For all Participants - Important Info

It seems as though email isn't working right now for me, so if you did not receive an email from me today, please leave a comment here with your email address or email me directly at paperquiltproject@gmail.com and I will send you a copy of the email.

Here are a few important updates:

1. Currently, 21 collages still need to be submitted to me. There is a chance you will be replaced if you do not turn in your work. Please check the list in the right hand column to see if your collage was delivered successfully. If it wasn't, email me for more information.

2. I am currently looking into environmental charities (both local and international) and will have a list up on the blog soon.

3. In addition, I am currently looking into creating a book for this project. If you have experience, thoughts, have suggestions or wish to help please let me know.

4. Blog updates will be few and far between in the next coming months between April and July. I am moving to a new home in July, but I will be packing up and placing things in storage for 3 months. If you haven't sent in your collage, please contact me before sending it in in order to receive the correct mailing address.

5. If you would like to volunteer help (since it's just little old me here) to post interviews, research the book project, etc etc... please contact me. I would appreciate any help I can get over the next few months as things get a bit hectic for me.

That is all for now. Please hang in there and be patient. I'm working as hard and as fast as I can to get things moving forward.

Interview #6 - Laurie Bertrand

PQP. Please share with us your name, your location, and your website.

Laurie Bertrand
Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Liquid Paper

PQP. How did you hear about PQP and what drew you to the project?

I first noticed PQP on Flickr. As I was browsing through some of my contacts photos, I spotted an image of little piles of paper ... and I was hooked.

PQP. Is collage your personal choice of medium? If not, how would you describe your work?

So far, PQP is my first and only foray into paper collage. The thought of all the talented paper artists who were on board made me nervous -- it’s so intimidating! I found the medium exhilarating. My usual work consists mainly of things made of fabric: small sculpted figures, plush toys, etc.

PQP. The theme for this project is A Day in my Life. Please tell us the story behind your contribution.



My inspiration was an old chair I found in an used section of our building, a hotel from the early 1900s. When I asked the building manager if I could buy the chair, she said I could have it. “But wouldn’t you prefer one of the other (cleaner) chairs?” Oh, no! It was covered in a mess of paint drips and dirt, but I loved the lines.

PQP. If you could change one thing about the world, what would that one thing be?

That no one is ever convicted of a crime that they didn’t commit.

PQP. Which charity would you like to support through this project and why?



Because PQP includes artists from all over the world, who have many ideas, I’ll defer to whatever the group decides.

PQP. What is your favorite part about being an artist?

The point when I’m almost done with a project and I get a little bit giddy about the results. I take it over to my husband (who shares a studio space with me) so he can admire it. He’s always supportive and happy to see whatever it is I’m shoving in front of his face. I feel like a kid at show and tell.


PQP. Who are your top 3 favorite artists?

The first three that pop in my head are Jen Corace, Loretta Lux and Kees Van Dongen. So many have influenced me, but these are three of my favorite.

Interview #4 - Claudine Hellmuth

PQP. Please share with us your name, your location, and your website.
I'm Claudine Hellmuth, and I am from Orlando FL where I live with my husband Paul and our three fur-kids, Toby the wonder dog and Mabel and Stanley our cats.

PQP. How did you hear about PQP and what drew you to the project?

I found out about it from Dawn and I was excited to take the scraps and bits that she sent to me and create something out of them! It sounded like a fun game!

PQP. Is collage your personal choice of medium? If not, how would you describe your work?

I have been working in collage for about 11 years now, and I love collage!

PQP. The theme for this project is A Day in my Life. Please tell us the story behind your contribution.



It was a rainy day when I was working on this piece, some of the scraps of paper also had illustrations of rain drops on them so I decided to run with that theme!

PQP. If you could change one thing about the world, what would that one thing be?

Oh that is such a big question! What to choose? I would have to say animals should be treated nicer by us humans. I am a huge animal lover and I think all animals should be treated with love and respect.

PQP. Which charity would you like to support through this project and why?

I would like to support A Place to Bark. A Place to Bark is a 501.c3 not for profit rescue run by my close friend Bernie Berlin. She does it all by herself taking dogs and cats off death row and finding them new homes. We got our cat Stanley from her and we love him so much.

PQP. What is your favorite part about being an artist?

Making stuff!!

PQP. Who are your top 3 favorite artists?

Ohhh so hard! I can't name them all. Lately I really love the work of Camilla Engman.

Poll Results

The final results are in! You have all made me very happy. I don't know if you did it on purpose, but somehow things worked out how I had hoped it would. I initially began this project with the hopes of supporting an environmental organization and I certainly got my wish. This, of course, makes me very happy, but I truely would have been happy whichever way the vote went. It's all about supporting a cause that will make a change. A big thank you to those of you who took the time to vote!

I will make a decision on which charity to support and make a post about it soon. Any suggestions you may have for a certain environmental organization are welcome! Please take advantage of this opportunity to share an environmental cause you care most about and send in your links to me by commenting here or emailing me at paperquiltproject@gmail.com.

Thank you and I hope you're as happy as I am with the results.

Happy New Year!

Hello there!

Sorry for being away for so long! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you or the project! In fact, I've been working hard organizing all the collages and returning emails. We're almost there folks, but unfortunately I am still waiting on collages to arrive. All sewing will take place as soon as each collage is returned. This way there won't be any confusion what so ever. Below is a photo I took of the organized collages piled into their respective months:



If you're wondering if your collage has arrived, please look your name up over in the right hand column. If you don't see a heart by your name, please contact me asap if you have any questions. A closer look:



I have confidence that things will go smoothly from here on out since the holidays are over. I found a ton of collages in my mailbox that arrived during the week I was away. Here's a look at some of the work from september, which includes work that hasn't made it on the flickr site, due to a broken scanner:



Fortunately, participants are sharing their work over here, so stop by and catch up on all the fantastic work that has been submitted over the past couple of months. You'll see them shared here on the blog eventually, but I've got to get that scanner fixed first, hehe.

So, that's all I have for now. I'll be back tomorrow with more updates. I really appreciate your patience. This stuff is hard work, but I'm determined to get the ball rolling soon.

Will Return...

Hi Folks,

I'm going on vacation for a week. I'll be back next Saturday, January 12, 2008. I have the results in for the charity poll and will post information about this next week. Thanks for visiting and hope to see you all back here soon.

Happy New Year!

Interview #3 - Denise Simon

PQP. Please share with us your name, your location, and your website.

Denise Simon
Chicago, IL
http://www.favoritestories.org

PQP. How did you hear about PQP and what drew you to the project?

I saw a posting on Flickr for the project and e-mailed you right away.

PQP. Is collage your personal choice of medium? If not, how would you describe your work?

No, collage is not my first choice of medium. I generally use pen & ink for my illustrations. I like to use a really fine tip point because I am obsessed with detail.

PQP. The theme for this project is A Day in my Life. Please tell us the story behind your contribution.

For my Paper Quilt project I did A Day in my Life, which includes enjoying the little things that make my day - which for me can be anything from a cup of coffee in the morning, finding a good book at the library, getting my laundry done - or watching my cat play with a ball of yarn. (She is actually my roommates cat, but my roommate is my cousin, so technically she is not mine per se.)


PQP. If you could change one thing about the world, what would that one thing be?

This is a tough question because there are two things that I am pretty passionate about (besides drawing); riding my bike and being vegan. In my perfect world, there would be no harm done to animals for food, entertainment, clothing and testing. The grain that it takes to feed animals in the US is from 80 % of our agricultural land - does that make any sense? The list can go on and on. My perfect world would also entail more people riding their bikes instead of depending on their cars. I know this is not likely in every city, but if your grocery store is a block a way, does it make any sense to drive?

PQP. What is your favorite part about being an artist?



My favorite part about being an artist is that I am able to make a living doing what I love. I can live simply and stress free being an artist and nothing makes me happier.

PQP. Who are your top 3 favorite artists?

Top three would have to be;

1. Margaret Killagen - because she was one amazing artist. Her work and life are really beautiful.
2. Evah Fan - because she is one hilarious girl.
3. Laura Normandin - because her work is eye candy! I love her illustrations and her handmade goods are super cute.

Interview #2 - Tiel of Tsk Tsk

PQP. Please share with us your name, your location, and your website.

Hello, my name is Tiel. I’m located on my couch, in my house, in a city called Brisbane, in a country called Australia. My website is www.tsktsk.com.au.

PQP. How did you hear about PQP and what drew you to the project?

I think it was via flickr or on Dawn’s blogsite. Why did I decide to participate? Mmmm, mostly for the love of paper and art, and its unique concept. Also the challenge of receiving a package of papers and having to make an image out of it appealed to me. I’ve always been a sucker for creating something for a reason. A project that requires completion because someone else has initiated it. The PQP was even more appealing because it involves a multitude of artists from all backgrounds creating a product that benefits a charity.

PQP. Is collage your personal choice of medium? If not, how would you describe your work?

Well that depends on the mood of the day. I love collage and I think it began at an early age. I was one of those school kids that loved sticking and pasting my books with pictures at the beginning of the year. I have trouble throwing out papermatter because I always say to myself, ‘I might use that one day’.



Collage is hands on, but with hands on art I require time and space to leave my materials. This doesn’t always work for me. I’m a big believer in making art in a traditional way, i.e. with a pen, or stick of charcoal, paint brush etc. But I’m also a product of the computer art age. I have taught myself to use my mouse like a pencil or brush. I don’t like using software to create my art, I use my hands on skills to guide the software. Since becoming a mum and deciding to stay at home with them, I realized that the computer was my friend…it doesn’t require cleaning up at the end of the day, and so long as I press command+s I don’t have to fret about little hands reaching up and destroying any work in progress. So I have adapted and I often use collage with a digital process. I’ll give anything a go…I majored in printmaking at uni and would love to return to making etchings one day.

PQP. The theme for this project is A Day in my Life. Please tell us the story behind your contribution.



At the time I was approached to do this I thought, how can I possibly visualize a day in my life into a postcard size format with paper? So my image is just one element of my day that is usually full of chaos and mayhem. Is there anywhere in the world right now where climate change hasn’t had an impact on the way people live? Here in Australia, the lack of water has always been an issue. But this year in my city, it really has impacted on everyone’s daily life. Water restrictions are very strict and weeks have gone by without a drop of rain. I’ve never been a good gardener, but now without the use of a hose or sprinklers, my garden is looking very sad. All watering is now done with a bucket with recycled or grey water. I’m trying to keep an interest in my garden because my children love to grow plants, and they are learning that saving water is really quite easy to do.

PQP. If you could change one thing about the world, what would that one thing be?

People have written books to answer a question like this? There are many things, but simply, it would have to be educating more people about how to keep this planet healthy and clean. It should be a mandatory subject taught in all primary schools. There are lots of political and religious wars being fought around the world, there are people dying of starvation, human and animal persecution, many awful things, but I honestly believe that if we need to respect and protect our environment.


PQP. What is your favorite part about being an artist?

Convincing my family that being creative means that it is perfectly normal to not finish several projects before starting another. And mixing paints, I love making colours.

PQP. Who are your top 3 favorite artists?

Just 3? Right now I’m loving, English artist, Becky Blair for her canvas paintings.

I love Sara Fanelli’s illustrations. She has a wonderful way with combining paper and mark making.

I cannot go past Scandinavian artist, Stig Lindberg for his graphics on ceramics.

Last Call!

Okay, if you have not voted, please do so now or as soon as possible! I will be closing the polls on December 21, 2007.

Right now, 29% of you hope that an environmental organization is supported through PQP, 24% say they wish to see an "arts/culture" organization supported through this project, and in last place, 18% of you say you want the funds to go toward a charity for animals.

If you also have a suggestion for a specific charity/organization, please submit your suggestions in the comments or email it to me at paperquiltproject@gmail.com with "charity" in the subject line.

In other news, more interviews are on the way, as well as other goodies!

Thank you for your time!

Communication

Dear Participants,

It has come to my attention that perhaps not every participant is receiving PQP updates via email. If you have not been receiving updates from me, please contact me asap. I can be reached at paperquiltproject@gmail.com.

It is important that you send me an email address that you use regularly.

Thank you for your time,
Dawbis

Interview #1 - Ricardo Rodrigues

PQP: Please share with us your name, your location, and your website.
My name is Ricardo Rodrigues and my blog is wishes&heros.

PQP: How did you hear about PQP and what drew you to the project?
I visit [Dawbis'] work all the time because I love it, so when I saw [her] post about the project I was immediatly interested. I love collage and loved the idea of a big quilt made of paper and with the work of so many different people.



PQP: The theme for this project is A Day in my Life. Please tell us the story behind your contribution.

I made a face that represents my own and the hair was the projects I was working on at the moment, my soft art toys: ronras and heróis de bolso.








PQP: Is collage your personal choice of medium? If not, how would you describe your work?
Collage is not what I do all the time but I love doing it. I do mostly acrylic illustration and black pen illustration (the one I love the most). The other side of my work includes the soft art toys made of fabric and a lot of accessories. I like trying different materials and do not stick to just one thing.

PQP: If you could change one thing about the world, what would that one thing be?
I would take "hate" out....

PQP: What is your favorite part about being an artist?
Doing what I realy love.

PQP: Who are your top 3 favorite artists?
1. Gaudi
2. Rebecca Dautremer
3. José Vaz de Carvalho

Thank you Ricardo for sharing your words with us!

December First

Hello! Just a reminder that beginning the first of December all further updates will be made here on the blog. You can expect great interviews with some of the participants from each month! All submitted artwork will be shared on the blog as well, so be sure to come back and visit the blog for these special updates!

Thank you!
Dawbis

Vote!

As you know, I initially started this project hoping to make a difference by raising money for an environmental organization, but after a little while I realized it doesn't matter for whom or for what we support. It's the "making a difference" part that I care most about, don't you? This is why I decided to let the participants decide. There are participants from 23 countries participating in this project and I feel that we all should have a say in how we are going to make a difference. So if you have not voted yet and wish to do so, please click here.

In addition, if you have a particular organization in mind, please post in the comments section the name of that organization. Or if you would rather email it to me, please send it to paperquiltproject@gmail.com.

Thank you,
Dawbis

Big Big Update

Folks, it has been almost an entire year since the Paper Quilt Project got under way! I know I have neglected the blog over the past 10 months or so, but big things are up ahead.

Beginning in December, I will be posting interviews and important information regarding auction dates and charity information.

Please bookmark the blog because I will begin to post updates and news items here starting in December and will leave the website as an archive for all the artwork that has been submitted to the project over the past year.

Thanks and if you have any questions just leave your comments here or write to me at paperquiltproject@gmail.com.

Thanks,
Dawbis

Project Information

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Start Date: January 2007 / Project End Date: December 2007

The Paper Quilt Project was a year long project that allowed artists from 32 different countries to come together and share their lives, their culture and their art with one another. Each artist was invited to participate because of their individual artistic style, but most importantly because of their strong desire to help make a difference.

Each month 12 new artists created a collage interpreting the project's theme, "A Day in my Life," and gave us a glimpse into their world. Every collage from each month will soon be sewn together to create 12 amazing and unique individual paper quilts. And later each paper quilt will be auctioned off or donated to charity in order to raise money for a cause that matters most to the artists.

Auction dates and charity information will be provided shortly.


ABOUT THE ORGANIZER

My name is Dawbis and I am an artist / environmentalist with a lot of paper scraps lying around the house. I am not a non-profit, but just one girl running the Paper Quilt Project in hopes of making a difference in the world, no matter how small or big. My initial thought for this project was to help raise funds for an environmental organization, however I am leaving it up to the artists to decide in the end which charity to support.