Embroidered Collage

I had an armful of new issues at Barnes and Noble yesterday!  While always fun, it was also oddly disappointing.

Piecework - Even though I'm not doing much traditional needlework, I still enjoy reading about it. Yet after five years, a lot of the information seems to run together, even though the articles are still well written and enjoyable.  This issue focused on various quilts and the one that grabbed me was a couple pages on Libbie Gottschalk who slowly covered one of her grandfather's quilts in clothing labels as it wore out and split.  At this point the original fabric is completely covered, but the memory remains.

Somerset Studio - I've heard people comment before about how all the art in this magazine tends to look the same, but it really hit me between the eyes this time.  At first I thought it was because I'd changed, although the art had not.  On closer reflection, I think part of it is also the layout and lighting in the magazine articles.  It kind of blends the careful pencil drawings together with the altered fashion ads and so forth.    In any case, I look at it and think that maybe work that can be made to fit in this magazine isn't really what I'm aiming for.  On the plus side, I loved the artist's paper designed by Lisa Kaus this issue.  I'd very much like to use it in something.  Anne Bagley's notes on how to paint unique paisley patterns was intriguing, as it's a subject matter I would have been afraid to tackle. 

Juxtapoz - I discovered this crazy magazine a few issues ago and it showcases really strange art, often highly detailed and surrealistic, on the border of pop culture.  It's interesting, and I'm looking forward to reading the issue more closely.  But once again, my thought as I flipped through was that, no, I don't fit here.  This isn't it either.  It's just going to be fun to be influenced by it for a couple more months.

Fiber Arts - I love and adore this magazine.  The varied work featured has resonated since the first issue that I saw and it still does, even though it's pretty much all a step removed from the mixed media I want to develop.    Seeing in fabric and thread and stitched creations just matters more to me.  The variations the medium puts on traditional and modern subject matter interest me.  Someday, if my work keeps the stitch as I intend it to, I would like to have to be mentioned here.  That's such a very very long term goal that it doesn't really deserve the name of "goal", more like wish.

I did NOT buy the brand new issue of Quilting Arts on the newstand because I have a subscription.  Even though my issue is NOT HERE yet.  AAAargh.  And this after someone on the Quilt Art mailing list gave the issue a detailed and glowing recommendation.  I am being patient.  Really.  Honest.  Sigh.