CREATING A BALANCE

©Cynthia Morgan

Ozquilt Network Newsletter Issue #34 DECEMBER 1999

In 1999 my schedule has been busier than ever. In between a three week teaching stint in Alaska in February, three weeks away in October to attend the Quilt Festival in Houston and then judging and teaching at the Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara, California, workshops in Emerald and Conondale, Queensland, and two dyeing workshops in my home studio, I have had to be well organised to complete ten quilts and make a dyed reversible jacket for myself! In my later years with the family grown up, textile art has become, my raison d'être, my passion. We all realise that textile art is labour intensive, and dyeing one's own stash of fabrics adds more to this.

To create and maintain a balance in my life is always a problem. We try to take a short holiday break after a teaching contract. This year after Caryl Bryer Fallert taught workshops around Australia, we picked Bob and Caryl up in Brisbane and took them up to O'Reilly's in Lamington National Park to experience the sub-tropical rainforest there. After a brief stopover at our home on the Sunshine Coast and another at our daughter's home in Bundaberg, we took them to Heron Island to discover more delights in the Great Barrier Reef. During these trips I take the photographs which are the inspiration for my quilts. For me there is never a creative block, as ideas tumble over each other demanding expression in fabric. My days flash past as I work with a daily list, making my own deadlines - much earlier than the due dates on entry forms. Chores are at a minimum with cleaners to keep the house going and my husband doing most of the shopping. Bulk cooking sessions and freezing dishes allows for fewer interruptions to the working day.

My daughter comes during school hours on a Wednesday and works for me while her three year old son plays around the house. She rinses and washes out dyed fabric, and helps by making up the workshop packs for my next classes. She has completely reorganised my cupboards for fabrics and embellishments. I still budget for time to cook Sunday lunch for our grandsons, and to be on hand whenever the family need me or are here. I recognise that I am a workaholic. I play tennis weekly and try to keep up with friends. I am a member of the Zonta Club of Caloundra City, the women's service club. This year I donated my quilt 'Beyond Our Imaginings' for a major fund raising raffle for the club. This took up more time than I anticipated, but by sending out tickets throughout Australia to friends, clients and quilting groups I have raised $2500 for my efforts, apart from the many other raffle tickets sold by other club members.

As an artist, I aim to create work which expresses my vision of the world and which is emotionally satisfying and pleasing to me. As a professional textile artist I try to balance teaching commitments and creating new work. Teaching is rewarding both financially and with the joy of imparting my skills and knowledge, and seeing students respond to this knowledge. However, if I spend too much time teaching it drains my creative energies and I cannot physically complete enough quilts to enter into exhibitions.

To remain viable I need a balance of quilt sales, sales of the cards of my quilts, and teaching contracts. There are often periods of 'drought' where no sales occur, and then a rush of sales or commissions as the result of an exhibition. Before I left for Houston and Santa Clara, I was visited unexpectedly by the owner of the New York gallery, Antipodes, who had bought several of my quilts previously. He bought five quilts and six of my books to my delight, even though two of these quilts were to have been part of my exhibition at Santa Clara four weeks later. Sales such as this boost both the coffers and my morale. My experience in judging and teaching in USA helps keep me abreast of the wider quilting scene, and gives me a true perspective of my own work.

© Cynthia Morgan 1999