Mad About Motifs

All the printing classes I teach (and that you take) benefit from having a pocketfull of motifs. Making them simple, large, small, open, closed, repeated, solitary or in a row are all you need. Join me east, west, or somewhere in the middle for an in person or virtual print class. www.patpauly.com

 

Printing Virtually, Printing in Santa Fe

February 14-18 is a screen printing virtual class where we do all things silkscreen. Yes, of course we do lots of other tricks. And March 7-11 is in person printmaking class in Santa Fe. Take you pick. Both are great, and both work big. 
 

Crows Roosting

My visit to Portland included a murder of crows stopping to rest in a park. It was such a great sight. This finished wholecloth reminded me of that sight, so the name sticks. It's 42" square, faced, and happy to claim this spot until it give over to the next.

 

Strange Things Happen

In a demo on composition for Line, Shape, and Setting, I take randomly made "blocks" and try to make sense of them. Once in a while, they stick and emerge to be a "keeper" of a composition. In that case, I snap a photo quickly. Then I can take them and rearrange with abandon. 
 

Oh, Cut It Up

Two photos (I know, big treat) with an old block I've cut up and rearranged to demonstrate the power of the slice and dice. Tomorrow is day #2 of Line, Shape, Setting. It's fun. 
 

End of the Day 1

Line, Shape, and Setting is all about technique and construction in improv quilts. And for me, the demos generate a mound of bits. Quilts are flung about, yards are left in heaps. I've got a day before the second half, and so tomorrow I'll clear this up and attach parts. My homework!
 

Something is Talking to Me

 

I ask my students who take my printing classes to keep a file (in any manner) of graphics. The looped cord and parking lot swirls appeared to me on the same day. And I had just hung up my latest quilt. The universe is aligning, I think.  For more wisdomness, join me in Santa Fe for my first outing this year!

Just For Scale

I've often suggested that one show one's work on site, or with an object for scale. So, here is the cold of January with the warmth of a garden on the wall.
 

Trimmed

Trimmed to finish at 72" wide, I've not got the binding on it. But that's the final part, and easy. Another garden quilt, I think. Plant a Seed, Grow a Weed. I've used a column structure to get it built, and some ideas for improv to move a motif around. Part of my "Columns" class. 
 

Happy Surprise

It's always fun to see what shakes out after I've added several screens over a monoprint. This turquoise monoprint had been printed months ago (no hurry to wash is fine) and I thought I printed in dark blue. A happy surprise. I also added drawing with thickened dye to mimic the motif.

 

Two Weeks

I love the Printing Under the Influence class, if for no other reason than I have wonderful visitors to my studio (via zoom) for five days spread over two weeks. Very selfish to say I enjoyed it most. But I think they might claim that, too. Thanks class of January 2022!
 

Ah, Details

Part of this work allows a large area of the print area to be left intact. The minimal cutting is just to make graphics look like there is intricate piecing. But I did scramble a leaf motif. I liked the colors and print, just wanted the leaf to abstract. 
 

Progress Virtually

 

A virtual workshop is great for sharing progress. We can capture a shot when the piece is started, and another after washing out. Can't do that in person. One reason I love to see these progress with images.

Under the Machine

Plant the seeds, Pick the Weeds is under the longarm now. Trying to finish to get to the next piece. I love most following the design I've printed. No roadmap needed, no pattern used.
 

The Family Gathers

I've started to cut into the fabrics, and slowly get this group to make sense. I am using a group of fabrics that speak to both commonalities and contrasts among them. Nothing too subtle for this composition. So far, I think it'll work.
 

Full Moon Wolfing In

Work on the longarm continues. I stop to remember that tonight is a full moon, one called the Wolf Moon. We've snow here, more expected. Can't think the moon will be seen, better to look at what is under my needle.
 

Under the Influence

I've asked the folks in my Printing Under the Influence class to take a snap of the "in progress" print, and one finished and washed. These are mine which started out as demos -- one of my favorite ways to loosen up and work without too much thinking. Top is the start, bottom the finish.
 

Refresh Your Memory

In October I printed these as demo pieces while I was live but remote from Portland. They got shipped home, but then haunted my design wall. So, today I cut into them. I'll let you know how it's going. Good thing my roll of wool batting arrived. Love to get this quilted up.
 

Is It Just Silkscreen?

At 43" square, this whole cloth is printed mainly in silkscreen images. But underlaying is monoprint and scraping. Texture from the quilting helps the areas surrounding the frenzy to be not so plain. It's faced, sleeved, hanging. Next!

The Lineup Waits

That whole cloth waits for its sleeve, and there is another couple of compositions cooking on the wall as well. But I'll need that space for a workshop tomorrow, so I better get a record of that,  store it away for a bit, and get the decks clear.
 

Half Baked

You've got to start somewhere, so I choose a recent graphic. I'll let this sit for a day or so, then add more. Sometimes it's best to let it simmer on the back burner. Meanwhile, I'm to find some different motifs to add and some to conflict. 
 

Smear Test

I'll start a five day class (held over two weeks) Printing Under the Influence. Since I'm using dye that was made a days ago, I'll scrape these on a yard to test the color strength. An easy way to see what is working before I make a dozen prints. I'll wash out in the morn and go from there.
 

How I Keep It Together

You see my new countertop with a generous peninsula. It's where I sew the facings. And I grab a kitchen tray to keep all the junk together to slide around. Even the tv remote rides there. My sewing kit is an old Tupperware style container. Had to be near what little daylight we get.
 

Back to the Longarm

It's a good day when the longarm starts humming. I've another whole cloth print on the machine which has a lock for the horizontal and vertical. Helps me to line up the top, which "floats" on the surface till I sew it to the batting and backing sandwich. Certainly makes quick work, no basting!
 

Two Came Back

While I was in Portland in the fall I had a remote printing day with a long term study group. Two of the prints returned, and in Thursday's group discussion I messed around the design wall with the two pieces. I've added more. I think I'm on to something here. Might just finish it.

 

Quilting Closeup

Today I tried to answer the question of how I quilt the tops. Basically, I follow what is in the print. My 
spacing is fairly loose, meaning that there is space between the stitching lines. If there is a shape, I'll outline that. I try to match the thread color to the fabric's print color. That's it!

Add Another to the Pile

Since these are about 40" wide, I can put two on the longarm and quilt as a duo. So, here is the next whole cloth piece for the year. It's mostly silkscreen with a variety of techniques. I'm teaching a workshop in February 14 - 18 that includes all these ideas. Virtually for this one -- check the website. 
 

First of the Year

I've taken a whole cloth and quilted it. I've many more to do, but this is the start. It's about 38 x 40. 

 

Kind Days of Christmas 12

The prints I make and sell on my website are ones I often don't want to part with. But then, when someone likes them enough, it makes is easier to see them go. So, many left today to be part of someone's special project. And they are kind enough to appreciate them.
 

Kind Days of Christmas 11

This photo of the Schweinfurth's Quilts=Art=Quilts exhibition came to me via text. A friend was on her way back north and stopped to see the show. I love that it is shared, talked about, part of our history. A kind and thoughtful gesture. 
 

Kind Days of Christmas 10

After Christmas I dove back into the studio and printed more linen pieces. Students of Ariane Zurcher like to needlework these, and the kind Ariane let her folks know they were available. Half are gone already. Here's what the bunch looks like.