No Limits, No Excuses

Inspiration comes in all forms...and when we stumble on it unexpectedly it is all the more joyful.  For instance: just as I was bemoaning the coming of a certain heavy-duty birthday early this summer I had the pleasure of meeting Virginia Greene.  Ta-Da!  A long morning with Virginia and I have a new perspective about my age...and my art.  Let me share....

Virginia is the mother-in-law of friend and potter Patti Greene.  I had heard tales of her creativity: how she and her husband had built their cabin (with their own hands!) and about how she took up quilting after she had retired.  I had seen several pieces of her work and knew they were stunning...Patti called them "story quilts." I referred to them as "fiber art."  But I still hadn't laid eyes on this force of energy so I made an "appointment" and in true southern style dropped by one morning for coffee and pie.  Hours later I begged forgiveness for my extended stay and left full of creative juice and positive inspiration.

Virginia's very first quilt was made with a friend because she wanted something to do with her hands while she watched her beloved Red Sox on TV.  "I didn't know there were books on quilting," she explains, "so I just fumbled around and did ok.  When I found out about the books I was off and running." But Virginia discovered that traditional patterns didn't hold her interest for long.  "Something else was needing to get out," she explained.  And her "story quilts" came into being.  "I just fool around with shapes and figures I cut from cloth.  And then I audition colors for the background and then I just start putting them together like pieces in a puzzle,"  her simple explanation for what turns out to be a vignette from days gone by.

Virginia's work is totally unique but my inspiration came not from it but from her: her attitude, her methods and her outlook.  "I just do what I like," she insists.  (note to Cindy - well, that's certainly when I am happiest at my easel, not trying to paint for a sale but paint what I love.)  "You know I don't have time to practice," she explained excusing the small piece above (which I now own).  "I like to dive in and learn while I am doing." (oh ditto, Virginia, ditto).  She had just gotten a new machine and was getting the feel of the free motion stitching on the background, "there's some errors here and there." Charming, I thought, proof of human touch.

 "I kind of like to put a story in my piece, or at least a little something hidden to keep the viewer interested," she also shared.  "Something new they will see when they look again and again."  (Oh yes, Virginia, you took the words right out of my feeble attempts.)  "I also like color," she confessed.  "Lots and lots of bright, bold color."  (Amen sister!)

Virginia has quit her art at least three times in the recent past.  Eye problems, moving, and other issues made her think it was time to shelve the cloth for good.  Each time she sold her machine only to find that she just wasn't herself without the creative outlet.  Like the clever woman she is however, she managed to upgrade machines each time she returned to the craft!  No debate there, we creatives know it is all about the latest and greatest tool.

We shared stories of failed experiments and grand surprises.  We talked about the fact that nature provides both of us a lot of comfort as well as a lot of ideas for shapes and colors in our work.  We also talked about the joy we get from someone enjoying our work and honoring us by wanting to live with it.

My visit with this lady in her 80's convinced me that age is not an issue when it comes to craft...one's vision of what is to be shared is much, much more important.  And wow, if Virginia is even now coming upon new ideas and themes, who knows what strides I can make by the time I am her age?  I have an entirely new perspective. Thank you Miss Virginia!

photos: top photo credit to Cheri Glover, Virginia McKinley Greene for Carolina Mountain Life
2- bird piece as Virginia learned her new machine...I still have not decided if they are on a birdbath or a feeder or in front of their house...but I love it
3- free form design I decided was a leaf...or a feather...or a sail...or a path...or ?
below: a traditional block pattern assembled in a non-traditional manner, exact colors of my living room and wonderful texture next to the stone as shown here.

ArtFully Yours,
Cindy

Better with Age?

Like fine wine we love the analogy that men and women get better as they age.  We even borrow cooking terms such as 'seasoned' and 'marinated' to describe how the years bring out the flavors in our personalities.  But what about our art?  Does our product improve with age as well?  Having passed a milestone in the birthday business I have been giving that question a lot of thought.

Lucky for me I came across a recent article in ArtNews Magazine that seems to support the idea that much of their best work was done by artists in their later years.  Unlike some professions that are body-dependent ( like basketball!) the art field is full of folks who continued to forge new paths well into their senior years. The article lists Bellini (who died at 86), Michelangelo (d. 89), Titian (d. between 86 and 103, depending on your source), Ingres (d. 86), Monet (d. 86), Matisse (d. 84), Picasso (d. 91), and O’Keeffe (d. 98)as just a few.

As a late bloomer in art I admit to occasionally regretting the fact I opted not to study art in college. But I have to admit that at the time I was not blessed with the drive nor the dedication such a study would require.  I wasn't ready in so many ways.  And many of my colleagues now admit they did not get the education they needed to prepare them for the real world in the art field.  Either they were not prepared to receive what was taught or the teaching was too restrictive. It was only as they experimented over the years that they have had the courage to find their own style and voice. So why is it that longevity and creative genius seem to go together?  

Many of the things I concluded personally were also borne out by interviews with thriving artists who are well into their eighties. For instance: I no longer feel paralyzed by the fear of failure (well less often anyway); I recognize that time is precious and I have very little to waste; I freely admit to understanding the value of play and lots of experimentation; I really don't have anyone I must please (for a passing grade) other than myself; I have a perspective that only miles on the road can offer. The list goes on and on.  It has as much to do with my interpretation and perspective on life as it does with expertise in technique.

This wonderful article in ArtNews is inspiring for any field but especially for those of us who hope and pray that our best work is still on the drawing board of the mind, ready to emerge in the years ahead.

So if you are considering a late start in creative expression, take heart, my recommendation is to dive in!  You bring much to the drawing board (or instrument or tablet) that can't be taught, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  I think you will be surprised.

Cindy

P.S.  please don't construe my thoughts to mean that one MUST be this side of geriatric to be a fine artist!  I am aware of some phenomenal young creatives and my guess is that they will be even more incredible as they age...marinating and becoming seasoned as they experience life.  Their work will be richer and even more captivating as time goes on. I only share this article as a way to remind us all that as long as we don't stop producing we have every hope of the next piece being our very best.

www.cindymichaud.com