At some point in her book On Becoming Fearless In Love, Work, And Life, author Arianna Huffington wrote some words along the lines of having reached a milestone birthday, she pulled out her want to do list and started crossing off those things that she was never going to get to - stuff like learning German and how to ski. She said it was a relief. Yes. Just in the sewing realm alone, there are two things I am more than happy to cross off my list.
I am never going to be on trend. At various points in time, I have collected the magazines that I mentioned I now almost never buy and have poured over them and made lists and planned plans and then subsequently become distracted by the next shiny object at which time all the lists and plans went by the wayside. Being on trend obviously doesn't interest me enough and is something for me to cross off.
All I know about trends is what I read on blogs. From Erica, about style lines, mixing prints, and this season's colors. From Robin, about matching tops and bottoms. From Carolyn, about designer dresses. Without them and others, I'd be completely lost but apparently I absorb enough that I'm not embarrassingly way off trend and so good and enough. Thankfully these blogs are in my life to keep me somewhat on track.
At the rate I sew - wearable finished garments that is - and with the rare few times I actually purchase clothing, I am never going to amass an extensive wardrobe of any kind never mind one that is multi-seasonal, color co-ordinated, interactive, fully functional, with - LOL - pieces on trend. That goal is simply too lofty for someone who is fascinated by fine-tuning details like the shape of an armhole and the corresponding sleeve cap. I spent the entirety of Friday drafting and measuring and testing an armhole shape only to discover on Saturday evening that I had ever so carefully - and inaccurately - measured the back armhole and ever so carefully - and inaccurately - re-drafted the back sleeve cap when - in fact - the original sleeve cap was entirely perfect for the existing armhole. Go figure.
In sewing, three things completely consume me. One is achieving ever improved fit. The other is an increasing attempt to sew creative and original clothing. And the third is sewing clothes that flatter my figure. It's a good thing those interests work together with each other and with being barely on trend and having few clothes.
One of my favourite books on what suits whom is The Triumph Of Individual Style by Helen Villa Connor and Carla Mason Mathis. When I went to gather the link, I was shocked to see that new copies are listed at $900.00 and used copies at $205.00. Unbelievable. It's a good book - a really good book - but not worth nine hundred dollars!
Anyway... one of the big take-aways for me from reading the book was the size and style of the prints I wear best even though I occasionally try to sneak in others. This purple leopard print - Vogue 8817 - does me no favours. While it's a gorgeous combination of purple with black, grey, and white, it's too bold, too large in scale, and has too much contrast for my face. It's best used in a lower garment because my features are soft and close together and according to The Triumph of Individual Style that means that I should wear prints that are soft and close together which is why....
... when I do wear prints, they are typically more like the one above - Vogue 8390. While I was futsing with the fit of the leopard print top, I turned to my husband and said this doesn't look good on me, you can't see my face to which he replied you're right which was a sure sign to abandon all thought of a top in that fabric because if he could see what I was talking about just like that, the fabric was screaming take me off really loudly. Howard is not nearly as fascinated with what suits whom as I am - VBG.
Over the weekend, Sarah - a friend and blog reader who doesn't have a blog of her own yet - sent her answers to the questions. YEAH! I loved reading about how she approaches creativity and what she's working on and what influences her. Included was a link to Paula Scher's TED talk. I had not heard of Paula before and know nothing about her work other than what's included in the talk but the quote below resonated with me. It's when I don't quite know how-to or when I am in search of an answer that I most enjoy the work I'm creating. Her talk encourages me to keep stepping over the edge.
Find out what the next thing is that you can push, that you can invent, that you can be ignorant about, that you can be arrogant about, that you can fail with, and that you can be a fool with. Because in the end, that’s how you grow.
On Saturday, I attended ArtWalk in Winfield about two hours away. It's an incredibly well organized, long term event that's held in three nearby buildings in a small town between two larger ones. In the past, it has attracted up to 15,000 visitors over two days. This year was a bit slower and according to some of the vendors that was wonderful because it gave people more time and space to interact with the art. Unfortunately, based on the number of packages walking around and the lack of red dots, sales were also slower.
At the show, there was a disproportionate number of paintings and pictures. There were so many that it became overwhelming even to someone who loves art and - unfortunately IMHO - a lot of it was predictable as opposed to well developed in terms of design or execution. My poor friend Sharon who went with me ended up getting informal art lessons while I expounded on this or that aspect of why this particular piece did or did not work - quietly of course - so any nearby artists wouldn't overhear. The frustrated instructor in me was definitely coming out. Her response was exactly on track with the mainstream approach to art. She said, I don't really care; I just know if I like it. I like the pieces I have in my home and I certainly don't want my art to lecture me but what appeals to me is not predictable. It's a piece that's got a bit more edginess and tension and that's the kind of work I like to create as well.
The purses were on display in the Ashpa Naira booth. Carolina had taken more alternative art and fewer paintings for which I was glad. While I was standing in the booth, several women picked up the purses and started discussing them and the amount of work involved. It's nice to hear someone recognize the amount of work and the level of competency in your pieces but that typically means they know something about the subject and is almost inevitably followed by the comment I heard next - I could make that. Actually. No. That's one conclusion I have come to. No one can do my work my way.
We each put our unique finger print on our work and we each have our unique work to do. I am not a painter nor a potter nor a felter nor a knitter nor a weaver nor a photographer nor a jewelry artist nor a ______ fill in the blank. I am a textile artist and one who loves highly detailed work and who sews creative clothing with a fascination for fit and flatter that others might think borders on the ridiculous and I am someone who would rather work unpredictably by attempting to push the boundaries and to live ever so slightly over the edge and off trend. And mostly, it works for me.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - It's very very lovely to hear compliments about my work even if I'd prefer to be loved with a cheque.
Find out what the next thing is that you can push, that you can invent, that you can be ignorant about, that you can be arrogant about, that you can fail with, and that you can be a fool with. Because in the end, that’s how you grow.
On Saturday, I attended ArtWalk in Winfield about two hours away. It's an incredibly well organized, long term event that's held in three nearby buildings in a small town between two larger ones. In the past, it has attracted up to 15,000 visitors over two days. This year was a bit slower and according to some of the vendors that was wonderful because it gave people more time and space to interact with the art. Unfortunately, based on the number of packages walking around and the lack of red dots, sales were also slower.
At the show, there was a disproportionate number of paintings and pictures. There were so many that it became overwhelming even to someone who loves art and - unfortunately IMHO - a lot of it was predictable as opposed to well developed in terms of design or execution. My poor friend Sharon who went with me ended up getting informal art lessons while I expounded on this or that aspect of why this particular piece did or did not work - quietly of course - so any nearby artists wouldn't overhear. The frustrated instructor in me was definitely coming out. Her response was exactly on track with the mainstream approach to art. She said, I don't really care; I just know if I like it. I like the pieces I have in my home and I certainly don't want my art to lecture me but what appeals to me is not predictable. It's a piece that's got a bit more edginess and tension and that's the kind of work I like to create as well.
The purses were on display in the Ashpa Naira booth. Carolina had taken more alternative art and fewer paintings for which I was glad. While I was standing in the booth, several women picked up the purses and started discussing them and the amount of work involved. It's nice to hear someone recognize the amount of work and the level of competency in your pieces but that typically means they know something about the subject and is almost inevitably followed by the comment I heard next - I could make that. Actually. No. That's one conclusion I have come to. No one can do my work my way.
We each put our unique finger print on our work and we each have our unique work to do. I am not a painter nor a potter nor a felter nor a knitter nor a weaver nor a photographer nor a jewelry artist nor a ______ fill in the blank. I am a textile artist and one who loves highly detailed work and who sews creative clothing with a fascination for fit and flatter that others might think borders on the ridiculous and I am someone who would rather work unpredictably by attempting to push the boundaries and to live ever so slightly over the edge and off trend. And mostly, it works for me.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - It's very very lovely to hear compliments about my work even if I'd prefer to be loved with a cheque.
You can get a used "The Triumph of Individual Style" at Amazon for just $13.26
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/cazcruc
Perspectives are interesting. I much prefer the black/purple/grey top on you than the lighter print one. They are both lovely, but the purple/grey/black looks so elegant on you. Could be in person I'd change my mind, though. :)
ReplyDeleteHa! I prefer to be loved with a cheque too :-)
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