"MISSING GLASS" RUG HOOKED WALLHANGING, MAKING A LIGHT BOX

"Missing Glass" in progress,  3 feet by 5 feet, Lori LaBerge  2015

The latest piece has finally received a title.  I had to think about what really drew me to take the photo of this old window in the first place and it was the two missing glass sections. Most of the abstract pieces I work out in my head start with a title from which the idea develops. Pieces I work out from photos or actual things that I have seen tend to be titled after the piece has started.  Not sure why this is. Possibly because, for the latter, the visual is already there ready to work on rather than imagined.

"Missing Glass", close-up in progress,  Lori LaBerge  2015

Larger pieces can be a bit overwhelming at times.  I like to break them down into sections and then each section gets broken down as it is being hooked.  The majority of this work is done in a meandering manner which allows me to set up the outlines and then fill them in making each section seem to move along faster and giving me a solid idea of how the color fits in with the overall work.

Section of new gallery set-up

This week was also filled with moving the gallery section of the studio.  I have downsized the area for winter.  Older works had been hanging in the work section, but since this is the area people enter first it is in the process of being updated to show the direction my work is currently going in.

  

I have been thinking about making a light table since finding out about needing hand surgery.  I will be slowing down and anything that will help to speed things up is welcome. The workshop section of the studio/workshop/ gallery is done so my husband and I went out to buy the materials this week.  Here is how the project progressed:

A box section was pieced together and self-adhesive super bright led light strips were attached to the bottom of the box.  We used thin wood for the bottom and 3/4 inch wood for the sides.  The box measures 30" X 36" to fit the measurement of the glass and acrylic for the top.

A hole was drilled into one side edge for the lighting.

Metal L-bars were cut to size and spray painted. 

Glass and acrylic were placed on top and the L-bars were screwed into the sides.  Here it is lit up and ready to go.  There is even a remote control for the lighting.

We all face adversity at one time or another.  If slowing down is an option, enjoy the time to relax.  If it is not an option, think of how you can make things easier on yourself and have a great day.

MORE DONE ON "BLUE COLLAR', WHY YOU SHOULD TITLE YOUR WORK

Another mixed up week of cold, rain, wind, and even sleet.  More hooking was done on "Blue Collar" throughout it all.

"Blue Collar" in progress,  Lori LaBerge  2013

I was curious to see how the light turquoise blue would work on the bottom section, so I skipped to that rather than continue on the top section.  It works nicely, brightening up the piece and adding contrast.   

The stripe from left to right just below center is hooked horizontally, portraying a rail that stretches across the silos at the quartz plant.  The addition of the pulley when the hooking and whipping process is finished will give the piece a more industrial feel. 

While creating the piece I am thinking about what I want to portray.  This work is not meant to be pretty, it is meant to make people think about the jobs blue collar workers do. The thought of meaning brought me to thinking about titles of artwork. Do we need to title our work?  Does it help the viewer?  What if we don't title it?

I like titles.  I think they bring the viewer into the artist's thought process.  After all, if you created something, you must have had a main idea going on.  There must have been something about the scene or abstract concept in your head that attracted you enough to create an artwork of it.  There should be a reason for the creation of the piece.

"Fall Barn Shadows"  Lori LaBerge  2009  

The title lets the viewer know that my interest in creating this piece was the shadows in the snow, on the barn and inside the doorway.

I like to look at a title and figure out if I'm seeing things the same way the artist did. Did the artist make the title quite clear or did they leave some ambiguity?  This is especially important with abstract work which forces the viewer to think creatively. Some viewers like things spelled out and for the most part abstract just doesn't work that way.  A title can help lead the viewer to the artists thoughts.

 "Midstream"  Lori LaBerge  2006

This title gives a clear indication of water running through the center of the work.  From there the work is open to viewer interpretation.

Untitled works have always bothered me.  Untitled 1, Untitled 2, Untitled 3, etc.  I know artists are not writers, but this says something to me.  Does the artist think his or her work is so self-explanatory it does not need a title?  If so, and the viewer doesn't understand the piece would the artist simply dismiss the viewer as "not getting it"?  If the artist couldn't title it, could they even tell me what the piece is about?

"X Marks the Spot"  Lori LaBerge  2008

This is a simple geometric and does not really need a title that explains it.  It is clear that I focused on the shape of the x's while hooking this work.  I was interested in shape and color.  The title is not overly cutesy, which I always try to avoid.  

Every single buyer of my larger work has asked me to tell them about the work and a title is the start of that story.  Titles also help an artist to catalog their work and be able to find pieces more easily. 

    "House Hunting"  Lori LaBerge  2010

The planned title for this piece was "Crow in the City".  As the piece was being completed, I thought there was more to this.  What was the crow doing in the city?  This title is more specific and tells more of a story. 

My experience is that people who visit exhibitions like titles.  It gives them a connection to the artist.  Buyers, especially collectors, like to know the artist, whether meeting them personally or through understanding the meaning or method of their work. 

Notice the titles on the artwork you view, think about whether you relate to or understand that title and have a great day.