Viewpoints 9 reveal was two days ago!

Just to illustrate how my tunnel vision works, I have not posted on this blog for a month!  Yikes!  I used to be so much better at this.  Other people seem to be able to multitask SO much better.

I wasn't late with my Viewpoints 9 challenge though.  In fact I finished really, really early.  The challenge resonated so much with me.  My post follows:

I have to profusely thank Kate for this challenge!  I was so wrapt in the idea that I felt swallowed whole.

For decades I have collected yukata, a Japanese un-lined garment generally worn in the summer or after bath....and mostly the more traditional indigo-dyed.  I have also collected much smaller pieces of vintage yukata.  Now was my chance to actually use many of them in one piece.  Admittedly it did take time to go through the lot of them to decide whether I would choose the blue with white designs or the white with blue designs.

In the end I chose blue with white indigo dyed cottons, largely kasuri  Only one piece has its design printed on it.

I also decided to continue my 'kimono abstract' series.

This challenge and my stash naturally resulted in using the 'boro' style.  For generations, beginning with frugal farmers, indigo especially has been re-sewn in patches to prolong the life of a garment.  Referred to as 'boro', it is of the forgotten idea "too good to waste".

That is an idea that finds residence in my studio!

Indigo Abstract 40"x21"
Vintage indigo cottons, hand stitched

Indigo Abstract

Japanese Boro

Indigo Abstract detail

You are invited

Artist Reception for Fiber & Friends

Sunday, July 19, 2:30-4:30

Meet the Artists

Enjoy wine, food and live music!

Friends & Co
Madison CT Restaurant
Boston Post Road

Featuring the work of Barbara Adams, Janine Anderson-Bays, Debra Bento, Vivika Hansen DeNegre, Gina Grubb Frank, Gail Kotowski, Carol Ludington, Kate Themel, Robin Wolek and Diane Wright

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 :-)

Local Color Goes Wide

Our Connecticut Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA-CT) group created a juried exhibit, focusing on our local landscape.  Titled Local Color, it traveled widely though out the state from a university, an art center, the CT Legislature Office Building to a very fine museum, The Slater Museum of Art.

After what we thought would be the end and time to return all pieces, we were asked to contribute eight, selected by Quilting Arts Magazine, to be featured in this August/Sept issue.  It includes work of Kate Themel, Ruth Anne Olson, Phyllis Small, Cathy Smith, Barb McKie, Kendell Storm, Norma Schlager and my own.  Yeah!

Kate, who was co-rep with me at inception, wrote a wonderful piece to accompany the mini-exhibit.  The two of us have had such a wonderful trip with Local Color.  Every step:  'let's put on a show' to this last 'hurrah' has been informative, interesting, exhilarating, frustrating, and most of all FUN!  Thank you, Kate for being my co-rep, partner-in-crime and cohort.  It was a blast!

A Tip of the Iceberg

This past week has been extraordinary!  Just, WOW!

In fairly random order:  Driving to DC with my buddy Vivika DeNegre to attend the SAQA Conference "Capitolizing on Fiber" last Wednesday thru white knuckle weather conditions with strange and frightening weather alarms coming from Maryland Highway Patrol over our phones.  Flooded streets.  Hydroplaning cars. Scary.

My first meeting as an incoming member of SAQA's Board of Directors.  Most of my fears about how I would fit in and make a difference have been allayed.  Well, maybe some of them anyway.

Attending the lectures, talks, meals (okay…this could have been better with respect to the food in the hotel but certainly not the company), networking, exploring galleries, meeting friends old and new.

Participating in the Spotlight Auction and successfully winning Pamela Allen's donation (!)

Avery Revisited

The crazy thing about this is I never looked at the artist statement on the back while I was busy bidding.  I was just going for Pamela Allen.  Later I did read the statement: "Fabric collage beginning with a fragment on fabric of a Milton Avery painting.  The pastel-close tones and simplified forms attracted me"  Milton Avery(!!), American 20th century Minimalist, is one of my very favorites!!  Here's a bit of what Wikipedia has to say "Avery was often thought of as an American Matisse, especially because of his colorful and innovative landscape paintings."

SAQA CT had a huge group of attendees.  We might have been the biggest.  Among them, of course, was co-rep Cathy Smith who brought along postcards for me of the "Inspiration Quilts: Then and Now", 25th anniversary celebration exhibit at the Windham Textile & History Museum.  I happened to be one of the artists invited to interpret a quilt from the museum's antique collection.  I chose Flying Geese Variation.

After adventures too numerous to relay, I drove home…this time a happily uneventful time with Vivika and Kate Themel.  Upon my return I found in the stack of waiting mail a package from Quilters Express to Japan.  Another Wow.  The fabric is vintage and beautiful.  Oh, and did I mention that I'm going with QEJ (Susan Faeder) on an amazing tour to Japan in January?!

My head is stuffed with inspirations!  Where to begin…...

Viewpoints9-2 Reveal Day!

Gosh, I almost forgot to alert readers.  Viewpoints 9 Challenge 3 is being revealed right this moment.  In fact the third one…Kate Themel's was just posted.  Mine is in line.

The challenge was posed by Lisa-Marie: 9=Nein=NO.  (This year all of the challenges are about '9' and Lisa-Marie's was about 'NO.  You might enjoy reading her actual challenge.)

Here is my response.

Perhaps it's the contrarian side of me, but I couldn't help myself.  "NO" just naturally means "YES".

I recall that we were cautioned as teenagers, learning Japanese while living in Japan, that "Iei" (No) was impolite to say in business and formal situations.  I don't think it's as much of a taboo now, except in retail/business exchanges when it is still very impolite, but long ago and in a rural area it was stressed.

That suited me fine!  I tried to co-op the etiquette and extend it to American-English situations as well.

It is very interesting…and sometimes requires adroit mental gymnastics, to communicate 'no' without using the word.  Prime training for diplomacy that was required years later when I became a parent and, later still, during my career as a real estate broker.

Now, older, wiser and much more experienced, I see real value in not saying 'no'.  For instance, I try dyeing, or a new technique, or a new idea without success.  Perfect time for a 'yes!'  That situation simply set up a new dynamic….time to try something different.

I hope to build on negatives with a big, old, hearty, fist-pumping YES.

You really MUST read the other responses!  Besides the art work is GORGEOUS!

It Would Be Impolite to Say No (27"x27")

Workshop Update

Yesterday I completed Kate Themel's Magnolia workshop project, employing her layering technique and using Carol Eaton's hand-dyed cotton.

Thank you both!  I enjoyed every moment.

Magnolia detail

Magnolia full

Forsythia? Not anytime soon.

Forsythia

I am getting SO tired of snow!!  We have accumulated more that four times the normal snowfall this year (and it's not even over yet).  I thought last year was bad.  Last March, with yet another snow fall, Dave and I packed up and drove to California for a few weeks.  It is becoming very tempting to head off again.  There just is so very much on my calendar that I don't think I can rationalize fleeing.

Sisters in Cloth just completed two workshops with Kate Themel this past Saturday.  You have to read the latest post there to appreciate the event.  All were totally absorbed!

Also on my agenda are 1) taking down Double Take, our packaged exhibit from Fairfield CT on Sunday, storing it until this Saturday when we re-install in Northamption MA 2) shipping nine Sentinelles for the project with Dijanne Cevaal to France, 3) returning some of the Food for Thought art quilts to their owners, 4) finishing my class project of magnolias AND 5) participating in the SAQA Conference 'Spotlight' AQAConference 'Spotlight' Silent Auction.  It's little wonder that I am sometimes befuddled with what I'm suppose to do.  For a person with reversals, too many demands can sometimes lead to confusion.

Today, I have almost finished my magnolias.  And, I have finished my contribution to SAQA's Silent Auction, 'Forsythia'.  It is only 6"x 8" and will be matted with a 4.5"x6.5" opening.

Kate Themel's New Workshop

My Magnolia

Kate Themel, well-known for her award-winning art quilts, is embarking on another adventure to add to her resume of artist, curator, writer and SAQA co-rep.  She is developing several workshops for art quilters from beginners to advanced students.

My art quilt group, Sisters in Cloth, had the wonderful opportunity to 'trial' her most recent workshop in development.  She is offering us two half day workshops.  Yesterday was our first:  Working with her pattern, we developed our magnolias using her techniques.  During this coming week, we are to finish our layering part of the project from the kit that Kate included which contained Carol Eaton's incredible hand dyed fabrics.

Next Saturday we will re-convene to learn how Master Quilter Kate would finish with the quilting. 

It's really, really hard to stop smiling at how lucky our group is!

Busy Week

Busy…and only getting worse…or better, depending on one's viewpoint.

First:  Viewpoint.  I responded to Kate Themel's challenge:  Okay, maybe I unwittingly DO take risks.  I just might be in denial.

Second: My art quilt group Sisters In Cloth assembled two charity quilts on Tuesday.  Followed by a fabric bin-diving event at our weekly Friday meeting thanks to the largess of fellow Sister  Vivika DeNegre. (okay, is it just me or does 'fellow Sister' sound weird?)

Third:  We are collecting 3D pieces to supplement SAQA/CT's Local Color installation at the Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich CT that we install next Monday and Tuesday (Yikes!)

Fourth:  I am readying for the Shoreline Arts Trail Open Studios this next weekend (MORE Yikes!)

You may not hear from me for a bit :^/

Boston Strong quilt top

Colorado Colorful quilt top

Fabric bin diving

Thanks, Vivika!

What Fun!! Fiber Revolution!

Today I got to help my friends Kate Themel and Barb McKie hang a Fiber Revolution exhibit in 919 Gallery, Unity of Greater Hartford in South Windsor.  I love hanging art shows.  I get such a charge!

Years ago while I was representing some communities and a couple of individual Australian Aboriginal artists' work here in the US, I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful mentor.  My mentor was, at that time in the 1990's an art professor, but in his undergraduate days he had been a window display artist for many up-scale, pretty swanky shops in Palm Beach, FL.  He had such an eye and he was articulate with his explanations.

Before that I had been a real estate broker for almost 20 years.  At that point I learned to imagine and 'see' space, floor plans and architects drawings.  Put the two together and you spell L O V E  to  Hang Exhibits.

"Fragmentations" will be displayed until September 22nd.  The Opening Reception is Sunday, August 18 when site-curator Kate Themel will be on hand to talk about the art work.  The installation really flows beautifully.

I took some quick snapshots after we had finished.  Enjoy ;^)

Entry: L-R McKie, Schwartzman, Hansen

                                                      .

Cochran

                                                                                                                                                                  

Schepps, Friedman

 

Debbie Bein, Kevan Lunney

Redmond and Vehslage

Plotner and Litchman

Caneill, Chipetine and Lauterborn

Abrams and Trefethen

Themel and Halpin

Aikens and Fowler

Leaving thru the entry McKie and Schwartzman

:^)

ReCOVERy for Hurricane Sandy Victims

When Luana Rubin of equilter called for quilts for victims of Hurricane Sandy, my quilt group decided to participate.  Previously we had sent quilts to the tsunami victims in Japan through her and felt this call needed to be answered too.

We in turn put the call out to SAQA/CT to join us, which was an inspired idea.  They answered loud and clear!  Here I am, meeting the FEDEX person, with six big boxes and one smaller one packed to send off to Timeless Treasures.

Timeless Treasure Fabrics has volunteered warehouse space in NJ for collection and distribution.  Sisters in Cloth and SAQA/CT (among MANY others) donated quilts/comforters/sheet set.  FEDEX donated the shipping of our 7 boxes, what we are calling 200 pounds of warmth, to NJ!  See what Luana started?!

Kate Themel, SAQA/CT co-rep, has written a most informative and compelling blog post.  Check it out.

Thimble Islands

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.

Windsor Art Center/SAQA-CT Regional Meeting

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!

Identity in Fiber Opening

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.