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!

Serendipity

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

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!

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

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

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!!

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".