Carolyn Manning Designs

Lately I have been fascinated with orts. Those little leftover bits of string and lace (and as an artist, I am taking creative liberty and including little bits of fabric too!)  

I see nests and leaves and twigs, clouds and insects.  I see faery wings and even the little smiling faces of the wee folk peering out from their colorful string hidey-holes.  The blooms of flowers and spindly vines creeping across the forest floor.

I love lil bits.

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A friend of mine recently asked me about my own personal artwork vs. what I design for cross stitch. 

I have discovered, in thinking about it, that I've got two different artistic sides.  I am an illustrator, and that comes through in what I design. I have always loved animation and cartoons, and have always been doodling.  I also have a very abstract side.  When I painted regularly and even now with my art quilting and textile work, I tend to fall more on the abstract side, and my subject matter is very personal to me. I touch my spiritual side. 

Sometimes I wonder if my designing is too commercial, but I think my whimisical side is an important piece of me too, and I do enjoy stitching what I create for others, so I think I am being true to myself as an artist.

I've drawn the conclusion that every artist is made of layers, and each layer is brought to surface when the one creating needs it to be.  I know that there are times when I just need to play with color and times when I need to feel fabric in my hands, or maybe get my fingers dirty with paint and chalk and tubs of dye.  Other times there is nothing more fulfilling then a notebook and a charcoal pencil knocking out odd little faces that smile back at me with that 'I've got a secret' twinkle in their scrunched up eyes.   

I am inspired to create.