I have been working on this painted whole cloth for a while now and finding it, with it’s many layers, a challenge. I believe the best paintings have many layers but when I approach a piece of fabric (canvas), I know in the end I’m going to stitch it and that sometimes presents a problem. Many layers of paint make it much more difficult to quilt and especially hand stitch through. A part of me loves this challenge but another part of me wants to avoid it at all costs! As I’m learning more about art and stretching as an artist I’m discovering new ways to create and new materials to use. Layering with finer weave fabrics and even paper can build the layers without hindering the stitch work.
The next quandary… Does combining those materials remove me from the “Art Quilt” category and push me into the “Mixed Media” box? The line seems to be blurring for me but when I enter general art competitions, the submission application always wants me to categorize the work. No matter how much I paint or add materials other than fabric to a piece I want to be called an “Art Quilt” artist. Maybe this is still me shouting “Quilts are ART!” I think, thanks to the fabulous quilt and fiber artists producing and sharing their work, the general public is beginning to see quilts as art (whether utilitarian or for the wall). Let’s keep showing what we’ve got!
