Win by a Surprise Move

by Lin Hsin-Chen

Taiwan is located in the subtropical region. We have rare chance of seeing snow in the winter. Due to extreme climate anomalies in 2014, we got some snow. I observed how plants overcome the threat of extreme weather. They are adorable; especially the small daisies that strive to survive. They show us their surprise move of glorious living. I am sending them my best wishes, and therefore I sew unique colors on them.

What touched me is the energy of team work. When I was creating this piece, we had a mayoral election in Taiwan. The incumbent mayor of Taipei City is also a surgeon. He changes the city with his mission of life-saving. He said some nice words, “Ask yourself to do your best at every current situation. Adjust yourself and be friendly to people, events, substances and environments. Make all-out effort to the current situation.” This concept shocks me. Over a long period of time, I have been worked hard, but I didn’t make all-out effort. It will affect my future value of life and reverse my observation and thinking. Both the incumbent mayor of Taipei City and small daisies are creating new value of life with their finite lives. I thank them for giving me the opportunity to comprehend the truth and improve myself.

Launching new methods and perspectives, win by a surprise move, swing for the fences, highlight the value of individual honor and enhance the value of the group - this is the challenge I give myself in the second cycle of Viewpoints 9. I hope to apply my daily observations to the 9 pieces of work I create. As a result, "observations" have been accompanying me in the past 18 months and giving me the joy of creating. Coincidentally, the ninth challenge of cycle 2 from Diane is something about “swing for the fences”. What a perfect ending! Thank you, Diane! I would also like to thank members of Viewpoints 9 for giving me such a substantial journey.

Materials: silk, recycled banner, commercial cottons, ribbon, lace, woolen yarn, dyed fabrics, Romanian threads, embroidery floss, selvedge

Techniques: hand pieced, hand appliqué, hand knitted, yoyo, three layers quilted

Size: 18” x 27”

Group Discipline

by Lin Hsin-Chen

When I received the challenge about team work, my younger son just joined the army to fulfill his mandatory military service. He is an honor guard in the Republic of China Army. The team has to perform rifle exhibition drill at major celebrations and when foreign dignitaries visit the country. He is very nervous about his performance because the honor guards require exact discipline and spirit of team work. He always reminds himself the sense of honor, hoping to become the elite of the group.

I have the same sense of honor of participating in a quilting group! Not being late. Follow the rules. Shoot for a verity of positive opportunities for the group. We play well with our team.

Out of Thin Air

by Lin Hsin-Chen

I have always feared learning unfamiliar languages. When I saw the ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet ‘tet’ for the first time, I realized that I have to make change and be brave to accept characters other than Chinese. Feeling helpless, I did a sketch freely to relieve my anxiety and increase confidence for a while. And then I try to weave joy out of thin air. Thus, the unknown flower is born.

After careful consideration, I decided to extend the flower based on the fundamental element of freedom in hopes of having a good art performance and experimenting on new creating techniques. During the creative process, I sketched spontaneously and followed my heart to cut fabrics with scissors. I sewed them directly without making any modifications. Besides, in order to pursue my original creative concept of freedom, I stop myself from changing the fabrics. I only choose once for every piece of fabric I use in the work. I know that protecting ourselves is a human instinct. Fearing of language learning is also one of them. However, art helps me to accept Hebrew language and arouses my creative energy to seize every possible opportunity.

 This piece, Out of Thin Air, depicts a flower reborn from complex inner fears. It is joyful, confident and creative. It is also a meaningful self-learning! It’s wonderful that Betty brought this challenge topic to us. I’ve learned so much from it. It has made me not only better understand myself and accept the learning concept of starting from scratch, but also complete an interesting work! Thanks for that! It is the last piece I made in 2014. “Out of Thin Air” brings me expectation for 2015. I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Materials: commercial cottons

Techniques: hand pieced, hand appliqué, hand quilted

Size: 18” x 27”

The Magical Hebrew

by Lin Hsin-Chen

Dear Betty and Viewpoints 9 members, ever since the first cycle, I benefited a lot from the challenge topics that bring me knowledge growth. When I read Betty’s challenge topic, I feel like soaring to a new height to explore things I do not know. I am very surprised and curious about what I will come up with in the following 2 months.

On the day when I received the topic, my son sent me some photos he took on his visit to Kaohsiung (a city in southern Taiwan). One of them looks like an extending form of the letter tet. The road is the new learning opportunity that my son is heading to.

In my spare time, I did a sketch according to the form of letter tet. It looks like a face. It was drawn during my coffee break, so it’s nicknamed “coffee face.”

Then, I started to play with this pattern. Hopefully when I complete the quilt for this challenge, I could also create a sketch book. What an interesting topic! Although I have no idea about Hebrew, I hope I can make good use of this opportunity to explore new things! Thank you, Betty.

Dry Gorge

by Lin Hsin-Chen

"Dry Gorge", 40cm x 80cm

Taroko National Park, situated in the east of the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan and across the Liwu River, is facing Pacific Ocean and surrounded by mountains. Water rushing down from the magnificent mountains to the narrow U-shaped gorge, the white gorge is carved into the marble by the erosive power of the Liwu River for years. Due to climate change, dry season has extended. The riverbed looks like old cheese.

There is a truss bridge on the hillside. I had strong feelings when I was sewing the truss structure. Standing between the mountains, I observed the subtle feel between the bridge and the mountains and felt the combination of natural and unnatural. The interval between trusses looks differently when you stand in different positions, as if different standpoint affects communication between people. I got lost when I was sewing the truss bridge because I was so keen on making the interval between trusses looked equal. I didn’t believe in what I recorded on the spot, so I spent lots of time readjusting them. I even read several books about it but it only helped me to learn more about bridge structures. Finally, I had to go back to my original design and try to recall what I saw from where I stand there. I realized that people are born with "visual adjustment"; there is nothing to do with the interval between trusses as long as it’s well-constructed. The beautiful combination between the bridge and mountains reminds me of mutual acceptance of shortcomings between people.

We can never learn the big heart that how Nature embraces unnatural structures. I was so ignorant that I tried to make adjustment of the truss bridge arbitrary. Learning opportunity is everywhere and the dryness seems to remind us this philosophy. Thanks to this challenge, it brings me new perspective. Thank you all for supporting this project.

Materials: commercial cottons, woolen yarn

Techniques: 100% hand pieced, hand appliqué, hand quilted. The wool is transplanted into fabrics and made undetachable.

Size: 40 cm x 80 cm

Environment and Ecology Picture Book

by Lin Hsin-Chen

In Chinese culture, the number “9” also means “lasting for a long time” (久). Chinese people love this number, because it not only describes “a long time”, but also “plenty”. For people who are in search of wealth, they wish to increase the amount of money and maintain it for a long time. Interestingly, when we apply this word to natural environment, it means everlasting existence.

(Photo: “Pahmung krui Damar Forest” by Eka Fendiaspara, Indonesia, UNFF Photo Contest Winner
http://www.un.org/esa/forests/photo-contest/winners.html)

Over the years, I have been hoping to show humans’ “feelings, emotions, expectations or concerns” about natural environment via art creating. What will professional fiber artists contribute to the global issue? There will be an international “environment and ecology” quilt exhibition in Taiwan in 2016. As the curatorial experience in 2012, we want to gather quilters from around the world to tell their stories based on the theme, to leave records and keep natural resources going.

I would like to invite each Viewpoints 9 member to make a quilt of 40 cm (width) x 80 cm (height) in portrait orientation, based on the theme of “environment and ecology”. Let’s join other international groups to participate in this global village picture book curatorial concept.

Reference: United Nations Forum on Forests http://www.un.org/esa/forests/ 

Viewpoints 9 Exhibitions

Viewpoints 9 is pleased to announce a special exhibition of contemporary fiber art selected from each of the original 2012 and 2013 challenges. Exhibits will be held at the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza XXI, September 18-21, 2014 and Quiltfest Oasis Palm Springs, October 2-4, 2014. 

To learn more about the artwork in the exhibition, visit www.Viewpoints9.blogspot.com.

Melancholy Era

by Lin Hsin-Chen

It’s a scattered flower. It’s fragmented, beyond borders, beyond imagination. It has been forced to change the reason for living in order to protect the innermost vitality. The flowers in this era will be out of our impression and bloom beautifully in another way. Learning about reverse thinking is an important lesson.

July and August in 2014 are sorrowful to me. It’s a very different summer, due to environmental issues, climate, natural disasters, man-made disasters, earthquakes, typhoons, plane crashes, war, disease, etc.; we no longer feel the happiness that summer brings to us. Dozens of major disasters occurred worldwide during this period. Living in Taiwan, the gas pipeline explosion which happened in the neighbor city makes me extremely anxious. I used to believe that if we think positively, unfortunate things will never come. However, that’s not the fact.

Does the comfortable and safe world no longer exist? Sketching before making a quilt used to be an easy thing for me, but this time I couldn’t make a decision after I drew several pictures. I couldn’t sweep the sorrow away so I had to give up. I followed my heart to cut the fabric freely and sew them by hand. I pray for healing the sorrows by the warmth of hand sewing. Sadness will pass and bring out opportunities for changes and miracles. I used the hand dyed fabrics that I got from Sue in this quilt. They strengthen and enrich my work.

Living in this generation, we need to have not only the courage of accepting diverse challenges due to global environmental changes, but also the ability of overcoming the fears. “A stitch in time saves nine” reminds me of a Chinese saying, "Be prepared for danger in times of peace". Thank you, Sue, this challenge topic gave me another chance for introspection. I hope everyone is safe and sound.

Materials: dyed fabric, commercial cottons, satin, beads, metallic threads, statuette, cross

Techniques: hand pieced, hand appliqué, hand quilted

Size: 18” x 27”

Happy Birthday

by Lin Hsin-Chen

When I read the quote from Alicia, I was deeply touched. It’s so nice for us to know each other in such a big universe. Time and space can’t stop our communication and distance can’t separate our friendship. As long as we remember each other in our hearts, we are dear friends.

Out of curiosity, I started to explore the meanings behind the number 9. I kept thinking about it and amazingly I bumped into so many surprises that I haven’t experienced before. It makes me thinking of many people, things and issues in a new perspective. It feels like going to school and start to learn things that I have never focused on in the past. The school is the universe.

Your attitude changes when you see things from different angles. During the creative process, I was keen to include the number 9 in my work. As a reward for all the things that I’ve learned from this challenge, I sewed this piece in a very delicate way with some special fabrics. However, I accidentally hung this piece upside down so that the 9 becomes 6. I’m delighted with the result. My husband is very supportive to my quilt making, but he seldom comment on my works. I completed this quilt on his birthday. He said happily, for the first time, “Is it my birthday gift?” Happy birthday to you, my dear! Happy birthday to everyone!

Thanks for everything that this topic has brought to me.

Materials: floss, silk, hand-dyed silk, commercial cotton, linen, woolen yarn, metallic threads, beads, glitter

Techniques: hand stitches, hand appliqué, hand pieced, hand quilted

Size: 18” x 27”

Nine-floor Lighthouse

by Lin Hsin-Chen

There is a lighthouse in my childhood traveling memory. It’s the guardian of Taiwan’s southernmost tip and it prevents vessels from the threat of complex ocean currents. I revisit the lighthouse after 50 years. Surprisingly, due to the change of time, now visitors can come closer to the building and take a closer look. I count carefully and it looks like a nine-floor lighthouse. The lighthouse is made of iron and well-preserved. It was built in 1883. It is 21.4 meters high, 1.8 million candle power with the irradiation distance of 27.2 nautical miles. It is also known as “The Light of East Asia.”

Ever since I got married, I started to see things from different angles. I might not be curious about the floors of the lighthouse if my husband is not an architect. I have a special feeling when the number nine comes to me. According to my blurred childhood memory, the lighthouse wasn’t that tall and there was a spiral staircase. What a chance to refresh my memory! Many imaginations are also derived from the trip. I kept thinking about “rotating” during the trip. I was so happy and felt like going to heaven.

The reveal day is approaching. Though I’ve found a feeling to create something, I have not yet found the time to start sewing. It makes me feel nervous and want to climb up a spiral staircase so that I could "reach heaven in a single bound." Best wishes to everyone!

Intertwined

by Lin Hsin-Chen

"Intertwined", 18" x 27"

Life is full of tangled things. Depression and worries are trials that test our ability constantly, just like the intertwined tree branches in the forest that their tree leaves battle with one another. It disturbs our thoughts and makes us confused.

Mother Nature is everywhere. She is like a prophet hiding herself in the dark. There is a distance but you still feel the intimacy. She often narrows the scope of her existence and shows the direction for those who want to open their visions. She gives her wisdom to those who are frustrated. What an honor to sew this piece of my beloved mentor.

Whenever there is a student, there is always a teacher. The pursuit of perfection often brings more disturbance and challenge. That was how I felt during the creative process of this piece. Maybe I cared too much about this piece and lack of concentration. While sewing this piece, I realized that seeing is not always believing. The meanings are hidden behind the works. Without faith, I can‘t sew the huge tree in the dark. Without sincere willingness, I can’t complete the bright miniature forest in solid-void space, just like people’s ignorance of facing all things. To my surprise, Mother Nature gives me trials in sewing this piece. I’m thankful for Nature’s guidance.

Size: 18” x 27”

Materials: cotton, woolen yarn, wool, Romanian thread

Techniques: embroidery, 100% hand stitched, appliqué, pieced, three-layered quilted

The wool is transplanted into fabrics and made undetachable.

The Southernmost Tip of Taiwan

by Lin Hsin-Chen

The entire February can be seen as the continuation of Chinese New Year in Taiwan. Planning for excursion becomes an important thing for every family. Sometimes it makes me confused about the significance of holidays. Approximately one-third of a year is holiday in Taiwan. I wonder if it’s necessary to have so many days off. I was puzzled about Europeans’ "slow living", but now I understand why people are yearn for it. If we have more holidays, we can slow down our pace to see the beautiful world and ‘digest’ our life experience. However, as a pragmatic person, I don’t like to dream away my time. For holidays, more is not always better!

I took a trip to the southernmost tip of Taiwan in mid-February, a good chance for me to relax, release pressure and see Nature. It’s one of the only national parks of Taiwan that limits the number of visitors, 200 people a day. What a happy policy that allows us to enjoy the beautiful scenery solitary and maybe find sea beans on the beach. Unfortunately, we encountered a fire that burned away the coastal plants in a few hours. It was horrible. Fire and water have no mercy.

The burnt plants make me curious. How fortunate to encounter such a rare learning opportunity. We found that the plants are still alive after being burned. Their roots and stems retain a lot of water, so only the leaves and skin are damaged. It’s hard to imagine that they are costal plant, screw pine. Taking off the beautiful appearance, they show their glorious light of life. Thanks to this special class.

The "Hahn" that deep in the heart might just like those burnt plants. It might only be transient “once”. All things will pass.

p.s. I started to appreciate black color, so I am going to make a black piece for this challenge.