Confronting the Moon - 2006
45"x 44.75"
I was invited to speak at the recent gathering of the members of the Art Quilt Network. I was not able to attend the meeting due to the death of my mother but I sent the program to Eleanor McCain who presented the material for me. Thank you Eleanor.
The topic of the talk was My Personal Studio Practice. Preparing this talk was a very interesting experience for me as my thinking of what should be included developed over time. I wrote and rewrote and added and subtracted material right up to the time I shipped the talk to Eleanor. \\
The original form of the talk was more focused around the actual physical things I did but it became more and more clear to me that these activities were the result of all the other things you have done in your life. I will be taking about some of my thoughts on studio practice during the next few weeks.
I majored in art in undergraduate school but did not really begin to develop a studio practice until I entered graduate school at Clemson University. Graduate pushes you to get your thinking, your heart and your skills in line and learn what you need to learn. One way to get these things together is to learn to be accountable to yourself for what you need to do, learn or perhaps put aside.
As students we are often driven by assignments and deadlines. As adults we can also be driven by shows or other commitments to "show" our work which usually comes with deadlines. These types of pressures can be good and help you get into your studio but I think the most important type of accountability is where you are true to yourself. This type of accountability is looking at what you have done in relation to your personal dreams and desires. Other people may not appreciate what you want to accomplish. They may not think you are reaching high enough or perhaps think you are over-rearching. It doesn't matter. The important thing is how you are meeting your personal goals.
Of course the first step is to have some goals.
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