Finding Your Voice - Part II

Hi again,

Just a bit ago … I talked about finding your voice and introduced you to a dear friend of mine, Sandy Simmelink, who  gave a workshop to our group on "Finding Your Voice" …

One thing that I have remembered from the workshop and wanted to add is her advice on practicing your technique always and everyday if possible, and then working in series when ever you get a chance.

Working in series lets you practice your techniques and then find whatever it is that makes your voice unique … it pushes us to revisit our favourite subject matter until we have explored it to its fullest.

I have include a couple of images to demonstrate working in series … all of these pieces are of the same size and general working materials.

Your series could be anything from subject matter, size, colour or working materials … what ever connects the pieces together as a unified body. This will help as time goes on to let people know that this is your work.

Exploring your subject matter to this degree will help in your efforts towards finding your own unique artistic voice.

Very many best wishes,
Barbara

Finding Your Voice

Just a little bit a go … a dear friend of mine (ours) and wonderful quilt artist gave a workshop with our little group of fibre artists from the Burlington Fibre Arts Group.

Sandy Simmelink - artist, judge, and teacher, both traditional and innovative … shared with us her own thoughts on finding your voice.

We all struggle at times to find our own unique voice or to make it more clear, sometimes struggling more often than not.

Sandy walked us through a series of questions meant to invoke what it is we really want to do with our artwork and what was truly important to us. It was nothing short of enlightening …

Here are some examples of Sandy's work - her free, experimental and playful side and then her traditional work that may take years to complete …
Both are Sandy's voice and both sides tell a story of how you can have two sides(loves) or maybe more, whichever works for you and your work. Maybe you have one voice, maybe you have many but practice, determination and experimentation are a sure way to recognize your own individual voice.

All this blogging … while watching the ladies long program from Sochi and witnessing artistic voices in all its amazing, beautiful and emotional forms!

Enjoy and many, many best wishes,
Barbara