Spotlight on In Dreams I Slept in a Cabin

 

In Dreams I Slept in a Cabin

Today I am shining a spotlight on In Dreams I Slept in a Cabin, one of the quilts included in my upcoming solo show Beyond the Blue: Contemporary Narrative Quilts by Sue Reno, at the Virginia Quilt Museum in Harrisonburg, VA . The exhibit runs from August 16 - October 23, with a reception on September 23.

In Dreams I Slept in a Cabin, detail 1

This is the only quilt in the exhibit that has been previously shown in a physical gallery space, specifically in the Art of the State 2019 at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, where it won a third place award in the craft category. After that, when the pandemic struck, exhibits shut down for the most part, and quite frankly, a quilt this large, 55" x 94", is always a bit more challenging to find space for. So I am thrilled to have this opportunity to show it--there's a lot of texture and detail that is optimally viewed in person.

The Center panel features a needlefelted wooly cabin, with majestic trees and silky swirly skies, a tumbling river, and farm fields on the far shore. It's based on a stay I had, years ago, in an actual cabin on the banks of my beloved Susquehanna River. It still shows up in my dreams as a green and shady place of rest and refuge. I'm hoping it conjures up similar real or imagined sanctuaries for those who view it.

In Dreams I Slept in a Cabin, detail 2

The ferns grew large and luxuriant in the undergrowth of the woods. These are traditional (not wet process) cyanotypes, crisp and detailed prints in slightly varying shades of that beautiful Prussian blue.

In Dreams I Slept in a Cabin, detail 3

The prints surrounding the cabin are from my experiments with collagraph printing. They were originally step-outs for video I did for Quilting Arts TV, and they turned out so well I wanted to give them further life.

In Dreams I Slept in a Cabin, detail 4

In Dreams I Slept in a Cabin, detail 5

Thanks as always for reading! You can also follow along on your platform of choice:

Facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/suerenostudio
Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/suereno
Tumblr: http://suerenostudio.tumblr.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sue_reno_studio/