Quality Images and Structures #28
The past few days I’ve been organizing and processing all of my images. I’m working on getting them organized so when an opportunity arises to promote my work I will have the images ready to send out on a moments notice.
First I spent a couple hours thinking about exactly what I needed from my images. Printable images, web images, blog images, slides, portfolio pages, etc. I made up a small list of my goals and then the parameters for each of the goals. For example for my blog I need small jpgs that are 480 pixels wide and larger jpgs of the same image at 700 pixels wide for the click through. I wrote down all the setting for each of the image types into a spreadsheet so 2 years from now I won’t have to remember if it was 480 or 460 pixels. The result will be a consistent presentation over time.
From this I made a large spreadsheet with each of my pieces of artwork listed, both fullview and detail shots, and indicated which format I wanted for each image. I have 10-15 more Structures quilts to process and then my most prominent series will be organized. Once this is finished I’ll move on to the Chairs series (made in 1999-2000) and my smaller works.
As I work on this project I thought I’d share some of the pieces that have not yet been published on the web. Tonight I’m showing Structures #28. Those of you on my mailing list will recognize this piece as it was featured on my postcard for my recent solo show. It’s a tricky quilt to photograph with all the red but I’m pretty happy with the final result, taken outside with an SLR digital camera on my portable photography wall. Red is a hard color for browsers so I hope it looks good for everyone.
This piece was made in 2004 and was one of my entries for Quilt National 2005. Structures #31 was selected to be in the show but honestly, I think Structures #28 is a better piece. It could be my bias towards larger work, but I think it has more presence.
It took me 3-4 months to design and piece together the quilt top. It is similar to Structures #47, which I documented as I worked on it. You can review those posts here:
- Planning the background.
- Adding lines to the blocks.
- Individual blocks completed.
- Finished quilt top.
This is a very large quilt - 84″ x 57″. It’s larger than either quilt shown in this picture, to give you a sense of scale.
Structures #28 ©2004
Detail of a ~12″ wide area:
Larger detail area:
Posted by Lisa in: Abstract Contemporary Textile Art, Goals
Kristin La Flamme said,
March 14, 2006 @ 12:14 am
Thanks for the insight into your process. It’s quite inspirational to see all the ways different artists construct their quilts. Your spread sheets sound very helpful too. Now that I’ve decided to enter a few shows, I’ve started a competition spreadsheet. A photography one like yours would be a great addition.
Cheryl said,
March 14, 2006 @ 1:40 am
I have to say this is my favourite of of your quilts that I’ve seen, thank you for more pictures of it. I just love the colours you’ve used. I thought when you showed the shots of friends at a recent show featuring your quilts that they were much bigger than I had imagined, only seeing reproductions. Just so I can get my head round it roughly how big are the background pieces on average and how wide the stripes? If that feels like giving too much away please don’t answer. If I come into a load of money you and this quilt will be among the first to know ( I sometimes play fantasy quilt buying, is that a terrible confession.)
Mary Manahan said,
March 14, 2006 @ 4:51 am
Saying your red quilt has presence is an understatement.
You are so amazingly organized. I would sooner lie down in the middle of the road to take a nap than think to put something in “spreadsheet” form.
You are amazing! Thanks for sharing your genius…
Melody Johnson said,
March 14, 2006 @ 6:02 am
I am giggling at your tidiness.
And drooling at your gorgeous work.
Omega said,
March 14, 2006 @ 6:26 am
I agree with MM that your quilt has presence: it has stature, and must be wondrous to behold. I wonder if QN chose to go with the other because of the smaller size and because the colour might have worked better with the others they had chosen, and not because of quality -? Anyway, I hope that I have the pleasure of seeing your work in reality one day.
I am always very pleased to read about artists being organised as I tend to be that way myself, and get really fed up when ooh and aah over how I file things and plan and, well, organise myself. I keep telling them that this is the real lazy way as I don’t have to spend time looking for stuff, or re-measuring, or re-writing, etc.
As an ex-commissioning editor I think that you should write a book about your work and how you do everything.
Lisa Call said,
March 15, 2006 @ 5:58 pm
Thanks everyone for the compliments!
Cheryl the blocks are generally between 4″ and 6″ wide with the strips being about 3/8″ to 1/2″ wide. As I’ve made a few more quilts like this the strips have gotten narrower, for the most part. And thank you so much for such a raving review!
Omega, I wonder if maybe the power of the red piece was lost in teh photography - it could be there eally wasn’t possible to understand what the quilt was about? Or maybe they needed another yellow quilt? I do know that when I showed the 3 quilts to my critique group I put the yellow one up on the wall and said “this is the quilt they will pick”. Not sure how I knew but I had a good feeling about it.
Getting organized in my art business has really felt great - I encourage everyone to do what they can in that direction!
Frances said,
March 19, 2006 @ 2:01 pm
as someone who has never done anything bigger than a couple of feet square I am always over awed by size and the smallness of the blocks and strips really knock me out, I love the ‘fire’ of this quilt,
your organisation has been inspirational to me, especially using the computer more, an untidy virtual desktop is preferable to the real thing!
thanks Lisa,