“In the Artists Studio” with Sharon B, “Pin Tangle”

About a month ago I had a brainstorm! What would I love to write and read about on my own blog? Since I have been blogging for 6 years, I’ve made lots and lots of fabulous and impressive internet friends and what better way to celebrate all these relationships than to do interviews! So, please indulge me while I ask my favorite artist/bloggers the questions I’ve ALWAYS wanted to ask them! (I hope you all enjoy this!).

For my first article, Sharon Boggon of “Pin Tangle“.(read more about her here!)

Mary-Frances: Your stitch dictionary is a fabulous resource – why did you create it?

Sharon: I had oodles of teaching notes and references when I learnt how to write web pages I decided to share my notes as it was an opportunity to practice hand coding!  Originally I put about 20 stitches online and at the time I never thought people would find it useful but they did so I added to it and it grew from there

Mary-Frances: Why did you start your blog?

Sharon: In my work at the art school, I had been researching the start of Web 2.0 technologies and I saw it an opportunity for people to publish online. I liked the idea of participatory media instead of simply consuming our media.

I  love textiles and I realised that blogs could promote an interest like embroidery. I want the needlearts to be alive and kicking at the end of the 21st century long after I am gone. If a practice such as embroidery is to stay alive we need ways to expose people to what is possible with needle and thread.  At the time I thought if that means going online with it I will. The way I see it, if a network of people writes about what they are doing it will attract others, it means that this subculture of stitching is alive and healthy. I love it when I get an email or a comment from someone who has started to embroider or started crazy quilting because they have read my blog. It means my original idea ie to promote the love of textiles is working.

Mary-Frances: What have you learned from blogging and how has it helped (or slowed down) your work?

Sharon: Often people ask me how I get time to stitch and blog. My answer is that one feeds the other. I find writing about stitching and reading about what others are doing that I am constantly focused on this aspect of my life so I tend to stitch more. In other words it stimulates and already existing interest and keeps me focused.

Because I go through the process of writing and documenting some aspect of my work it notches the project higher on my priorities just slightly. For instance the last 18 moths or so I have been documenting parts of my band sampler. Since starting that documentation my stitching on sampler has increased. Writing about it has re-invigorated the piece for me.

I think blogging is useful to keep the UFO’s (Un-Finished Objects) in control. A blog acts like a ‘show and tell’ and the fact that it is a public a can be enough to complete the project. Feedback means encouragement, just at the point in the project when the process is at the hard slog stage.

The unexpected pleasure is the social aspect of keeping a blog. Some people see blogs diary like documents that are a self indulgent waste of time but I see blogs as like a conversation at a workshop. Blogs perform a similar role. Blogs are NOT a substitute for face to face groups they are an addition to face to face groups. They add to a creative life rather than detract.

Keeping a blog highlights what I have done. A blog can document an activity that can be measured. It’s a list which bolsters a sense of achievement simply because you can look back and visibly see what has been done how I have contributed as I have my “what have I achieved” days too.

Mary-Frances: Have you encountered any problems with blogging you hadn’t expected? Or any rewards?

Sharon: In the early days spam was a real problem. At one stage although spam was blocked so much of it was hitting the servers that it almost stopped me blogging as it was getting very difficult to pay for a dedicated server.

I also regularly get the both the stitch dictionary and various blogs posts stolen.If anything it theft that will wear me down as often when I discover yet another instance of theft I have one of those why do I do it moments. Since advertising pays my bills to host stitch dictionary and blog it is important that I earn the money for the content I provide. Not others!

Occasionally I have had an abusive email but they are rare.

Surprising to me is that many readers are not web savvy. I forget that not everyone is web literate but emails and comments indicate to me that there are people who are still finding their way through the blogosphere. I have had stitchers not know what a web site address was, not understand how to navigate a blog, not realise that you can leave a comment, not understand about categories, tags or even very simple things like not know how to save a copy of an image. So writing for all skill levels is an unexpected challenge

Also not all readers are aware of how this technology shifts and is constantly moving. I am interested in how people acquire skills, how they apply them and how they value them. Unlike many skills acquired in textiles, the skills associated with using technology change. Some people hold an assumption, that once a skill is acquired it is learnt for life. For someone who is learning to sew, once you learn to thread a needle you know how to do it. A needle is a needle, and thread is a thread, they have been this way for hundreds if not thousands of years and have not changed. The web and technology however is changing all the time. The digital skills I had a decade ago are totally redundant now. I can see this clearly but I can not assume that my readers will happily adapt to a path of constant learning. Some people embrace it and enjoy it for others it is a fearful and time consuming path. I have to constantly remind myself of this. On the other hand keeping a blog has meant that I learn more about the technology which I find fun.

Blogs do take time. I need to find time to write, time to think, time to maintain the blog. Blogs by their very social nature increase email and that takes time too! However I have found the more effort I put into this activity the more I get out of it. On the practical side of things the blog is a useful tool to promote such things the online classes I teach, but by far it is the stimulation of communicating with people who have similar interests that is the greatest benefit.

Mary-Frances: Why did you settle on crazy quilting as a medium?

Sharon: I am not sure it is my only medium but I have written most about it. When I first saw crazy quilting I thought “I can do that!” Then I found what an interesting process it was to get a block a read well. Each block is a mini compositional and design challenge that I have never tied of. So I have kept it up!

Mary-Frances: Do you do have any other artistic pursuits we aren’t aware of?

Sharon: Other interests include studio/visual/art journals, I would love to get back to doing more drawing. I bind the odd book then fill it with stuff. I do some collage work which I might share on my blog one day.

I also do digital work (there are some on my flickr site here http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonb/sets/72157601223652074/) This surprises some people but I love mucking about with graphics programs.

The other area I have been exploring for the past 2 years is 3D modelling as I enjoy a virtual world called Second Life. At various times Second Life has had some bad press but like anything online if look for rubbish that is what you will find and if you look for people you will find people doing interesting creative things.

Second Life is a 3D world that is created by its users. Everything you see in the virtual world is ‘built’ by its community. It is a social world and I like making things and it makes sense that I would be attracted to making parts of a virtual world.

I am currently making a pile of plants to grow next to a water fall (also built by me) in my virtual garden. Mind you next week I could be fascinated with building a steam punk library or a castle or fairy land with tree houses. That’s what I love about what you can make in a 3D world you are limited only by your skill set and time.

I have yet to quite figure out how this 3D virtual space might be used for fiber folks other than to meet and chat to each other but I am sure one day I will have a lovely garden for people sit their avatars and have a chat about stitchin! If readers are interested my Second Life avatar is Teal Etzel and my blog is No where Now Hear ( http://tealetzel.wordpress.com/) and I am happy to meet anyone in world

Mary-Frances: Are you self taught? If not, where have you learned a lot of your stitches and techniques?

Sharon: I was trained as a painter 30 years ago and have since done 3 more degrees all of which are related to the visual arts. My masters I gained in the Textiles department at the School of Art, Australia National University, here in Canberra. I taught in an art school for a long time. As to the nuts and bolts of stitching I have my mother and many women at the Embroiderers guild to thank for those skills.

Mary-Frances: What about your work is Australian (if anything? I know the “Safe as Houses” piece captured raging fires that are pretty unique to Australia)?

Sharon: I am not sure about national boundaries in a medium that is international – like textiles or even the internet itself. I just don’t think that way. I think globally so I guess I have been a geek too long.

Mary-Frances: How do you think Quilting, Embroidery and Crazy Quilting is different in Australia? Can you see things that set it apart from American artists in each medium?

Sharon: I maybe wrong but I see many very talented American crazy quilters worry about juried shows. As an Australian I puzzle over this. The shows seem to carry a lot a weight in peoples minds. I see people focus on what guidelines are what and I think it keeps people in a holding pattern.

A quilt in here is defined as 3 layers tied or quilted together and so we don’t have the same issues when it comes to exhibiting.

Mary-Frances: I love your story about embroidering your pairs of jeans – is this the first item you “encrusted” with embroidery?

Sharon: Since I was in my late teens at the time it probably was. It is the one I remember anyway!

Mary-Frances: You’re also a teacher, what do you teach and how does that tie in with how we all know you on your blog?

Sharon: Up until last year I was teaching at an art school. I taught digital media to textile and design students. Now I am in my studio and I teach online. I teach stitching and crazy quilting and I am about to try out a new course which teaches people how to use a free graphics manipulation program called GIIMP. How does it tie in to my blog. Obviously I use my blog to promote the classes but more than that I think the blog has given me a sense of what people are interested in, what they need to learn and why they might want it. So I guess my blog enables me to understand my students.

Mary-Frances: You have a very creative family – did they encourage you? Or did you encourage them? Tell us about them.

Sharon: I met Jerry when I was at art school and it was not uncommon for art students and musicians to get together. When I met Jerry I swore I would never marry a musician, and the fact that the band Jerry was in had actually made the charts did not impress me. What did impress me was his library of books as when I ran my eyes over the titles I realised not only did he have a library that equalled mine in quantity we had loads in common. If ever I write another blog it will be about the joy of reading and the fun of hunting out books but that is another topic altogether.

Jerry plays the violin and mainly plays Australian bush music which comes from the Irish fiddle tradition. Jerry still plays and last year released a CD

Our daughter Eve was  interested in gymnastics and ballet when she was young. In her teens she was very interested in live theatre and she joined the Canberra Youth Theatre  which have a circus class. I guess Eves interest in Circus dated from about then as she went on to train and study it seriously. She is a trapeze, high wire and stilt walker. Eve works with stilts on a  trapeze which is very tricky because when in stilts on a trapeze your centre of gravity is different. As I write this  she is performing in Vietnam. The Australian Embassy booked her troupe to perform as part of an Arts festival. Needless to say I am very proud of her. I know it sounds very romantic but I often hold my breath during her performances and it has been lots of hard work and  training. If readers are interested people can see some of her work on YouTube an be seen here http://www.youtube.com/user/LongShadowStilts