Friday, 22 April 2011

Linda Minton - San Antonio, TX

1.  What do you call yourself - art wise?  I started out calling myself a “quilt artist”, followed by “fiber artist”, and now I just say “artist”.  There are too many variations on what I do to pin it down to one narrow definition.
2.  How do you jump start your creativity when you are in a slump?   Ideally, I like to visit art galleries and museums, but if I need a quick “fix”, I’ll go back to some of my old art books and just thumb through them for both inspiration and a review of the basics.
3.  If money wasn't an issue, what would you do with your art?   Travel abroad … anywhere and everywhere … to broaden my horizons, gain insight and inspiration, and to make art “on the road”.
4.  Do you keep a sketchbook, journal, etc.?   I keep many of them.  Mostly because I can never lay my hands on the one I want, and so will start another one.  I like to make some of my own sketchbooks, too.
5.  Where can people see your other work this year?  shows, books, magazines, etc. 
I occasionally show and sell my work at the Copper Shade Tree Gallery in Round Top, Texas.  If you want to look back at Virginia Spiegel's ONE Collage Fundraiser from earlier this year, my 5 mixed media collages are on page 9 of the website.  http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/ONEFundraiser9.html
6.  Do you teach?  where?   I recently read and loved this answer by another artist to a similar question:  “No, I’m too busy learning”.
7.  Is there a particular artist who had influenced you in your art life? and why?   The artist I always think of in terms of philosophical and emotional influence is Susan “Lucky” Shie.  I took a workshop with her at QSDS many years ago, and her sunny and determined outlook on life and art is still an inspiration to me.
8. Where or what show do you hope your work will be in someday?   Quilt National.  I’ve never entered … yet.
9.  Describe your studio workspace.   I actually have two separate workspaces.  One is a large “game room” that has been taken over by my fabrics, sewing machines, and storage.  The other is an adjoining small bedroom/office that has become my wet-work room.
10.  What 3 tools could you not live without?   Now that I have purchased a small machine-quilting frame for my mid-arm Juki sewing machine, I don’t think I could ever again live without the long-arm quilting experience … even though this is a “shorter” version.  My little Janome Gem machine goes everywhere with me, and Photoshop Elements on my computer is an absolute necessity.
11.  What drives you to make the work that you do?    Sheer love of creation … I often wake up with my heart pounding with excitement over a new idea that has come to me.  Thank goodness for the little journal book I keep by my bed, because if I don’t write it down, it’s gone!
12.  How do you balance your life?   This is the hardest question of all.  I’m not sure I do balance it successfully.  Some days the “necessities of life” take precedence, and other days I can concentrate on nothing but my art.  It seems to be quite out of my control, and I feel like Alice in Wonderland … “I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.”

http://fiberreflections.blogspot.com/

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