by Elizabeth Schmidt
I love the process of working with textiles. To take a length of fabric and transform it into something completely different and unique is incredibly satisfying for me. Playing with different fabrics, threads, paints, etc is something that I strive to do every day, and I find it very rewarding. Having said that, one would think that I’m a “process” person. Someone who values the journey of making art more than the finished product itself, but that wouldn’t be true. Although I enjoy learning new techniques and art forms, I always think about how I can incorporate these newfound skills into my work. If I can’t find a practical use for a new technique, I fall back to skills that work for me.
Most often I start a project with a vision in my mind of what I want to create. Although I usually have a plan in my head for what I’m creating, in practice it doesn’t always come to fruition, so like many artists I have unfinished work that lingers in my studio. After staring at work on my design wall for days (or weeks) without any movement forward I’ll sometimes ask fellow quilters, friends and family for their thoughts on the unfinished piece. I haven’t yet resorted to asking strangers on the street for their opinion and hopefully I won’t go that route any time soon. If I’m still stumped after getting feedback from others the piece gets taken down and stored in a box with other unfinished projects. Every so often I revisit these projects with the hope of resurrecting and completing them or reworking them into something different. Occasionally I’m successful at this and it feels great. When I’m not, I’ve learned to not stress over it too much.
Here's a peek at a couple unfinished works that I’m stuck on. I may eventually find my way back to them but in the meantime, I'm moving ahead with other work.
