piece process

So I'm back from the Nancy Crow extravaganza and I must say it was remarkable. Intense, as promised, but exhilarating and possibly exalting.

We began with an exercise in black and white. So far, so good, b&w is my comfort zone. Nancy gave us a list of widths to cut and sew together, and we were set loose to make a composition out of the pieces. I started out working horizontally.

But as the thing evolved, I liked it better vertical.

That long strip of black in white at the bottom was something I stuck in as a place holder because I was (already) getting tired and we were running out of time. It is also, of course, the one thing Nancy remarked on: "I'm not sure about this piece." she said. Me neither.

That was Monday. On Tuesday (into Wednesday), we began piecing together colors in prescribed assortments (warm/cool, neutrals, neutrals and brown, brown with blue, etc.) and ratios. We were exhorted to do 16 of these. I managed 12, one of which (the rust and purple one near the bottom) was not on the list. I had confused and combined two instructions -- not the most auspicious start.

Wednesday into Thursday, we were to do another 14 or so assortments of "bold graphic prints", plaids, and stripes. I HATE plaid and refused to get any even for the purpose of the class. I made do with some batik and brights. I may have added 4 or so fabrics to the 12 from the first exercise.

Midday on Thursday, we got the final instruction: create a composition in the form of a ribbon quilt. Damn and blast!, I thought. If I had known we were going to make a ribbon quilt, I'd have approached the whole piecing exercise completely differently. Which, I realized in the next moment, is the point of not knowing.

Onward. Sorted and pinned things, hoping for a composition to emerge. I am very fond of that sparrow-color gradation of brown and gray at the top, but it didn't make it into the final piece.

Adding and subtracting and shifting things up, down, across, and around on the design wall, by midnight or so I had this:

A somewhat coherent something with a big hole in the middle. I could not resolve the void, so I gave up and went to bed. First, for levity's sake, I filled the hole with one possibility:

(That's a scrap paper label stating: "Your Name Here." My mind was not the only thing that wouldn't come into focus . . .)

Friday. Fresh perspective. At breakfast I had an idea that amounted to "retreat to your comfort zone: go for b&w." As I was working, I was uneasy about the T-shaped purple bit, but Nancy said, "Keep that. It makes the whole piece." She also was complimentary about the use of b&w to resolve the center. Okay then, be it resolved:

It was 5.30 on Friday. I had made it through -- and finished something -- and was jumping up and down chortling:"I survived Nancy Crow!" She had the grace to smile.

Saturday, I went to an exhibition of Nancy's work at the Schweinfurth Center in Auburn, and then I came home -- with renewed enthusiasm and a great deal to think about. I think this is going to be the event I look back at and say "That's where it all changed and came together."