Update on Beyond Comfort

"Promised Land" is 2nd from Right

I just received shots of Beyond Comfort from SAQA's traveling exhibit guru and curator, Eileen Doughty.  The exhibit has seen a lot of the US for sure.  It is now in Youngstown Ohio at the Butler Institute of American Art.  Next stop will be Texas A&M's Stark Galleries in College Station TX.  Check it out at SAQA Exhibits for more photographs.

Interestingly, I titled my piece as a reference to the hill country in the very area I am now visiting here in CA.  This time of year the hills are gorgeous spring greens instead of the yellow gold of autumn in my piece.

Settling in

We have arrived at our final destination.  Well, semi-final.  In the here and now, not metaphysical sense.

Ray and Martha

We drove just 45 minutes to Davis yesterday to meet old Guilford friend and art quilter extraordinaire Martha Wolfe and her family. Fortunately she saved seeing the Ray Eames show at The California Museum in Sacramento until we were there to attend with her.  It was wonderful!!  Thank you, Martha!

The other wonderfully fun thing we have been doing is antiquing/thrifting.  It is usually very profitable...again, not in any real physical way...;^) actually quite the opposite.  However, I only act on the really good finds.  Witness this last pic...Russel Wright, Nambe, Brook Park and some Dansk.  (Okay, if one of my kids reads this she's going to say "Brook Park?! Don't we have enough?"  But, I'm thinking about the future when little people or person un-named goes to college and needs to have her stuff with her.  You'll see)

We are not planning far in the future (except for that kid going to college).  We will be doing day trips.  Stay tuned.

Photo-diary of a weary traveler

Last I posted, we were headed to Monahans to see the Sand Dunes.  Well, we did that and MUCH more. 

Sand dunes on cool morning

Hueco Tanks hike/climb

Hueco Tanks 100's of ancient pictographs

And yucca, of course

After Hueco Tanks we drove to Las Cruces where we spent the night.  Headed to Tucson the next day where we explored the Sonoran Desert

Sonoran Desert drive

We continued on to Yuma for the night before continuing our drive into California.  Dave had never seen the Salton Sea before so, of course, that's where we headed next.

Salton Sea

Birding on the Salton Sea...spring flyway!

Sonoran Desert that I can seem to get to move above.

Palm Spring is Mid Century Modern heaven.

Ever onward, we headed to Palm Springs.  This pic shot out the window captures a panorama of wind farms.  Not the first 'flight of farms' we'd seen.  The whole of W Texas is full.  There is a huge energy boom going on there.  (e.g. the Holiday Inn that we DIDN'T stay in wanted $300 for a night!!  Holiday Inn? in Odessa? NOT!  However, we had to go to Motel 6 to find a night's stay that fit into our budget.  Heck, for $300 I want to be in NYC or San Francisco.)

In Palm Springs we toured some incredible neighborhoods replete with all those architects' names that you studied in school.  Wow!

So little wonder that the shops feature wonderful mid-century furniture.  Oh, I wish we had room for the Eames chair and round coffee table we spied.  And how about this Platner chair and ottoman?  Oh, I can so see this in my room.

Today we are exploring more in Palm Springs.  We haven't decided exactly what we are doing tomorrow.  Heading North...will probably skip LA and head over to Santa Barbara and continue up 101.  I understand there is an art quilt exhibit in Santa Clarita.  We'll see.

Fiberactions Reveal Today

The Challenge this time was to use the colors of Nature.

It might not be, strictly speaking, to be a Challenge when it's your 'go to' place to start with...just sayin'.
I did, however, forego the earth ochers that I love...but I went hog wild otherwise.

 Of course, a narrative starts running in my head...always does as I work in my studio....This time as I worked on the pattern, starting with a piece of discharged and over-dyed cotton, my mind began to wander.

Isn't it interesting that so many things in nature are predicted and described mathematically?   Like the Fibonacci series.  How about fractals?  How about the genome double helix?  Okay, it's not just math.  It's several sciences.  Which is even more exciting!

Mother Nature: Secret Mathematician

Mother Nature detail/ hiding the numbers within

Mother Nature:  Mathematician, Microbiologist, Geologist, Chemist, Physicist...I could go on and on.

Hop over and see how all the other members approached this Challenge:  Fiberactions.

Road to California

Road to California

Morning View 

On the Road

On March 8 when we awoke to 8 inches of snow on the ground our leaving for our meandering journey West looked very doubtful.  But, just as we cleared the car of snow, the plow man arrived and cleared our path to the road.  Definitely an omen.  Ever so carefully we drove through CT, NY, NJ to dry road and sunshine in PA.  

After spending a couple of days with my Aunts and Uncle in Cumberland MD, we drove to Dallas where we are visiting my brother.

I plan, when wifi connections permit, to blog along the road.  Most of which will not be quilt related...but, with any luck at all, it will be interesting

Tomorrow we head for Monahans TX...sand dunes are in our future.

On the Wall at my Brother's...I'd forgotten

Photographer in the Audience

Last night I was invited to give a Trunk Show of my work at the Shoreline Quilters Guild in Branford CT.  I had belonged to this guild several years ago so it was a real treat to be invited to return.  Lots of familiar faces and many new ones too.  

"Prickly Secrets"...and I have no idea for whom the Victory sign is being given

"They Rode the Stars to Heaven"

"Ode to Charley Harper"

I brought about half of the rolls of art quilts that I have in my studio.  What I chose to present could charitably be described as having a traditional basis.  This being a more traditional guild, I thought it would be of more interest to them.

Two really serendipitous things happened last night:  First, some of my buddies attended for moral support.  As I hardly ever plan too far in advance, their being there was perfect:  I had some help traveling the work around the crowd to see the pieces up close and personal.

Second, one of the members and a new SAQA member, Jan Doyle was there WITH HER CAMERA.  Remember how I don't like to plan too far in advance?  I did remember my camera, but I hadn't asked anyone to take pics.  So, whilst my buddies traveled artwork, Jan snapped pics.

She sent these three this morning for my use.  Darn, she's good!  I would never have taken...or posted...these 'animations' of myself.  But they are funny.  God knows what I was saying.  They are so graphic you can just make up your own narrative.  I am.

Thank you Jan, Barb, Robin, Vivika, Debbie, Judy Siccama and the Shoreline Quilters Guild!  You are the BEST.