Dress Up Series - Finished

Jamie Fingal, checking in.  One part of a wall series where each artist in 8 that Create will display their own personal style on a 12x12 piece that is mounted on canvas.  This collection is for the gallery show at Old Forge, that begins on October 13, 2012

Zipper Dress 19"wide by 24.5" high

The Dancer Dress 12"wide by 19.5" high

The Little Black Dress 18"wide by 36" high - part of a collaboration where three dresses by three different artists that will be hung together

Re-Purposed High Heels, Size 10

Dress-Up in Progress

Jamie Fingal checking in - This is my 12x12 piece for the show "Off the Hanger" for the Old Forge Gallery show.  You can see a theme and color scheme forming for my work.

My next piece will be this zipper dress, which is still in progress, but I thought that I would give you a sneak peek!  Onward and upward!

12x12 for Off the Hanger show

Jamie Fingal here. This is my signature piece for the identification sign for 8 that Create that will hang at the "Off the Hanger: Form & Surface" show in Old Forge, NY - beginning Oct 12.   Yes, there is zipper trim on it.  I love the polka dots, as they add alot of movement and fun to the piece.

I am still on the fence about a title for it.  Here are some that I am contemplating  - Cut once, measure twice.  Cut-Up.  Fashion Show.  Polka and Dot.   Hung Up.  Fold Here.  Measuring Up. Zippy Dress.  Dress Up.  What do you think? 

Empty Spaces - "What We Keep"

Jamie Fingal here. My piece is all about loss, and the things that we keep, to remind us who we are.  There is more in a previous post, and you can view it here.

The fabrics were Mistyfused to wool blended felt, free motion machine quilted, and a bit of hand sewing with #8 Perle cotton threads

A vintage zipper, and a photograph of scissors from my mother's sewing desk.  The photo has been transferred to fabric, with an ink jet copier.  The background of the scissors was painted to enhance the colors of the scissors.

Full view; with a photo transfer of my mom's cookbooks, apron, recipe holder, etc., on the upper left - scissors on the right.  Title:  "What We Keep: to remind ourselves who we are" by Jamie Fingal 2012  - 16" x 16"

What We Keep

Jamie Fingal - In contemplating 'Empty Spaces,'  I have brainstormed many different ideas, but then it became clear to me, what my subject would be all about.  I lost both of my parents within a four month period.  There is certainly a large empty space in my life, without them in it.   In cleaning out their house, I began to photograph my memories of the things that they used with their hands in the kitchen, sewing, office, and tool chest. 

My mom had a great spoon collection, but I had no room for it in my house, but I do have a lovely photograph of my favorite spoons, to keep forever.  From my mom's favorite cookbooks, to the wood bird with a clothes pin beak, that held a recipe card, to funky aprons and even a apron pocket prayer book.  This has become my labor of love to honor them.  What we keep to remind ourselves who we are.

These photos of my art quilt are what I would call a 'sneak peek' of portions of the piece that I made for our on-line exhibit 'Empty Spaces.' 

Brainstorming Ideas

Jamie Fingal checking in.  I often do a lot of research before embarking on a new project.  The thought of empty spaces intrigues me.  There are so many ways that I could go with this idea.  But, where I am right now, is in an emotional state of turmoil.  My dad passed away suddenly in late November, and it has forever changed my life and left an 'empty space' in my heart.  I've been drawing hearts, of all things, and this symbol never reaches the radar in my brain when I am attempting to create a new piece of art.  The fact that this heart wrenching emotion has totally taken over my thought process lately, and for obvious reasons.  This is just the beginning of looking at some of the empty spaces in my life.



I sat down and started drawing, everything that I was feeling, with my heart on my sleeve, or on the sketchbook page.

 



Then I decided that I should create one of those drawings into a painting on canvas to get a larger visual understanding of what I was doing.  I like the colors, but don't really like the heart or the writing.  It seems to trite to me.  I feel that more should be left to the viewer.  This is in your face art, and I am not sure if this is what I want to convey in an art quilt.  And let's be real, it's just a little on the depressing side.  I need to think some more on what I can create with this theme.



So, enter the camera - and we have a button jar that is partially empty  that might have some potential.  Words swirling on the inside perhaps...or a story of the antique buttons.  Thinking out loud here.  Are you enjoying my design process?



and then there is this.  Spaces between the openings.  Might be too literal, or perhaps to easy, but I do love the lime green.



and then I've been making red backgrounds, which could be hearts or something else.  It seems I am really drawn to this right now.  It's easy and I can wrap my mind around it, as opposed to other work that I can't seem to focus on right now.



and then I started thinking about what I do best, my roots so to speak in my art.  The art of the house.  The empty spaces could be negative space.  It would all depend on how it is designed and what kind of fabric I would choose, but it could work, and be something interesting, happy and it could invite the viewer in to see more.  Maybe or maybe not.  Stay tuned.

 

Introductions: Jamie Fingal

I live in Orange, California and mainly focus my work on making mixed media art quilts, but I do dabble in paper as well, because it is rather fun not to limit myself to one medium.   I think outside the box...a sort of rebel, and follow my own path by using unconventional materials in my work.

[caption id="attachment_124" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Metal Measures - 2010 - 16x16"][/caption]

A labor intensive piece of artwork made with measuring tape fabric, Mistyfused onto a wool blended felt foundation, hand-sewn, and then free-motion zig zagged to create my version of a log cabin quilt with zippers and a metal washer.  Before adding the backing, sections could be zipped apart from one another.

[caption id="attachment_125" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Urban Footscape - 2010 - 10x10"][/caption]

I have an entire series of art quilts around the subject of my Doc Marten boots, standing on a variety of surfaces in several different cities.  Collaged with a variety of fabrics, including images from a trip to San Francisco, and ransom lettering, have been photo transferred onto fabric.  Metal washers, snaps, safety pins, buttons, fuses are some of my uncommon embellishments.

[caption id="attachment_126" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Soul Sisters - 2011 - 16x16"][/caption]

Portraits are just one of my favorite subjects in my work, but in a whimsical way, in bright colors and a touch of surface design with paint and stencils.  Cups and saucers are a common motif in my work and are here on their heads, but commonly put on the roofs of my whimsical houses!

[caption id="attachment_127" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Zippy House - 2011 - 15x15"][/caption]

And houses, another time honored tradition in many of the quilts that I make, with the cup and saucer on the roof.  Zippered flowers, landscaping, house, roof and all around the edges of the art quilt, including a zipper for the front door.  Looking forward to 2012 and making art for 8 that create!  Let the fun begin!