Magpie Makes Art

noreply@blogger.com (Shelly Hedges) — Fri, 25 May 2007 15:58:00 +0000

CATCHING UP......FOR NOW

It's like they say in that commercial for life insurance or something: "Life comes at you fast!" Whether you buy what they're selling or not, you gotta give 'em that! In the past many weeks that I've neglected to keep up with this blog, I've been busy having a life, which in turn, has kept me from having a blog. I have been making artwork, yes indeedy, and I have also, with the help of my husband, made a baby. She was born almost four weeks ago, and obviously life will never be the same.....Which was the plan.

I don't tend to write much about my personal life here, as Magpie Makes Art is supposed to be about my work as an artist. I mean really, if I wanted my private life to be a matter of public record I'd be in Hollywood trying to be an actress instead of a textile artist on the southern Washington coast. That said, I will say for the record that the baby girl is easily the best, most beautiful thing I will ever make. It's a little overwhelming that she actually came out of me.

Enough of that. Besides making a human being, I've also finished several pieces since I last checked in, two of them being baby blankets, but that's beside the point. Below is a piece I made for the Oregon College of Arts and Crafts annual auction.....It's called "Luau Quilt", and it's made with commercial cottons and vintage Hawaiian fabric. It took forever to make, and so of course didn't sell. The powers that be believe one of my mixed media pieces would have easily sold, and I'm sure they're right. People don't value traditional crafts as much as mixed media, or "Fine Craft". I guess because they've seen their grandmother knitting or quilting or some such thing, they think it's common place and easy. But if something is constructed in the same way while made out of something people normally throw away, then it's art and to be taken seriously! (sigh) I can't complain. I am very grateful people respond so well the the funky stuff, and I was able to give the Luau Quilt to my mother in law, who is either a fabulous actress, or actually really likes it.

noreply@blogger.com (Shelly Hedges) — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 15:44:00 +0000

LOVE THE QUILT, LOVE THE QUILTING NOT SO MUCH

Okay, I have been working......Really! And while I seem to be up to only 2 posts a month so far in this New Year of the Golden Pig, you gotta admit it's a vast improvement over late 2006, with a blog every 7 weeks or so. Am I right? Okay, no more excuses.

So I've been working away on quilt tops for this show in September, and so far I've got four done and at least 3 more under way.....Plus a quilt I have to finish for another bloody art auction/donation, plus other stuff I shouldn't be working on because they're gifts for myself or friends and while gifts for friends are way too much fun, I'm supposed to be a grown up and focus on the task at hand. And gifts for myself....Really, who has time for that?

I LOVE designing quilts. I love the making part of art. I love going through all the fabric scraps or candy wrappers or whatever I'm making a quilt out of at the moment, and putting them together. I've never liked jigsaw puzzles, but this kind of puzzle I like. It's so exciting because anything goes with a quilt, whereas with a jigsaw puzzle, it's the same every time and the pictures are boring. So everything's perfect, right? I love making quilts, so I make quilts and the world's a happy place. But here's the rub: I don't like quilting. If you're not up on quilt construction, sewing bits of fabric together to make the top is called "piecing", and sewing the top, the batting (the fluffy stuff in between that keeps you warm) and the back together is called quilting. Piecing is the design part, the FUN part in my humble opinion, and quilting is the tedious finishing work that shows what a fine craftsperson you are. It can really make or break this thing you've been working for countless hours, and it always stresses me out. That's why I've got four quilt tops done and no finished quilts. I've been having all this fun, and now it's time to "Nut Up!" as someone I know likes to say, and get quilting. I feel like I've been banished to a dark cave with a needle and thread and when I emerge I'll be wrinkled and old, like someone in a Grimm's fairytale. The pathetic thing is I've banished myself, so who am I to complain?

noreply@blogger.com (Shelly Hedges) — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 00:56:00 +0000

WHAT'S UP

Alright, I've got work up in three different places right now, so here the skinny:

"The 5th of July" is on display in the Hoffman Gallery at Oregon College of Arts and Crafts (Portland, OR) right now for their alumni show, and will be up through February 22nd.

I also have a piece in "Shelters: 100 Artists" at Mary Lou Zeek Gallery in Salem, OR. That show opened February 6th and runs through March 3rd. I don't have a photo of it, but thier web site does: www.zeekgallery.com

And I have three framed quilts from the Letter Series up at Shoalwater Cove Gallery, in Ilwaco, WA. They will be up until I switch them out for something else, I guess.

So, if you are visiting any of these locals in the near future you can pop in and have a look-see. Thanks for checkin' in.

noreply@blogger.com (Shelly Hedges) — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 16:33:00 +0000

TWO YES, ONE NO

I just had to turn down a show! It was a really good opportunity, too. It wasn't a request for a donation to an charity auction where no one cares about who I am, they just want stuff as cheap as possible.....Where the only thing worse than having to donate a very nice piece that will be auctioned off for a fraction of what it should sell for, to an organization that will not think of you twice until this time next year when they want more free stuff, is if no one wants it at all and it gets shipped back to you...A sad, rejected little something. Or worse, being the featured artist at a shop in a tourist town (I'm not making this up) and being obliged to stand next to the display of your work at the back of the shop. Right next to the keg. So of course all the stoned snow boarders coming in for a free beer feel obliged to talk to you to cover up the fact that they're only in there for (could it be true?) the free beer. I remember it well. Made me feel so special.

This wasn't like that. It was a real show in a real gallery and I was obliged to say "Sorry, no can do."

See, the thing is, I actually have two other shows lined up about the same time this other shining opportunity would have occured, and there's just no way I could do it. But the gallery curator was very nice about it, and said maybe I could do a show there in 2009, and I said "absolutely!" So we'll see. Now I'll have to spend the next two years emailing her images of new work so she doesn't forget who I am. Such is life.

So one of these shows I'm working on is all quilts.......Made of fabric. Now some of you who aren't that familiar with magpie tendencies will say "big deal girlie. What gives?" But up until this show in September I will have only ever shown mixed media quilts that have been made of things like wine foils and old letters and clothing labels and the like. I realize maybe I'm moving in the opposite direction from a lot of folks, putting the wacky mixed media on hold to do something people are more familiar with, but I don't care. I love making quilts and I'm excited to show mine. Here are two I'm working on:

These two are both silk, and I'm calling the pink one "Posh Baby", and haven't decided on a name for the other. Any suggestions?

noreply@blogger.com (Shelly Hedges) — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 17:05:00 +0000

NEW YEAR, NEW ME......HOPEFULLY

Okay, I knew it had been a while since I got it together enough to post a new entry (and as usual, I've got all sorts of excuses!), but now that I'm finally getting after it I realize it's literally been MONTHS-!! That's just bad. Bad, bad, bad.

So, fresh start and all that, right? Right.

Over Christmas my husband, my dog Jake, and I stopped off in San Francisco to visit the ever fabulous and talented fiber artist Heidi Paul (check out her web site link), and also made time to see the Gee's Bend Show at the De Young Museum. Even if I didn't love quilts so much, and I truly do, I will take any excuse to to go to the De Young because it's such a beautiful building. So, it was the best of all worlds: Being in a wonderful city with my best friend, looking a quilts that are miraculously getting the attention they deserve, in an amazing building that makes me feel like sometimes people have thier priorities straight. It was a good time.

noreply@blogger.com (Shelly Hedges) — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 15:11:00 +0000

CHRISTMAS SCRATCH

So, I haven't finished the aforementioned commission and I have no grown up excuses. The grown up in me says that if I finish it, it wouldn't be hanging over me.....But the kid in me says, "Look at all the fun things to do instead!! Like making scarves to sell at Holiday Sales!".

I have to admit, it's hard to be firm with the kid and stitch away on a commission that I think is going well (but I'm kind of over) when there are all these yummy fabrics around calling out to me. Of course there's the excuse of making a little Christmas scratch, too. Tis the season to make a little money selling your wares, right?

noreply@blogger.com (Shelly Hedges) — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 13:47:00 +0000

MATERIAL UPDATE

Time does fly, and my stupid camera is still broken, but concerned bird lovers have informed me that if I don't keep up on my posts, photo's or not, people will get bored and never check in....So, here we go!

I've been commissioned by some wonderful people to make one to three small framed pieces for a room in their house that's newly renovated. Whenever I do a commission that's for a specific place in someone's home, I always feel like I'm in school again and have just been told the parameters of the next assignment. While I do not miss being a student, I like the problem solving commissions present. This particular job is for people who are very organized and neat, and while their home is very comfortable, there's a feeling of formality about everything. There's a clarity to how their home is arranged, and no funky but charming hodge podge of objects around (like my house). The newly renovated room I'm dealing with has a bit of a Japanese feel (they used to live in Japan), and a clear color scheme: Mossy green and beige the color of coffee with too much cream.

So, I drove into Portland and bought a bunch of different origami paper, and have been stitching away. My clients have also given me a bunch of hand painted chopstick wrappers to work with, and a pile of handmade paper that they're sure they'll never use. I'm currently working on three different pieces, and they can choose between them when I'm done. They are all pieced and hand quilted, and a bit more restrained than most of my work. I'll work on the camera thing and see if I can't get some images up soon.

noreply@blogger.com (Shelly Hedges) — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 14:30:00 +0000

PAPER WEIGHT

Okay, I know it's been too long since I updated this thing....But here's proof stuff is still going on in the studio!

This piece is called "Left Over Words", and it's based on the scrap quilt block. In case you didn't know, scrap quilts were made of all the left over tiny bits of fabric that couldn't be used for anything else. There actually was a time when we didn't throw everything away, and people figured out a way to use these little bits by making quilts out of them.

This is called "Letters from People I Don't Know Anymore", which is the working title of the show I hope to have someday when all of these letter quilts are done. I still have my suitcase full of letters and it seems to be bottomless, so God knows when all the letter quilts will be done. Hopefully I'll find a large venue for that would-be show.

The only title I've been able to come up for this is "Letters From People I Don't Know Anymore #2, which I'm not entirely happy with, although I really love the piece itself. If you have any suggestions for a better title let me know.

noreply@blogger.com (Shelly Hedges) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 16:28:00 +0000

MATERIAL UPDATE

I'm a little behind with my posts, I know......Broken camera blues and all that. But here's a quick update so you know I'm working!

Lately I've been working with Lotteria game cards, which are part of a kids game in Mexico that's kind of like bingo, I think.
I making a quilt out of all 54 cards that's machine pieced and quilted, as well as many small pieces using just one card at a time and hand stitching them onto fabric.

I'll have photos of some finished products in a few days. Promise!

noreply@blogger.com (Shelly Hedges) — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 01:57:00 +0000

FIREWORKS AND BROKEN PLATES

I know I showed my latest "5th of July" piece in a previous post when it was in progress in the studio.... But here's the finished article, all professionally photographed and fancy. I've decided to call it "Quilting on the 5th of July."

Also, here's the latest piece in my ongoing series "Letters From People I Don't Know Anymore." The work is all quilts made from letters I've saved for years. This one is called "Broken Words, Broken Plates". The quilt blocks are based on a broken dish variation and the fabric is vintage cotton.

So far I've made six letter quilts and still have a suitcase full of letters just quivering with anticipation. I've been putting the quilts in shows as I finish them, but at some point I'd LOVE to have a show that's only work from this series. We'll see.....

noreply@blogger.com (Shelly Hedges) — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 16:11:00 +0000

GOODBYE MARY JANE

Well, after nearly two months of forcing everyone I know to eat Mary Jane candies so I could have the wrappers for a new dress I wanted to make, I finally got enough and the piece is done! It took six pound of the candy and a couple of upset stomachs to create enough yardage for the thing, but it was worth it. At least to me it was. I know a couple of people that might disagree.

noreply@blogger.com (Shelly Hedges) — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 02:59:00 +0000

HUNTING AND GATHERING

This year I gathered up more used fireworks than ever!! I finished a new 5th of July quilt the other day and I still have tons of stuff! It's very exciting.

I have separated out all the circles from the tops of fireworks because I love them. I suppose they come about when the things blow up and spew fireworks into the sky. All I know for sure is they're super groovy! I have a piece made with them worked out in my head that I'll start in the next day or so.

noreply@blogger.com (Shelly Hedges) — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 19:19:00 +0000

Hello Bird Watchers!

Welcome to the first posting of Magpie Makes Art, my art journal! Now people who are interested in my art can see where I'm showing my work, see photos of finished stuff, and get a look at what I'm working on at the moment.

"Magpie Makes Art" comes from my husband referring to me as "the Magpie" since most of my work is made from found objects or reclaimed fabric. Apparently I spend a lot of time flitting around picking up bits of shiny stuff and bringing them back to the nest. I usually need a lot of whatever I'm gathering to make whatever I'm making....So sometimes the nest gets a little crowded.

LUCKY CHICKEN BLUES

For those of you who have been fans of Lucky Chicken Ceramics, (my line of pottery and tile) I have to tell you that Lucky Chicken is on sabbatical indefinitely so I can focus all of my art brain on my mixed media and textile work. I'm sorry for any heavy sighs this news brings about, but a bird's gotta do what a bird's gotta do. Ten years was a great run for Lucky Chicken and I send out thanks to all of you who supported that work over the years. The good news is that before I closed the clay studio I got a lot of work to my galleries, and you can still find some Lucky Chicken Ceramics at Oregon College of Arts and Crafts, in Portland Oregon, May Lou Zeek Gallery in Salem Oregon, and Newman Gallery in Prescott Arizona.

http://www.ocac.edu./
http://www.newmangallery.net./
http://www.zeekgallery.com./

MAGPIE NEWS

I just had an opening June 22nd at Oregon College of Arts and Crafts of new work. It was a great night and I thank everyone who took the time to come out and see the show! That work will be on display there through July 30th. Their contact information is:

Oregon College of Arts and Crafts
8425 S.W. Barnes Road, Portland Oregon
503-297-5544
www.ocac.edu

Here are some pieces from the show....

"Wine Foil Study"
8"H x 6"W x 1/2"D
wine foils, wine labels, parchment, cotton backing, thread

"Wine Foil Quilt #2"
44"H x 42"W x 1"D
wine foils, cotton backing, thread

"Stamped #2"
27"H x 36"W x 1"D
stamps, envelopes, cotton backing, thread

For the month of June I was an artist in residence at the Espy Foundation in Oysterville, Washington. They gave me a wonderful little house as my studio and a stipend for food for the month. It was an incredible time of frantic art making and socializing, as the other four residents were super cool and had huge brains and we loved getting together at the end of many a work day and hang out, tell stories, and drink cocktails. Seven of the seventeen pieces on display at my show at OCAC where completed or made during this residency, and I have lots of new pieces in the works!

It's a great residency in a beautiful location, and anyone interested in the Espy Foundation should check out their site at: www.espyfoundation.org

Magpie At Work

Right now I'm gathering spent fireworks for my annual "5th of July" piece. I live in a sleepy beach community where everyone and their brother comes out from the inland towns and cities for the fourth of July holiday. They roast hot-dogs and marshmallows, build sand castles, shoot off tons of fireworks (my poor dog!!), and drive around wondering why they can't get the same amenities they're use to receiving in a city fifty times the size of our town. Then they drink vast quantities of alcoholic beverages, shoot off incredible amounts of fireworks (very often setting the dunes on fire) and go hunting for the perfect find at an antique mall or garage sale. Then they drink some more. Then they set off some more fireworks.
Then they leave.

On the 5th of July the locals here have a huge beach clean up. HUMONGOUS! Really, I'm not exaggerating. They fill up colossal dumpsters at every beach access.

So.....I go out every morning from the 1st of July through the 5th and gather up used fireworks to make this annual piece.
I started in 2004, and made a flag quilt that I put into a show in late July of that year before I had a chance to photograph it, so of course it sold. The people who bought it are wonderful and have no problem with me borrowing it to document, so maybe one of these days......

So last year I went out and got all sorts of stuff but was sidetracked by other show obligations and didn't finished my "annual" 5th of July" piece. I'm working on that now as I gather materials for my next one, so in the near distant future I should have a "5th of July 2005-2006", and a "5th of July 2006".

Thanks for checking in,

Shelly