March 31, 2014

Adventures in Quilting Arts

Susan Brubaker Knapp and Sue Reno on the set of Quilting Arts TV
I had an amazing opportunity and adventure last week. I traveled to Cleveland to film three segments for the new season of Quilting Arts TVSusan Brubaker Knapp is the new host of the show, and she did an absolutely fabulous job!
Sue Reno on the set of Quilting Arts Tv Here she caught me in an candid moment, setting out my skunk bones for a segment on Inspiration.  You can see my Fox and Hackberry in the background.  The bones of local mammals, along with vintage needlework and plant monoprints, form the basis of my Flora and Fauna series.
Sue Reno and Susan Brubaker Knapp on the set of Quilting Arts TV
Here I am again with Susan, standing in front of my Mystery Fern.  I am so happy I had the opportunity to work with her, and to see some of the segments with other artists being filmed—they were all terrific!  The new season will debut on PBS in July, and I’ll be sure to update the info as I receive it.  Susan just published a blog post with a wealth of details and behind the scenes photos; read it here.
Sue Reno on the set of a Quilting Arts Video Workshop, image 1
But wait, there’s more!  In the afternoon I filmed a Quilting Arts Video Workshop.  This will be an hour long DVD, also available as a download, where I go into depth and detail about my surface design techniques, and the way I use imagery as I design and stitch my art quilts.
Sue Reno on the set of a Quilting Arts Video Workshop, image 2Here’s a few shots of me setting for different chapters.  I had a LOT of content to share, and I can’t say enough good things about the excellent production crew and editorial staff, who worked with me to ensure that everything went smoothly and that my work was shown to its best advantage.
Sue Reno on the set of a Quilting Arts Video Workshop, image 3
As a studio artist, I spend the bulk of my time hard at work by myself.  I am always appreciative of an opportunity to go out in the world and share what excites me and drives me to create.  Making this workshop video allows me to reach out to a wide audience, and I am so happy with the way the filming proceeded and with the all the information I was able to share.  It will be ready for distribution in the fall, and I’m certain to have more to share over time.  Stayed tuned!

March 20, 2014

Interviewed by Teri Lucas

Sue Reno  2014
Writer, quilter, and instructor Teri Lucas has done me the honor of interviewing me on her blog, and you can read the results here.
I’ve run into Teri a few times at quilt shows, and have enjoyed talking with her—it’s one of those instances where we immediately felt like old friends.  My thanks to Teri for the feature and for asking such good questions!
In other news, today is the spring solstice.  It’s been a long, grueling winter:
Ice Jam on the Susquehanna River, photo by Sue Reno
But things are finally looking up:
Dwarf bulbous iris, photo by Sue Reno
I’m looking forward to spending more time outdoors, gardening and hiking and finding inspiration everywhere.  There’s a lot going on in the studio right now—stay tuned!