Returning to the scene

I thought I'd finished this piece, the first of a pair that never quite got to be the series I'd planned. (Remember my friend Vivika said "Two's a pair. Three's a series) I'd even sewn on the sleeve.....but it wasn't doing it for me. Parts of it I really liked but there was a reason I wasn't responding to it.

First I removed the sleeve and stipple quilted the background which, truth be told, I should have thought of earlier.

Still not doing it for me, so I screwed on my courage and picked up my paints.

I like it well enough to tackle it's mate. I'm now in the midst of stipple quilting the background of this second one but haven't got the paints out...yet.

I guess things just need to percolate in the dark recesses of my brain before I can "see" a solution.

Mystery Solved!

First, the mystery: Remember my last post about the beautiful fabric from a forgotten source? Well, okay, not forgotten...more not remembered. I was right that I had acquired it this year as it was fairly high in the stack of treasured pieces on my design table.

It was created by Dijanne Cevaal!! As soon as she emailed me I remembered....of course! I met with her in Geelong, Victoria, Australia while visiting there this past Mar/Apr. How could I have forgotten?! Oh, oh, BTW go to her blog. She has some of her fabulous Sentinelle's for sale.

The photos in today's posting have nothing to do with the mystery or Dijanne. They are pics I took at a regional quilt show that I enjoyed this past Sunday. The Farmington Valley Quilt show was one of the best local exhibitions of the season. I had high hopes as it is the guild for several of our art quilt buddies.

This first pic is by Judy Ross and won Viewers' Choice. The second is also one of her pieces. The third is...oh, darn...I don't have it's creator! I took the pic as it reminded me of the work of one of my old friends, Jude Larzelere...and, surprise, it was created by one of her pupils.

I have even returned to the digital image to read the show label...no luck. You'd think after the last post I would have learned to write these things down. How soon resolutions are tossed aside. Sad.

Meditations

Here's a rhetorical question for you: Did you ever have a piece of fabric that you just couldn't cut?

The real question for me is: Who created this beautiful piece of cotton shibori that I could not gather the courage to cut?

As many of you know, I'm not often very happy with the fabric that I dye and only somewhat happy with my discharging efforts. This is exactly why I support others who are successful. I buy their work.

This shibori was purchased from someone...probably within the last year (dating it by the depth at which I found it in my stash). Connie Rose? I don't know...I think I bought greens from her. Sunny Bunny? No, I think I bought warm colored arashi shibori from her. Anybody gotta suggestion?

I have to get better organized (want to enter a poll on how many years THAT'S been on my New Year's Resolution list?). I'm going to try to remember to write in the selvedge the name of the source in the future. I'd love to be able to thank them again, and give them credit, when I have used their work.

I can say that the binding was fabric that I discharged. :^) At least I remember THAT.

Summer's Last Kiss

That's how DH described our stay in New York City this past weekend. He's a romantic, but he was referring to the weather. It was wonderful! And, I think it infected everyone from security, to tourists (who were really plentiful!), to cabbies, to wait staff. Everyone was in a friendly, festive mood.

Example: One of our cab driver's radio was playing Mozart when we entered. I commented on how I liked what he was listening to. He said yes, and he thought that it was probably unusual to hear in a cab. I asked if he was a musician himself. He said he was and asked if I could guess his instrument. I could not...with that he began to SING! He was his own instrument. He sang opera...all the way uptown! Gotta love that!

We were in NYC to rendezvous with one of my brothers. He and his wife were celebrating a significant birthday with a cruise to Quebec, beginning in NYC. The meeting also provided me with the opportunity to see Carol Taylor's exhibit at Art Quilt Gallery next to City Quilter.

Here are two of the pieces in her collection. I've long been an admirer of Carol's work.

The second reminded me of the photo that I had taken the night before from our hotel room.

We had a wonderful weekend...NYC at it's best.

Self Portraits

On the "continuing to evolve" front, I have just finished another self portrait, titled "It's Just Me (with a slightly checkered past)". This one is for the newly formed art quilt group CT Fiber Arts Collective.

The third exhibit (!) for this group is coming up in November at a library in Middlefield CT. It's a small venue. The group has elected to put together a collection of "Identity" pieces that are small (12" on a side max) and displayed on small easels.

To further that sort of display, I gave a little demo on Saturday on how I mount pieces on foam core. I was able to save them time...at least I know some of the pitfalls.

This most recent self portrait seems a bit intense...in retrospect I think it might reflect my anxiety at having so much to say and, as I age, not enough time to say it all....forget about my ideals about making any real difference in this world.

The second one, Two Heads Are Better Than One was created in 2006 for an exhibit of "Sayings/Axioms/Truths in Fiber". I think I look a bit bewildered....

The last is still my favorite....where I'll stop without analysis.

Another SAQA Auction "win"!

Yeah!! I have been able to add Sandy Gregg, another of my favorite artists, to my growing collection of art quilts. This one is titled "Leaf Litter 9".

Okay, I have this huge collection of my own work...but that's clearly not a good thing. I need to find appreciative homes for them.

In the mean time, I can't think of anything that is more fun: collecting artwork, especially that of friends. That's a bonus.

Thank you, Sandy, for supporting SAQA's annual 12" square fundraiser.