Nicholas Ball
The ART of IMPROV
Happy New Year! I am so excited to kick off the new year featuring the work of Nicholas Ball and learning about his work and process with Improvisation. Nicholas is a modern quilter from Cardiff, South Wales, he attended art school and graduated with a BA in photography. He is a self proclaimed fabric addict and his love of fabric and sewing ignited his passion for patchwork. He teaches workshops internationally and has contributed projects and articles to the UK’s leading patchwork publications and was a co-presenter of the QNNTV show ‘Quilt Monkey’alongside fellow UK quilter Katy Jones. His debut book, Inspiring Improv, was published by Lucky Spool last spring (2019). The book, which is inspiring indeed, is full of helpful tips on using improv to piece together a quilt top as well as technical tips on how to put your creation together. Also included are step by step instructions, guides really, to help you find your way into the improvisational process. I am particularly partial to the tips on How to Age a Tree and creating with the Liberated Log cabin, I highly recommend, if you have not already, that you check out this book!
Triangle Colour Study II (process shot) Nicholas Ball
What does working improvisationally mean to you? How would you define the ‘Art of Improv’?
My creative practice is very much about the journey. I may begin a project with a vague idea of how it will look once completed, but at the core of what I do is an enjoyment of the organic and often shifting nature of improvised sewing. There are some quilters, particularly those from more traditional backgrounds, who believe improv quilting to be nothing more than sewing together random bits of fabric. Whilst this loose and liberated approach can and should be used, improv can also have structure. You can take an idea or a feeling and capture it in fabric. For me, that is the art of improv and something that offers exciting possibilities.
Have you always worked improvisationally?
When I began exploring patchwork and quilting in 2012, I really had no idea where to start. I looked to books and online tutorials aimed at beginners. A lot of these provided me with the fundamentals; sewing an accurate ¼” seam, ensuring I pressed my seams rather than ironed them, those sorts of things. After making several traditional quilts, I soon found that precise and somewhat restricted way of sewing wasn’t inspiring any creativity. Whilst I was enjoying the fact that I was sewing, I wasn’t enjoying the process. I wanted to explore piecing in my own way and learn to move away from patterns and specific cutting lists. It was then that I discovered improv.
Do you work improvisationally, consciously, intentionally? If so, how do you begin? If not, how do you find yourself getting there?
There is an intention behind the work I create, regardless of how spontaneous the process of making it may be. I begin with an idea, often a source of inspiration. Then it’s all about the journey. I try to let go of what I’m making and focus more on how I’m making it, how I’m getting to that final destination of a finished piece. The work becomes all the better for having adopted this organic approach.
Tally (process shot) Nicholas Ball
How often do you work with improvisation?
Almost exclusively. I quickly discovered that working in an improvised way was what brought me the most joy and allowed me to explore my creativity using new techniques. Whilst I respect tradition and the ability of some quilters to accurately sew hundreds and precisely cut pieces together, my brain just doesn’t work that way! It’s been a very long time since I made a quilt from a pattern.
Please share a bit about your process. Do you have methods to getting started? Do you have tricks to getting unstuck? Do you have motivators to finishing up?
Once I have the vague workings of an idea, I look to fabric to help me start building on that foundation. Choosing fabrics to include in my quilts is one of my favourite parts of the quilt making process. I use colour, pattern and texture to add life and vibrancy to my work. Sometimes, owing to the spontaneous nature of improvisation, what was once a beloved beginning can quickly become problematic. Something may not be working as I originally thought. A wrong colour, a stilted layout or just an old-fashioned gut feeling can all cause a project to become stuck and stop. This is where I like to take a step back and put some distance between myself and the work. The great thing about improvised sewing is that you can hack and slash new life into a failing project to reinvigorate it.
Where do you find inspiration? How do you use it?
Inspiration is the heart of the quilts I sew. I’m always looking at the world around me. Nature, landscapes and architecture all inform my practice. I record what I see and use these snapshots as a starting point for a quilt. I break down forms into lines and shapes and piece fabric to suggest whatever it is that I found inspiring. This can be very specific or simply the vaguest suggestion.
Penelope’s Quilt (process shot) Nicholas Ball
What advice would you give to someone interested in trying to work improvisationally. Can you share some good advice that you received that helped you become more comfortable this way?
A traditional mindset can be a difficult thing to break. If you learnt that a certain way of doing things is the way, then the idea of adopting and embracing new techniques can be daunting. My advice would be to accept change. When working in an improvised way, some things will work and others will not. By embracing this and being experimental with your practice, you’ll soon find a way of working that works for the type of maker you are. Experimentation is important to discover your own creativity.
How would you finish the sentence, ‘What if, . . .?’
What if…I was born earlier? I would love to take a seat at the table of an Amish Quilting bee, or chat to the quilters of Gee’s Bend. These makers were pioneers and their works are just as striking today as when they were made. I’d love to see what my creative output would look like if I weren’t surrounded by the ubiquitous technologies of today’s world. Would it force me to slow down? How would that change of pace reflect itself in my quilting?
What are reading, listening to, watching, or any other inspirational obsessions you would like to share?
I’m a great fan of history, especially Ancient Egyptian and Medieval. As I previously mentioned, I find inspiration for my quilts in the most unusual of places. I’m currently reading a lot about the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen and looking at all the wonderful objects found within. I’m sure that inspiration will find a way into a quilt in some form or another quite soon.
Thank you Nicholas for taking the time to share with and inspire us with your work, your book, and process of creating with improvisation. I especially love and agree with your idea that one of the greatest things about improvised sewing is that you can hack and slash new life into a failing project to reinvigorate it, and that experimentation is imperative to discovering your own creativity. To learn more about Nicholas and his process, find him on Instagram @quiltsfromtheattic and be sure to check out his book Inspiring Improv!
If you would like to be featured on The Art of Improv please contact me! I would love to hear how improvisation impacts your art making process.