Artist-in-Residence on Quilting Arts Podcast

A couple of weeks ago I had the great honour of recording a Podcast for the new Quilting Arts Podcast https://www.quiltingdaily.com/the-art-of-repetition-quilting-arts-podcast-episode-4/ which is the new venture by Susan Brubaker Knapp and Vivika Denegre both well known from Quilting Arts Magazine and Quilting Arts TV.

We met one morning in Zoom to talk about the art of repetition, and the work I’ve been doing on my sketchbook lately, which grew from the 100 day project into something with a life of its own. We discussed what it means to work in a series, and voiced opinions as to whether is a deliberate practice or not. What a great conversation we had! It was really good to see them on the other side of the screen – the only way we can “get together” lately, but it felt close and personal. And it felt like a conversation among friends.

For me, a Series starts with an idea: for example, I consider my work with rock shapes an ongoing series with the development of rocks, pebbles and stones using different techniques: monoprinting, painting, appliqueing, 3-D rocks, etc. What else can I do? How can I represent the shapes of my rocks differently? Combining techniques? Trying something different? Different colours? Adding stitches?

My work with black and white sketches in my sketchbook, which started as a place to do some mark-making with India ink to deal with grief and a pandemic, and a stay at home directive. All of a sudden, the circles appeared – and a series was born. Nowadays, it feels a bit more deliberate than at the beginning, as each night – or most nights – when I sit down in my studio with sketchbook in hand, India ink and brushes at the ready, and a small supply of Posca pens and markers, I have a basic idea of what type of circles I’d like to explore further. The idea was most likely born from a previous sketch … that sketch sparked a “what if ..”, a “what would happen if I did this instead of that”, or “I should have done that instead”. Thus, a series starts when you follow up on those thoughts and ideas you had while making another piece. Exploring an idea further while keeping a subject constant. So – in my case – expect to see more circles …

You may remember that I’ve been working with grain elevators for a while. The series is still ongoing and it has been for a few years. If you look at all the work I’ve done with grain elevators – some are definitely recognizable as grain elevators due to their shapes, textures and structures. But others may be more subtle, more abstract in design. To me, working in a series does not mean that the pieces look alike necessarily. As I mentioned before, an idea sparks another idea and it gets explored.

I have had one idea in mind for a while, and I’d like to explore it further. As part of the grain elevator series. A few sketches in another sketchbook – done one night about a year ago around 3:00 a.m. You know … one of those nights when you can’t sleep, so you might as well get up and put the ideas in your head to paper? yes, one of those … and some of those sketches still speak to me. So stay tuned for more. It’s time for me to get piecing again!

I hope you enjoy the Podcast on Quilting Arts Podcast https://www.quiltingdaily.com/the-art-of-repetition-quilting-arts-podcast-episode-4/

Leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for reading. Keep creating!

Ana