What's up? oooooh World Wide Blog Hop!

Work in progress Heron

Welcome to my blog!

Like everyone else in this endeavor, my work days are full of variety.  I can't think of the last time I had a span of time when I just worked on one thing in my studio.  Usually I have a couple assignments in progress.  Currently on my design wall is the blue heron, above.  I have interviewed several different backgrounds and am going for this wonderful piece of hand-dye from Carol Eaton.

Work in progress Commission

Next, on my work table is a commission.  Yes, a commission.  I don't get them often, maybe once or twice a year.  This one is for a couple who know my work well and like my last series.  They've asked me to create a piece that relates to it, but is not part of the series.  They have had a lot of input along the way.  And, fortunately for me, I have no deadline.  This is very important because of the rest of my schedule.

At the end of today's busy day, I was able to arrange to meet the purchaser of my Local Color piece, Town Green.  The woman had actually seen it in the last venue of the exhibit's travel in April, she rang me several weeks later.  Interestingly, it was within of being shipped to in Quilting Arts magazine for a feature about Local Color....and Town Green was away at the magazine's photographer's studio.  My buyer was patient.  Fortunately, because Quilting Arts asked to take the Local Color pieces they had in their possession to exhibit at the Sew Expo in Atlanta.  Truth be told, I excitedly said YES without asking the woman's permission (tho' she hadn't paid for it yet..my rationalization).  She was thrilled when I hurriedly told her. "Her" art was on tour.  Further, she was tickled to share the magazine article with all her friends. (whew!)

Photo taken by happy new owner

This Sunday (Oct 12) my husband and I leave for a cultural exchange (Friendship Force International) to Turkey.  Actually, the day this posts we will be in Istanbul!   After a few days of being tourists, we will rendezvous with the Turkish group who visited us last year.  We showed them what ordinary life is like in CT along the shoreline and they, in return, will show us life in Izmir.  Can't wait.

When my buddy Jeanne Marklin asked if I could participate in this Blog Hop, I initially said no...however, she persuaded me that it was possible and it would be great fun. :^)  It was easy for her, since I seem to be unable to say NO and mean it.  Check out her amazing work: http://jeannemarklin.blogspot.com

And hop on over next week (Oct 20) to my friend Diane Cadrain's blog.  She is one of Five Fiber Friends exhibiting this month at FairHaven Furniture in New Haven, along with Kate Themel, Mickey Lawler, Trish Hodge and me. (Diane's: stitching-it-all-together.blogspot.com)

Then blog hopping still, to Sisters in Cloth, the Art Quilt group that grew out of the small-town quilt group that I started in Guilford CT 14 years ago.  Now a vibrant, inspiring...always-exhibiting-widely group of artists.  In fact, on their calendar are exhibits at the Guilford Free Library in Dec., Willoughby Wallace Library Gallery in nearby Stony Creek in April 2015, and a gallery in Brookline NY also in April.  Current work is being exhibited in Australia after a successful tour of two venues in Europe.  A very busy group, indeed.

One of our 'newbies' to the Sisters' group is Gina Frank who is a full-time college administrator, an assistant to her potter husband David and a rising art quilter.  She is also new to blogging :)
Encourage her at Imagination & Inspiration.http://ginagrubbfrank.blogspot.com

Now.  I'm off to finish packing!

But WAIT.  There's more.  This JUST in:  In the category of "My Cup Runneth Over".  My piece Sing Out Loud (Part of my Aging Lines Series) was just juried into Modern Spin: Contemporary Textiles in an Historic Mill, Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River MA   Fortunately, I don't need to worry about shipping etc until I return.  WOW! What a going-away gift!

Five Fiber Friends EXTENDED!

How exciting!  We were asked if we could extend our stay for another month.  In a nano-second there were five fiber friends high-fiving.  

We will be exhibiting through October :-)

Five Fiber Friends' Invitation

Yesterday the five of us met at FairHaven Woods Furniture in New Haven to install our collection under the curatorial eye of River Gallery Director Kate Parenteau.

The Gallery showcases artists' work in home settings with gorgeous furnishings, many one of a kind.

Our reception will be Sunday, August 3, 2-4pm.  Come!  It is a wonderful venue.

Represented: Kate, Diane C., Trish and me

Our 'logo' l-r Trish Hodge, Kate Themel, me
Lower Mickey Lawler and Diane Cadrain

Another vignette: Mickey, me and Diane C

Kate P giving me the 'big picture'

Kate, Diane C and me

Kate, Trish and Mickey

Scent of a Memory

Rain Dancer

 My challenge to Viewpoints9 members reveals today:  create a piece inspired by one's memory of a scent.


I bounced around several ideas for this challenge:  burning leaves in the autumn (ages ago, of course...we don't do that anymore...we compost), chlorine in the Air Force Base pools where we spent hot summers,  the smell of Yokohama Harbor as our ship approached decades ago, the smell of the gyms where we played basketball.....

Each time I remembered more and more details particularly surrounding my memories of the scent of rain.  Two of my most distinct memories occurred in desert climes after long dry spells.  As rain was so desperately needed in both regions (Los Angeles and Fort Worth), I'm sure it was not too far from my consciousness at the time.

Years ago when we lived in L.A. the area suffered a horrific drought.  All we talked about was when the rains were going to come.  My daughter, then two, heard it all, naturally.  And I remember distinctly the day I smelled rain and called to her....'Come quick!  The rain's coming!'  She hurried to the screened door and stood in silhouette watching the big drops plop onto the sidewalk outside.  Slowly she turned to me.  She had the saddest, most dejected face.  "Rain is water" she declared slowly.  All this talk of rain coming...heck...she must have thought something incredible was coming...it had only been a few weeks since someone called Santa had come.  But, rain.  Well, that was something different.

Rain Dancer is inspired by one of my childhood memories during the time our family lived in Texas.  I'm the eldest child in my family and I was charged with the care and, particularly, the good behavior of my youngest brother, David.  And, he was a challenge for his sister!  One morning a peculiar colored light filled our living room.  We stopped our play and looked out.  Simultaneously, I smelled and blurted "Rain!"  With that, David ran out the screen door like a thing possessed.  Had he forgotten what rain was?  It had been a very long time since he'd seen it.

He was a wonder dancing on the sidewalk, face up and mouth open.

It was this last memory that won out for today's reveal.

Oh, and that gorgeous background is from Mickey Lawler Skydyes :^)  Thanks, Mickey!