Diane Wright Art Quilts

CT Fiber Arts Collective Newest Installation

2012-02-01T06:10:00.000-08:00

The Sum of Everything Challenge

The Rules

The Hanging Crew

Roz Spann (L wearing red, naturally) instigated it all: the venue and the Red Challenge. She filled brown paper bags with s-t-u-f-f. As I remember it, Carine Greene (5th in lt blue) came up with the title. We were to use some of everything in this brown bag..we could add (more red) if needed.

The Red collection is hung in the entry of the Southbury Library's gallery....leading to the Red/Read collection: Work relating to "red" OR a literary reference. It is a very diverse, yet cohesive exhibit.

The CT Fiber Arts Collective hanging crew (L to R) Roz, Mary Lachman, Karen Loprete, Toni Torres, Carine Greene, Barbara Khachane, Cher Hurney, me. Diane Cadrain is sitting center. Also in the exhibit but unable to attend the installing are Carol Eaton and Carol Vinick.

The exhibit will be up through February. If you get a chance: Southbury Public Library, 100 Poverty Road, Southbury, CT.

Uncharacteristically Quiet

2012-01-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

Sunburnt Country (26"x46")

Yes, I have been silent for quite a while now, too caught up in my studio to communicate.

It all started when I tackled the Fiberactions challenge for January: work in a color set that is outside your comfort zone. The pink/mauve set was so outside my zone that I was very uncomfortable and immediately dove into "my" colors. My last post about "They Rode the Sparks to Heaven" was the result.

As I was making it, I naturally created a narrative...as I always do...and it occurred to me that places have particular colors in one's memory. Think about Ghana, the Caribbean, the Timor Straits. All relatively close in latitude. But when one thinks of them, the colors are different. The color saturation is different. The angle of light seems different.

That led me to a theme: The Color of Place. The next pieces are part of what I can only think of as an Ode to Australia. I've posted four of the same ilk...two others are slightly different and will follow at another time.

The detail pics show the topographical ridges that I hoped would add to the feeling of land. Over the course of making these four, I learned how to control the amount of fullness in the piecing, which I stuffed with polyfill for dimension. It was interesting (and probably pretty useless beyond this application).

Desert Skies (29"x55")

Desert Rains (28"x49")

Sunburnt Country detail

Top End Archipelago detail

Top End Archipelago(26"x57")

This theme has launched me into thinking about so many places. Where to go next? Maybe Japan. Hmmm.

I hope this makes sense to others...I hope it's not so idiosyncratic that no one "gets" it. Not that everything I do needs to be understood by others.... I'd be interested in your thoughts though.

Now it's REALLY finished

2012-01-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

The more I looked at "Seven Sisters" from my previous blog post, the more I thought it was unfinished.

I recalled part of the Seven Sisters saga told to me by an artist from the Mutitjulu Community at Maruku Art Center on the other side of Uluru many years ago. The last of her part of the story had the sisters fleeing a man who was lusting after them. As they ran across the desert to escape from him, he hurled a giant bolder from a hilltop. As it smashed down to the ground, the sisters rode the sparks to heaven, where they reside today.

"They Rode the Sparks to Heaven"

34" x 50"

NOW it's done.

2012: First Finished

2012-01-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

First off, I know it's not symmetrical. It's not suppose to be, but next time I'll make it more pronounced so it won't look like an unfortunate accident.

I was in a creative slump after our family Thanksgiving celebrations (cast of thousands for about a month...okay, an exaggeration...but still exhausting).

I limited my color range and decided to produce something around a theme of "Seven Sisters". My "Seven Sisters" refers to the Australian Aboriginal creation myth stories of seven sisters who travelled throughout the (mostly) desert areas of Australia, and eventually, took up permanent residence in the sky. They are the same constellation that the Greeks named Pleiades, also known as "Seven Sisters". Interesting, no?

The other interesting thing, for me, is that, as a result of having made this roughly 28"x 48"piece, I'm not in a slump anymore. I am now working on my third "Seven Sister" themed piece. These next two...hopefully...three pieces are very different from this one. Stay tuned.

I guess my point is: just do the work. For me, it's getting back in the studio full time and just doing it.

Our First Exhibit of 2012

2012-01-04T07:12:00.000-08:00

Mary Lachman is the fearless leader of CT Fiber Arts Collective, a regional group of like-minded artists. It's a very active group too...having exhibited somewhere in the state five of the last eight months. Behind her are pieces by Toni Torres, Karen Loprete and Carol Eaton.

This month we were asked to fill in for an artist who had to drop off the calendar at the Southbury Library. We have an exhibit ready for February and quickly pulled together another for January. This one starts with "Identity", the small pieces that we had just removed from the Middlebury Library. We paired that collection with a few of "our favorite things" and Viola!, we had a very colorful exhibit. The four pieces in the first group are the work of Diane Cadrain and Carol Vinick.

The four in this photo are by Carol Eaton, me (my Coneflowers) and Roz Spann.

Next is work by Diane Cadrain and Karen Loprete. The last is the "Identity" collection being tweeked by our Carine Greene.

This work will be on exhibit through January. These photos only represent part of the exhibit. There are many more walls! Definitely worth the trip if you are in the area. February we will mount our Red/Read exhibit!

As the year ends

2012-01-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

Friday it was reported that one of my heroines...maybe the only one...passed away. Eva Zeisel, ceramicist and designer, died at age 105. I recall an interview with her last year...still "with it", if frail. Her biography is compelling, enough to make anyone an admirer. Then, oh my, her designs! I fell in love with her designs before I knew anything about her life's story. One need only hold one of her glasses, feel it's weight and curvature, and know it is very special.

I have been looking for her work for years. Every time I stop in an op-shop, thrift shop or second-hand store, her designs are the first I look for. (I think I have cornered the local market on her glassware.)

I'm sad that she is gone. But SO appreciative of the mark she made. Now, SHE was an inspiration! Thank you, Eva Striker Zeisel.

The last One Hundred Years is undoubtedly a more beautiful place because of her Warmth and Sensuous Objects

More stitching, but is it finished?

2011-12-30T13:55:00.000-08:00

I posted the photo below a couple of weeks ago. The central panel is a linocut made by Dijanne Cevaal, around which I sewed fabric repurposed from an African dress. I stitched it, photographed and then posted it, thinking I had finished. Since then, I've been adding more stitching.

The top photo is as it is at the moment. The question is: Is it done?

Friday was a "newsy" day

2011-12-18T10:08:00.001-08:00

To celebrate Sisters in Cloth's exhibit at Guilford Free Library, we hosted an Open Meeting and invited art quilt friends to share the moment with a big Show and Tell. Above is Betty Warner explaining a recent challenge while sister Barb Adams looks on.

Crowded around, we were all interested in Cher Hurney's pieces that she brought back from her recent workshop in Santa Fe with Katie Pasquini Masopust. They were wonderful...and inspiring.

Claire deLombaert brought one of her Kaffe Fasset inspired pieces. She recently was one of the featured artists at an exhibit at Willoughby Wallace, which included this piece.

Old friend Judy Siccama brought an amazing work, showcasing her incredible sense of color...okay, and precision piecing.

Karen Loprete delighted all (as usual) with her playful, colorful work.

The event was such an overwhelming success that before we left, we all decided it HAD to be annual.

Then the "news"...awaiting our return home was an yahoo announcement from one of our Sisters who was absent from the meeting. Vivika Hansen DeNegre apologized for her recent absenteeism with a grand announcement: She has been selected by Quilting Arts to be the new Editor! We could not be more proud of "our" Vivika! Quilting Arts will undoubtedly be the better for having her...and we will bear up, missing her input at our meetings, but none the less, very happy for her.

Sentinel

2011-12-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

Dijanne Cevaal created this linocut. She has an amazing series of them. I bought the central figure from Dijanne this past October before she left Australia for Europe. At the time I asked her what limitations there were in using the linocut in my own work. She quickly responded that there were no restrictions..."She is for all the corners of the earth!"

It was very meditative stitching on my own Sentinel every evening.

Thank you! Dijanne!

One's a Rumor, the rest are Gray

2011-12-05T11:46:00.001-08:00

This first photo is the full complement of It's a Rumor.

From the left: My piece along with the photograph below. The next three (Ruth Anne Olson, Marie Shepherd and below Martha Wolfe) are the three to whom I gave the rumor. Next is Barb Adams who received hers from Ruth Anne. The following top piece is Carol Ludington's who received her rumor from Marie. Below hers is Robin Wolek's who received her rumor from Barb Adams. Finally, the series of squares, is Gail Kotowski's. She also received her rumor from Marie Shepherd.

The next three photographs are the full wall that contains the better part GRAY. Our challenge for this exhibit was that each had to use the color gray. The ultimate height could be no larger than 48"inches to remain within the mounting wall. Otherwise, it was wide open.

It's an interesting, colorful collection, bookended by the two black, very graphic pieces. In order: Yvette Howard, Marie Shepherd, Gail Kotowski, Diane Wright,

Debbie Bento, Vivika DeNegre, Ruth Anne Olson,

Linda Zimmerman, Robin Wolek, Robin Wolek (again) and finally Barb Adams.

This last photo is GRAY continued on another wall. Left: Diane Wright, Barb Adams, Diane Wright and Diane Wright (again).

You can click on each image to enlarge.

The exhibit will be up through December at The Guilford Free Library, Park Street on The Green, Guilford CT.

It's a Rumor: Last Exhibit of the Year

2011-12-01T12:14:00.001-08:00

My art quilt group, Sisters in Cloth, for the last several years has been invited by the Guilford Free Library to exhibit our work. Every year we work toward a new collection specifically for this venue. This year we produced two! Quite a feat for us.

This first one is titled "It's A Rumor". Inspired by the old children's Telephone Game, we decided that one person would start with a photograph, produce an art quilt inspired by it, then write an artist statement. It would be the artist statement, not any images, that would then be passed to the next participant, who would, similarly, produce an art quilt and an artist statement. This artist statement would be the only thing passed along to the next participants, and so on. This was all to be accomplished in secret and very quickly, just like rumors in the real world. Each of us had a week to produce, write and pass it on.

This is the Artist Statement that I shared with three others:

It’s a Rumor

In my mind’s eye the “modern” architecture of 1950s America is a nostalgic reference to that of 1750s New England with its spare forms, strong lines and distain for ornamentation. This early architecture said much about the settlers but nothing about the New England landscape; then and now an exuberance of growth and color, especially in autumn. I’ve tried to capture both architecture and landscape in this photograph and art quilt.

(Photograph: 1764 House at Tanner Marsh Road and Clapboard Hill, which WAS NOT shared until today, our reveal date)

Martha Wolfe was one of the three with whom I shared. Below is a detail of her piece. You can go to her blog and see a full description of her piece and her process.

Robin Wolek received her Rumor from one of the members that I had passed to. She in turn produced this piece and the following Artist Statement:

I received the rumor from Barbara Adams. The points that she spoke about that resonated with me were colors associated with the Fall season, architecture and stained glass. I created my piece using some of my favorite fall colors, with deliberate lines and some black to depict lead found in stained glass creations. I used variegated thread to stitch different patterns, mostly lines that I used to emphasize the presence of architecture in my piece.

Most of the meetings in which the Rumors were passed were taped by member Vivika DeNegre.

The whole exhibit is a real treat. It's interesting what some people hear...color, line, dates...and where that takes them in their imaginations.

I reviewed Rayna's new book

2011-11-30T12:03:00.001-08:00

No one is surprised when they learn that I hate to read instructions or follow directions. This, I firmly believe, results from being brought up in a strict military family (how many five year olds to you know were regularly restricted to quarters for insubordination?...just sayin'). So, you will be surprised to know that I didn't pull my usual stunt and just look at the pictures to see if I could figure out what information I wanted to glean. Nope, I actually READ Rayna Gillman's new book create your own free-form quilts!

Her voice is loud and clear in her writing...there was no ghost writing going on here. So, of course, you smile a lot. I think her book is useful for art quilters at any stage in their development. Certainly those new to our medium would be wise to buy it, and, interestingly, those of us more seasoned art quilters will find it very handy guide to get out of those doldrums that beset us from time to time.

The piece above I've titled "Cats Can Always Tell"(13"x16"). I put it together this afternoon, quite literally from the bin of scraps next to my machine. I always create a narrative about whatever piece I'm working on and this one started out titled weeds....then it morphed to allergies...and finally, with the addition of the Laura Burch designed cat fabric, it became Cats Can Always Tell....because I'm allergic to them and they always CAN tell. They love me.

I purchased my copy directly from Rayna's blog and left my review on Amazon. You might consider doing the same.

Creative Procrastination AGAIN!

2011-11-17T10:28:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I must have really been overwhelmed at the prospect of pricing and packing my inventory to take to the Guilford Art Center where I will be during the Shoreline Arts Trail Open Studio Weekend.

Instead, I made this little baby quilt which I have titled Red Fish/Blue Fish.

I uncovered an assortment of Malka Dubrawsky's fabric. I think the 5" squares were a birthday packet that I'd stashed away. I paired them with all that remained of a piece of fabric designed by Jean Ray Laury that I scored from ebay (I think) years ago. Jean Ray Laury was "modern" before "modern" was modern, which made me think it would make a good combination.

You might want to check out Laury's website if you are unfamiliar with her. Her work would ALWAYS bring a smile to your face. My buddy Yvette and I were lucky enough to catch one of Jean Ray Laury's last lectures before she retired...just plain dumb luck on our part...and now we are so thankful. She died this past March just before her 83rd birthday. She was a real pioneer in fiber art.

Open Studio Weekend!

2011-11-16T07:02:00.000-08:00

It's here again...already...our annual Open Studio Weekend. Preparations are proceeding slowly. I keep getting sidetracked, which is probably my avoidance defense activating itself.

I did get some useful chores done. I stretched There Were Stories About Great Grandma.
When I bought the thermo-fax image of a Victorian woman, it reminded me of the old photographs that I had seen of my great-grandmother. Apparently she was a one-off, force of nature with an indomitable spirit that propelled her family from recent immigrants, through the Great Depression, to successful lives. While she, herself, had no time for needle work, she must have appreciated those who did, as she died with a sizable collection of others' work, including her daughters'.

The central hand dyed piece was purchased from Connie Rose.

The second piece of progress was having a mat cut for Consider the Kelp. It is a 10" square piece that had been a part of SAQA's This is a Quilt. And I really like it better now that it is framed. Hopefully someone else will too and want to purchase it ;^)

I probably won't post until again until after the event...unless, of course, my defense mechanisms take over. It's a heck of a way to avoid packing and pricing.

Fiberactions Reveal Day

2011-11-15T05:48:00.001-08:00

Block by Block: The Building of a Great American City

It was my turn, the last member of the current Fiberactions group, to post my "word". Choosing turned out to be more of a challenge than I would have thought. Finally I chose the word structure.

Originally I had planned to focus my "structure" piece on a cellular or molecular level. Before I had a chance to explore that idea I had an overnight trip to NYC. When I returned and downloaded all of my graffiti, buildings, and interesting people photographs, I became more interested in the buildings. The NYC buildings compared to the Melbourne/Adelaide/Perth, Australia cityscapes were especially interesting. They were all built in essentially the same way, block by block. And block by block created personality, if one can attribute personality to stone, steel and glass.

I like weaving backgrounds...this time it gave me the chance to use some very interesting "building" suggested fabrics...even the sky. The photograph that I used was some taken from our hotel room in the theater district in NYC. In a way, I'm sorry that I didn't choose one with graffiti (another of my favorite collectables)...but, perhaps that would have taken attention away from the blocks.

The experience with posting challenges every two months has been interesting too. Some times, I'm fully engaged and excited with the task and then others...well, not so much. It's those "not so much" pieces that seem to push me to explore more. The Fiberactions group continues with a different cast of artists. I'm sure it will continue to be interesting, and if you will pardon the word, challenging.

Claire and Her Friend Vasco da Gama

2011-11-14T11:32:00.001-08:00

Yes, THAT Vasco da Gama....one of the most successful Portuguese explorers in the 15th century. My granddaughter Claire is 9 and in the fourth grade. Remember all those explorers?

Her project was to research daGama and, today, make her presentation to her class. Two things struck me when she showed me her display.

First, she's much more computer savvy than I. But you could have figured that. To support her research she figured out how to find a shape of Africa...and print what she needed. Then....and wait for it...the best part...she chose to make her map from FABRIC! She is always welcomed to "finds" in my scrap bin, where she announced to me that "this green over-dye will be perfect". She decided against rick-rack for daGama's route mapping, choosing pliable wicking material instead. After the wording and markings were complete she rooted around in my studio until she found some tulle to overlay..."perfect ocean material".

Okay. A rant from a proud grandparent. I usually reserve this platform for art quilts, news of quiltmakers, my travels...especially as it relates to quilts and fiber...and the like.

But her approach to her project touched me, as it reflects our relationship and the value she places on "my" medium.

I always wanted to make a difference. I've come to understand that I may. but the differences will be small (I gave up on world peace decades ago). I choose to see this as one of them.

Connecticut Women Artists' Opening

2011-11-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the opening reception of Connecticut Women Artists' 2011 Members Juried Exhibition at Gallery 53 in Meriden. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, perfect encouragement for the appreciative crowd.

I was struck by how many mixed media works were included. It was wonderful so see the combination of watercolor, acrylic, pastel, encaustic, fiber sculpture, loom beading, oil, wire and glass, monotypes...oh, and a very interesting oil and embroidery...collected into a very engaging exhibit.

If you are in the area, it's worth a visit. It will be up through Dec. 3

Pictured here is (L-R) Wendy Thornley's All Over A Woman's Body and my Salon: After Matisse being viewed by DH.

Creative Juices

2011-11-06T09:27:00.000-08:00

"Sentinel" is finished....I think. I never really know with my work. Sometimes I finish a piece, photograph it, enter it, perhaps, and roll it up to be stowed away. Then at some point I stumble on it again. I find that it looks unfinished and I start tinkering all over again. So if you have any thoughts...I'm open.

"Sentinel" is made from two pieces of fabric, one I purchased years ago from Sunny Bunny Designs and the other, a piece of black Kona cotton, I recently discharged. It is hand (the shibori) and machine (the dark) stitched. I cut a stencil and painted the moon/sun.

Saturday was the monthly meeting of CT Fiber Arts Collective. Because the power is still not available to many parts of CT, including the library where we ususally meet, Barbara Khachane graciously offered her home to the group.

She is pictured here with her finished project of the day.

Carine Greene, using Gwen Headley's book Drawn to Stitch, led the group in a quick line study. It was fun for us all and a really good exercise in flavoring those creative juices. We were all charged up and ready to get back to our studios.

DOUBLE TAKE: Photo and Fiber/Reinstalled (AGAIN!)

2011-11-03T09:05:00.001-07:00

My art quilt group, Sisters in Cloth, has been very fortunate with our collaborative exhibit with photographer Rosemary DeLucco-Alpert.

Our first invitation to exhibit at Haskins Labs at Yale University coincided with the development of our collaboration...... using a selection of Rosemary's flower photographs as inspiration. While it was there, Rosemary had the opportunity to exhibit at the Guilford Free Library in its new gallery space. She asked us to share the opportunity and move the collection when it came down in June. Then, providentially, Rosemary went out to a local restaurant after the Library opening, ran into the Art Director of Connecticut Hospice in nearby Branford and was invited to "travel" the exhibit there for Nov-Jan.

With all of Rosemary's other teaching gigs and photography work, I stepped up to liaision with CT Hospice. Because of that freaky snowstorm mentioned in my last post, we could not hang the 43 (!) pieces as my excellent hanging team had planned. Instead brave "Sister" Barb Adams and I partnered to hang it two days later.

In the top photo Linda Zimmerman and I interpret Rosemary's Three Roses. Next is Yvette Howard's Blue Hydrangea. The second photo (L-R) includes Martha Wolfe's Asian Lily, Linda Zimmerman's Pink Hydrangeas, and Debbie Bento's Sunflower.

CT Hospice is situated on a gorgeous campus, formerly a country club...oops, I've been corrected by my buddy Barb Adams,...actually it was formerly a corporate headquarters, overlooking Long Island Sound. The exhibition space is open to all. It's a meeting space with gently curving walls, a wide vista of the Sound and devoted to art exhibits. Actually, the curved walls helped Barb and me decide not to be fussy about hanging the frames in any uniform way. We chose to create visual pairings. It might be fortunate that the hanging team wasn't involved after all. They are all much more fastidious about details and exactness and we'd probably still be there hanging the last frames.

This last photo was shot by just turning around from the exhibit and shooting through the windows. That's a bit of the view. It's a very beautiful.

Procrastination Worked Again

2011-11-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

I have heard from "people who shall remain anonymous" that I've taken procrastinating to a whole new level, but sometimes (okay, rarely) it works.

I joined this SAQA/CT regional group. Here's the most recent info.

Connecticut Fiber Arts Collective

www.CTFAC.blogspot.com

The Connecticut Fiber Arts Collective is a group of Connecticut based artists dedicated to promoting Fiber and Mixed Media Arts within their communities. The group formed in 2011 to provide support for individual growth and to challenge each other to push the creative boundaries. The group meets monthly to discuss a cross-fertilization of knowledge, techniques, ideas, and dreams. The goal is to hold exhibits at venues throughout the year to expose Fiber and Mixed Media Arts to the public.

The members come from a wide region, even if you consider that Connecticut is a really little state. Some have to drive better than an hour for the monthly meetings. Included in the group are Mary Lachman, Carol Eaton, Cher Herney, Carol Vinik, Diane Cadrain, Rosalind Spann, Toni Torres, Carine Greene, Barbara Khachane, Jeanne Landry and Karen Loprete.

It is a very energetic group...so far since I joined in April..we have had three exhibits, two in West Hartford and the most recent installation in the teeny village of Middlefield (which, interestingly, is in the middle of the state). This teeny village has a very active library (like what else is there to do?) that invited the group to display small works in its entry.

The first photo is "Identity". The second is the installation team: Roz Spann (with her eyes closed), Carol Eaton and Diane Cadrain.

Now for the procrastination part. Carol Eaton had volunteered to create e-vites to our artist reception for Nov. 3...tomorrow night. You might have heard about the freak October snow storm we had here in CT this past Saturday. In fact, JUST after the photos were shot. Currently 500,000 households are still without power. (actually worse than the recent Hurricane Irene when my own household was without power for seven days) The little active library is likewise without power. So, no reception. Now none of my buddies need to be notified of the cancellation. Procrastination at its best.

I just let DH preview this blog entry and his comment is that "you don't give procrastination enough credit. You know there's a whole field of creative procrastination." Just sayin'

Returning to the scene

2011-10-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-10-18T08:15:00.001-07:00

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

2011-10-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-11T07:21:00.001-07:00

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

2011-10-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

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"!

2011-10-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

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.

SAQA Auction "Wins"

2011-09-27T12:32:00.001-07:00

I was so happy to have "won" the bidding last week for Cathy Smith's wonderful piece in the annual SAQA fundraiser.

Titled "Waiting for Roasting" it is part of her "Roasting Marshmallow" series that incorporates digital images of her rural surrounding. The "marshmallows" refer to the giant hay bales that are wrapped in white plastic for storage.

I was also delighted that my submission to the auction "Shards of the Day" went to a collector in Bend, Oregon!

The last phase of the auction is on at this moment....go check it out. I am ;^) There are a couple I have my eye on. Click here

Fiberactions "Texture" revealed

2011-09-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

I participate in the online group Fiberactions. Every other month a member proposes a word to inspire the group. This month the word was "texture".

Pictured here is Electorate in Tatters, another of my cathartic creations...or rants, depending on how cynical one is. Using the challenge word "texture" as a vehicle rather than a subject, I put together this piece describing my concerns for our country.

These 13 traditional log cabin blocks represent the 13 original colonies of the US and their roughly 33% of the electoral votes (158) and, coincidently, roughly the percentage of the population eligible to vote in our great nation, that actually opts to exercise that right in national elections.

The 37 stars represent the roughly 67% of the population, undoubtedly self-described patriots eligible to vote, that opt not to exercise their right in national elections.

In this detail it's easier to see the multi-colored “logs”, created from a “haystack” of sliced fabrics. The white is wool batt.Both light and dark are dense and highly textured.

The process might be working...I'm less agitated...but I have also been limiting my exposure to "news".

Countin' Cowboys

2011-09-10T11:16:00.001-07:00

Gosh, it's been a long time since I last posted. Most of that time was spent coping with the Hurricane Irene's visit to the Northeast. Eight days without power certainly turned schedules upside-down.

We are now back to normal (whatever that means).

I made this baby quilt for my nephew's third son, expected to arrive on October 10th. His wife has been having problems with this pregnancy and is in bed until then, hoping that little Adrian (the last name we heard about) will opt to stay put until the appointed day. It's the first machine work I've done in a couple of weeks, for obvious reasons.

My nephew and his family live in Texas...actually always have...born and bred. That's why I decided to build a "user", fun baby quilt around the little bit of cowboy fabric that I found in my stash.

I'm thinking that, by baby boy number three, a "user" quilt would be most appreciated. And this one, with its flannel backing and binding will be fun to play tent under, nap with and drag around.

"Countin' Cowboys: Red Hot and Star-spangled"

Hanging together

2011-08-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

Rosalind Spann is pictured here with her work Dad's Greens Harvest. Behind her are two of my pieces: top Windfall and below Harvest of Leaves. I'm adding this in a rewrite, after I received her permission to post her image. Below is the original.

How happy is this group!? CT Fiber Arts Collective hangs their latest collection in West Hartford CT (l to r Jeanne Landry, Mary Lachman, Diane Cadrain, me, Carol Vincik, Rosalind Spann and Carol Eaton...Karen Loprete was absent). We were all in attendance to mount our exhibit.

The library is very supportive...the walls are self-healing, hence very forgiving and easy to use, the staff was very helpful and there is lighting specifically for the artwork.

The gallery space is three-sided, devoted to the arts.

This photo looks out to one of the library areas.

Irene visits Connecticut...she wasn't nice

2011-08-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

Our power went off at 2:52am Sunday, August 28th and it's still off. I used to love camping. I now find that I don't like to camp anymore. I like flush toilets, potable water, fridges, the internet...little stuff like that. (When we loose power the well's pump does not work, ergo no drinking or flushing.)

Trees are down everywhere...hanging in the electrical wires. Many roads are impassable. Fortunately the weather is mild and residents can camp in their homes.

The real disasters are homes and businesses near the shoreline and rivers that have flooded, thanks to Hurricane Irene.

Enough whining!

The big news: Today is the day that CT Fiber Arts Collective hangs it's second show. We are all excited! I am at the ready to help. I have my hanging kit, artwork, camera...boy, oh boy, I can hardly wait.

Oh, and did I mention that the venue is very near a Marriott that is fully functioning? I have internet and a hot shower. Life is good.

Power may return to us over this coming weekend. We will consider ourselves very lucky...and try to help our less fortunate neighbors.

Note two hours later: I'm sorry to be so shallow and such a sissy. I have been in typhoons, hurricanes, blizzards and many tropical storms before. I do know how to survive nicely, honestly...I think my frustration is that the power company didn't make assessments of damage for a couple of days and their talking head said that this "down time" would give families a chance to be together. (no, really, he did!)

I wish I could dye....

2011-08-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty good at discharging...enough to like many of the pieces that I have made. But, I've never really liked much of what I've dyed. I think it might be the difference between baking and cooking.

Leap in logic? Maybe not. One requires precision while the other can be judged. I actually am better in that place where I can say..."how about a little of this?" "How about that?". Yes, I did take a bunch of chemistry at university...but I liked geology and psychology much better because they fit my personality better.

I'm thinking it's the same with dyeing and discharging.

Which is EXACTLY why I support other artists who are so good at dyeing. I buy their work.

This piece, titled Sunrise-Sunset (because I couldn't decide) is made from fabrics I purchased...some from Constance Rose and some from Laura Cater-Woods and some from an anonymous dyer. I enjoyed every moment of working with their beautiful hand dyed fabric. A big "Thank You" to you all!

Okay, maybe I'm cranky...

2011-08-17T07:30:00.001-07:00

What do you do when you are mad as hell? or sad? or happy? or....whatever? I make art quilts.

My latest case in point is "Congress: Words, Words, Words, Talk, Talk, Talk"...too long a title? That's just the point.

Our forefathers set up a great bi-cameral legislative body, balanced by a judiciary and an executive. Why, oh, why then have we degraded into such a wonky, unstable mess?

It beggars my imagination to understand how members of government...elected by fairly small numbers of supporters considering 1) those who voted for the other guy, 2) the great number who are too young to vote and 2) the incredible number who just don't bother to vote. Those elected, when they take their seats and swear to uphold the Constitution, represent us ALL...not just the relatively small numbers who support them. Okay, okay...more should vote. But it doesn't change the fact that they represent us ALL. They all just tenaciously hold on to their little worlds while the whole crumbles. There's just no agreement on anything.

My husband says we have the government we deserve: the best money can buy. While I'm mad as hell, I'm not that cynical YET.

Quilt Festival...The Brush...The Whistler

2011-08-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

In my neck of the woods "Quilt Festival", "Brush" and "Whistler" used in the same sentence can reference only one thing: the New England Quilt Museum's Quilt Festival in Lowell MA. It concluded yesterday.

Note: In this photo my work "Diaspora" is on left and "Dusk" on right at The Whistler.

My Sister in Cloth buddy Yvette Howard and I drove up on Thursday so we would be there when it opened and not miss a thing in the chock-o-block events that traditionally pack this weekend.

I can truthfully say we were both disappointed. The Museum downsized the number of vendors to the outskirts of one floor of the auditorium where the exhibit has been featured since it moved from the much larger, more modern Tsongas Coliseum.

We usually "win" some treasure at their annual auction on Thurs evening, but they discontinued that. They also discontinued having classes during the event, which is a shame as I think it brings in more people and introduces more people to teachers' work (a win-win from my point of view).

The museum also had different hours from the quilt festival (10-6) itself. The museum closed at 4pm (except for Gallery Night on Fri)...so you could take the shuttle there and cool your heels until the next one came along. We saw scores (okay...10-25) waiting disappointedly. We walked everywhere, not caring what the shuttle was up to.

Enough of the downside! To quote Lucy (of Peanuts fame): I want ups, ups and more ups!

So here I am reflected in the window of The Brush gallery taking a photo of my work (boats on r). The exhibit is terrific! Geri Condon's piece is great...just to the left as you enter...to the right is Betty Busby's two wonderful undersea pieces. OH...I was nearby when Betty's Garibaldi

sold...I was so excited for her I impulsively gave the buyer a big hug and took her pic to send to Betty. How lame is that?

Everyone...okay, an exaggeration..lots of quilt artists were there. SAQA/MA regional meeting was in the morning on Saturday and both the Brush and the Whistler hosted opening that afternoon.
Pictured here (l-r) are Karen Bettencourt, Rayna Gillman (aka the best blogger who posted all three days...go read her comments) and Norma Schlager at The Whistler House Art Museum's opening, standing in front of Bev Fine's work (one of my favorites there). Rayna and I shared quarters...she connected with and introduced us to several local artists (lots of fun!! as you can imagine)

I missed taking photos of so many friends that I really enjoyed catching up with. Had dinner with Sandy Gregg...her work at The Brush is gorgeous.

So. Net Net. While disappointing, Lowell is still an art quilter's destination. One just doesn't need to get there during the Festival. Fortunately the exhibits that are so wonderful are up all month. So, next year, my buddy (s) and I will stop in Lowell, see both venues, make sure we have lunch at LaBoniche (our favorite restaurant), stop into Western Avenue galleries to see what Friends of Fiber/Linda Dunn/Tatja Cottrell/et al are up to and travel on to the Mancuso show which is always in August.

Stony Creek Summer Exhibit

2011-08-10T06:52:00.001-07:00

Granted: the photograph isn't wonderful. But it's still a thrill to have one's work displayed with artists' work in varying media.

Every summer the Friends of Willoughby Wallace Library in Stony Creek hangs the work of area artists. This year the call for entry was for images specifically inspired by Stony Creek and the Thimble Islands.

Lucky me. I had just finished my own Thimble Islands that I posted on June 15 (with a MUCH better photograph) when the call to enter postcard arrived in the mail. The committee chose to hang it and Stony Creek Salt Marsh/Summer (posted July 25) separately among the work of photographers, painters and sculptors. Like I said...it's a thrill.

I think I'm done

2011-08-08T06:30:00.001-07:00

Yes, yes, I know, "less is more". However, sometimes applying the axiom takes more discipline than (apparently) I have. I get overwhelmed with "oh, wow, this is cool" and away I go....over the top.

Compare this post with the last. And, candidly, tell me. I'll be brave. At least I'll know what readers think....won't change a thing though. I'm going to submit this to the exhibit in Japan.

I am sending both of my inspirations: View from Vincent's Window (which...in the "can this woman be stopped category"....I now also think needs rick-rack) along with this one titled Sunflower Abstract. Let them choose.

Another Sunflower

2011-08-03T13:23:00.001-07:00

I was invited, along with 15 others, to submit a piece to the Kagoshima Quilters Association Show in Japan this December. The exhibit is to be Sunflowers inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflower Series.

My last stab at this I posted on June 20, "View from Vincent's Window". I liked OKAY but....

So I went back and looked at numerous Van Gogh Sunflowers. So...really...who could not be inspired ?...and who could be happy with being compared to Van Gogh. Yikes. Not me.

I decided to go on a totally different tack. I took the colors from one of his works that I especially liked and went from there. I decided to make the piece 18" square (the requirement is 20") so I could make prairie points all around, suggesting petals, that would add 2" to comply with the instructions.

Interestingly, much of the fabric is Japanese...starting with "just enough...I used it all" cherished Hana Momen. And what you think is rick-rack....IS! My friends always smile and nod knowingly when I buy yet more vintage rick-rack. But see...it's useful. You just never know when.

In the studio at last

2011-07-25T06:58:00.001-07:00

Since returning from Australia in April I have not had productive studio time in large part because I can't work when I have my mind cluttered and preoccupied with responsibilities. Today after all the hosting and guesting jobs were completed I got to spend the entire day in the wonderful solitude of my studio...it was a good day.

This piece was inspired by a piece of hand dyed linen that I purchased from

Connie Rose

(thank you!) and supported by some shibori from Sunny Bunny and another hand dye from an un-remembered source.

This may be the first of a series. Stony Creek Salt Marsh/Summer is roughly 20x30 inches.

It's my plan to submit it, along with Thimble Islands which I completed and posted on June 14th, for exhibit at Willoughby Wallace Library in nearby Stony Creek. The library has wonderful gallery space that is enthusiastically and generously supported by the community. It's always a treat to see their monthly exhibitions.

Hmmm...should the whole thing be flipped? Whatcha think?

SAQA/CT Summer Meeting

2011-07-24T06:57:00.001-07:00

Our regional meeting was yesterday at The Guilford Art Center where On Higher Ground: Contemporary Hooked Art, along with SAQA's Trunk Show D, was on exhibition.

Liz Alpert Fay, one of the four featured "hooked" artists, graciously accepted our invitation to tell us about the collection. Wow!

And Wow on so many levels...the color, the texture, her journey, the journey of Contemporary Hooked Art (which is remarkably similar to Quilt Art...even with some of the "push-pull" we encounter between "contemporary" and "traditional" labels and practitioners) and her growth as an artist in moving into collaborative work with scientists...yep...you heard (read) it right...scientists!

Speaking of scientists...in this case former scientists...our Barb McKie developed

samples to survey the membership about sun exposure over time on cotton/silk/poly combined with various adhesives. Very scientific: Surveys, controls...lots of thinking, touching, opining...very interesting stuff.

Of course no meeting would be complete without food (thank you, Barb Adams for coordinating another yummy lunch) and a terrific Show and Tell (as usual). AND we got two new CT members! We may be a small state but we are loud...er...enthusiastic.

Final Drawing Class

2011-07-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of my drawing classes at the Art Center. The task for the day was to take drawings done in previous classes and take them further. (I thought mine was finished...but, no, apparently not.)

I had drawn a white Russel Wright teapot...never, ever meant to have decorative bits added (is he spinning somewhere?) and an orange. Imagine for a moment that this sketch was JUST a teapot, an orange and a horizon line.

After talking about other artists, including my one of my favorites, Matisse, our instructor urged us to "go for it".

I missed last week's class because of volunteering at the Art Expo on the Green...but two of the high schoolers (!!) in my class shared the results of their day with me. The day that they went "plein air" outside of our classroom. I loved what they had done. I think I missed an important class and I may have to repeat the whole thing again ;^) (I have a tough life)

Reveal Day for Fiberactions

2011-07-15T12:38:00.001-07:00

Today is reveal day for an online challenge group that I joined, Fiberactions. The word to inspire us was "Departure".

As an old traveler around this world, "departure" has an immediate reference for me: aircraft. I had tried to get away from this and really challenge myself with some

thing entirely different. Text.

I drove to the major airport in my state and, hoping not to attract the attention of security, took photos. I was enthusiastic about trying some Photoshop application.

The problem was that I couldn't get the aircraft image out of my head when I thought about "departure". I decided not to fight it.

Coincidentally, my homework in drawing class was to make a line drawing with strong sunlight. The other students in my class are 1: really young and 2: don't get what I do (but then who does?). With this in mind I decided to draw an aircraft with strong sunlight using my Bernina: needle and thread.

And, guess what? My instructor LOVED my "drawing"....wants me to teach her how to do it :^)

Family Reunion

2011-07-12T07:39:00.001-07:00

In the "ya never know" category: We just returned from a quick trip (8 hour drive each way) to Cumberland MD for a family reunion over this past weekend. I don't usually use this venue for family topics but this time I will.

Two years ago we attended my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary party there. I had this bright idea that I would have everyone at the party write a congratulatory message...funny, silly, romantic, whatever...that I would put into a quilt for the happy couple. The evening was magical even though an ice-storm kept many of the friends and family in outlying areas from attending. For those of us from far away, it was no problem as we had arrived well before the storm.

My uncle's family had owned the local department store for a several decades. Because of this he was always a very well turned out dresser, with dozens of gorgeous ties. My aunt had bestowed them on me previously, believing that they would serve me better than they would Uncle Mort who, when he finally retired, was intent on spending most of his waking hours on the golf course.

One of the more interesting blocks is the one with the newspaper photograph. Cumberland is a small town. Everyone knows everyone. On the occasion of the Peskin's anniversary, their old friend, the local newspaper's publisher, printed a few copies of their 50 year old wedding photo and a front page story on how patient and wonderful Sue was to suffer so long. It was a very clever, funny piece....delivered to their door that morning.

Now back to the "ya never know" department: this weekend my Uncle Mort took me aside and with a big hug told me that, of all his possessions, this quilt was his favorite and most cherished. Darn near made me cry.

Double Take: Photo and Fiber/Reinstalled

2011-07-08T09:51:00.001-07:00

Double Take, my art quilt group's (Sisters in Cloth) collaboration with photographer Rose Alpert, came down from Haskins Labs at Yale last week and was reinstalled at the Guilford Free Library. Last night was the opening reception...and a grand one it was!

Okay, you can tell by all the big grins. What we didn't capture was the size of the crowd. This was certainly our best received exhibit both in terms of comments about the work and the number in attendance.

This first pic captures me in one of the rare (NOT) moments that I'm not talking (or eating apparently). Beside me is Stephanie, Rose Alpert's sister, who was filling me in on a pretty funny story about Rose.

And this second pic is Rose herself....who also didn't stop grinning all night. And who could blame her? Her work shone. Here she is between Robin Wolek's Purple Iris and Janine Anderson-Bays' Cyclamen Glory.

Later she ran into an art coordinator at a large facility in a neighboring town who had seen the exhibit and asked Rose if Double Take could travel there this fall! I think Rose is grinning STILL.

Then there was the first sale of the evening. I think you can tell who just got a check: The biggest grin is on Debbie Bento's face, having just sold her little sunflower (to her L). Also pictured is Debbie's childhood friend (also named Deb) who drove over an hour to be at the reception. On the far left is Yvette Howard.

It was a wonderful evening.

Back to the Drawing Board, literally

2011-06-29T08:27:00.001-07:00

I've been drawing with my Bernina lately and, while it's engaging, I see some glaring gaps in my skill level. I'm fine with what I image in my head, the "go to images" that I've repeated time and again. The NEW is another matter. Time to challenge myself to see with new eyes.

Last Thursday I began a drawing class. This photo is the first and last drawing of the day for each of the students. I especially enjoyed the critique process.

Then, being a real glutton for punishment....no, just kidding. I signed up for Jane Davies "Scribble Collage" two day class. The punishment bit was that I was the "old dog" trying to learn new tricks....loads of new tricks in a very brief time frame. Yikes, it was mentally exhausting. I have to say the weekend class was a wonderful opportunity for me to work in a new, but related, medium: paper. Jane is a lively and very able teacher who inspired us all. Can't say enough good things about the class. I'm sure it will help me kick up my work a notch...at least that's my goal.

These are my results for the workshop. I'm thinking one can identify the Landscape...maybe the cruciform, which I modified to a "torii" form. I enjoyed the whole process from creating the variety of material to the layering.

Accepted! August will be BIG.

2011-06-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

I am SO jazzed. I got the "fat" email from The Brush Gallery in Lowell MA for Art Quilts Lowell 2011.

I love the Brush. It is an artists' coop that is a wonderful place to exhibit and to shop.

This year I almost did not even enter. The theme seemed so broad and, frankly, I only had one piece that I had confidence in...and that piece had been rejected too many times to count. I know, I know...the jurying process can be fickle. It all depends on the juror and the other entries.

Well, finally, Boats at Slack Tide found an arena in which it could "play nicely with it's neighbors".

I have always liked this piece. Once when it was exhibited locally a woman offered me 2/3 of the asking price and tried to purchase it by going around the dealer. Not a nice thing to do. And, not something someone who formerly made her living as an agent for other people was going to sit still for. Instead I gave it to my son in North Carolina. He's a graphic designer who LOVES it. It should be where it's appreciated.

I phoned him last night to tell him to ship it back ASAP. He wasn't totally thrilled. He is a teeny bit afraid someone will persuade me to sell it. Silly boy.

This piece started with the beautiful hand dyed background that I certainly did not want to see cut up. "Boats" is entirely pieced. The whole time I chanted WWRD under my breath. (What would Ruth Do?) Referring, of course, to one of my art quilt heros, Ruth McDowell.

I just discovered that another SAQA/CT colleague was also accepted. Norma Schlager.

So, again, I'm in fabulous company.

Earlier this spring, I was able to book a hotel room for the Lowell Quilt Fest, hosted by the New England Quilt Museum. Now I'm really glad that I did. I will be able to attend both Artists' Receptions...The Brush for "Boats" and The Whistler for "Diaspora" and "Dusk".

This weekend is such a wonderful time. The whole town is involved in it. It's an opportunity to have good food, good art, good shopping and catch up with old and new friends....gosh, it really doesn't get better this.

ART QUILTS LOWELL 2011: The Sea
An exhibition of the finest art quilts in Canada and the United States. This year the theme is "The Sea".

Opening Reception: Saturday, August 13, 3 - 5 pm, during the Lowell Quilt Festival.

Exhibition Entry Deadline: June 15, 2011

Juror: Gerald Roy, Member, Executive Board, National Quilt Museum, Paducah, KY; Chair, Acquisitions Committee; Member, of National Advisory Board, Administrator, Quilt Appraisal Certification Program - American Quilters Society, Paducah, KY; Acquisitions Board: New England Quilt Museum, Lowell, MA.

Okay, I like it better now

2011-06-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

While the grid that I'd created was almost exactly as I had planned on paper (I liked it at that point), I really didn't like the end result. I kept adding thread work which is usually a really good thing to do. This time it disappointed on so many levels.

I had even gone so far as to add beads to the centers of some of the flower-heads, disobeying my own personal adage about embellishment. You know, usually it is an effort to cover poor design (hmmmm). And my grandmother's favorite "after you get all dressed up with your bracelets, earrings, scarves, etc. and you think you look good, take one thing off."

In the end I pulled off the beads and tore out the extra thread-painting and let it sit on my design wall over the weekend. Today I had an idea. Freeform flowers cut from painted fabric. Now I like it.

It's titled "View from Vincent's Window".

Thimble Islands

2011-06-15T08:59:00.001-07:00

The Thimble Islands is a small string of glacial remains along the Connecticut shoreline. There are from 100 to 365 depending on what one would define as an island and or a rock...and, of course, when the tide is low or high.

Legend has it that Capt. Kidd buried treasure here. Mostly, found today are summer residents, high-quality granite quarried on Bear Island (area distinctive pink granite was supplied for the Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Station, Columbia University and the base of the Statue of Liberty), a bird sanctuary and a National Wildlife Refuge.

I guess I've been testing whether I have the "abstract gene" as described by Kate Themel on one of her earlier posts. This piece is titled "Thimble Islands I", just in case I do have the gene, and is 31" x 33 1/2".

This second piece, which is 20" square, I'm less enthralled with even though it came out just as I had planned. Titled "View from Vincent's Window", I guess it MIGHT look like a field of sunflowers as intended but it might not. Back to the drawing board.

Dyeing and Discharging

2011-06-13T07:03:00.001-07:00

Saturday was another CT Fiber Arts Collective event. This time we were playing with grape juice and bleach. No, we did not drink any of the grape juice...fermented or otherwise.

Carol Eaton has dyed using natural ingredients. As Rosalind Spann is working on a venue for this fall, we are aiming for a "harvest" theme. Carol thought dyeing with grapes would be interesting...and it was. We met at her house (brave woman!) and dyed using both grape concentrate and Concord grapes. I'm not a "real" dyer and, therefore, preferred the more instant gratification of the concentrate. I have photographed my results in dyeing a vintage cotton napkin, some white on white Marimekko and some muslin. I'm hoping one of these

works itself into my harvest contribution but right now I'm un-inspired.

While we waited for the hour that the grapes would take to cook, Carol suggested we discharge fabric in her driveway. I told you she was brave.

Now that is more my cup of tea. I really enjoy the more instantaneous serendipity of discharging. This was much more inspiring for me.

After the dyeing and discharging we broke for lunch. Food too! Everyone brought goodies to contribute. Those meals are always the best. I got everyone together for a group shot.

In the group photo: Carol Eaton, top L, Mary Lachman, Roz Spann. Sitting Cher Hurney, Diane Cadrain and Toni Torres. Diane (aka the other Diane) chronicled the day much better in her blog post.

Small Quilts in Sacred Spaces

2011-06-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

This smiling sextet is half of Connecticut Fiber Arts Collective, a newly formed regional sub-group of SAQA/CT members.

Diane Cadrain (L) has all of our thanks for finding such a hospitable location for our first show together. With her are Carol Vinick, Roselind Spann, Me, Antonia "Toni" Torres and Carol Eaton.

Our Opening Reception was yesterday afternoon at the Unitarian Society of Hartford with food and drink which we supplied (supported with carafes of "coffee and" by the congregation). We had great comments from those attending which always makes ones' day. I have to say besides appreciating the exhibit, many commented on the tasty treats we had brought, especially Carol Vinick's plethora of baked sweets. Can you say "incredible macaroons"? Not so easy with your mouth full.

SAQA 12" Square Auction

2011-06-01T12:51:00.001-07:00

Every year SAQA hosts a fundraiser auctioning 12" squares donated by members. The funds raised support exhibitions, catalogs and its outreach programs. It is always a favorite...and a wonderful way to start a collection of art quilts.

This is my contribution for 2011 and titled Shards of the Day. I THINK this will be my fifth year participating by donating and, IF successful in my bidding, my third year in adding to my art quilt collection. I can hardly wait for Sept. 12...at exactly 2pm EST.

Set your clocks. There's an app for that.

The quilting gods have been good to me....

2011-05-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

This has been a wild and crazy week. First, this weekend marked a very big (numbered) birthday for me. I can tell you I've been dreading it even though my DH has consistently assured me that it's just another day. It's still a pretty damn big number to deal with.

So this is where the quilting gods influence for good comes in. Just when I was feeling old and dried up I get accepted into two exhibits! Just two days apart.

Diaspora and Dusk were both accepted by The Whistler House Museum of Art's "Art Quilts at the WHMA" in August in Lowell MA.

Two days earlier Urban Canyon was accepted to "Deep Spaces" which will be touring several western US states this year.

And the news got even better. Around midnight Friday night I was awakened by Number One Son. He had flown in as a Birthday Surprise! This big numbered, once dreaded birthday has been a blast!

Visitor from Down Under

2011-05-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

This past March when we were visiting Australia, at the suggestion of Boston buddy Sandy Gregg, I had the pleasure to meet Geri Barr, art quilter and teacher, from Port Melbourne . She mentioned that she would be teaching this month in the Boston area and I invited her to stop over for a couple of days on her way through.

Monday she met several of the Sisters

in Cloth and some other art quilt buddies for a Show and Tell. It was quite a morning. Very inspiring for us all.

Today was her last day and we crammed in as much as we could before meeting her train bound for Boston. She happened to mention Patrick Doughtery last night....who knew that she would know about him? More serendipity...one of his installations is in nearby Old Lyme (of Lyme disease fame...the soccer team is called the Ticks...little dry New England humor there).

After she left I was still feeling inspired....good, except the work that demanded to be finished is this baby quilt I'm making for the Guilford Art Center's annual fundraiser. I'm happy to be supporting the Center...but itching to get on to new work.

Another Extravaganza

2011-05-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, the Sisters in Cloth did it again. Another successful gathering with fellow art quilters in a day of what we call an "Extravaganza".

This year we HAD ;^) to drive all the way to Simsbury (one has to remember that CT is a really small state about 90x125 miles in area) where we had been invited by Sew Inspired shop owner Vivian Lazich. She hosted the entire event in her studio-classroom, even offering us coffee and donuts on arrival. The space is large enough to easily seat our members and guests, with design walls for the charity blocks we all brought, her demonstration space, tables for our lunch, and still plenty of area around her two long and mid arm quilting machines for members to take a test drive.

Actually, the real reason we jumped at the opportunity to meet there was really, really basic. There is a tragically declining number of quilt shops (or fabric stores in general for that matter) in our state. The wonderfully serendipitous bit for us is that Vivian is an art quilter at heart and always is on top of the newest fabrics, books and techniques without forfeiting favorites. Net-net: we all came home with goodies.

Vivian had just returned from Spring Quilt Market and was full of information about new STUFF...like the mystery of Decolourant...go figure how that stuff works.

I forgot to take a picture of the 9 patch blocks everyone brought for our annual charity quilt (s). This year we chose to make them from Asian fabrics. Our goal is to send the finished quilts to Japan Earthquake Relief. I'll photo and post when they are completed.

Of course, the best part of any of our meetings is Show and Tell (followed closely by the yummy food always present). This year was no exception. I have posted two of the photos on the Sisters blog if you want to see a couple different ones. Here are posted the work of three of our guests whose work we always look forward to seeing.

The top photo is a quick take on Judy Ross's Sunflowers...well one of her pieces. She had several to offer....she is famous and envied for her prolific, and quite beautifully crafted work.

The second photo is Rosalind Spann describing her recent "playing" with dyeing interfacing.

The third is Toni Torres' with the second in a series of work she is creating based on "hands"...the first was Healing Hands (as I recall)...as it is in a current show she had to pass around a photograph of it.

Two Opening Weekend ;^)

2011-05-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

Friday night the Guilford Art Center hosted an Artists' Reception for their juried show "Poser".

POSER
May 13 – June 26

A group exhibit open to art works in all media that explore various notions of posing for an image, as it relates to artist, subject, and/or viewer.

I'm caught here with my mouth open (surprise) chatting with my friend Alice Chittenden, a quilt maker and a master potter.

Saturday we drove to Lowell MA for the afternoon Artists' Reception of The Brush Gallery's "For the Birds". Again, a very well attended event.

May 7 - June 18, 2011
FOR THE BIRDS
(Part of the Art of Nature Exhibition Series)

Juror: David Allen Sibley; well-known author, illustrator and ornithologist

Organized by Eileen Byrne

Artists' Reception: May 14, 2011, 2 - 4 pm

A collaboration with the Massachusetts Audubon Society to focus attention on birds and their habitats and to raise funds for the volunteers who care for injured birds until they are able to be returned to the wild.

Instead of posting another photo of me with my mouth open, I thought it might be more interesting to see my work from outside the gallery's front window. Pictured here is LeDanseur by BJ Comerford (L), a wonderfully playful oil on canvas and on the back wall (R) is my piece "Red Wing Chorus: Ode to Charley Harper".

One of the things I appreciate most about both of these exhibits is that both are mixed media. While there were just a few fiber pieces in the Guilford exhibit, the Brush was loaded. It is understandable. Lowell is home of the New England Quilt Museum, a big biennial quilt show, a host of fiber artists AND the former base of 10 fabric mills! You can almost taste fabric in the air.

Now...it's also May 15 and reveal day for Fiberactions newest challenge "Embellish".

Second in Proposed Series

2011-05-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's not a series YET. A buddy of mine reminded me not long ago that two is a pair, three is a series. This is my second, still un-titled "moon" work.

So far "Moonglow" and "Harvest Moon" are in contention for titles but nothing seems to stick.

This project has given me the excuse I wanted to play in my collection of hand dyed cottons and cotton sateens. I have never been very successful in dyeing fabric myself, but I SO admire those artists who are and consider it my DUTY to support them in meaningful ways...like purchasing their beautiful, creative products. In this instance, I'm not sure where I acquired the dark background, Houston, perhaps, but the light aqua shibori is, I'm pretty sure, from Sunny Bunny in Tampa.

Busy Mother's Day Weekend

2011-05-09T07:25:00.001-07:00

I made this little baby quilt for the newbie across the road from our home. Little Sinead is about two months old and, up until yesterday, had been using her big sister's quilt that I had made her three years ago. Big sister's generosity was beginning to run thin so the "Happy Mother's Day" quilt came just in time for peace to reign all day.

This weekend was also the third meeting of a SAQA sub-group that I have joined. It's a dynamite collection of local art quilters who have a common agenda: get shown more. Already one of the members, Diane Cadrain of West Hartford, has secured an exhibition space! The first show of the newly minted CT Fiber Art Collective (sounds a little teeny bit subversive, doesn't it?) will be May 22-June 14 at the Unitarian Society in Hartford. Saturday's meeting was very productive: voting on a name for the group and vetting the first show. It was great!

Mother's Day is always a busy place in our home: breakfast in bed for some, lunch out and a Disney movie for all.

This weekend I also was able to squeeze in work on my newest series (as yet un-titled). Thanks to Rose, Deb, Diane and Frauke for their comments and support! (Only on the internet would I "know" someone in Wedlingen Germany, Humbolt CA, upstate NY and southwest FL who would be interested in what I'm doing!)

First in a series...I think

2011-05-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

I have been working on pieces lately that seemed to demand a lot of thinking. I know, it's bad for you....heavens knows what it can lead to...better government? Oh, but that's a whole different can of worms.

Lately I've been working on my "cave art" series and maybe I've just over 'thunk' it but after a while I began to read narrative and subtext into all the imagery...phew...I was spent.

I started thinking about what REALLY satisfies me..... viscerally ...about art quilting. The answer was color, texture and line. With that I selected two pieces of hand-dyed fabric that I've had for months (too timid to use) and started cutting. That felt (the operative word here) really good. I liked the resulting 9 'moons'. Then, without a plan, I began stitching with two color-related cotton, variegated threads using a double needle....sketching with my Bernina.

It was such fun....it should be first of a series...like peanuts. Too good to stop at one.

More Cave Art

2011-04-30T11:09:00.001-07:00

For the past several years I've been interested in graffiti. I've taken photos of it everywhere: NYC (no surprise there), Philadelphia (ditto), a piece of the Berlin Wall (again ditto), Melbourne, Australia and...here's the surprise...the Great Wall of China. That represents unrelated (more than likely) artists from four continents.

Granted the Great Wall wasn't spray painted...it was sgraffito. Well, sort of sgraffito. It was carved into the wall...still an unmistakable, anonymous, artful statement.

The two Cave Art pieces that I completed earlier, inspired by ancient cave artists, got me thinking about current "cave" artists...the urban canyons in cities around the world.

I had no problem coming up with a title for this one: Urban Canyon

Home again, Home again, Jiggity Jig

2011-04-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

We have been to see Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece IMHO. We rendezvoused with our CA buddies in Philadelphia and drove the many hours to Chalk Hill PA where we rented a cute 1970's A-frame in the woods for a few days. While there we were able to tour nearby Kentuck Knob, also a Frank Lloyd Wright home done in his Usonion style.

There's no doubt in my mind that Falling Water is just about the most beautiful work of his that I have seen. Granted, I've only toured five...but still...it's my favorite by a mile.

The following weekend we flew to St. Louis to reunion with my brothers et al. Yes, we were there for these most recent tornadoes. Sirens. Wind. Rain. More Sirens. Undaunted, we opted for indoor activities: St. Louis Museum of Art, bowling and two films....and LOTS of meals. We're the sort of family that likes to know where/when/what the next meal will be before we decide on dessert for the current one.

Obviously, not much work has been happening in my studio.

I did finish a piece that I can not decide what to title. It's inspired by a half yard piece of fabric designed by Yoshiko Jinzenji. I have hand quilted it quite densely.

Any suggestions?

Oh...and the other big news is that my self portrait was juried into The Guilford Art Center's next exhibit "Poser" ;-).

Not just for the birds

2011-04-09T12:49:00.001-07:00

When I made this Redwing Chorus: Ode to Charley Harper, it wasn't just because I love birds. No, it was also because I always loved the work of Charley Harper.

I made this piece in 2008, shortly after I read in the New York Times that he had passed away. Re-visiting his artwork brought to mind all the times his work made me smile. All the cards I'd bought and sent to friends for birthdays, anniversaries or just plain "cheer up"...or chirp up...see, you smiled.

This is one of my "bird works" that I entered into The Brush Gallery's For the Birds exhibition (May 7-June 18). And I just found out that it was accepted!! Oh, boy, I love to visit The Brush and Lowell! There is SO much going on.

Returning to Work

2011-04-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

This past week has been busy....interrupted by bouts of nodding off when jet lag wins the battle.

Before I left in February I had been working on a new project. I chucked the first trial in the bin before we left and pinned the second trial on the design wall to greet me when I returned.

Having had six weeks to think about it seemed to work. In fact, I had another idea entirely which went together very quickly. Maybe the time spent in gestation was beneficial.

First is a detail from Cave Art Sisters and the second a detail from Cave Art Chorus. This week someone told me that two is a pair and three is a series....hmmm...

Both are my exploration on cave art...an offshoot of my interest in tribal and indigenous art....like

this last piece Creative Spirit...which was from 2008 and was juried into The Yeiser Museum in Paducah the same year.

Last Postcard from Australia

2011-03-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

Our last day in Australia was a beaut! The weather was one of those warm, dry, sunny days that make autumns in Victoria so memorable.

We started our morning saying good-bye to Geelong by having breakfast at the Sailor's Rest restaurant on the foreshore...a glorious farewell to our old home. Incidentally, we learned that the building was erected in 1913 and the electric lights atop were put up in 1926 and are now believed to be the oldest electric sign in Victoria, and, perhaps, Australia.

Next we drove to Port Melbourne to our new friend, and art quilter Geri Barr's home for a yummy lunch AND a preview of the Ozquilt Network exhibit, Australia Wide Two that will be on display at the Australasia Quilt Exhibit in Melbourne on April 14-17. Geri is the point person in Melbourne for the collection and will be responsible for hanging it. Pictured here are Geri's two contributions to the exhibit...along with the stack of others that I did not photograph, of course, but did view with great admiration. It's a wonderful collection!!

This last photo is a very generous (and greatly loved) gift from Dijanne Cevaal. After our return to Geelong she was able to meet us for dinner on Sunday AND she delighted me with a surprise package: four gorgeous pieces of fabric she had dyed along with an Artist Trading Card. Boy, life doesn't get better than this...especially for me.

We arrived home last night...the trip was very wearing but, thankfully, uneventful.

So, farewell to Victoria, Broome, Perth, Adelaide and all our friends...until next year. We have been offered two opportunities that may be hard to decline: a fortnight in a holiday house on the Mornington Peninsula and a fortnight of house-sitting (with a car) in a Melbourne suburb. Now, life REALLY doesn't get better than THAT!

Postcard from Geelong

2011-03-28T14:48:00.001-07:00

Farewell, Geelong.

Yesterday was our last day here in Geelong where we lived many years ago. We've caught up with friends and seen the exhibits and venues we "needed" to.

The foreshore has been beautifully developed since we lived here: the swimming circle has been revamped, a boardwalk playground has been installed, many restaurants have popped up...several actually on the piers and public art installed. Our favorite artwork is the Bollards. These painted sculptures have become iconic for Geelong...there's even a pair at the Melbourne airport welcoming visitors to Geelong.

Yesterday we ate lunch in one of those foreshore restaurants, a very old building that had previously been a sailors rest. We then drove to nearby Serendip Wildlife where I snapped this photo of a group of school children...typical of school children here with uniforms and sun hats.

This last photo catches a lovely restaurant, Cunningham's, at the end of the pier, a set of Swimming Club Bollards and the You Yangs in the background (beyond the tall smokestacks from the Shell refinery). We drove to visit the You Yangs after we visited Serendip only to find out that the reserve had been closed due to the significant damage caused by recent rains. "You Yang" comes from the Aboriginal owners' description: Big mountain in the plain....very apt.

Our flight home leaves in 24 hours and we begin the horror that is our journey home. Watch out Heather et al, a very grumpy couple will be showing up Wed. evening.

Almost up to date

2011-03-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

March 23 and 24 we took off to the North Central high lands of Victoria famous for gold, Ned Kelly, wheat and lamb until modern times when vineyards started sprouting up and truly wonderful reds were created.

Because I've had an anonymous request for more pics of Papa, I'm including this photo of our guides (Shelley and Graeme) and us at our last 2011 dinner together, celebrating with dinner and a wonderful bottle of shiraz.

Second photo is a life-sized wooden sculpting of local "hero" Ned Kelly: for what wikipedia says about him.

The towns we toured were charming...this photo fairly typical...although their names did not sound so very typical: Wangaratta, Benalla, Glenrowan, Wodonga, and Wahgunyah...fall trippingly from one's lip, no?

Adelaide, part 2

2011-03-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

Every where we've been internet access has been iffy even in hotels. It's rare when I can upload three pics to blogger...which is too bad because the photos are what has been of the most interest to viewers. Too bad because I have literally thousands to share.

While we were in Adelaide (Mar 14-21) we were truly treated like family and were able to see all the major sites, except for the ongoing Clipsal Road Race which we tried to avoid by using buses and trams in the city center.

One day was devoted to the Barossa Valley...a deservedly famous wine center. This pic is a pretty typical shot of the beautiful green vineyards. Of course, we tasted our fair share of delicious wines.

Speaking of typical, this roadside sign was one of many we photographed to alert drivers of wandering wildlife. We have similar pics for wombats, kangaroos and echidna.

This particular sign was on the approach to a reserve where we took a hike on our last day. I was lucky enough to spot a koala in a tree....all the other hikers gathered and he treated us to his "holler"...sounded a bit like a chimp. Honestly. It's the male's method of calling females and warding off other males. A first for me...it was great.

My posts are almost up to current time. The Government House post was in real time and not in sequence with the following....next I will post about our wine tasting trip on Mar 23 and 24 with our Melbourne buddies to Rutherglen valley in Northeast Victoria, and places we've never been...very fine wines, gorgeous gums and the stomping grounds of Ned Kelly.

Adelaide, very briefly

2011-03-25T00:06:00.000-07:00

We were hosted in Adelaide by a very lively, effervescent patchwork grandmother of nine. This magpie (one of my very favorite Aussie birds) is a detail of one of the many beautiful quilts that are hanging in her charming home. We were truly spoiled by her...driven to every point of interest: Parliament House, the zoo, South Australia Gallery/Museum, Mt Lofty and so many interesting and beautiful spots.

This second...not very good photo, admittedly...was taken on a nocturnal walk at Warrawong Sanctuary, a wildlife conservancy begun by John Wamsly many years ago. We actually met John in 1989 and was treated to a dawn walk by him so he could show us the cat-proof fence he had erected on the old dairy farm he had purchased in the 1960's. On that morning we walked quietly along narrow pathways and were pleased to find potaroos hopping under grass trees and ferns. There were also two platypus that were the first to breed in captivity...outside a pair in the 1940's in Healesville. After our walk we were treated to tea by John's wife.

Fast forward to today and Warrawong is a non-profit conservancy with a wonder cafe, staffed with knowledgeable guides for dawn and evening walks, and eco-tents for overnight visits. During our visit we saw MANY platypus, wallabies, kangaroos, potaroos, brushy-tailed possums, ring-tailed possums and koala. This photo shows one that climbed down her tree and sat watching us for several minutes prior to returning to her tree top.

Let me tell you about MY day...

2011-03-22T00:42:00.001-07:00

Wendy Lugg, an amazing art quilter from Perth, told me I "had" to get to Kazari when I next went to Melbourne. Today was the day. Even though the traffic was stressful (left side driving on the vehicle filled streets) we made it to the warehouse that also includes ziguzagu....a huge space literally filled with vintage Japanese kimono, obi, yukata, books and household textiles. A real treasure! Thank you, Wendy!!

THEN...our friends the Wilson's arranged for us to get a private tour of Government House....by the wife of the Governor, Jan de Kretser. Professor David de Kretser is the Governor of Victoria appointed by HRM Queen Elizabeth. He has served a five year term and will be leaving his post in April. It was a tremendous privilege....and we where also happy to be able to meet the Governor himself even though we were not on his schedule. Thanks to our friends, Shelley and Graeme and, of course, the Governor and Mrs. de Kretser.

This last pick Shelley took of us...it's the seat Her Majesty would sit if she were visiting...in her absence it's the Governor's place.

Fremantle

2011-03-21T20:21:00.001-07:00

Fremantle, down the Swan River from Perth (by ferry for us...and a beautiful cruise it was), was put back on the map with its winning of the America's Cup several years ago.

The second photo is the gorgeous Art Center that our day host took us to. We were able to pop into on-going classes...sculpting, painting and, oh, yes...screenpainting on fiber.

After that we were off to a tour of the Fremantle Prison which was built in 1845...the oldest building in Western Australia...and the oldest building built by convict labor. The horror was that it was used as a prison continuously until 1991! Even after two horrific riots (1968 and 1989). It was a chilling tour...

I will be doubling up on my blog posts to TRY to catch up with what we are doing now. Check out the last couple for a taste of our Perth visit.

Perth Photos

2011-03-21T14:15:00.001-07:00

We attended the 8th Annual Cottesloe Sculpture on the Beach. Here's just a few of the many photos we took.

This first on is a wonderful wood maze that wowed the school kids.

Perhaps the most photographed was the huge Red Man. We loved him...and the chance to get the shot of his being cleaned off

It was a warm, sunny day and throughly enjoyed by our group.

Wendy Lugg, Perth and Fremantle!

2011-03-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is not Wendy Lugg ;^)

We have been out of email/internet access for two weeks and SO much has happened. We visited Perth/Fremantle last week and were treated royally by our hosts, seeing SO much of the area which is BEAUTIFUL even if it is way too dry.

The first night we were in Perth our hosts took us to Kings Park, pictured here, to look at the city we would later inspect up close and personal during the week. It was a wonderful evening. And, Kings Park looked very different during our day time tour later in the week so we were glad that we had the opportunity to see both.

Later during the week I was able to connect with Wendy Lugg, well known to us SAQA types. She was able to rendezvous with me at Heathcote (a former asylum...interestingly enough) where my travel group was picnicking. It was so much fun chatting with her...heck, I didn't even notice that I'd missed lunch.

Cable Beach Camels @ Sunset

2011-03-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

One of the major "have to do"(s) while in Broome is a camel ride along gorgeous Cable Beach at sunset.

As you know, the Top End is currently in "The Wet"....an Aussie understated description of the weather Jan-Mar. We know the sun set...somewhere behind the vast, slightly circular swirling cloud clot...but it didn't dampen our enjoying the experience a bit. DRW and I are the riders on the second camel...an affable, apparently brainy, Alpha Camel want-to-be named Joe.
This is Joe. He was one of the few camels purchased after having been trained. Most are rounded up from the 1.5 million feral camels that have become too populous in the Northern Territories. These numbers have grown since being released at the end of the 19th century. They were brought here during the development of the railroad (mostly) and then released into the desert instead of returned. Apparently the Australian deserts were just the thing for their flourishing...without disease or interbreeding...yielding a very robust creature that is sometimes sought by other camel countries to strengthen their herds.

Joe was formerly worked at Uluru (Ayers Rock) and became available for sale a couple of years ago. He seems very happy...seeking head scratching from the riders in front...he also knows that the lead camel, Ashwan, carries the cache of carrots used for the reward of a successful journey down the beach.

Broome Western Australia

2011-03-02T18:30:00.001-08:00

Thankfully our flight from Melbourne was uneventful...we were a bit worried about the low pressure and Cyclone Carlos and were not disappointed with a very nice flight.

The first photo is over WA and side by side pit mines....part of an idea I'm working on for a SAQA exhibit. I love being able to see the curvature of the earth too.

The second photo is a quick snap as we are landing in Broome. It's tropical and reminds us both of Ghana and So. Fla. We are also in the WET season so it is humid and rains periodically.

The last photo is a first for me: feet in the Indian Ocean. I also found a couple of interesting shells. This is a huge pearling area...tomorrow we are off on a town tour. Friday we have hopes of a camel ride at sunset.

Keep posted.

More creatures

2011-02-27T19:07:00.001-08:00

I have been unable to get internet access for several days now so I've written several posts covering the past 3-4 days. If you have the time.....several follow.

DRW's daughter Leslie was the only one of our children who was able to visit us when we lived here so many years ago. One of the most memorable events for us all was a koala sighting we made in the You Yangs. She took the most beautiful photo...so, this is for you, Leslie.

We did get a shot of one awake. They sleep about 22 hours a day...because of the difficulty in digesting their limited diet of eucalypts.

And we finally got a photo of an awake wombat....most of these animals prefer dawn and dusk.

Tomorrow we fly to Broome, Western Australia...and yes, there is a weather low there with some signs of a cyclone...but we are crossing our fingers and proceeding. Besides, Qantas assures us we will be going.

We've never been to "The West" and are really looking forward to this even though because of the continued "wet" (that's an understatement) we will probably be unable to see all that we'd hoped.

Ballarat Creatures

2011-02-27T18:54:00.001-08:00

Well, all I can say is that the kangaroo's nose is better than DRW's memory. David was sure he'd misplaced the little bag of 'roo food that we'd purchased at the Ballarat Wildlife Refuge. The little juvenile was right...the bag was in the pocket.

This second photo is the only "mum" we saw with her joey which was occasionally interested in finding out was was happening.

Then there was the pair of "thumping" emus. They make the most beautiful, low thump sounds. In fact a little boy joyfully announced to his parents that he could hear the emus' hearts beat. It does sort of sound like that.

Ballarat, Victoria

2011-02-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

As there was SO much going on in Geelong...there were no accommodations to be had for the weekend. There was a huge cruise liner docked at the port...separate preparations (along with aircrews) were ongoing for the Air Show next weekend and there was the Pako (Packington) Fest in full swing. We could only stay Friday night...we did get to meet Dijanne for a very nice dinner at a downtown Tapas restaurant.

So...we shifted up to Ballarat, an old goldmining town with a history that is very similar to the N. California gold towns, gold having been discovered about the same time in both places.

This second photo is a very common house..and one of my favorite designs. I'm thinking it's called Federal...but surely someone will correct me. I'm shocked by how much I've forgotten since we were last visiting here. Names of plants and birds are slowing returning...architecture, not so fast.

Ballarat Art Gallery is well known for fine quality. However, on our visit there was a performance being held in the upper galleries so we had to be satisfied with a student show. We were not unhappy. Partly because the student show was very interesting and, secondly, we had been so thrilled with the gorgeous Sidney Nolan Gallipoli exhibit at the Geelong Art Gallery was so good.

We could take photos without flash...and I did. I really liked this assemblage of small, beautifully defined linocuts.

Native Plants at the Botanical Gardens

2011-02-27T18:27:00.001-08:00

My blog only likes 3 photos at most per post. So I'm going to post extra ones from time to time.

The first is the cone from a banksia (tall yellow "candle")...the second is a banksia in full bloom.

The third photo is Kangaroo Paw.

Geelong, Victoria

2011-02-27T18:09:00.001-08:00

I was so happy that I could connect with Dijanne Cevaal in Geelong. She has fairly recently relocated there after her European tour. I was delighted that she shared so much of her work with me....certainly amazingly textured pieces. So much depth. So much emotion. I feel very lucky that she allowed me to purchase this piece: all hand stitched, hand dyed silk. Eucalyptus leaves are a real passion of mine. It is a real treasure to add to my collection.

Here DRW and I are standing at the entrance of the Geelong Botanical Gardens. The two sculptures are "bollards" and depict the creators of the original gardens. The Botanical Gardens are just a couple of blocks from our former home along Eastern Beach where we lived in the early 1990's and was a favorite destination of mine for morning walks: great birding and beautiful plants...the natives were my favorite.

In the great make-over of Geelong's waterfront the bollards are everywhere...and a great source of interest and photos for visitors.

Heide Museum of Art

2011-02-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

I'd never been to the Heide Museum of Modern Art and it wasn't until I read Dijanne Cevaal's Feb 12 post that I recalled it at all...and made the mental note to get there, especially since she had such good things to say about it.

I've been looking for blooming native plants...there's always something blooming somewhere nearby to support the great variety of nectar eating birds (parrots and honey eaters mostly). The thing about the rains, that apparently have broken the decades old drought, is that the mozzies are here in abundance. We now need to carry repellent along with our sunscreen.

This gorgeous sculpture...sorry to say it's one of the few works whose creator I neglected to document...after I got back to the hotel to look at my photos is my favorite.

The Heide covers 16 acres of buildings/homes and exhibition space, gardens (kitchen and herb) and a sculpture park presenting "a dramatic combination of indoor and outdoor spaces". And, conveniently, it also has a very fine cafe.

We planned our day around it. Thank you, Dijanne!

Wordy Wednesday

2011-02-22T19:05:00.001-08:00

I've always enjoyed bloggers' Wordless Wednesday posts...never been able to pull it off myself. I've got too many words I guess.

The Melbourne tram ads were very interesting. We read them all.

And then there was this wall in a pub where we stopped for lunch. Our favorite was:
Drink beer because nobody solves the problems of the world over white wine.

Lastly, the real wordy bit. Monday night we were feted to the wonderful Aussie hospitality that everyone loves to bask in. We were invited to art quilter Geri Barr's home in Port Melbourne for a family dinner. I took a snap of her garden...and puppy Abby, also a cross-breed like the two we left at home: part Golden Retriever part Poodle. A very bright, spirited and lovable puppy of just a year.

Geri is going to Massachusetts in May. I'm hoping her schedule allows her to pop down to CT for a visit with our art quilt group Sisters in Cloth. She has a talk on Contemporary Australian Art Quilts and on "managing" your art and inspirations. Either or both would be welcomed I think.

Melbourne Day 5

2011-02-20T14:18:00.001-08:00

Reinforcing our "fright-flight" response we finally made our way to Luna Park. No, I did not go in...neither did DRW. It's famous. For some reason all those years ago when we lived here we never made it here. It is now in our "been there...almost done that" file.

Yesterday, having been invited to an art quilter's home for dinner on Monday night ("Oh, just take the 109 Tram right in front of your hotel...text me the prior stop and I pick you up"). We have been jumping on and off the City Circle but haven't actually bought tickets and ventured on the "real" trams....where the other riders might like to get to work, etc...without the bumbling tourists mucking things up. SO, we decided to trial the real ones...and headed off to St. Kilda's Sunday Market on the Esplanade. Yes, we had queried the concierge (yes, the hotel has one) about the finer points.
There were many artists and crafters selling their work. We met the artist who had created Mr. Bucket. He has created an Everyman...as he describes...a Cary Grant type with a bucket on his head. Yes, I did ask him about the Ned Kelly reference...and I was "spot on". There were numbers of images on t-shirts, etc...Mr. Bucket with missives flying out of his pockets (wikileaks)...walking on a "red brick road"...interesting imagery.

After lunch we "trammed" back to the city. Since DRW discovered that he would require a couple more shirts we stopped at Myers Dept. Store. Thought this was good. Remember that the Aussie $ is almost exactly the US$. The Ralph Lauren t's are $149 EACH!

It's the shipping I guess.

Melbourne Day 3 & 4

2011-02-19T16:05:00.000-08:00

Our days include a lot of walking. It'd be nice to say that we'd lost a few kilos on this trip..and, heck, we might. I do know we've left at least one kilo on the streets of Melbourne even though we have discovered that we like the city circle tram. Yesterday, Saturday, it was VERY crowded however, and we decided to bolt off a couple of stops early on our way to Chinatown where we had lunch. Yum.

The first pic is from an exhibit at ANZ (a bank) and from the community that is represented by one of our new art gallery contacts Stan Yarramunua. Lively, interesting work, to say the least.

This second snapshot is a huge sculpture at the Docklands.

And the last photo is the view from our ninth floor room at Melbourne's Rialto Hotel.

We are still trying to connect with some more folk for references for appraisers for our Aboriginal Art Collection. So far we have found two (one connected with Sotheby's) to give our cd. Finding an appraiser is one of our goals for this trip.

Today we have not made firm plans yet....perhaps a Festival at St. Kilda....all's well. Still sunny and warm, with (so far) only overnight showers.

Melbourne Day 1 & 2

2011-02-18T15:20:00.000-08:00

This first photo is a pic of an old style tram...not the one we took for our City Circle tour...we took an older, more beautiful model. There are several tram types, some very flash.

The second photo I shot from our tram trip...the old and new captured.

My blogger only likes three pics per post...so after two days of galleries, museums, and MILES of walking, I leave you with our late afternoon "tea". We've found a fine little pub, the Sherlock Holmes, were we cool our feet and plan our next day.

The trials of the L O N G and A R D U O U S trip are almost a dim memory.

Windsor Art Center/SAQA-CT Regional Meeting

2011-02-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

Here we are: Saturday, sunny with no chance for snow and an art center FULL of art quilts and art quilters...it doesn't get better than THAT!

The first pic is "Our Fearless Leader" Kate Themel, SAQA/CT co-rep. Yes, I know. She and I are both the co-reps but, in fact, the way it really works is that she's "Our Fearless Leader" and I am the "Faithful Companion". Gosh, she does SUCH a remarkable job, one has to stand back and marvel.

The next pic is the SAQA/Mass RI rep Jeanne Marklin. She's showing her provocative piece about race in the US.

This last pic is of a FANTASTIC piece by Hiroko I-forgot-her-last-name who is a prospective member. This meeting was promoted as an open meeting and, because of that, there was an audience of non-member art quilters (we like to think of them as prospective) and members of the Windsor Art Center and general public attending to hear the artists' talks.

The day was unavoidably long because there was so much to do, so many art works to feast upon, so many people to talk to....no one wanted it to end. You had to be there!

Serendipity

2011-02-10T11:44:00.003-08:00

Guilford Art Center's Pole Barn houses the metal-smiths and a couple of kilns. It's for weathering the elements...obvious elements here. And much of the "elements" has melted.

The sunny news of the day is that two of my Journey Bowls have been juried into the next exhibit at the Art Center!

I posted about Africa Bowl on Jan 19 and the open Outback Bowl on Jan 25.

It was a bit of a whim to enter the competition. I try to support the Center in any way that I can. The Call to Entry spoke to me and I thought what the heck...I never dreamed that the jurors would actually LIKE them.

Bowls: common, open-top containers, dishes or basins, often round and rather deep, used in many cultures chiefly for holding liquids and food. One of the simplest, most ancient, and most elemental forms. Bowls have been created and recreated by artists and artisans through the ages as objects variously or simultaneously functional, sculptural, decorative, utilitarian, and more. This exhibit will explore what continues to be new and vital about this form, and submitted work is encouraged to explore its many aspects.

Jurors: Pam Erickson and Richard Davis

Pam Erickson and Richard Davis are nationally exhibiting, mixed media artists. Transplanted from New York City, they live and maintain studios in Ivoryton, Connecticut. The couple managed and curated exhibitions for the former Erickson-Davis Gallery.

The serendipitous bit is that I happened to be at the Center when the Director mentioned that the jurors had their choices in and that she was happy to tell me in person about my Journey Bowls. Ordinarily I would have been notified on the 14th, the official date. The date that I would have been on a Qantas flight on my way to Melbourne!

So, I'm off to the Center. Journey Bowls and contract in hand. Whilst I ready for another journey.

Double Take: Photo and Fiber

2011-02-01T12:03:00.001-08:00

Our most recent project is up! Crack hanging crew (Barb and Roger Adams, Yvette Howard, Linda Zimmerman, Dave and Diane Wright) got it up in three hours yesterday.

The theme of the exhibit is a pairing of the work of professional photographer Rosemary DeLucco-Alpert with Sisters in Cloth's interpretations in fabric of her flower photos.

After we had taken on this project, one of our members, Janine Anderson-Bays, developed an invitation to exhibit at the Gallery @ Haskins, Yale University. When we suggested this pairing of media to the staff at Haskins they were very keen on hosting it.

March 3, 5-7pm the Gallery is hosting an artists' reception. The exhibit will be up through June.

The two pieces in the lobby are Purple and White Iris by Ruth Anne Olson and Rose Alpert and Asian Lily by Martha Wolfe and Rose Alpert. Incidentally this is the combination on the gorgeous postcard created for the event by the Gallery.

The second pic shows the section exhibiting Carol Ludington and Rose Alpert's White Jamaica Bougainvillea and Evelyn Judson and Rose Alpert's Coleus.

And, hot off the press....the count is in. We were invited to travel this exhibit to the gallery space at The Guilford Free Library in July and the ayes have it (with no nays).

It's beautiful...but ENOUGH already!

2011-01-27T07:39:00.000-08:00

The weather person underestimated last night's snowfall...by about 12"! What was to be a rather ordinary 4-8" forecast became 18" by the time morning broke. This is on top of the 24" that had not melted from previous snowfall. It's noteworthy for us here in Connecticut because it's so unusual. There are many winters where we have very little snowfall and rarely is it a white landscape for days on end.

Snow. Melt. Snow. Melt. Snow. Melt. Spring. Is our usual meter.

This second pic is from my studio. I decided not to use this exit today. I did venture out. I decided, instead of having lemons and making lemonade, that having snow, I would make a batch of snow-dyed fabric.

I had to do this in a very clandestine way. By way of explanation: we are a three generation, two dog household. One of the youngest generation LOVES my projects and I knew that if she knew I was snow dyeing she'd be right in the midst of it. It's another snow day for the school children. So I snuck out the garage door and quickly filled five bags of snow. I'll try to share the results tomorrow.

More Journal Vessels/Fiber Bowls

2011-01-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

My Bento Journey Vessel is made from Japanese fabric with a print that reminds me of Hiroshige's Wave, however, when I cut it into strips to make this coil bowl that imagery was lost. I wanted the bowl to remind the viewer of traditional lacquerware bento (lunch) boxes. I have put in it an assortment of those things that I've gathered from many trips...an abacus, chopsticks, a wind chime, several cards with prints by Kawase Hasui, one of my very favorite woodblock artists, some old coins and various bits and pieces gathered at shrines and in temples.

This second coiled bowl was created from two cotton fabrics from Australian Aboriginal designers. I decided not to put a top on my big, flat, open bowl. Those words, indeed, reminded me of some of the adjectives used to describe Australia. I've gathered into it some of the things I collected on my "bushwalks" in the Red Center. There are seed pods from acacia, eucalyptus, wattle, and kapok, Aboriginal clapsticks, seed necklace, some carvings, cards and a plastic lizard that I beaded to remind me of the several interesting ones we met on our hikes.

Now that I've made three of these journal vessels, I may not need to create anymore....until I've returned with more stuff that I can't bear to toss and feel the uncharacteristic urge to tidy. Thankfully, this most current urge has now been satisfied and I can get back to some pressing deadlines.

Identity in Fiber Opening

2011-01-23T09:16:00.001-08:00

Identity in Fiber's Opening Reception at the Windsor Art Center last night was a huge success! AND a ton of fun! The place was packed the entire time and at seven o'clock people needed to be reminded to leave ;^) That's when you know people are having a great time!

This first photo is a detail of Kate Themel's piece. There were knots of viewers around it ALL night. Kate answered everyone's questions...patiently repeating that her wonderful, detailed stitching was just like drawing...only with the sewing machine. Many were understandably skeptical that it was something just anyone could do.

Next...yep, me with DH standing in front of my work and Karen Loprete's just peeking over his shoulder. Hers also garnered a bunch of attention....marvels over her incredible embroidery. Thank you, Cathy for taking & sending this pic to me.

This last photo is a snap of friends and fellow SAQA members Cathy Smith and Betty Warner with a good view of Barb McKie's celebratory piece.

I was SO pleased with the turn-out. Lisa Chipetine (former SAQA prez came from NY!) and Susan Ferraro (former SAQA/CT co-rep) were a welcomed addition to the night's lively conversations. Lisa's very brave Flowers for Allah (I THINK that's the title....it's my sad little grey cells that are becoming harder and harder to depend on) was another conversation starter for the crowd.

I'm Going to Australia!!

2011-01-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

We leave for Australia, first stop Melbourne, on Feb. 14! I'm blogging about it a little early for a reason. I'm hoping that there are Aussie readers out there in blogland who will be kind enough to tell me "what's happening" in the art world, especially the fiber art world.

We begin our journey in Melbourne for a couple of weeks. We'll have a car and hope to visit various old haunts in Victoria before we fly to Broome on Mar 1 for a week.

We've never been to Western Australia. Sad, I know. Hard to believe...and soon to be remedied ;^). Eons ago I represented some Aboriginal communities in promoting their artwork in the US. (It's one of those careers mentioned in my profile which was not so successful....but very enjoyable.) I've been to many remote communities, camped in some very interesting places, and met some incredible folk but there's one place that I've never been and I really, really want to see....the Bungle Bungles.

But I digress. Our next stop will be Perth for a week, then a week in Adelaide, before we return for some more visiting in the Melbourne area. We return to the US March 30.

I'm hoping to meet Dijanne Cevaal in Geelong (where we will spend several days as we used to live there). I'm going to become the proud owner of some of her books, of that I'm sure. I've heard from Gloria Loughman...who will not be on the Bellarine whilst we are there. She'll be in the US!

Oops, another digression. The real point (and there is one) is that I don't want to miss anything. Wouldn't it be sad to have gone all that way and miss seeing or doing something?

And the image above? It's a detail from "If I Hear Music It Must Be Copland!" that I made in 2004 and joyously expresses how I feel at the prospect of several weeks "Down Under".

Journey Vessel aka Fiber Bowl

2011-01-19T12:41:00.001-08:00

I am a textile artist with a passion for travel. I'm also really, really good at collecting stuff...bits of this and that...that I keep as memories of my trip. That's not to say I don't also take hundreds, and now, thanks to digital cameras, thousands of photographs.

This coiled fiber bowl is made from a Kente cotton fabric that I purchased in Ghana. The black fabric, also from Ghana, is used for funeral garments. The amount of red printed on the black denotes the closeness of the relationship the wearer has to the deceased. The "knob" on the lid is stack of fabric samples given to me by Esther, our host in Akosombo, in the hopes of finding buyers for her fabric in the States.

The bowl is home to assorted bits that I found or was given along the way from Accra, Akosombo, Kumasi, Offenso and Cape Coast: invitation to a chief's anniversary Darbar, a bit of tile from rubble in front of the Peace Corps office in Accra, cedi bead necklace from the factory outside Offenso, bits of driftwood and shells from the littered beaches on Cape Coast. The best, that always gives me a smile, is the biscuit/cookie wrapper that I picked up on the ground of a park in Kumasi....red striped pack of Obama Biscuits with President Obama's image.

I'm on to making a couple of other Journey Vessels. They are the perfect thing for me to house my trip memories. I'm really good at j-o-u-r-n-e-y and not so good at j-o-u-r-n-a-l.

Identity in Fiber

2011-01-16T08:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I volunteered to help Kate Themel, SAQA/CT co-rep AND curator of Identity in Fiber, the exhibit that was installed by the very capable team at Windsor Art Center. Images on the postcard that the Center produced for the event are details of work by Judith Plotner, Mary Ellen Latino, Eileen Lauterborn, Gail Kotowski, Martha Wolfe and me.

I was so impressed with their team! We took about two hours deciding where each of the pieces would be shown to their best advantage....and while we tidied, said our good-byes, the team had two whole sections hung.

The Center is hosting an Opening Reception next Saturday, Jan 22, 5-7pm....complete with live music, and catered by Lilly's Soul Food Restaurant! A not-to-be missed event!

As a post-script: I had to dawdle putting on my coat and gloves long enough to get a quick snap of the team hanging my piece Family Ties which will hang next to a big, glorious piece by Karen Loprete. I can hardly wait to see the "finished product" next Saturday....fingers crossed for NO SNOW.

Old Friends

2011-01-11T06:32:00.000-08:00

"I Dreamt of Mary's Quilt" is big, about 74" square and for the last thirteen years has lived in a closet. When I traveled to Florida and North Carolina recently, I packed up several rolls of work for my newly-single son to look through with the aim of making his new house a home. To my surprise...and delight...he chose eight pieces! His home is a virtual (not that kind of virtual) gallery of my work....especially if you factor in the paintings and other art quilts that he has been gifted over the last several years.

This piece actually did begin as a dream. I dreamt of my friend's indigo art quilt that I had seen on exhibit. Of course, it really wasn't anything like this....but every time I see this I think of her and her little Japanese indigo art quilt. I had always imagined that my "Mary" would hang somewhere special, not languish in a closet. So I was overjoyed that my son chose it.

Double Take: Photo and Fiber

2010-12-17T13:33:00.001-08:00

My art quilt group, Sisters in Cloth, has been invited to exhibit our latest project Double Take: Photo and Fiber at Yale University's Haskins Lab in New Haven beginning February 1.

Our project was a collaboration with photographer Rose DeLucco-Alpert whose gorgeous work will be hung along side our interpretations. We chose 15 of her botanicals to interpret in fiber. (Three of us have chosen two of her works.)

This is my Roses, along with a detail (below).

I painted the fabrics and machine stitched, using free-motion zig-zag in one rose to create more texture in the nearer flower.

The second photograph I selected was Water Lilies. In this one I free-motion stitched koi swimming beneath the lilies which were not actually in Rose's photo but I imagined that they should have been. I know she won't mind...she is looking forward to the "interpretation" part of the challenge.

Check out Sisters in Cloth and Martha Wolfe's blogs for more great images and information.

Another oldie

2010-12-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

Godwits at Hammonassett

This is another art quilt that is in my son's collection. The godwits are thread painted on a piece of batik. I liked this one too and thought that maybe I should return to sketching and to doing a bit more thread work.

This little trip through time via my past art work has been very helpful in nudging me back into the studio. The studio that has not been worked in for a very long time. With all the guests and travel during the past 2 1/2 months, it's little wonder. I loved hosting and our trips...but I VERY much need to get back to work.

Many Moons

2010-12-07T14:01:00.001-08:00

I made Many Moons several years ago as a gift to my son (and his then wife....don't you hate it when you get blindsided?). I'm pretty sure it was inspired by something that I'd seen that Ruth McDowell had done. At least that's the picture that's in my memory...if I'm wrong, I'm sorry to whom ever I SHOULD have credited.

DH and I drove to Raleigh NC to help him relocate into his new townhouse. It was a fun, very busy weekend. We selected window treatments, bought rugs, hung artwork and organized the kitchen. Phew! One of the really nice things that happened was that I was reacquainted with some of his artwork that had been in storage....reminding me of all his artistic abilities that showed early on.

His relocation included moving all the artwork I had given him over the years too. Many Moons is now hanging in his new dining room and looks smashing (I say very immodestly). I like it so much I may make another....similar but never the same, of course. This one has tie silks, kimono cottons and silks, taffeta and some pieces that I treasured from long forgotten projects.

TEXTile

2010-12-01T13:20:00.001-08:00

This first photo is a shot of my friend Yvette Howard's Connections, her interpretation of our group's most recent challenge to create a piece inspired by "word". She always does crisp, sharp work...and in this case...a bunch of fun. You can't help but smile when you see this. The base fabric was designed by Jean Ray Lawry whom Yvette and I were lucky enough to meet and hear speak a few years ago. If you want to see some happy work check her out.

Twelve present and past members of our group Sisters in Cloth participated. This time we decided to mount our work on stretcher bars. It certainly made for a very easy to hang exhibit!

The thing that strikes me about this collection is how broad the subject matters are. Granted two relate to the judiciary: Gail Kotowski's Justice and Evelyn Judson's Testimony, but the rest span from my rant on the demise of newspapers, to the beauty of nature, to the passing of people in our lives. It is very interesting.

So, if you are in the area stop by the Guilford Free Library, 67 Park St., Guilford CT on Thursday, December 9, 5-8pm for our Opening Reception. We will be joined by the friends and patron of two other artists, Mark Janke and Mary Ann Flick, photographers whose work will be on display in the libraries outer galleries. The exhibit will be up through December.

What a weekend

2010-11-22T07:56:00.000-08:00

Open Studios was a success from all of our points of view. The four of us (three fiber folk and a potter) were very busy on Saturday and just a bit busy on Sunday. We sold work, we renewed relationships with friends and patrons, we networked, we met a new audience for our work, we spread the word about fiber art AND we had a grand time with each other.

It's lovely working with friends/colleagues that can seamlessly cover for each other when one or the other is occupied.

This little piece Zen Garden, roughly 18" x 22", has been hanging in my home for a couple of years and this year I decided to include it in the work that I would offer for sale. To my complete surprise, my buddy Robin had never seen it...I thought all my friends had seen absolutely everything I'd ever done...but apparently not. She loved it. Bought it. And, clutching it to her, told me I was welcome to visit it any time I liked. That was a very nice sale indeed. It's such a comfort to have a sentimental piece be appreciated by someone else...especially someone dear to me.

More good news

2010-11-18T16:13:00.001-08:00

I am absolutely over the moon. "Promised Land" has been juried into the latest SAQA New Frontiers series Beyond Comfort. "This exhibit challenges each artist to venture into uncharted territories of creative expression by turning away from the comfort zones of their established body of work. It provides a 'permission slip' to experiment fearlessly with radically new conceptual and narrative agendas; to employ techniques, technologies, or materials new to the artist. The artistic goal of the exhibition is to encourage reaching beyond comfort to make new and unexpected works of art"

The juror was Marci Rae McDade, a fiber artist, curator and the editor of Fiberarts magazine. My 'fat' email revealed that there were 30 works selected from 209 entries for this exhibit curated by Eileen Doughty. And the even MORE good news?....my buddies Kate Themal and Martha Wolfe were also among the 30!

The exhibit debuts at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England, August 2011.

Oh, DH, I have the perfect suggestion for that "big" birthday gift next year! (Imagine someone saying that sweetly.... candles lit, favorite dinner on the table)

Open Studio Weekend!

2010-11-17T06:22:00.001-08:00

So much to do! So little time! This weekend I will be participating in the annual Open Studios of Shoreline Arts Trail, a juried group of 37 artists living in 3 towns along the Connecticut shoreline. The group covers the range, from cut paper, to jewelry, to calligraphy, painting in all its forms, sculpture in all its form, to three hearty art quilters. Vivika DeNegre, Linda Zimmerman and I will not be in our home studios this year, but instead, we are camping out at the Guilford Art Center. It's central and we will be "bigger" by virtue of our association.

The weather is suppose to cooperate. So with high hopes we dive into a busy and, hopefully, productive weekend. At the very least I will get to re-connect with some of my friends and patrons that I only see once or twice a year.

Fiberactions/Transformation

2010-11-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

This month Fiberactions challenge word was transformation. I wasn't inspired until one of the group's members completed hers a full month ahead of the deadline. Doesn't seem fair that there are those overachievers.

That was the push I needed to start playing in my fabric with transformation in mind. I discovered 8-9 paper-pieced Lone Star Block parts, leftovers from a long-ago completed fundraiser. Fodder for transforming I thought.

The Lone Star just naturally lead to my thinking about my life in Texas.... and other locales... I remembered the effect/affect those locales had on our family. I thought about all those people I knew who had adapted to their new surrounds and cultures.....and those who had gone a step farther and adopted these new identities. Really transforming their lives.

Case in point: I have two brothers, a sister adopted from Japan and several friends who also not from Texas. In fact, they may have spent decades in various other places. But that doesn't diminish the degree to which they would identify themselves as Texans. Maybe it's a "cowboy" thing.

I do know that place and culture can have truly transforming effects.