the working environment of West Midlands people producing crafts, the term ‘maker’ is used to encompass practitioners who variously describe themselves as craftspeople, or applied artists.
One of the ways I try and make sense of what I do is by defining what ever it is, as clearly as I possibly can. I think most people do that. The way I see it is if you can’t talk about what you do, or haven’t taken care in how you think about what you do, how do you expect others to respect the way you spend your time? Or how do expect people to respect what you make?
OK there is a few questions in the passage above but this month the challenge question is what do you call yourself and why?
Hopefully this will have everyone scratching their head but if you don’t like the challenge question you can elect to use the colour scheme instead.
Once again I came up with it by using ColourLovers and the palette was inspired by a crazy quilting block ( below). Remember that the colours can only ever be a suggestion as computer screens display colours differently. The aim is to be as close as possible to the colours on your screen. From ColourLovers you can download swatches to use is Photoshop, Illustrator, or in a CSS file. Have fun with it!
If you are wondering where the idea for the swatch came from it was this block and request for some pink that provoked the colour scheme. Once again click on the image and it will take you to a larger image.
As usual when you have worked the idea swing back to this page and leave a comment with blog or flickr address so that people can take a look at what you have been working on or done. There is a flickr group for the Take it Further Design Challenge and Debra Spincic has set up a another TIF blog. Please remember if you use Debra’s tif blog to swing by here too!
I also have some news as I have two classes on offer at Joggles.com. The first is called Studio Journals: A Designer’s Workhorse This is a new course which aims to help people keep and use a studio journal. If you are interested follow the link to find out more about it. The other course that is available is the Encrusted Crazy Quilting which is still popular! Once again follow that link if you are interested in learning how to do crazy quilting.


May 1, 2008 at 9:13 am
Challenge question is thought provoking, this is something I will have to think about. I love the colours, was hoping for something light to brighten up after all the rain. Pink is not my favourite colour to work with so using that will be a challenge in itself. Need to finish April first not much left and will post to flickr soon.
May 1, 2008 at 11:36 am
Oh boy, I love this new palette. *S*
And the May challenge question is one that is always on my mind. Maybe I can finally put it into some focus.
May 1, 2008 at 1:16 pm
I’ve been scratching my head over this question for some time now! I am doing a lecture on May 20 about “what do we call ourselves” : quilter, quilist, art quilter, fiber artist, textile artist..and yikes I have not done the notes for it yet !! Thanks for more grist for this mill !
May 1, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Love the colors this month, Sharon, and the theme is one I’ve been thinking about for some time now. What DO I call myself?
This is going to take some real work to depict from a design perspective.
As always, very interesting.
May 1, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Hmm Sharon, this is a hard one, I used to call myself a cloth doll maker, then I knitted, but that wasnt art, then a textile artist as that covered a multitude of things. Mixed media artist? Actually I dont think I am an artist at all, but I do get cross when people use the term craft in a rather derogatory way, after all you spent years becoming a craftsman in the old days of guilds and a Master Craftsman was indeed some one to reckon with. Artists seem to think they are above craftsmen, but most of those only dabble in paint! I do this too but I dont think I am an artist. I think more thinking is required.
May 1, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Wow Sharon! What an interesting question! I will post my first thoughts on my personal blog so as not to fill your comments page too much.
Hooroo,
Christine.
http://missmuffettwo.blogspot.com/
May 1, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Hi,
love the colorway! As for the topic i guess i’ll have to open my private can of worms
neki desu
May 1, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Oh my goodness, I may have to resort to the color bar this time. However the pastel palette will be a challenge for me, We will see —Will use the next hour while I walk, to see what my brain can conjure up.
http://www.comequiltwithme.blogspot.com
May 1, 2008 at 10:37 pm
This time I will go for the colour option and try my hand at canvas stitching. In ten years of stitching I never had a needle case. I think it is time to make myself one.
May 2, 2008 at 12:51 am
How did it get to be May 1? I was just thinking I could set aside another project and get my April (not to mention March) blocks done in time. So, I was surprised to see the new guidelines.
I do like this new color scheme - I have admired that block before. Maybe I should post the unembellished blocks so you know I’m still thinking about Taking it Further.
May 2, 2008 at 1:06 am
Oh the perennial question I have pondered with ever since I started my fine art textiles course. This was always a hot topic but then the fine art course seemed to know where it wanted it’s student’s to go. It’s a fine balance between art and craft and the cross over is always ultimately there. The boundaries have been blurring for many years but we are all still not sure when we are making; or at least I am not sure. It’s a compromise isn’t it? Do we make and hope to sell as an artist or do we make and hope to sell as a craftsperson? Is the difference in utility? Will your quilt be too good to put on a bed? Do you hope it will be admired as wall art? But then what do we make of Tracey Ewin’s unmade bed? I don’t know where this is going to take me Sharon this month but it certainly will be an interesting journey. There are just too many questions and not enough answers in all of this. I don’t know whether there is a straight answer and then trying to interpret it in a piece of work well, is this going to be asking too much, I just don’t know. I suppose we will see. You certainly have set us a hard one here. Cheers Tricia
May 2, 2008 at 1:53 am
Well, I guess since this is such a tough one, no one else has commented yet. But I’ve been doing some initial thinking and have posted my thoughts on my blog for today
http://justenoughtime.wordpress.com
May 2, 2008 at 2:48 am
Artists and Morning Glory colors! I call myself an artist who sees and paints morning glories. More later.
http://www.fairy-crafts.blogspot.com
May 2, 2008 at 2:50 am
You have chosen another topic to make us think Sharon and I love those colours! I’ve just joined your Studio Journals course and I’m determined to make the time to do all the work.
May 2, 2008 at 2:54 am
Artists and Morning Glory colors! My own version of this. (more later.)
http://www.fairy-crafts.blogspot.com
May 2, 2008 at 3:21 am
I know what I call myself… explaining why might be a little more difficult to articulate. Hardest of all will be to portray it visually!!! This may be the month that I cop out and do the color challenge!
May 2, 2008 at 3:43 am
Well Sharon, I’ve read this May-challenge twice and I still don’t feel any bubbles coming up. “What do you call yourself and why?’; I think I have to chew on this for a while…I haven’t thought about this before, always doodled around and doing as I please around my workingtable. Sometimes traditional quilting, sometimes wonderfully experimenting with all kinds of techniques…maybe I want to blend those two together in time, I don’t know…thank you Sharon my mind’s beginning to crack ;-), I’ll show you all with what I manage to come up with!
May 2, 2008 at 4:42 am
Ah, Sharon, you once again hit the nail… I even deleted my “About” in the blog since…I found it so hard to describe myself. So, thank you once more for this challenge and the challenging questions. I will face them this month.
May 2, 2008 at 5:26 am
Hi Sharon,
What wonderful colors you selected for this month’s challenge. I uploaded a chart for everyone to use - if they’d like - shading from dark to light. The chart is on my blog at http://www.dianem.wordpress.com Enjoy everyone!!!
May 2, 2008 at 6:20 am
I’ve posted some initial thoughts on this topic on my blog. Again, you’ve given us much to mull over.
May 2, 2008 at 7:48 am
I call myself a maker of stitched textiles. “maker” … because it locates me in the larger community of those who work in ceramics, metal, wood, etc., with the commonality of using the hand to translate inspiration into a tangible object. “stitched textiles’…because it is a broader term than embroidery and gives more emphasis to the ground material.
May 2, 2008 at 10:27 am
Hi Sharon,
I have tried repeatedly to past my finished April TIF links on your April TIF post comments. All I get is an error page that says “discarded”. I notice that other people don’t seem to be having a problem commenting.
Thanks,
Juanita
May 2, 2008 at 10:29 am
Hi again,
Since I was able to post my comment here, I wonder if you could add the following to April’s list of comments:
Updates for my April TIF piece are here:
http://flyingcolours1.blogspot.com/2008/04/april-tif-part-ii.html
http://flyingcolours1.blogspot.com/2008/04/april-tif-part-iii.html
May 2, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Juanita - your comment came through OK and is published so perhaps it was temporary glitch. Not that I can do anything about it as the behind the scenes stuff is out of my hands
May 2, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Interesting question … For months comment on my blog my point of view … I believe that as the subject who was first the chicken or the egg … things tastes … are difficult to define,,, Merlou Ponty try to clarify it .. but it is very hard to clarify and understand …
http://nelapx.blogspot.com/2008/02/arte-artesania-artistami-opinion.html
May 2, 2008 at 12:18 pm
My gosh Sharon, this is something I’ve been wrangling with for a while now. I’m thinking if you bring it up and I’ve been thinking about it lately, I must need to answer it. Will put more thoughts on my blog
http://www.barnyardchatter.blogspot.com
Wow! what a thinking question this one is!
May 2, 2008 at 12:18 pm
http://nelapx.blogspot.com/2008/02/arte-artesania-artistami-opinion.html
Interesting question … For months comment on my blog my point of view … I believe that as the subject who was first the chicken or the egg … things tastes … are difficult to define,,, Merlou Ponty try to clarify it .. but it is very hard to clarify and understand …
May 2, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Interesting question … For months comment on my blog my point of view … I believe that as the subject who was first the chicken or the egg … things tastes … are difficult to define,,, Merlou Ponty try to clarify it .. but it is very hard to clarify and understand …
May 2, 2008 at 12:19 pm
My opinion
http://nelapx.blogspot.com/2008/02/arte-artesania-artistami-opinion.html
May 2, 2008 at 12:20 pm
http://nelapx.blogspot.com/2008/02/arte-artesania-artistami-opinion.html
May 2, 2008 at 12:20 pm
you can read about the February 13
May 2, 2008 at 2:58 pm
I got mine finished and posted early this month for a change. I combined it with my Fast Friday Fabric Challenge.
Betty
May 2, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Q: What do I call myself?
A: weird
LOL
the term “Textile artist” covers a lot of things … so I tend to use that one a bit, seeing I dabble in a lot of creative things, and most of them are textile related.
btw, I MAY find time to do this one … I want to find time to do this … but I have still not done January, Febuary, March or April yet … sigh …
May 2, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I describe my quilting work as ‘fibre art’ or fabric art. An artist described it as ‘fine art quilts’. Because I have always loved to sketch and paint, I describe myself as artist.
May 2, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Hi Sharon,
I have my choice for this and last month on the blog!
http://stitchandmore.blogspot.com
May 3, 2008 at 12:21 am
Dear Sharon,
I have posted a few comments. Unfortunately my schedule has prohibited me from participating in this year’s challenge.
I wanted to respond to the “makers” label, which has now transferred to distinguish those in the visual arts. The new term is “object makers,” which defines those who still use their own hands as opposed to those who pay fabricators, or those who are in the growing ephemeral categories such as performance, video, media and time arts. I rather bristle at the label frankly. But on that note of changing label and definitions - in the new Sculpture magazine the first three articles are on artists who could be said to be Fiber artists, as opposed to sculptors. I had noticed a growing trend in the last five or so years of placing artists whose large-scale work use incorporates techniques and process that are typically used in fiber applications, suchas wrapping, sewing, weaving, tying, in the Sculpture category - interesting indeed. The artists in the May Scupture Magazine are inorder of appearance: Cathy de Moncheux, Andrea Loefke, and Anne Wilson.
Again, thank you for all your investment of time and knowledge. I always love to read your blog. Sincerely, Lenora
May 3, 2008 at 12:23 am
Oops, sorry for all the typos.
May 3, 2008 at 12:37 am
Judith: I really like your description of “maker of stitched textiles”.
Sharon: You are really making us think once again. Obviously this is a timely topic and theme. ‘Can’t wait to see how everyone depicts it.
May 3, 2008 at 4:44 am
I had the same problem as Juanita. My April challenge, and why it’s late, are on my blog http://outofthebasement.blogspot.com
May 3, 2008 at 7:53 am
I just posted my reasons for referring to myself as a textile artist on my blog. It remains to be seen how I’m going to interpret it all visually!
http://sewingmagpie.blogspot.com
May 3, 2008 at 8:10 am
I’ve never felt a strong need to identify myself with a label but then I have a career that I tend to use as a public label when one is needed and I’m not out there working to exhibit or promote my handwork/needlework/fiberart/whatever. Long ago when asked I came up with “I make things” and that has stuck most. I think in a way I gave up trying to get others to understand what it is I do and why so I just have ignored the issue.
Last week I was at the Embroiderer’s Guild of America Great Lakes Regional Seminar in Madison, Wisconsin and the keynote speaker at dinner was a quilt artist–a lovely woman whose name I have totally forgotten, for which I must apologize. She showed her progress in her quilting and designing over many years. But she began her talk with a discussion of how she identifies herself. Her interesting take on it is that she is “recovering.” She’s recovering from being afraid to call herself an artist (she’s not quite there yet in her own mind), she’s recovering from not taking her work seriously, she’s recovering from guilt at taking time to stitch rather than clean/spend time with her family/do laundry, etc. There was a lot more to it but it was an interesting twist on the issue.
Marjorie
May 4, 2008 at 1:13 am
Although I’ve mulled over the difference between “craft” and “art”, so as to defend myself mentally against the attacks of some of my high falutin’ teacher friends, I’ve never felt much need to answer the question of “who” I am in the fiber world. (Very important question in other areas of life though) I think the “why” of stitching is much more relevant question. Anything that consumes many precious hours of my week should be of value, and my hours with a needle bring relaxation, joy at seeing a concept take form, unstressed mental activity, and occasionally even a finished product.
May 4, 2008 at 2:07 am
Thanks so much Sharon, for both the May Challenge and for accommodating my request for pink!
I’ve matched up DMC floss colors to your palette and posted it on my blog. I’ll talk about my theme for the concept in the next couple of days.
Thanks again!
Pam
http://www.kittyandme.com/
May 4, 2008 at 6:56 am
Great question, no idea what the answer is short of inventing a new word to cover all that I do, my thoughts are on my blog and I’m sort of thinking about using the colours at the moment, however I may still change my mind.
http://travelfibreandthread.blogspot.com/
May 4, 2008 at 12:04 pm
I’m going with the colors again, as planned. I’ve got my crazy quilt block on Flickr. Now the fun begins!!
May 4, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Pretty colours this month Sharon. I’m going to be late though as I have a lot of work due by the end of the month. Hope to get May’s challenge done in June.
May 5, 2008 at 12:09 am
I think I’m back! I posted my initial thoughts about tif 5 here: http://tenar72.wordpress.com/2008/05/04/thoughts-of-tif-5/
By the way, thank you for the thought-provoking theme, Sharon!
May 5, 2008 at 2:53 am
I had to skip April, life in the way. I think I will be using the colors again, finally some I absolutely love. Not sure if I will do some embroidery or quilting.
May 5, 2008 at 10:59 pm
I’ve posted the supplies I’ll use this month on my blog http://focus-on-fiber.blogspot.com
I call myself a Fiber Artist, because it covers all the different things I like to do. Sandy
May 6, 2008 at 1:35 am
Thanks for the totally EXCELLENT challenge this month, Sharon. First thoughts posted on my blogspot at…
http://fibrefan.blogspot.com/
May 6, 2008 at 4:54 am
Yes, I think I’ve got it! The making of TIF May has started….in my mind. But I know what it will become! Se my thoughts and plan http://miekenoor.web-log.nl/mijn_weblog/2008/05/thinking-of-tak.html
May 7, 2008 at 12:21 am
Hi
Thanks Sharon for this new challenge. Once again, a great question and nice colours…
First thoughts on my blog.
Paule
http://patchworkbroderieetcetera.blogspot.com/2008/05/tif-challenge-may.html
May 7, 2008 at 2:20 am
This palette is very different! I’ve got musings over at my blog but no ideas yet…. I’m definitely doing some soul searching as I strive to define what this current phase of my life is. How do you keep coming up with themes that land so close to my home???
May 7, 2008 at 5:54 am
Hi there, I found this challenge easier than I thought. I have outlined the way mine is going on my blog if you would like to read about it. I will post the finished piece quite soon.
May 7, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I’m BACK. I hope I’ve not been banned for dropping out to move this old bag of bones and tons of books and fibers an hour north.
This month’s challenge is a no brainer as to identifying myself. I’m an embroideress. Yes I may study and incorporate ideas from lots of disciplines, but my greatest pride is that time when I can put the needle to the ground and just do a workmanlike job of embroidering something.
Now how I’m going to interpret that in embroidery is not yet quite clear but I have a few ideas. Watch my blog for progress.
May 8, 2008 at 6:30 am
Hi,
I just put my first thoughts for TIF may on my blog,
http://jacquelinedejongarts.blogspot.com
unfortunately, this is the first and the last update for TIF this month, I am away for a three weeks holiday and I have the piece finished when I come back.So no updates in the mean while!
May 8, 2008 at 10:48 am
I posted my initial thoughts on the May challenge at http://paintedquilt.blog-city.com/may_tif.htm
Thanks for another great topic Sharon!
May 8, 2008 at 2:56 pm
My May TIF is finished, its a bit odd and not like my last ones but as i will be away for a while i wanted to get it done. Really got me thinking. there are two posts on it one after the other.
on my blog
http://backvalleyseasons.blogspot.com
May 9, 2008 at 6:53 pm
April challenge piece completed and posted here http://greasyminginc.blogspot.com
May 10, 2008 at 6:32 am
I may not be able to complete a piece this month since I’m getting ready for that cross country move the first week of June, but yesterday I dyed some fabric which I MIGHT use on the piece for this month’s challenge which I will complete as soon as I can.
http://justenoughtime.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/dyeing-techniques/
I’m planning either a garment, likely a jacket, or possibly a clergy stole (since I’m a minister) that reflects the nomenclature I’ve chosen of Fiber Artist/Theologian. Some of my best fiber/textile pieces have been in biblical interpretation so that name seems appropriate.
May 10, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Another month and another great challenge. Read about my initial thoughts on the challenge for May on my blog.
http://www.millionlittlestitches.blogspot.com
May 10, 2008 at 11:44 pm
My first thoughts about this challenge are now posted on my blog. I have purposefully not read other responses before writing this.
http://www.tyquilts.com/blog
May 11, 2008 at 12:39 am
Well, I’m all done for May. I’ve learned an awful lot doing this challenge. I don’t know whether I have explained it well enough, perhaps the work will do that, but I hope that those of you who want to read the theory behind my making this month will be able to understand it by reading the two blogs on it. Do take a look when you get time. All comments welcomed at: http://lets-create.blogspot.com/
May 11, 2008 at 1:02 am
I did try to write this just now, I wished I had saved it as it doesn’t seem to have entered in the line. Oh well, just to say that my challenge is done for May.
Any comments will be welcomed, please say if you don’t understand the theory I have tried to explain behind the making of my piece, I would prefer to know. There are two seperate blogs about this at my blog. Cheers and bye for now Trica
May 11, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Want to see my progress on Tif May, too? See http://miekenoor.web-log.nl/mijn_weblog/2008/05/progress-on-tif.html. I love to reed an d see the progress of the others, too. What a different ways you can go with this challenge!!!
May 12, 2008 at 2:41 am
I’ve finished the March block http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcih/2483636832/in/pool-584069@N24
I will probably use the colors for all months. April is pieced and May is thought about.
May 12, 2008 at 2:46 am
The first visual for my May TIF is up on my blog http://www.tyquilts.com/blog
May 12, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Hi, It was so much fun this challenge that I finished it yesterday. In future I want to do more with beads, I only want to learn when to stop. I don’t like those “overdone” projects. So, I I think I’ll have to learn a lot. I hope you’ve got tips for improvement for me, see my blog http://miekenoor.web-log.nl/mijn_weblog/2008/05/yes-ive-finishe.html
May 12, 2008 at 10:47 pm
I am trying to do something, but not sure you can really call that progress.
Here is a first, very rough sketch:
http://tenar72.wordpress.com/2008/05/10/sketch-for-tif-5/
and here a collection of scraps and materials I’m going to use:
http://tenar72.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/tif-5-stuff-im-going-to-use/
All of your works are so wonderful and inspirationa, I’m visiting lots of blogs even when I don’t have time to comment, keep going, all of you!
May 13, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I have uploaded both the April and May challenge colours. It’s good to be back on track with the months. I found the April colours harder to find a subject for but had seen many tilled fields in browns recently, so chose this. Purples are always easy for me
Maureen
http://crazyqstitcher.wordpress.com/
May 14, 2008 at 1:56 am
more random thoughts on the May challenge here
http://travelfibreandthread.blogspot.com/search/label/take%20it%20further%20challenge%20May
May 14, 2008 at 5:28 am
I finished the TIF. I made a bag for my daughter. I used colors.
http://laurencepatch.blogspot.com/2008/05/take-it-further-challenge-de-mai.html
May 14, 2008 at 8:14 am
Hi
Ive written my initial thoughts on this at http://paulahewitt.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/i%e2%80%99m-baaaaaack-cue-maniacal-laughter/
im not sure how to translate onto cloth!
May 14, 2008 at 7:37 pm
I’ve been brooding on this for a while and will blog about it when the idea gels. I don’t really like labels but if I’m being facetious I would say that what I am is a botanist as that’s my day job (and much more). Describing my involvement with art and textiles is mostly about process. In the book I co-authored as part of my work I put in a dedication to my parents who encouraged me to observe and interpret the natural world - this applies equally to my artistic endeavors.
May 14, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Hi all,
at http://amovablefeast.blogspot.com
my declaration of principles with photos
and boohoohoo sniff everybody’s avatar is prettier than mine
neki desu
May 15, 2008 at 1:19 am
Hi Sharon I have posted my CQ pieced square for May on my blog now on with the embellishing.
Doreen
http://doreeng.blogspot.com/
May 15, 2008 at 11:19 am
Yes! I made progress on this May challenge.
http://skybellarts.blogspot.com/2008/05/may-tifc-day-two.html
It will probably be finished before I complete my work on the April challenge.
http://skybellarts.blogspot.com/2008/05/april-tifc-day-four.html
May 15, 2008 at 5:43 pm
I am making some progress with my May piece. I hadn’t been stitching for some time and I missed it. To me it is so restful, it gives me the opportunity to come down. Next week I will go to the hospital with my son whose eye will be operated (just a small operation) and this is a wonderful project to take with me.