Sheba Kitty Productions

As the Beaded Journal Project comes to a close I have been thinking a LOT about how to share and present the work. Although MY pieces are far from done and I am a couple months behind, I am still thinking about the closure of the project. I tend to have a problem with closure though, and will jump to the next project before finishing the previous one. I am trying not to do that for this project. I want to honor it on a different level and make it be the finished work that it deserves to be.

I am also contemplating my artwork on the whole. What am I doing? Where am I going?

I know that I am moving away from paper, away from mixed-media sculpture types things. I am slowly culling my supplies and rearranging my studio to reflect this change. BUT I am torn. Mostly because of my day job, that of a middle school art teacher. I really am required to continue to work and learn about a variety of mediums, try out new supplies, create new projects that can guide or inspire my students. I am also a Gemini, which does lead to a scattered interest in a ton of different mediums. While I dabble in all these places, I am not reaching a skill level in my own medium that satisfies me and allows me to create a solid body of work. This is frustrating and disappointing.

I haven’t had a series that felt like a body of work since my last show in 2003. That’s SIX years! And that was my paper/window collage work. So with all my learning and experimenting in fabric over the past six years I haven’t reached a place of mastery nor a definitive direction.

I think my work is taking the direction of small fabric journal pages or mini quilts, but sometimes I want to work larger! I have in mind a few ideas for a series or two, but then I can’t decide if they should be individual pieces or put together as books. Then there are these ideas about working with quilts that are framed by larger objects. I have ideas about sets of art dolls. I want to print, dye and stamp my own fabrics. Do I want to learn some more complex and traditional quilting skills, or keep doing my hodge podge applique/quilting style?

on a somewhat related note: While I researched textile arts to find my direction and look for some ways to finish my beaded pages, I ran across this great article  that talks about fabric art journals in general, and directly links to a blog  and the project I participated in a few years ago. (Which reminds me that I need to make a cover for my wonderful pages that I received.) This brings up the question about sharing this type of work. Do I want to pursue my work getting published or find the right kind of shows to enter?  

Well it seems like all I have come up with today is questions, not answers. But I guess that is the way life is sometimes. Perhaps I will go express myself in some beads and see what develops.

Courtesy of Lisa Vollrath’s weekly newsletter, this eye candy made me want to design, dye, stamp and batik fabrics again!

http://www.ginapiercedesign.co.uk/index.htm

Based on some instructions for making a duct tape dress form, I used Enchy’s doll to make a mini doll dress form.

Here’s how I made it.

1. First, I wrapped the naked doll in plastic wrap.
2. Then I covered it with a piece of fabric. This was to represent the t-shirt that is used in the sample instructions.
3. Next using masking tape I did one layer of tape around the fabric. Mostly I used this type of tape because I knew I would not have enough duct tape and because I thought it would be more flexible for this small dress form. Next was a couple layers of duct tape, I added some partial sleeves at this point.
4. Now I had to carefully cut the tape off the doll without damaging the doll. I cut up the front and up one sleeve. The other sleeve came off without cutting once I had enough give to pull it off.
5. I taped the cut lines closed.
6. I had some old candle sticks that I never use that I realized were the perfect size to be a stand. yippiee! I cleaned off the wax and dust, clipped off the leaves and put it up the middle of the duct tape form.
7. I stuffed the form with recycled stuffing that I get from Charger’s destroyed toys.
8. I taped up the bottom and I am done!

I was thinking about covering it with some nice fabric, but that will add more bulk, which will make the dress fitting less accurate. At this size mere fractions of inches will throw off all the measurments. The layers of tape and fabric already make the fitting a little different from the actual doll. It doesn’t need to be pretty… Perhaps when the girls don’t need doll clothes made for them anymore I will cover it and make it an artsy dress form sculpture that is not meant for the fitting function.

My October page in progress, originally uploaded by Charger’s Mommy.

I still have more work to do but got a lot done yesterday and will do a little more tonight. The dress and jacket are done, but I want to do the hat and more on the white swirls area.

Already thinking about November’s page. Which will be something about Charger, since we got him in November.

As I love challenges, I have signed up for an ALL YEAR challenge. Hopefully I will not regret this. This challenge requires us to make a journal page for each month of the year. The pages must include beading of some kind, but does not have to be 100% beaded. (thankfully)

You can (try to) follow all the projects of the 260+ participants on the 3+ blogs and websites. The main site with links off to other places is the Bead Journal Project.

Stay tuned for the September “Back to School” beaded page

Jesus Christ Pose won Patron’s Mention in the EBSQ RIPPED Show this month.

Thank you for the votes! I am honored.