DRAWING FROM THE DAY
  • ...a blog on art, creativity, and mindfulness

"how long did it take to make that?"

5/15/2015

3 Comments

 
This is a question every textile artist learns to dread.  The answer is so variable.  What constitutes "making"? 

  • All the hours spent learning the technique and getting better at it?  Designing and planning the project?
  • Gathering the materials?  Doing all the prep with the materials? 
  • Directly doing the technique (in my case, traditional rug hooking)? 
  • Letting things go fallow for a day or a week or a month or a year because 1) life has gotten in the way; or 2) one is temporarily stuck, and there's a need to work out another way of proceeding? 
  • Or taking things out and re-doing them, which is also quite common? 
  • Plus, some textile arts are much speedier to execute than others. 
  • And what about the finishing process, which can take quite a while?

It's nearly impossible to figure out the answer to that question.  All of us get it all the time.  It's understandable, but it's really a challenge.

So here's a picture of my rug between yesterday and today.  Yesterday I hooked for about 3 hours and started-and-finished the upper left portion of the central figure (the zig-zaggy "steps").  Today I hooked for about 4 and a half hours and finished the "steps" on the right side of that figure, plus got one of the upper motifs done, and filled in more background.
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And people wonder why a hand-hooked rug costs so much... 

I do own a button that says "Slow Hooker."

Don't get me wrong, though, I loved every loop that I pulled. If I didn't totally love this, I wouldn't be doing it.

How do other artists handle this question at shows?  I'd love to hear from you, so please feel free to add a comment.  Thanks.
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3 Comments
Nancy Zuese link
5/15/2015 08:09:56 am

I have a pin that says fast hooker

Reply
Janet Conner link
6/12/2015 01:20:28 am

I love your list of "what constitutes making", and I would like to add that I often think, plan, research , and imagine a rug for years before I design, dye for it and make it. The actual hooking is the fastest part of the process for me...

Reply
Devin
6/13/2015 03:32:07 am

Ain't that the truth. The hooking is definitely the fastest part for me as well, unless it's an unusually tricky piece, but that's rare for me as I like to spend my time just hooking without having to think too much when I get to the hooking stage. I do admire those artists who produce rugs that require much experimentation during the hooking process, but that's not what I want to be doing when I get to that stage. So like you, I do a lot "in my head" before I sit down to hook. Thanks!

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    ABOUT ME

     I'm a textile artist (traditional rug hooking, punch needle rug hooking, and other textile arts), a long-time meditator, a certified meditation teacher and coach, and focused on learning about the interplay of art, creativity, and mindfulness every day. 

    I am also a Certified Zentangle® Teacher (CZT 11) and a student of drawing and of the tarot.

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  • ...a blog on art, creativity, and mindfulness