Textile Art vs. Fiber Art -- Which words do you use?

Work by Nancy Crow

I have long defined my work as fiber folk art and it is usually a comfortable way for me to talk about what I do in my studio. Because I communicate with my collectors over the Internet, I have learned that art lovers in different parts of the United States and abroad use other words to describe the kind of objects/art I create. Outside of the conversation about the relative value of art as opposed to craft, which is a subject that often carries a bit of tension, I've been thinking about the choice of calling myself a fiber artist over a similar term, textile artist. Have you ever thought about a geographical or a perceived sophistication difference in the words used?

In common usage today, any type of artwork which uses pliable, organic elements as the major material can be labeled as either fiber art or textile art, and I notice when I do an Internet search that a large variety of examples come up when either term, fiber or textile, is used. However, I am noticing that there seems to be a difference between artworks that are created using traditional needlework techniques like stitching, weaving, spinning, felting, or quilting and those artworks that are made using a more expansive toolkit, like combining fiber with other mixed-media, adhesives, heated tools, or non-organic structural elements. Another clear reference to the word textile can be seen in ancient textiles to those of the 21st century, where a lineage of makers/artists created yardage of fabric, each baring the fingerprint of the artist.

Work by Miriam Schapiro

How does any of this history or word play make a difference in my profession? I believe that the way in which a person thinks about him or herself is a foundational element to whatever it is they do to earn a living. I am a professional artist, meaning my creative process is undertaken in a manner that addresses my economic goals and traditional business practices. When I use certain words to describe my artwork, words that feel apologetic or self-limiting, this has an impact on not only my own self expression but also on the manner in which the public views my work. I do sometimes feel hesitant to tell others I am a fiber artist, as if I am a poor cousin visiting the art world. Does this ever happen to you?

I believe that the art community, and especially the textile art community, has a strong heritage of skills that are passed down through both professional communities as well as domestic circles, and my work as an artist in in keeping with those who came before me. That means I can stand with some of my favorite artists who broke free of traditional and perhaps limiting art world boxes and now represent innovation in the fiber and textile arts--favorite artists like Nancy Crow and Miriam Schapiro come to mind.

Work by Georgianne Holland

When you consider making, buying or talking about fiber art, I hope that you also hold an expansive view about what it can mean within the larger artistic community. Beyond gender, beyond education, beyond cultural boundaries, there is a space for creativity using pliable organic fibers that speaks to humans in a very textural, seductive and accessible way. I have grown to think highly of all of this manner of communicating beauty and ideas, as I'm sure you have as well, and it is my hope that others will also help us sing the praises of creativity, using whichever words and mediums  ring most true.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Find my work at www.NestleAndSoar.com

Finding the Customer of your Dreams

When I think about working with my ideal client, I have to decide which hat to wear. There are 30 hours each week when I wear the fiber artist and entrepreneur's hat. This flamboyant chapeau is a favorite of mine and one that I have worn for more than 2 decades. You can bet there is always a romantic bird feather and lots of frilly silk on this hat, as the creative part of me always comes out when I pop it on my head!

There is another part of my entrepreneurial brain that needs to be adorned as I work with the ideal nutrition and wellness client. As a budding Integrative Health Coach, I wear a curious sort of hat that helps me to ask important questions and amplifies my client's answers. I truly want to understand the needs and goals of each of my wellness clients...I want to be the perfect match for them.

Do you have the need to seek out and serve the ideal client? Have you ever caught yourself trying to be All to Everyone? What kind of language do you share with the folks that are your ideal customer or client, and how can you be involved in a conversation using this language?

Top Tips for Meeting the Customer of Your Dreams

Focus on your strengths. Do you have clarity about what it is that you have to offer as skills, resources, finished products, or counsel? If you have clarity about what it is you have to offer and the niche that you serve, the right kind of customers will more easily relate to you.

Practice saying "No". When I first began doing private commissions as a fiber artist, I thought it was important to say "Yes" to each and every request. I have learned that when I say "No Thanks" to the wrong kind of project, I open myself up to many opportunities to allow the right kind of work to come into my space.

Choose your playground wisely. Have you been intoxicated by the Internet? It is easy for me to feel the desire to participate on all the channels of social media and marketing that being an online boutique affords me. This intoxication literally diluted my success, and I have learned to limit myself to only those platforms I can consistently and sincerely manage. How about you?

Nurture your team. As a follow-up to narrowing my focus, I have also had to get real about those important business and creative tasks I am better off delegating to talented others. As I work with my health coaching clients, my time needs to be spent speaking directly to individuals, so I hire the help I need to do things like publish newsletters and create marketing documents. As I have created my own process and procedures, with the help of talented others, I have learned to understand how to nurture my team and myself. I feel good about counting on experts and their guidance, and I do my best to make sure they know how much I appreciate them!

You are outstanding in your field!

There are efficiencies in small business management that help me be better available to my ideal clients. Sharing these ideas is a practical matter that may help you in your enterprise. You, too, have wonderful ideas that would surely help me, and I invite you to share as well!

Beyond the practical, I know that there are millions of people in the world who, like me, and perhaps like you, love fiber art, natural and ecochic home decor, and birds. There are also many millions who seek to improve their wellness and happiness quotient. I have proven to myself that finding the perfect people to serve with my passionate skills and voice is not really a matter of connecting with ALL those millions of like others.

It is more, I believe, about sharing my unique vision about natural beauty and beautiful wellness. The clarity of purpose I have about my offerings is the best way I have found to connect with the clients of my dreams. Take a moment every day to connect with your own inner purpose, as you, too, may find that this simple focus shines a light that enables your perfect customers to find you and embrace you.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Her Point of View -- Cindy Grisdela, Fiber Artist

Coral Reef

The fiber art community is a warm and welcoming place, and meeting new friends around the Colorado fiber art and fine craft scene is a joy! Visiting with other artists face-to-face adds greatly to my understanding of the varied opportunities in my field as well as opportunities to stretch and grow as an artist.

Interestingly, meeting other artists over the Internet has become a more steady part of my outreach in the fiber arts community. While we may never meet face-to-face, I can certainly tell you that delightful friendships can blossom through cyberspace!

Cindy in her sunny studio in Virginia

I would like to introduce you to one such new friend of mine, quilt artist Cindy Grisdela, from Reston, Virginia. She has also spent her time and talent getting to know other fiber artists, and in a recent interview, I learned a lot about how this successful, exhibited artist has built her career, year by year. Here is Cindy's point of view--

Georgianne Holland: Have you always been confident in letting your art quilt designs develop without a firm (design) plan, or did you need to build up your courage to work this way over time?
Cindy Grisdela: I started out as a self-taught traditional quilter about 30 years ago. I loved the old patterns and hand-stitching and made many quilts for my family and to give away as gifts. I almost always would tweak a pattern slightly to make it a little different than described. About 10 years ago I looked around at my quilts and realized that all of them were someone else's design, and that it was important to me to begin doing work that was uniquely mine. I started out revisiting traditional patterns like Sunshine and Shadow and Drunkard's Path and recreating them in a more contemporary style. You can see Coral Reef and Splash of Color on my Etsy shop page. Over a period of time, I became more confident in using a completely improvisational style, where I begin with only a general idea of what I want to accomplish and let the design evolve on my design wall. One of the first pieces I did that with was Amber Harvest which won a juror's choice award at Art Quilts Lowell in 2010.

Splash of Color

GH: Congratulations on that award! How would you describe your business style as a fiber artist?
CG:  Although I'm a self-taught fiber artist, I do have an undergraduate degree in Art History, and a master's degree in Business. I'm very focused on the business side of my career, and I try to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. Early on, before I could really afford it, I hired Gloria Hansen at Gloderworks to design a very professional website for my work. That has been one of the best business decisions I ever made, since having a nice website has helped me to get gallery representation, commissions and other opportunities that I don't think would have come my way otherwise. Having a blog integrated into my website has also been important, and I try to blog at least twice a week--summers are a little slower for that though. I also joined TAFA in the early days and have tried to give back to that community as well. Plus I have a shop on Etsy, I blog regularly and I have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Amber Harvest

GH: What kind of community support are you finding in your hometown, and how has that impacted your work?
CG:  I belong to a multimedia arts group in my area called Great Falls Studio which has been tremendously important in the development of my work. It's been a huge advantage to be part of a group of creative people who support each other, even though I'm one of the only fiber artists in the group. I don't think I would be where I am today in my career without them. I started exhibiting in their local shows about 8 years ago. That was an invaluable learning experience that gave me confidence that I could have an art career at all. The key was to get involved though. I'm very active in the group, on the board of directors now, even though when I joined I only knew one other person. 


If you are a fiber artist who longs to build your professional presence, or you are a lover of colorful quilt art, I believe that Cindy is an artist whose expertise with both business and the tactile medium of art quilts is an ideal role model and guide. Thanks to Cindy for letting us see and learn more about the lovely world she has created in Virginia! I am a huge fan!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Eco-Chic is on Trend, and that makes us Cool!

Fiber art is a labor of love.

Saying "Eco-Chic" or any other term for describing the environmentally-friendly fiber art objects I make, no longer causes folks to say, "Huh?" Deborah Rent in the Chronicle Herald says that Eco-Chic is definitely trendy, and may even enter the territory of being hip. "When you tell people you're decorating your home by choosing environmentally sustainable products, you feel good about yourself...you instantly up your cool quota."

So what is cool about choosing organic fabric to design my home decor pillows? Farmers who grow cotton, hemp, bamboo or linen fibers organically to manufacture fabric are easier on the soil, the people who handle that fabric, and the consumer. Many organic farmers are masters at crop rotation, which keeps the 80% of our planet's biodiversity in the soil healthy. No synthetic chemicals are used, and they skip the poisons like formaldehyde and heavy metals. Yuck! And decorating organic fabrics by hand, like I do in my designs, feels right. I invest a lot of time and care in my home decor items. They are a labor of love and they deserve a high-quality foundational fabric!

I am always on the lookout for certified organic products for my art. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) states that certifying organics is mutually beneficial for everyone involved in an organic cotton supply chain as it insures integrity in their processing and labeling. I am excited to grow my design business into a organization that can add to the cause of greening your home! Besides, I've always loved thinking of myself as hip and cool.

What kind of eco-chic items are you loving right now? I'd like to hear about it!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Bright Colors and Soft Textures in Home Decor Fiber Art

Wool circles staged for my new line of pillows!

Lots of embroidery will need to happen next!

Bright colors and silky textures are the inspiration I count on as I spend hot June days in my fiber art studio.  This new batch of 100% wool felt is now cut into circles, waiting patiently for me to sort out new fiber art designs! The popular Folk Art Flowers pillows I've had in my collection for a few years need to have some fresh design touches. I am planning to add flags and other bold circle-centric designs in the upcoming months.

Some of the soft and colorful wool from the Wool Festival in Estes Park.

Do you have a favorite color scheme in your home that you can share with me? I'd love to have your input.






This small folk art flag design is similar to a large wall fiber art piece I've been attending to this year. This smaller version is being made for a 12"x15" pillow design, and I am enjoying the process. Iconic flags are a fun addition to many home decor styles, and the layout of this flag is straight- forward. Perhaps this design is too traditional?

Do you think I should be more contemporary and angle the flag or give it some wave-like motion?








I visited the Wool Festival in Estes Park, Colorado, last weekend with some of my fun knitting friends! This picture shows some of the lovely colors and soft textures I purchased from the vendors at this terrific annual event. I always enjoy visiting with vendors at the market and catching up with their news and exciting products. Some of these friendly people are my year-long source of hand-dyed, eco-friendly wools for my fiber art. I have to admit, it is taking a lot of self-restraint to create this blog post today instead of getting elbow deep in this luscious pile of bright and silky wool! I wanted to share before I start pulling these fibers apart in the creative process.

I hope you will keep an eye out for new creations from Nestle And Soar in the coming weeks, and I also hope you will let me know if there is anything special I could Customize especially for you!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

P.S. Thank you for following this blog. I do appreciate it! Today through June 15, 2013, I invite you to use a special coupon code "BlogFriend" at checkout on my Nestle And Soar website, and receive 20% off your purchase of any one regular-priced item. If you aren't a follower of this blog, sign up today! Great coupons and fun specials are a part of the fun here. Georgianne

New Work in the Studio

Here's what's happening at Nestle And Soar this week...

A huge shipment of celadon green wool roving arrived and my hands could not stop until I played with this elegant color! I read a reference to the word celadon, commonly used to describe a delicate green, earlier, used to describe a tender lover, after Celadon, the hero in a romance by d'Urfe. I believe that there is a romantic quality to this green, and hopefully, to these three pieces on my worktable. Oh, my sweet Celadon.

English Garden, hand needle felt, embroidery, beading on linen

Love Birds, hand needle felt on linen

Piece 4 in series of 6, patchwork with needle felting

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Storage Inspiration for Creative Women

Do you consider yourself to be an organized person? I thought I was, too, until I found out about the creative women who came up with these wonderful storage solutions. Now I just think I am inspired to be organized.

I love labels. I love signage. The world needs more signage.

Clear plastic bins are genius. Clear bins with labels: super genius.

I am a big fan of doors on storage. Dust happens, and these doors minimize that.

Messy food containers are a pet peeve of mine: this is a great system!

If you have fond memories about the Dewey Decimal System, like I do, these drawers are extra special.

I hope you feel organizationally inspired! I know that my garage needs to not only be organized, but hosed out. Perhaps that chore will make it to the top of my priority list on the next warm Colorado day....after I walk around the lake, that is. And refill the bird feeders. And eat an ice cream cone...while reading. But once I get to it, you have to know, there will be labels.

Thanks for stopping by!
Georgianne

New Website for Eco-Chic Fiber Art Lovers

The past six months of my life here in Colorado have been electronically creative for me! A strong focus on online technologies is an unnatural devotion, and I tease by telling others that I am high fiber, not high tech. Luckily, this huge technology project has been managed by a team of experts who have guided me and educated me in the ways of the web. I am pleased to announce the launch of my newly designed website, Nestle And Soar, a colorful and fun resource for those who love to fill their home with original and elegant home decor.

One of the most exciting features of my new website is the Customize It! page. Many of my collectors have asked me to make a fiber art piece especially for them, in colors and finishes that exactly match their home's decor. With this feature at Nestle And Soar, we've made it easy for folks to order their own special item. It's very exciting!

Do you love lush textiles and pops of color? Green luxury in home decor means dressing up your space with statement pieces that reflect the beauty of nature without damaging our ecosystem in process. My fiber art pieces showcase hand needle-felting and embroidery created with organic fabrics, hand-dyed wools and sustainable, fair-trade business practices. I invite everyone who loves to decorate with limited-edition fiber art designed and master-crafted in America to visit Nestle And Soar online!

I also invite each of you to subscribe to my simply elegant newsletter. Published monthly and filled with gorgeous photos and artisan interviews, you will also be among the first to learn about reader discounts and new Nestle And Soar fiber art collections! I hope to hear from you: would you tell me about your love of textiles, nature-inspired art or how you add to the green luxury in your home?

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

You're Crowding Me!

Things are feeling rather crowded at Nestle and Soar today. A huge mess is developing!



When large shipments of raw materials arrive, I always have the need to spread it all out and survey the bounty! It's supposed to snow here in Colorado again today, so staying in and sorting piles of wool and refurbished vintage frames is my plan for the morning.


It may be gray outside, but it is bright and cheery inside the studio. I suppose working with lots of red and orange helps!


I guess no one likes feeling crowded. These sweet birds are making me think spring...stay warm where you are!

Thanks for stopping by, Georgianne

Storage, Organization and Color in my Fiber Art Studio

I had a big decision to make. I could embrace the chaos in my fiber art studio or I could tear it apart -- I could not see any middle ground. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all of the parts and pieces, tools and raw materials of your creative pursuits? When I am "in the zone" of fiber art design, the wool flies, let me tell you! Every horizontal surface is fair game and teetering piles of in-progress work abounds. This kind of chaos is very exciting! And then it happens. Usually about two weeks later, I enter the studio with my head filled with productive plans for the day, and I realize that the mess of that past creative session is now just an obstacle. Where are my scissors? Do I even have any oatmeal linen today? When are those orders due? Chaos is not always exciting.

The loving embrace of that post-design mess is over and I begin to dig out from under all of the colorful mess I've created. Today is redemption day! I can report that my organization skills, while not always on display, have served me well in the past week. Would any of these horizontal storage tricks help you with your creative space? My new creation, my work table skirt, has 24 pockets, perfect for keeping my colorful wool within easy view and reach, without using any horizontal work surface. My pillow trims are no longer thrown together in a spider-web like pile, with unknown lengths in jumbled colors. I can easily pull out the length I need of the just-right color. That's more satisfying that I should probably admit. And if you have already discovered how great it feels to have your shoes neatly contained in one of these lovely hanging closet organizers, feast your eyes on what they do for a rainbow of fiber. Having all my materials on organized display like this has sparked design ideas already.

So now I have another big decision to make. Do I enter my sparkling clean studio today and make another mess or do I just stand around and enjoy the view? I will go with the mess...right?

Thanks for stopping by, Georgianne

Color or Craftmanship in Needlework: Which is more important?

Robin Pillow by Georgianne Holland

The pursuit of simple elegance in hand-stitched needle arts is an important part of my life as an artist and business woman. I often find my most satisfying expression of fine craft skills as I fill my entire worktable with piles of colorful wool roving, wool crewel yarn, and sketches of lovely birds! Creating unique textiles, like my line of Bird Pillows in the Nestle and Soar studio, is my joy and my work. Isn't it lovely to have both joy and work fill the same spot in life?

Many of the eco-chic pillows I make showcase birds that come from my whimsical imagination, and others are my needle-felt depiction of real birds, like the Western Tanager or every one's favorite Bluebird. I am a devotee of the iconic bird drawings and paintings of John J. Audubon, so some of my designs are meant to pay tribute to him as well as the fine artists who were his apprentices during his artistic adventures. Are you a fan of Audubon? Do you have a favorite bird that always catches your eye in art and fine craft designs?

Tree Party Pillow by Georgianne Holland

The process of needle felting birds, trees or any living thing is an energetic and exciting process! There is always an eagerness when I assemble all of the colors and materials I will be using for a project. Even after many years as a fiber artist, there is a passion for the process because I'm actually holding the colors, feeling the texture of the fibers, and laying them down layer by colorful layer as I work. There's a lot of physical energy that goes into the fine craft of needle felting, especially work that is done by hand...I have never tried to use a felting machine. I'm sure it would speed up the process and perhaps make me more productive, but I'm not convinced that the passion for the art form would be honored.

Western Tanager Pillow by Georgianne Holland

If I were to name the single most important element in the process of making limited-edition art pillows, I'd have to think long and hard between choosing COLOR or choosing CRAFTSMANSHIP. Because I work with forms found in nature, the coloring of most elements in my work are standard-issue blues, greens, and shades of brown. I can absolutely be the "bringer of zing" when I work with the brightest yellows, oranges,and purples that are part of male birds we all long to welcome for a visit. So while my color choices may be somewhat predictable, I believe they are still an amazing part of the joy that becomes stitched into these textile forms. I certainly feel great with the color play, and I hear that enjoying the pop of color that these pillows bring to my client's homes is great fun!

Would you agree with me that craftsmanship is the binding element that sets a family heirloom apart from a one-season, somewhat disposable room accessory? While the on-trend colors of interior design change over time, the impeccable quality of workmanship in a handmade textile is the kind of quality that makes a handmade item a family treasure. Many people also love the lineage of items that were loved by their family in years past, items like quilts or tailored clothing come to mind. The Western Tanager Pillow I've made began as a pristine vintage hankie that was hand embroidered and tatted in the 1940s by another woman who loved the needle arts! I've re-purposed that hankie into a sweet pillow that marries my love of Audubon art with my desire to make a new family heirloom that will bring a graceful note to a special family home.

What is the single most important element in the process of your creative endeavors? I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne