Great Expectations

“We should be able to face every moment of life with renewed expectation,

like a freshly blossomed flower.”

- Mata Amritanandamayi

Oh the options!  The moments to face, the possibilities.

The quilt shop had a demo Wednesday evening by a Jacquard representative who showed the various products for use on fabric.  There were dyes, paints, resists, discharge agents, metallic pigments, pens, markers, and any number of techniques.  The options for use in art quilting seemed endless, if not overwhelming.

Where to start, that was the real question.  The resists were tempting, the dyes alluring, and the discharge pastes compelling.  Or, maybe screen printing?  Photo emulsion?  The mind swims!

It’s now Friday, and I’m still deliberating on which materials I might want to try before dashing off to the art supply store, but in the larger scheme of things I’m contemplating my approach to art quilting.   Primarily I’ve worked with commercial fabrics, including batiks, but in non-traditional applications.  I’ve ventured into hand-dyed, and those have been easily incorporated.  Then there was the recent experimentation with colored pencils, which was fun, but the piece I created doesn’t necessarily seem to fit with the style of my other work, so this medium will challenge me to find ways to utilize it.

On the one hand, continuing the approach I’ve been taking in art quilting will further establish my style.  On the other hand, limiting myself to a particular style could appear stagnant and predictable.  Maybe it’s not necessary to give this much thought to materials and processes and I should just go with it…but I don’t want to spin off on some tangent that has me looking like I’m groping for what I’m supposed to be doing; I don’t want to lose my way.

In reality, there is no “way” – it’s just doing, exploring, moving forward.  Where did this hesitation come from?  To that I say, “Get outta here!  I’m creative.  I’m willing.  I’m confident.”  And so the flower is freshly blossomed.  I’m expecting great things.

With that decided, my plan is to experiment with new materials, find ways to incorporate those in my style, and make it work.  I still don’t know which materials I’ll try first, but I’m going to greet this moment with renewed expectation for the boundless possibilities is represents.  I’m headed to the art store.

Happy creating!