Cindy Grisdela ~ art quilter

Spring Pillows 2012 Cindy Grisdela

I finished four cheerful new pillows and took them into The Artisans

More Spring Pillows 2012 Cindy Grisdela

shop last Friday. Such happy colors–they definitely add a splash of Spring wherever you put them!

Which one is your favorite?

The Artisans is a fun gift shop located at 1368 Chain
Bridge Road in McLean, VA. They have an eclectic mix of jewelry, pottery, accessories, clothing and other gift ideas–it’s always a treat to pay them a visit and see what’s new!

Bride's Bouquet 2011 Cindy Grisdela

I’m also part of an exhibit at ArtSpace Herndon called “Quilts: Collaborative Art by Northern Virginia Quilters,” which runs until February 12. The gallery is located at 750 Center St. in Herndon, VA.

My piece is called “Bride’s Bouquet.” It’s part of a group challenge where everyone was given an antique block from a quilt that was never finished–that’s the central block at left, a traditional pattern known as Dresden Plate–and asked to create something new. I designed a bright contemporary background and hand-appliqued the original block to it, then added lots of texture with different stitching motifs.

Definitely something a little outside my comfort zone, but interesting to combine something old and something new. There are 12 others in the show and it’s amazing how different they all are.

I was surprised the other day to find out that my piece was selected to publicize the show in elan magazine. What fun to flip the pages and see my work jump out when I didn’t expect it!

"Signs of Spring" 20" x 20" 2012 Cindy Grisdela

I’ve been struggling with a creative block the last week or so. I had pieces I needed to get done for a retail shop that carries my work and a new commission to design, but nothing seemed to be working. The creative spark had gone into hiding–not a good thing!

Thankfully, I woke up yesterday with an idea. I pulled out my favorite bright spring colors and went to work cutting them up and sewing them back together again in new combinations. One idea led to another and I was able to get two pillow tops completed that I’ll finish this week to take to the shop, plus “Signs of Spring” at left.

This piece started out as a “What if” question. I was looking at some old sketches and I wondered, what if I combined wonky quarter circles with wonky stripes? I use both of these units often, but I’d never combined them into one quilt before. I was thrilled with the result.

In many ways this piece goes back in time for me–it uses lots of patterned fabric instead of solids and I’ll probably quilt it accordingly with a fairly simple design since the stitching won’t show very much. But that’s OK–it got me out of the slump and I see lots of ways I can interpret this design in different fabrics.

The most important lesson here is the importance of going into the studio every day and putting in the time. Pull out the fabrics and look at them, cut some of them up to see what happens, look at old sketches to see what ideas might be percolating that I haven’t explored yet. It’s a good start to the year.

I’ll finish this one and put it up in my Etsy shop hopefully next week–stay tuned!

My work is featured in two online Virtual Galleries this month–on the websites of Studio Art Quilt Associates and Great Falls Studios.

"Red Totem" 2010 Cindy Grisdela

You’ll find “Red Totem” in the January Virtual Gallery on the Studio Art Quilt Associates website. The virtual exhibit is titled “Lines of Thought” and the curator, Kathryn Schmidt, writes in her summary that “Seemingly simple lines can invoke powerful feelings, both for the artist and the viewer.” Definitely food for thought! Visit the website by clicking on the link here then click on “New Virtual Gallery – Lines of Thought” on the left hand toolbar. There are some very interesting pieces of work in this gallery and I’m pleased to have been included.

Three of my pieces are included in the “Patterns” exhibit on the Great Falls Studios website. The

"Townhouses" 2011 Cindy Grisdela

call for entry asked for work that included lines, shapes or colors arranged in a pattern–which is descriptive of much of my work! I had a difficult time choosing which pieces to send, but ended up with “Townhouses” at right, plus “Currents” and “Box of Marbles”–all from my March project last year.There are patterns of lines, patterns of shape and patterns of color, plus patterns of texture if you right click on the image to see the stitching better.

To view the exhibit, click on the link to the GFS website here and then on the Virtual Gallery prompt in the middle of the home page. It’s a large exhibit with a lot of different interpretations of the theme, from representational to abstract, including painting, photography, fiber, sculpture and jewelry. Which do you think captures the idea the best?

"Block Party" 2011 Cindy Grisdela

It’s taken me a while to come up with my word for 2012, but I’ve decided on Confidence.

I’ve got a big new challenge coming up in March–participating in the Craftboston Spring Show in Boston, MA– and I want to go into that confidently. I’ve been spending quite a bit of time so far this month working on the details and logistics of doing a show that big and that far away–it’s very exciting.

Getting into this show has made me evaluate how I want to present myself and my art. I have a new body of work that I’m very proud of and that has been very well received so far–so I’m thrilled to be able to show it on a wider stage.  I’ve also begun researching additional venues farther from my home base that I want to apply to in 2012–I need to be confident to do that.

“Block Party,” at left, is one of my favorite pieces in the new series. This work focuses on bold use of color highlighted by textural lines that encourage the viewer to come closer and engage with the piece.  Right-click on the image to see the texture better.

As a result of this evaluation, I’m going to have to think about what work I’m showing and where I’m showing it. Also important is rethinking my studio practice and how I spend my time. I have to be able to say “No thank you” to activities that drain my resources and don’t enhance my creativity–I need confidence for that too.

Recently an artist in a group that I’m active in posted a question–”What is your definition of success?”  Such a simple question, but so hard to answer. Obviously success is a moving target. Before I got into my first juried show or made my first sale, my answer to the question would have been different. And hopefully down the road a few years I’ll have a different answer yet. But right now, I’d define success as being able to work full time on creating art. Success is pushing myself as an artist and getting validation from sales, both to new collectors and people who have purchased work from me in the past.  Success is doing shows outside of the Washington DC metro area and writing articles about textile art. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to spend my time doing what I love—making art—but I need to be confident about what I’m doing and why. It’s not enough to just make art–I have to figure out what to do next!

To help me focus on all this, I joined Alyson Stanfield’s Artist Conspiracy last month–it’s already giving me great insights into how to realize my goals.

How do you define success? What steps do you take to help you get there? I’d love to hear from you!

I’m later than I planned with this post–looking back at 2011–but better late than never, right?

Last year my word for the year was “Explore,” and

Cindy Grisdela 2011 Portfolio Book

while picking a word may seem like a silly exercise, it acts as a motivator for me. I did end up exploring many new ideas!

I think my biggest accomplishment last year was the “30 Days” project–during the month of March I created 30 small art quilts, just about one a day. Each one was 16″x 20,” used only solid colors and was entirely machine pieced and stitched, not fused. One of my goals for the year was to focus on the aspects of my art that I’m good at–using bold color and adding texture with freemotion stitching–so the “30 Days” project was a was to push myself as an artist and explore these new ideas in a disciplined way. And it worked. I have a beautiful new body of work that is really exciting and I’ve gotten very positive reviews on it. So I’ll continue on this path in 2012.

Last year I entered fewer shows, but I was accepted to a higher percentage than I have been in the past, which is a good thing, since each show has an entry fee! My work was shown in venues from Florida to New York State, as well as locally in the Washington, DC metro area. I was also accepted into my first large indoor fine craft event–Craftboston in Boston, MA March 22-25, 2012.

Another big accomplishment was opening an online shop at Etsy.com. If you’re not familiar with Etsy, it’s an online community for everything handmade. You’ll see some thumbnails from the shop and a link in the right sidebar of the blog. Primarily I have my functional gift items for sale there–pillows, coasters, journal covers, scarves and purses–plus a selection of early wall quilts.  It’s a great way to show people what I have available at any time without having to wait for one of my shows. Stop by and let me know what you think!

I had a booth at five shows in 2011, plus the Great Falls Studios Annual Studio Tour in October. Plus I had a solo show of my new work at Katie’s Coffee House in Great Falls and a two person show with friend and fellow artist Jennifer Duncan at Keller Williams Realty in McLean. Thanks to everyone who visited me at one of my shows or events last year and gave me such positive feedback on my work–it really means a lot to me and keeps me focused on creating art.

Another new avenue in 2011 was creating a monthly newsletter to connect with people in a different way and share thoughts on my inspiration, my process and my artistic journey. If you would like to receive the newsletter, simply sign up for my mailing list on the upper right sidebar of my blog. I don’t share your email with anyone else and only use it to communicate with you through the newsletter.

Finally, I got back to writing last year, submitting two articles to the Studio Art Quilt Associates Journal which will be published in 2012. I was a financial journalist in an earlier life and working on deadline for so many years was tough. But writing this blog reminded me of how much I like writing, so I decided to give it a shot writing about art. One of the articles is about self-publishing a portfolio book–something I’d been thinking about doing for some time. So I did it–self-published a book of my work using Blurb.com–and wrote about the process. The cover is pictured above and you can see the book here if you’re interested.

So 2011 was an eventful year–and I’m looking forward to 2012! I’m still pondering my word for 2012, check back in a few days and I’ll have a post about it.

Autumn Forest 2011 Cindy Grisdela

Last week I received notification that my quilt, “Autumn Forest,” was accepted for the Bending the Rules exhibit of work from Studio Art Quilt Associates members from Virginia and North Carolina. The exhibit will be on display February 23-26, 2012 during the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, VA. I’m excited to be part of this show–it’s one I always go to with my mother and my sister and it’s fun to see my work hanging there.

I had the call for entry for this show up on my bulletin board for several months before the deadline because I knew I wanted to enter it. I had just the piece in mind. Then about 10 days before the deadline as I was getting ready to fill out the paperwork, I saw it–there was a size restriction on the entries! Of course, the quilt I had planned to enter didn’t fit, and none of the other work I had available was quite right either.  I had some leftover wonky stripes blocks up on my design wall that gave me an idea, so I put this piece together and quilted it just in time for the deadline. It “bends the rules” in at least two ways–the borders are only on two sides instead of all four and the curved green and purple border is in the interior, rather than on the outside.

The combination of colors reminded me of autumn leaves–some gold, some purple, some still green. I quilted the interior with echoing spirals like a breeze in the forest–if you right click on the image you’ll be able to see the texture better.

If you’re in the Great Falls area, my solo show, “Color and Line,” will be up at Katie’s Coffee House on Walker Road through December 30. Stop by and see it if you get a chance and let me know what you think!

Also, my December newsletter will be going out this week, so if you’d like to receive it, add your name to my mailing list at the upper right of this blog.

Discussing Art at the Great Falls Studios 2011 Holiday Show

The Great Falls Studios Annual Holiday Show and Sale is this weekend–finishing up tomorrow, Sunday December 11 from 10-5.  The show takes place at the Village Green Day School in Great Falls.

As always, it’s a great show–lots of fun to see old friends and new during the holiday season and wonderful to spend the weekend with my artist friends catching up on what everyone has been doing. I always come away feeling energized and inspired by the creativity that surrounds us in this small community–that is

Great Falls Studios 2011 Holiday Show

after I sit down in a comfortable chair with my feet up!

At left is photographer Dean Souleles showing his work.

I took some photographs of my booth after I set up yesterday, then unfortunately left my camera there, so I have this one shot to share at right that shows the edge of my setup. In addition to wall quilts, I have colorful pillows, journal covers and coasters which make great gifts, plus new “date night” purses (just the right size to carry your phone, keys, ID and credit card for a casual night out), and scarves to brighten up your outfit.

Other artists have paintings, photography, pottery, jewelery and more to help you with your holiday shopping. Come see us if you’re in the area–it’s lots more fun than the mall!

I’ll be sending out my December newsletter next week, so don’t forget to sign up here if you’d like to receive it–I plan to have an article about how I add the texture to my work with stitching lines.

Artist Reception for "A Touch of Red" at Artspace Herndon

Last night was the artist reception for “A Touch of Red” at Artspace Herndon in Herndon, VA. The juried show includes about 50 works of art by 28 artists from Great Falls Studios.

Great Falls Studios has about 100 members who work in a wide variety of media, so we chose a theme for the show that could be interpreted in many different ways. It was fascinating to see how different artists decided to handle “A Touch of Red.” Some did use just a touch, but

Artist Reception for "A Touch of Red"--Mary Ellen Mogee

some, like Mary Ellen Mogee standing in front of her red and white painting at right, decided a touch wasn’t enough! Also pictured is Jonathan Fisher’s “Boxes and Crates,” a wonderful free standing wood sculpture.

Even though it was a “dark and stormy night,” the gallery was full of visitors for the reception. It’s a great show, which runs until January 8, 2012. The gallery, located at 750 Center St.  is open from 10 AM – 2 PM Monday-Thursday, Friday 10 AM – 7 PM, Saturday 10 AM – 5 PM and Sunday 1 -5 PM.

Over the Rainbow 2011 Cindy Grisdela

Oh and I do have a piece in the show–my picture from the reception didn’t turn out well–it’s called “Over the Rainbow” and it has a little more than a touch of red but less than a lot.

Don’t forget the Great Falls Studios Annual Holiday Show and Sale this weekend, Saturday December 10 and Sunday December 11 at the Village Green Day School on Walker Road in Great Falls. It’s a fun event with lots of locally made gift items for the special people on your list–a wonderful alternative to the mall! I hope to see you there.

Also, my show, “Color and Line,” at Katie’s Coffee House in Great Falls is up through December 30–stop by and get a cup of coffee and a pastry and take a look if you’re in the area!

"Color and Line" Solo Exhibit 2011 Cindy Grisdela

Wow–it’s been a busy couple of weeks! Yesterday I hung my solo show – “Color and Line” – at Katie’s Coffee House in Great Falls. Most of the pieces are from my “30 Days” project, including “Garden Path” and Shades of Autumn” at left. The show will be up for the month of December, so please stop by if you’re in the area and have a cup of coffee. Katie’s is open Monday – Friday 6 AM – 3 PM and 7 AM – 2 PM Saturday and Sunday.

"Color and Line" Solo Exhibit 2011 Cindy Grisdela

If you’re new to the project, earlier this year I challenged myself to create 30 quilts in one month – March – as a way to push myself as an artist. Click on “March 2011″ in the Archives at right if you’d like to know more.

There are eleven pieces in the show, including “Around the Block” and “Abstract Skyline” at right. Starting last year, I began to focus more on color, line and texture in my work and less on the pattern in the fabric. All of the work in this exhibit uses only solid colors, so that the color and line of the design is the primary focus. And there is wonderful texture added to each piece so you just have to get closer to take another look!

Earlier this week, I helped hang “A Touch of Red” – an all media exhibit by the artists of Great Falls Studios – at Artspace Herndon. I have one piece in the show. The exhibit is open until January 8, 2012 and we’ll be having an artist reception next Wednesday, December 7 from 7-9 PM. Artspace is open Tuesday – Thursday 10 AM – 2 PM, Friday 10 AM – 8 PM, Saturday 10 AM – 5 PM and Sunday 1-5 PM.

And I’m working furiously in the studio to get ready for my upcoming shows starting this weekend! 3 Days with the Artists on Dec. 2, 3 and 4 and the Great Falls Studios Holiday Show  Dec. 10 and 11. I hope you can stop by–I’d love to see you!

Don’t forget, if you’d like to be added to my mailing list to get my new monthly newsletter, just click here  or put your email address in the box in the upper right corner of the blog.

"Central Park," 2011 Cindy Grisdela

More new work at Chasen Galleriesin Richmond. If you click on the link you’ll be able to see all of the images there.  I think these would look great as a grouping. They all have a similar design concept and they all have the same background.

"Walk in the Park" 2011 Cindy Grisdela

These pieces, “Central Park,” “The Road Home,” and “Walk in the Park” are some of my favorites from my “30 Days” project–30 quilts created during the month of March this year. For more information about the project, click on “March 2011″ in the Archives section on the right.

"The Road Home," 2011 Cindy Grisdela

There’s a lot of great texture in these pieces–right click on the images to see it better. Or better yet, visit them in person at Chasen Galleries!

I have ideas for more pieces in this series, but probably will have to keep them in the design stage until I’m finished with my holiday shows. I’m working in the studio to get ready for my upcoming shows in December–3 Days with the Artists on Dec. 2, 3 and 4 and the Great Falls Studios Holiday Show  Dec. 10 and 11. Mark your calendars!