SAQA Transformations/Reflections 09

Saturday Artist's Talk at Guilford Art Center (www.guilfordartcenter.org)

In support of Studio Art Quilt Associates' fabulous exhibit Reflections, we (in the person of Linda Zimmerman: zimmermandezigns.blogspot.com) invited exhibiting artists to come to the Art Center to talk about their work. We were very lucky: Debbie Bein (quiltstew.blogspot.com) and Judith Plotner (www.judithplotner.com) came last week, staying over after attending the Opening Reception. This week Andrea Limmer from VA generously accepted our invitation to chat with viewers all afternoon about her work "A Walk in the Woods".

The exhibit is generating a lot of buzz about art quilts. Fingers crossed that the feet in the door is so great that we will be asked to mount more exhibits!

Thanks to all who made this possible...and there are many!

Studio Art Quilt Associates' Reflections 09

Viewing (but not touching, honest) Denise Linet's "Squam Lake-Early Autumn" is Aurelle Locke, Yvette Howard and Judy Ross. Behind Aurelle and Yvette, peeking out, is a partial of Pat Kroth's gossamer "Bits of Gold". Two of the pieces in the fabulous SAQA Transformation 2009 Reflections traveling exhibition now on display at the Guilford Art Center, 411 Church Street, Guilford CT (www.guilfordartcenter.org). Aurelle and Judy drove down from the Hartford area today to join Yvette and me to see the exhibit and...of course...lunch. In fact, we ran into another CT/SAQA member, Mickey Lawler, who also had driven down from the Hartford area today to see the exhibit.

With a ton of help from my trusted team of exhibit installers (Linda Zimmerman, Robin Wolek, Barb and Roger Adams, and David Wright) this exhibit opened last Friday.

Why am I only now posting? Good question. My husband sometimes tells me that I keep trying to fill a five pound bag with ten pounds of stuff....okay, that's a paraphrase. But, he's right.

The good news is that the opening was a huge success! And the steady stream of folk through the exhibit since then, with all their compliments, is very satisfying.

The exhibit will be at this venue until January 3 when we take it down and pack it up. Ours is its first venue in the US (it previewed at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England) and it's only venue on the East Coast! How lucky we are! Next it travels to Alaska, Oregon and San Diego.

Back from Ghana

We have returned from an amazing three week cultural exchange trip to Ghana, the home of the most hospitable folk on the planet!

Everywhere we went curious children asked for their photos to be taken...and we accommodated! Irresistible!

We were hosted the first week by a young family in Akosombo, a town created by the Volta River Authority when the dam forming the Lake Volta (the second biggest man-made dam in the world) was constructed. We were taken into their hearts and home like long lost members of their family.

The last week we were hosted by a vibrant family in Cape Coast, the ancient capital and early slave-trade port operated in turn by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. Their early forts make for grizzly, sobering visits. It's important for tourists to visit and take home the memory of those horrors...along with the memories of the warm welcomes offered by our hosts and the beautiful beaches.

In between there were Durbars (chiefs' celebrations) in Ashanti territory, tasty spicy food with wonderful new aromas and textures, dancing with drumming at the drop of a "hello", and the markets and streets filled with vendors selling everything imaginable.

We were in country when Ghana's Under 20 Soccer Team won the World Cup!!! (Our host town erupted!!) And the MVP, the goalie hailed from the little town of Offinso in the Central Region where we were hosted for the second week.

The women pictured wearing those incredible fabrics were two of the celebrants at the Durbar performed for us at the Cedi Bead Factory near Kumasi in the Central Region.

Each bead is made individually from recycled glass...amazing...even the decorative dots added on each bead are made from a recycled glass slurry and fired again in the kiln.

The two things that peaked my interest the most, with respect to purchasing, were fabric (what a surprise) and beads. There was ample time to fill an extra suitcase with incredible African fabric. I did focus on that which was made in Ghana...with just one beautiful print from Mali. I also tried to focus on fabric made at the textile factory in Akosombo (Akosombo Textile Limited or ATL).

I have to say it was difficult not to buy more fabric...but...that wasn't the focus of the trip.

It was once in a lifetime experience....I hope I get to see our host families again!

I'm going to Africa!

This quilt is titled "Masako Goes to Africa". In 2008 it was accepted into "Up in Stitches" at the Yeiser Art Center in Paducah, Kentucky.

When my family lived in Japan in the 1950's my parents adopted Masako, a beautiful five year old, from an orphanage in Fukuoka, Japan. Our family relocated to Texas when we returned to the States and Masako continues to live, fifty-some years later, within fifty miles. She rarely travels. Oddly, I travel broadly, gathering fabrics from all over like most quilt makers.

I decided to give Masako wonderful, imaginary journeys via my art quilting. This piece is the first. The shape, a kimono, is an obvious reference to her beginnings. The fabrics are all African. While I have never been to Africa, I thought Masako might like to go....I never imagined that I would actually travel there!

On Oct. 13, I am traveling to Ghana, joining a group from Friendship Force International (www.thefriendshipforce.org) to participate in a three week cultural exchange in three cities. Our first home-stay will be in Akosombo!

Perhaps I should consider making Masako another piece to celebrate another place I haven't planned to visit...hmmmm....maybe India!

I'm also linking this to parkcitygirl.blogspot.com and participating in her Fall 09 Quilt Festival.
What a fun way to kick off my adventure!

Tour My Studio!

I was away on family business in Texas and totally missed the virtual quilt studio tour:^(

So I've decided to have my own blog-o-sphere tour.

My work space is in the basement of my house. Pic one shows, descending the stairs, my artwork that I hang, occasionally rotating pieces.

At the bottom of the stairs is one of my favorite paintings. It's "Women's Business" by Australian Aboriginal artist Lillian Nabadnari .


Picture 2: My cluttered design wall illustrating that I really am not working on anything at the moment. Further along is a work surface that in theory I can use to design and get organized. As if.



Photo 3: Light, light, light! Even though my studio is in the basement I have lots of natural light by way of the sliding doors and double hung window that look out over a tranquil side yard: birds, leaves, rock walls and chipmunks. I've set up my machine so that I can have natural light on the work surface. It is buttressed by two tables that offer storage space for thread cases below and ironing, organizing, assembling on their surfaces.




Photo 4: Just out of the light is the end of the room where most of my stash is stored. I have two tables elevated to facilitate cutting and basting (and storing more fabric). The chest on the right is home to beads and various small bits.



Photo 5: Pivoting a bit more to the left is more stash, a half bath (unless I get hungry there is really no reason for me to leave my studio), more bookcases and stacks of quilts stretched on foam core for display.



Photo 6: More of those quilts on foam core and my medium storage closet housing the inks, paints, stencils, stamps et al.


Photo 7: Back to the stairs with more bookcases, my computer and my desk's usual clutter, and rolls of quilts on the floor. Above my desk is another Aboriginal artist's work. "Palm Island" by Errol Possum Roberts.


I feel very lucky to have such a "room of my own"! Like I've said before, with the possible exception of Victoria, Australia, the place I most like to be.

New Work

"Renewal"

29" x 29 1/2"

This work is about renewal of the landscape after bush fires, and, perhaps, renewal on a more personal level after trauma.

I'm particularly pleased with how this came out as it was a product of just plowing on in the face of artist's block.

The central motif is a panel of inked-stamped trees on hand painted cotton. I cut the stamps and completed this bit last winter while Victoria, Australia was suffering from horrific bush fires. We visited there in April and had the opportunity of seeing the bright green leaves practically jumping off the eucalyptus limbs and the trunks themselves in a vigorous affirmation of regeneration.

The strata piecing was created more recently and quite independently in an attempt to move out of a rut. Strata piecing is familiar and satisfying, especially if I don't have a goal in mind. It allows me to play with color and texture rather instinctually.

The two works happened to be pinned to my design wall at the same time. Voila! The strata was reassembled with the panel pieced into it.

The stitching on the strata is free-motion quilting with neon green, signifying new growth, whilst the trees are hand stitched with seed stitches using hand-dyed thread.

My winning bids!

The piece on the top is "Happy Anniversary" by Lutgard Gerber-Billiau (www.lutgardgerberbilliau.be) and the second is "Connections #3" by Deborah Bein (quiltstew.blogspot.com).

I was the lucky winning bidder for them in the SAQA Auction's first phase. The second phase is currently up for auction...hurry! (www.saqa.com) This is such a wonderful way to collect incredible small pieces of art and support SAQA, and, in so doing, encourage and support all of us.