New Work - In Dreams I Climbed the Cliffs

Here’s the latest work in my River series, In Dreams I Climbed the Cliffs.  The Susquehanna River in southern Lancaster County, PA cuts through some dramatic rocky terrain. If you climb up to the top of the cliffs you find overlooks that offer commanding views of the river and surrounding countryside.

As I did for In Dreams I Saw the Colors Change and In Dreams I Flew Over the River, I used needlefelting with silks and wools to build up the colors and textures of the center panel.  I handpainted the top and bottom silk panels, and manipulated them into pleats and folds.  The side panels are also textured silks, and all of it is quilted and heavily stitched. 

I did some pebbled stitching on the felted portion below the river:

With all of this wonderful texture and nuanced color, this one really needs to be seen in person. In Dreams I Climbed the Cliffs will be part of my upcoming exhibit “Sue Reno--Recent Fiber Works” at the Pennsylvania Arts Experience Gallery, 37 West Philadelphia Street, York, PA, 17401. The exhibit runs November 1st through December 3rd. Also showing in the gallery will be Karen Paust, "Edge of the Meadow".

The opening reception is on Friday, November 1st from 5:30 - 9:00, and there is a members and patrons reception on Thursday, November 7th from 5:30 - 7:30.   I will give an Artist’s talk on November 9th at 11:00 a.m.  I hope you can stop by the gallery if you are in the area.

After finishing this work, I was struck by a strong desire to go to an actual cliff.  I stole a little time on a bright and beautiful afternoon and made a quick pilgrimage to a perennial favorite, Chickies Rock. It’s a short and easy hike up to a sheer overlook with great views of the Susquehanna.  You can see why this river holds such deep meaning for me.