Spotlight on In Dreams I Saw the Rift

In Dreams I Saw the Rift

Today I am shining a spotlight on In Dreams I Saw the Rift, one of the quilts from my series The River. It will be in my solo show, Beyond the Blue: Contemporary Narrative Quilts by Sue Reno, at the Virginia Quilt Museum. The exhibit runs from August 16 - October 23, with a reception on September 23.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift was previously juried into Art of the State 2020 at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, where it won a second place award in the Craft category. The exhibit was hung in the museum, but due to the pandemic the doors never opened. The VQM will be the first time it's physically displayed to the public. I'm delighted that visitors will have the opportunity to see, up close and personal, the wealth of detail and texture I've put into this quilt.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 2

This quilt is the latest in a series reflecting my decades-long obsession with the Susquehanna River. It frequently appears in my dreams as my personal uber-river, wherein I hike its shores, learn to swim, and let it carry me away. Here, while still admiring the beauty, I sensed a disturbance in the flow. I finished this one shortly before the pandemic hit, so perhaps I was prescient.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 3

The center panel is a needlefelted river, with wool and silk and mylar fibers, surrounded by woolen fields and woods that I hand embroidered and beaded. The top panel was made with hand stitched hexagons, done by the English paper piecing method, that I worked on obsessively in the evenings for months. They are arranged with cracks that let the light in, or out, depending on your view. 

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 4

The bamboo panels are traditional cyanotypes, some on silk, some on cotton. At my previous home, neighbors planted a bunch of invasive bamboo, so I was forever rooting it out and got some pleasure from using it artistically. The fern print is a Christmas fern done with the wet cyanotype method; it has just a smidge of variation in while still staying crisp. There is minimal patchwork in this one but it works well to tie the piece together. The size is 66" x 59".

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 5

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