Opening Reception at the PA Arts Experience Gallery

We had a great opening reception for “Sue Reno - Recent Fiber Works” and “Karen Paust - Edge of the Meadow” at the PA Arts Experience Gallery this past Friday evening.  Here I am striking a pose with my newly completed In Dreams I Saw the Colors Change, left, and In Dreams I Climbed the Cliffs.

The Gallery is on the ground floor of the beautifully restored historic Marketview Arts Building in downtown York, PA.

It has good display spaces and excellent lighting, and I am very pleased with how well my work looks hanging there.  Above is Ginger, left, and Silk Mill #1, right.  Ginger is just glowing on this wall, thanks to all the Mysore silks I used in it--I received a lot of compliments and questions about it. 

I was fortunate in being scheduled for the same month as the talented Karen Paust. Her intricate nature themed beadworks and woodland paintings were a pleasure to examine, and we received many comments on the synergy between our bodies of work.  Above is Bleeding Heart and a display of Karen’s work.

Here is Karen, on the left, next to her incredible beadwork neckpiece on the dress form, and myself, posing in front of my Plume Poppy.  We did not plan to coordinate our outfits!  Plume Poppy looks pretty magnificent in this space--it’s a large work, and needs room to be seen at full advantage.

And here is my Columbine, with another of Karen’s neckpieces. 

I hope you enjoyed this sampling of the exhibit.  It will be up through December 3--hours are here.  I am giving an Artist’s Talk this Saturday, November 9th at 11:00 a.m.  If you are in the area I hope you consider stopping by.  You can go to Central Market afterwards:

Exhibit at the PA Arts Experience Gallery

I would like to extend an invitation to visit the Pennsylvania Arts Experience Gallery, 37 West Philadelphia St., York, PA, for the November exhibit.  I will be exhibiting Recent Works, including some new pieces shown for the first time, and Karen Paust will be showing “Edge of the Meadow”. 

The opening reception is this coming Friday, November 1st, from 5:30 - 9:00 p.m., in conjunction with York’s First Fridays event.  If you can’t make it then, perhaps you can come for my Artist Talk on Saturday, November 9th at 11:00 a.m.

The Pennsylvania Arts Experience is a non-profit arts organization promoting the arts along the scenic river valleys of southeastern Pennsylvania,  committed to establishing an internationally recognized arts destination.  I’ve been a member since its inception years ago, and am very pleased to be exhibiting in our beautiful gallery space in the renovated historic Marketview Arts Building.

Cyanotype Article in Quilting Arts Magazine

My article on the cyanotype process is in Quilting Arts Magazine!  I’m so pleased and honored to have this opportunity to share one of my favorite surface design techniques with the Quilting Arts readership.  I take you step-by-step through the process, and make it easy for beginners to get good results.  I use cyanotype extensively in designing my art quilts, and I never tire of either the method or the results. 

The article, “Botanist’s Delight” is the Oct./Nov. issue, which hits the newsstands today.  It was a great experience to work with the QA editorial team, and I'm very happy with the look of the article and the quilts that are featured.  It’s a great issue from cover to cover.  You can read more about it and order a copy at the Quilting Arts website store.

Two Cyanotype Quilts Featured in “The Quilt Life”

I’m thrilled to share that two of my art quilts with cyanotype imagery are featured in the August 2012 issue of The Quilt Life magazine.  They  illustrate the article “Solar Powered Surface Design” by Irene Berry. Also featured are quilts by other artists working with cyanotype - Sandra Sider, Jane Walton, Tafi Brown, and Carol Newby.   I am honored to be in such distinguished company!

Shown are Columbine:

Columbine

And Plume Poppy:

Plume Poppy

It’s a very good article, a basic primer on the process with references to resources, including my supplier of choice, Blueprints On Fabric (no affiliation except as a longtime satisfied customer). And of course, there’s a wealth of other information and quilty goodness in this issue, so be sure to get yours either online or in the bookstore/fabric store.

I never set out to become a cyanotype expert, I just was intrigued enough by the process to give it a try.  Once I did, I was smitten, and driven to keep experimenting.  I’m a long way from exhausting the possibilities, either in making prints or incorporating them into my quilt designs.  How lucky am I, to be doing the work I love, and to be able to share it?  I wish you all the same.

Columbine and Plume Poppy acceptance for AQS Lancaster

I’m very happy to share that two of my art quilts, Columbine and Plume Poppy, have been accepted for the AQS Quilt Show and Contest in Lancaster, PA, March 14-17, 2012.  This is my hometown show, which makes it even more exciting.  I’m really looking forward to seeing some of my friends and fellow art quilters when they come to town.  It’s held in the Lancaster County Convention Center, which is part of the repurposed Watt & Shand building that’s been an obsession of mine for some time (see my series of ten art quilts about the building renovation here.) 
Columbine is a newer work, and this will be its first outing to an exhibit.  Plume Poppy is BIG - 81"h x 74"w - and  really needs to be seen in person to appreciate the scale. 

If you are planning on coming to Lancaster, there will be an unique opportunity to see ALL of the amazing Esprit collection quilts at the Lancaster Quilt and Textile Museum during the show week.  More information is here.

Art Quilts made with Indian Silks

Since I’ve been posting a series of my mid-70’s vintage India photos, in preparation for a return trip to have adventures and procure textiles, I wanted to share more of the impetus for the trip--the beautiful textile works made possible by the exquisite silks of India.  I have a particular fondness for silks manufactured in the Mysore region of Karnataka, India.  The were my first introduction to silk--not a fabric common in my childhood--and remain my favorite because of their luminescence and “hand”, the way they feel and drape.  I posted previously about the silks, and a factory in Bangalore that produces them, here.  Today I am featuring just a few of the works I have made using them.  All of the pictures enlarge when you click on them, and the links take you to my website where there are detail views.

Poke Salad was the first quilt I made using the cyanotype process that I have come to love and rely upon for much of my imagery. The center panel is very complex, with a variety of leaves depicted and enhanced by hand embroidery.  I wanted to enhance the panel with simple shapes and a wealth of color, and the Mysore silks worked out perfectly.  Because of their luster and intensity, all the colors play nicely together without losing their separate identity.

Sweetgum in Autumn is another of my earlier works, again using a cyanotype image that I hand embroidered.  Sweetgum trees are unique in that their autumn foliage can vary on any individual tree from yellows and reds, through to oranges and even purple tones. I used those colors of silks to construct informal log-cabin style blocks that bring the deep sparkle of the oblique autumn sunlight into the piece.

In Royal Paulownia, I again used a log cabin format to construct blocks, this time mixing the silks with handspun and hand-woven Indian cottons to provide a wonderful contrast of tones and textures.

For Reed Run, I kept the construction uncomplicated, and let the silks and the hand-woven cotton, along with a deep, rich woolen, reflect the serenity of a walk in the deep woods along a sparkling stream. 

Silks add depth and character to the random patchwork that forms part of the construction of my huge Plume Poppy.

Purple and green silks , along with hand-wovens and fabrics that I hand painted, are an integral part of one of my newest works, Columbine.

I hope you have enjoyed this mini tour of my art quilts, and invite you to visit my website for many more examples of how high quality textiles like Mysore silks form an integral part of my body of work.

Quilts=Art=Quilts Acceptance

More good exhibit news--Plume Poppy has been accepted into Quilts=Art=Quilts at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn, NY.  This prestigious exhibit of contemporary art quilts was juried by Jeanne Beck, Elizabeth Busch and Erin Wilson, and runs from October 30, 2010 to January 9, 2011.

Plume Poppy is a huge work--81"h x 74"w--with a lot of detail, and I'm so pleased that it's going to a venue where it will be properly lit and displayed.  I am again contemplating a road trip....

And in the garden, my plume poppies outdid themselves this year, despite the run of dry weather late in the summer.  Their huge glaucous leaves give me such a thrill, and I love their architectural presence in the garden, and the way they pop up unexpectedly from seed.  I know they can run a bit too rampant in some soils, but in my heavy clay they volunteer just enough to be a pleasant surprise.

Best of Show at Penn State

I arrived at the opening reception for Images 2010 at Penn State last night and discovered to my delight and amazement that White Mulberry was awarded Best of Show! This juried show is open to all art media, so to have a fiber piece take top honors is especially meaningful to me.

The Robeson Gallery is a wonderful space, and the staff takes great care to display all the work to its best advantage. My work was very well lit, and the silks in White Mulberry just glowed.

As the icing on the cake, Plume Poppy received an Honorable Mention. You can see the size and scale of it above; again, such a pleasure to have it properly displayed and lit.

There was a large crowd at the reception (they had great catered food) and I had fun talking to people as I floated around on my cloud nine. My sincere thanks to the juror, Dan Mills, for selecting my work, and to all involved in putting on this exhibit each year. Go see it if you can, there's a wealth of fabulous work displayed.

Plume Poppy reveal; Images 2010 Acceptance

I'm happy to reveal my newest major work, Plume Poppy. It's very large--81"h x 74" w--and very intricate. Plume Poppies are one of my favorite garden plants; I love them for their huge glaucous leaves and the delicate little flowers on the plumes, but mostly just for their sturdy and reliable presence. I began this work almost five years ago out of a desire to portray what I find so captivating about the plant, and have worked in fits and starts since then, while addressing the various conceptual, design and construction challenges. You can track it back as a work-in-progress by clicking on "Plume Poppy" under Labels in the right sidebar.

The plume is a cyanotype, enhanced with small seed beads to add the bit of coral color the blossoms acquire as they mature. To the right and the left of the plume are handpainted silk noil panels. The center panel is also a cyanotype, delineated with a lot of stitching. I love the way small leaves develop in the axils of the large leaves.

The side panels are heliographic prints done with textile paints, also heavily stitched, and with semi-precious stones sewn on the stem junction. All of the panels are joined by bands of patchwork, made from handpainted and commercial cottons, silks and wool.

I made this art quilt more because I was driven to do so than as a practical venture. It can be problematic to find exhibit venues for a work of this size. Therefore I am thrilled to be able to announce that it has been accepted into Images 2010 at the Robeson Gallery at Pennsylvania State University. I've been lucky enough to have work at this venue previously, and I know from experience they do an excellent job of displaying the work and lighting it properly. The show runs from June 9th to July 11th, with an opening reception on 6/11 that I'm looking forward to attending.

Also selected by juror Dan Mills was White Mulberry. This one is so much better in person than my best photographic efforts can do justice to--the greens and purples don't come out quite as true as I'd like--so I'm really pleased at the opportunity to exhibit it.

Plume Poppy Beadwork

I've just spent two days intensively bead embellishing Plume Poppy. I love the meditative state beading induces, and I'm very happy about the way the beadwork enhances the imagery. Above is a quick snapshot of the beadwork and stitching on the cyanotype plume; below is a shot of an actual plume in bloom right now in my garden--how do you like my interpretation?

Here's a few shots of the plume poppy leaves. I love them for their color and texture, but most of all for their size and shape and graceful presence in the garden.

On this one you can see the small bits that drop off the tiny blossoms in the plume as they mature:

I am almost done with this quilt; stay tuned for the big reveal as soon as I can get it photographed. As always, you can follow the evolution of this work by clicking on "Plume Poppy" in the Labels sidebar on the right.

Plume Poppy Update

I'm making slow but steady progress on the Plume Poppy quilt. I've finished the stitching on all the leaf panels, including the heliographic ones (above).

I've also finished the stitching on these two panels. They are made from silk noil that I hand painted.

This is a large quilt, so it's a big project, but I'm coming down the home stretch. You can track back the progress so far by clicking on "Plume Poppy" under Labels in the right sidebar.

Plume Poppy Progress

I've unearthed the Plume Poppy quilt, code name The Beast, and resumed the quilting work on it. I am very pleased to report that the new machine is easing this task considerably. The wider harp lets me work without tightly scrunching the fabric and hunching my shoulders, and the improved thread tensioning is eliminating a lot of fiddling around with that little screw and expressing myself with nasty euphemisms. I'm excited to be working on this one again, it's going to be very dramatic when it's finished.

I now have two machines set up in my studio; I'm using my faithful old Pfaff for piecing, and the new Janome for freemotion work. This allows me to work on two or more projects (almost) simultaneously, which is enjoyable and a boost to productivity. If you are new here, you can track back this work in progress by clicking on "Plume Poppy" in the right sidebar under Labels.

Progress on Several Fronts

I'm making good progress on quilting Watt & Shand #3. (If you are new here, you can track back this series by clicking on Watt & Shand under Labels in the right sidebar.) I'm reminded once again how much I love working in this medium. I enjoy manipulating the fabric under the needle, making decisions on the fly as to where to go next. I especially like the transformative power of the stitching, the way it simultaneously unifies the diverse fabrics and colors while highlighting the individual design elements. And the texture is fabulous as well.

I was asked today if this one was going to get any bling-bling. I've been considering it as I stitch, and I think the possibility is great. I also love the transformative power of beads!

I've also unearthed the Plume Poppy top. I think I've been not-too-subconsciously procrastinating working on this one because it is so large; however, there's no time like the present to tackle something complex. I've now got it layered with batting and backing, basted, and have begun the quilting. It's going to be a stunner; that's the motivation I'm using to keep myself engaged.

And finally, while it is still much too cold and windy for any sort of gamboling and luxuriating in a spring-induced frenzy outdoors, I am heartened to see that the chinodoxa are bravely blooming in a sheltered spot next to the wall. Surely good things will follow....

Size Does Matter

There's two old fashioned favorites starting up in the garden right now. The tiger lilies are blooming, with glaucous plume poppies leaves in the background. The gladiolas are opening up as well; they make wonderful cut flowers, and only their lack of fragrance keeps them from utter perfection. Here they are with cannas and the asparagus behind them:

Both of these plants are pleasing and commonly grown because they are visually engaging--they are satisfyingly large. You know you've got something worthwhile when the display catches your eye from a distance. It's also important that when you get up close, there's lots of detail in the shapes and colors and markings to hold your interest.

In the studio, I have finished piecing Plume Poppy. It's enormous, somewhere in the neighborhood of 7ft. x 8ft. I am probably certifiably insane to tackle something so large. But once I started, there was no turning back. The scale and proportion had to be right for the subject and my interpretation of it, and in this instance that meant an imposing size. I will be kicking myself the entire time I am wrestling it under the machine for quilting, but cie la vie......the design turned out very well, and I am excited by it, so the the excitement will carry me through the slogging parts of construction. And the quilting will add another level of detail and texture to catch and hold your interest when you get up close.