Creativity, Spirituality and whatever else is flowing at the moment

My Studio and My Tools

2011-06-17T12:08:00.007-07:00

My studio is a little less than 8 feet wide, set up so I can move between sewing, cutting, pressing and designing stations by simply rolling and rotating in my chair. I have felt-covered Styrofoam boards nailed to the walls, and a couple of free-standing design boards. Fabric pieces easily cling to the felt surface and I can stick a pin through the Styrofoam if needed. These design walls are usually covered with works-in-progress, and sections of strip pieced fabrics from which I construct my art quilts.

I sort and store my fabric in clear plastic boxes - the size made to fit under a bed. Every piece of fabric, whatever the length or width, is wrapped around a 6" acrylic ruler - and then I slip the ruler out so I have a flat roll of fabric. I stack the fabric on end in the boxes, so I can see the skinny edge of every piece in the box. Each box contains a color collection of fabrics - mixing prints, solid and hand-dyed fabrics, in pieces ranging from a few inches wide to a yard or two.

I cut strips of fabric using a rotary cutter, but no ruler, As I cut, I toss the strips in piles like fabric fettuccini. I will cut a variety of widths, in a range of values, hues and visual textures. The greater the number of different fabrics, the better they seem to work together. I organize these loose strips in large plastic baggies - hanging from a clothesline that stretches across the room above my head.

My sewing machine is a Juki TL 98Q with a quarter inch presser foot, knee lift and foot-operated thread cutter, which allows me to sew at breakneck speed. I also have a lot of control at slow speeds, and can set the needle to stay in the down position every time I stop. It only does a straight stitch, but it does it perfectly, and very fast. It is also fabulous for free-motion machine quilting.

Another essential tool is my steam iron: I press each seam as soon as they are sewn - usually pressing seam allowances open to reduce bulky intersections. I press at each step of the cutting-sewing process, so a piece will be perfectly flat when finished. I made a large, rectangular ironing surface. from an aluminum shelf covered with a cotton towel and silver ironing board fabric.

My studio is one of my favorite places to be. I have good light and lots of design walls, and everything is organized so I can find exactly what I want without hunting. I love being able to sew, press, cut and design without getting out of my one rolling chair!

website development

2010-10-14T10:59:00.004-07:00

. . . but I don't LIKE neutral gray backgrounds!

I am working with a professional website designer to create AdrieneBuffington.com , which will be my professional artist website. I may drive her bonkers, because I want it to look like a work of MY art, without detracting from my actual art.

So at the moment, I am scanning images of my hand-dyed fabric. Why? Because it has that crunchy texture I like better than a flat solid, and because it has a smidgen of color. the scanner is picking up the weave of the fabric too, which is strange. I may shoot photos of backgroundy fabrics too.

Once the whole thing is done, I will have a re-designed blog too. which I will actually USE to blog more than twice a year.

Vision Gallery

2010-06-15T14:39:00.003-07:00

My artwork is at The Vision Gallery in downtown Chandler!

This gallery is fabulous - it is owned and operated by the city of Chandler (the Chandler Cultural Foundation). I feel really happy to have my work in this space.

Brave the road construction on Arizona Avenue, south of Chandler Blvd and stop in - the address is 80 South San Marcos Place (and yep, it's just south of the San Marcos hotel). In October, the gallery will move to the new city hall building, and the current artwork will probably stay up until then.

I was talking to the curator/director today when I dropped off my pieces, and Eric said I should definitely raise my prices- so I did! But I still want to SELL some - so I didn't make them too high.

Chandler Artwalk is now the Third Friday evening of each month - I will be in the Vision gallery for a while this Friday if you want to come down and say hello. Its not a formal opening, but it'll be cool.

sneak preview of what I have in the gallery:

Opening Up

2010-04-20T11:35:00.004-07:00

I have a solo show!
Well, its the coffee shop at church, but it is a nice space and good motivation to work.

I have volunteered to coordinate some art and artist things at "the grove" - and one of the things I get to do is put together a featured artist exhibits each month. So my month is April, (including the first weekend of May)

I have 10 pieces on display - including one BIG ArtQuilt which was completed a few years ago. The rest are pieced fabric, mounted on stretched canvas. They range from 11" x 14" for $75, to 20" x 24" for $160.

So, if you happen to be in the area this month, please stop by "the grove" and see what I have been doing lately. The church is located on Gilbert road between Germann and Queen Creek - south of the 202 freeway. 2777 S Gilbert Rd., Chandler, AZ 85286 480.883.3733. If the coffee shop is closed, ask the receptionist to let you in.

Most recent piece:

"Opening Up"
20" x 24"

This is the most recent in a series of works using greens, browns, raspberry red and golden yellow. Several have images of doors and/or windows, opening into light.
They represent what I hope for and what I am experiencing in my life right now.

North Window 18" x 24"

Orange Chocolate and Raspberry Chocolate 14" x 14" each

One more opening door: I will be showing at the Vision Gallery in Chandler starting in June. Art on Boston closed at the end of March, but I have a few pieces in the Tempe Center for the Arts store. So as one door closes, another one opens, and another, and a window too!

new pieces

2009-09-23T17:28:00.003-07:00

I finished 2 more 16" x 20" pieces.
these will go up at Art on Boston next week - through January.

left is
Watermelon Pickles

right is
Keep Knocking . . . and the door will be opened for you

Surprised By Hope

2009-09-23T17:16:00.003-07:00

"Surprised By Hope"
by Adriene Buffington
(c) 2009
ArtQuilt (pieced cotton fabrics on stretched canvas)
36" x 60"

Surprised By Hope

2009-09-23T16:59:00.008-07:00

WOW!

I finished my big commission - and Ken and Janet loved it...
so do I!

After lots of pondering, I decided to add a golden ring behind the two circles. Probably the most difficult possible construction - but the design was what I wanted.

almost finished

2009-09-04T17:33:00.003-07:00

I am almost finished with this amazing and wonderful piece!

photo above is all sewn together - all 3 feet by 5 feet of it. Setting circles into the background was a challenge!
The piecing will be mounted over a stretched canvas, to hang like a painting.

I still want to add one more design element - debating between either a ring or another circle.

(the ring would be stripped fabric - not white)

working on a comission

2009-08-07T14:21:00.010-07:00

A very exciting opportunity!

I have been asked to make a piece for a couple who love my work. They have seen several pieces at Art on Boston, but wanted some thing bigger.
36" x 60" to be exact - which IS bigger than the 24" X 18" and 16" x 20" I have been doing lately.

I am very excited about this!!!

I've got a contract and a deposit and 6 weeks to work in. With a lot of freedom. I chose a color palette of red-oranges and blue-greens.

I'd like to play with a spoked-wheel or semi-circle motif; this couple ride a tandem bicycle, and there's a half-circle window in the room this piece will be displayed in.

So far I have cut and sewn several strip-sets. (photos are 3 of these)
Rather than cut into my actual fabric, I decided to take a photo and print a copy, then cut apart a paper version and see if I like the way it looks. (this saves me the anxiety of making a mistake)
Except the printer wasn't working very well, and I needed a new color ink cartridge. I ended up with a new printer! I have now printed a couple copies.

Okay now - back to the studio to play with my printed fabric. This is fun!

Open Window

2009-08-05T14:12:00.003-07:00

My newest piece in the doors and windows series:

Open Window
now on display at Art on Boston gallery
24" x 18"
$160

This piece came together very quickly, in one sewing session - although I had a bunch of the greens and yellows already stripped and sewn.

As I was working on this, I was looking at it from another direction (rotated clockwise) - but it felt better with the light coming downward.

Then we went to France and I took all these photos of sunlight shining through arched doorways, onto steps - and they looked a lot like this piece! deja vu?

This is the 1st century Roman arena in Arles
- still used for bullfights and other events - although they stopped the gladiator contests and throwing Christians to the wild beasts a while back.

So I am expecting to make a few more doors and windows with roman arches and stairs with light flowing down -

Inspired in France

2009-07-22T11:42:00.004-07:00

lots of interesting doors and windows

Praying for an Open Door - so I made one!

2009-07-02T16:45:00.004-07:00

OPEN DOOR

18" x 24"
pieced fabric on stretched canvas

The last in the blue series - for now.

I made the outside border of this for another piece (Entrance, below)- but it was too big. So I had a frame with nothing inside of it. Tried a couple of different things and then the white lines just worked perfectly as a door. I want it to be a door OUT - so I used fairly literal sky and grass fabrics for what's out there.

I have been thinking about how the doorways seem to have been closed lately, and how frustrating that's been. So I decided to create in my Art what I hope for in my Life. This is a visual prayer, I guess.

Entrance 16" x 20"

my thoughts on why I do what I do

2009-06-11T12:26:00.007-07:00

I was invited to share my 'creative process' at the grove last Sunday.

I set up a table and a design wall and brought some examples of my ArtQuilts.

I also tweaked my artist statement a bit, to put on some cards - so here it is:

My ArtQuilts are like families of color and shape, expressing the emotional and physical relationships between members of a whole. The pieces are similar, and yet unique. While one calls loudly for attention, the character of another is discovered only with time and focused attention. The colors and shapes relate with one another in a dynamic of tension and harmony.

In my family as well as my art, an informal structure provides a framework for direction, yet freedom and spontaneity are encouraged. As my children, both fabric and flesh, move towards maturity, I gradually surrender control and encourage them to become what they are created to be. I make decisions and direct the process, but I am not certain of the outcome while I am creating.

I believe it is an act of worship to celebrate the life and the gifts which God has graciously given. I am blessed with abundant love, vital faith and rich creativity. Through my art I express the joy of living and maturing as an artist, a Christian and a woman. These compositions of cut and sewn fabric are my psalms of praise.

working on graphics

2009-06-06T18:17:00.003-07:00

I really really need to get a website together!!

I have great technical help from Mark Minks, but I have needed to do some design work and put together some actual content.
First I worked on what will be the banner - wanted it to look sort of like the cover of my book.

Here is what I have - so far:

crochet crazy

2009-05-22T09:52:00.005-07:00

I learned to crochet a few months ago - and I've become hooked!

getting ready for vacation in France - j'ai besoin d'un beret violet, n'est-ce pas?

Here's the first hat, which I made for Joe while we were on vacation in Carmel/Monterey. I found a cool yarn store, and a hip how-to book.

He was cold, I was creative, and he had a new cap the next day!

I love doing hats, because it only takes a day to make a completed project. I can do it anywhere: watching tv, in the car . . . and its easy to put down and pick up again. I am loving multi-colored yarn, especially the expensive japanese wools that change colors only a few times in each skein - Joe's hat and several others are all one ball of yarn - with maybe another neutral added for contrast.

I've given these 3 away - and more!

Now I'm getting fancy with the stitches - this is multi-colored cotton yarn for a summer purse.

I sort of follow directions, but I am making things up as I go, which is really fun and easy with crochet!

I also love the rhythm and repetition - very relaxing but creatively stimulating.

someone liked my berry pickles!

2009-04-16T12:18:00.001-07:00

Not sure why I want to make a new blog - I really would rather do something more creative than be on the computer.
But I have been making lots of new things - some art quilts, some hats, some other stuff - and I thought if I started to blog and show off what I have made, that might be fun.
or motivating.
or whatever.

Here's a piece that was sold earlier this month:

Berry Pickles

more coming later.