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.

Artquilts XV: Needleplay -- Acceptance

I'm very happy to announce that two of my works from the Watt & Shand series have been juried into Artquilts XV:Needleplay, that will be displayed at the Chandler Center for the Arts & Vision Gallery, Chandler, AZ, November 5, 2010, through January 15, 2011.  The selected works are Watt & Shand #7, above, and Watt and Shand #10.  The detail shot of #7, below, includes the amazing leaning man:

If you are new here, you can track back the Watt & Shand series as a work in progress by clicking on Watt & Shand under Labels in the right sidebar, or you can read the short synopsis here.  Below is #10, the final work in the series:

The list of accepted artists reads like a Who's who of quilt and fiber artists I admire--check it out here.  I am thrilled to be in such esteemed company, and would love to see this show.  I may have to give some  serious consideration to a road trip!

Jonal Exhibit Opening

 

The opening of my solo show, "Fantastic Foliage" at Jonal Gallery was great fun--great visitors, perfect weather, excellent food, and warm and welcoming hosts.  I'm so happy to have my work in this excellent venue.  Below is a portion of the front gallery room, before the crowds came.

A shot of the Labyrinth gallery--the floor is unbelievable--original wood flooring, restored and then painstakingly hand stenciled in an elaborate labyrinth design.

And here's the happy artist!

I will be giving a gallery talk / powerpoint presentation at the gallery tomorrow, 9/16, from 7-9.  Call the gallery at 717-681-9400, or email  to reserve a spot.  I have a lot of interesting information and visuals to share and look forward to spending another evening at the gallery --hope to see you there!         

Today's Feature: Reed Run

I'm packing up and getting organized in advance of delivering and helping to set up my work at Jonal Gallery tomorrow.  One of the works included in "Fantastic Foliage" will be Reed Run, which is based on the experience of hiking along the stream in the Reed Run Nature Preserve in Lancaster County.  The leaves are from  pawpaw trees--regular readers know I have a bit of a fixation with pawpaw trees--which grow in stands all along the streamside.  The print on the left is a cyanotype on silk, and the one on the right is a heliograhic print, done with textile paints on a textured silk.

There's hand embroidery in this one, and lots of beadwork with glass seed and bugle beads as well as semi-precious stones.  Combined with the rich silk and handwoven cotton fabrics, it's a visual and textural treat when seen in person.  Please stop by the gallery if you get the chance.

"Fantastic Foliage" Exhibit Invitation

My exhibit "Fantastic Foliage" is opening this Saturday, September, 4th, at the Jonal Gallery in Columbia, PA, with a reception from 5-9 p.m.  If you live in the area or are traveling through, I hope you will be able to stop in and join us.  It's a beautiful gallery space in a restored historic building, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to display my work there.  I will also be giving an informal lecture/gallery talk on Thursday, Sept. 16th, and will be present for the closing reception on the 24th.

The focus of the exhibit, as the name suggests, is on work featuring leaves, drawn from my ongoing series "The Woods" and "The Garden".  Shown above is "Royal Paulownia", with ginormous life-sized leaves, patchwork including silks from Mysore in India, hand embroidery, hand beading, and all kinds of texture that photographs can't quite capture.  Here's a detail shot that comes close:

New Work--Groundhog and Green Bean

I've just finished "Groundhog and Green Bean", one of the works in my new Flora and Fauna series.  You're getting a first look at it here, as it's not on my website yet.  The cyanotype prints on cotton are from photographs I took of a groundhog skull that was found in the woods locally.  The lace along the left and bottom is vintage hand crocheted lace that I painted, from a pillowcase found at the flea market.  All of the fabrics in this one, with the exception of the wonderful gray hand-dye at the bottom, are ones I painted or printed.  The finished dimensions are 46"high x 50"wide. 

Above is the view  looking up into the top portion of the skull, with the molars, the eye sockets, and the two large incisors. I think it looks a bit like an alien life form.   Below is the side view of the two parts of the skull.  It doesn't seem like there's a lot of room for the brain, but groundhogs are very clever in their fashion.  I've  been telling people about my work, and shown the work in progress to a few, and I am delighted that it seems to spark in everyone a desire to tell me about their groundhog encounters and experiences.  I think this is going to be a really fun series to exhibit.

And here is the green bean portion of the piece.  I am pleased to report that the adolescent groundhog I spotted in the yard previously seems to have moved on to greener pastures, or at least pastures further from my neighbor's dogs, and my vegetable garden, knock wood, has been spared for the present.

I've actually taken a bit of time to relax and enjoy the summer this year--imagine that!-- but I'm gearing back up again and will be stitching away rather intensely in the coming weeks to ready more work for the debut of the Flora and Fauna series in October. 

Upcoming Solo Shows

I'm pleased to announce that I will be exhibiting my work in two solo shows this fall.  First up will be "Fantastic Foliage" at the Jonal Gallery in Columbia, PA, showcasing my botanical work and including "Sycamore", above.  The exhibit statement:

"Fiber artist Sue Reno takes a closer look at the incredible variety of foliage shapes and forms that surround us in the lush environs of Lancaster County. From plants cultivated in her organic garden to the wild vegetation of the woods, she uses a variety of textile surface design techniques to record and interpret the leafy wonders of our world."

It's worth stopping by the gallery just to see the care and attention to detail that the owners  used throughout in renovating the building.  The hardwood floor in the Labyrinth Gallery has been painstaking embossed and stained in a complex pattern--hence the name--and I'm excited to be able to hang my work in such an aesthetically pleasing space.

Next up in October is my "Flora and Fauna" exhibit at the Arts Orientation center of the PA Arts Experience  on 114 N. Prince St., Lancaster, PA, including "Groundhog and Green Bean" (detail above).  The exhibit statement:

 "Fiber artist Sue Reno debuts work from her new series, Flora and Fauna, where she examines in detail animals and plants commonly encountered in Lancaster County. Using digital images of animal skulls combined with cyanotypes, monoprints and vintage textiles, her work explores our relationships with the life forms that share our environment. "

I'll be posting more details about the works included in both shows as they draw closer, including dates and times for the receptions.  And now it's back to work in the studio to prepare.

Groundhog and Green Bean in Progress

 

I am so enjoying working on the Flora and Fauna series.  I've now printed all the images I need, both of the animal bones and the associated plants.  I've got ten of them in the works, all very different aside from the common premise, but I also envision this as an ongoing series.  I find the details of the skulls so interesting; the way the teeth differ according to the diet, and how large the eye sockets are, and way the sinus cavities are arranged.  I like the way the cyanotypes abstract the images just enough to keep them from (hopefully) being off putting to those who imagine themselves squeamish about such things, without losing the essential character of the animal.

I've just finished designing and stitching together the top for "Groundhog and Green Bean".  The photo above is looking down on the inside of the top part of the skull.  There are the two large incisors at the front, then a gap, then a set of molars.  Looks a bit like an alien life form in this view, doesn't it?

Anyone with a garden will appreciate my choice of green bean for the associated flora.  My green beans are now fenced in with chicken wire, so they are safe.  The key is to keep the fencing a bit loose, not taut; they could climb over it if they really wanted to, but the instability is off putting.  The only veggies that are not fenced off are the tomatoes, and after several years of crop failure they are looking good this season; tonight I saw a young adult whistle pig checking them out....we haven't had one in residence, as it were, for a few years, but apparently the battle for supremacy, and tomatoes, is about to begin anew.

Here's a side view of the upper and lower skull and jaw.  Those teeth are one of the reasons--the claws are another--that you don't want to mess around with a cornered and defensive groundhog.  We once had a dog, a German Shepard mix, who had the knack of digging them out of their hole and dispatching them with a single shake, but an inexperienced or dim-witted dog (not to suggest that YOUR dog could possibly be dimwitted) can get seriously injured.  I have a farming neighbor who kept track of the groundhogs his dog killed, and over a ten year span she was at something like 87.  She was a sweet Shepard, good with children, but took her job of protecting the corn fields and her family's livelihood very seriously.

Personally I prefer to co-exist whenever possible with the wildlife that fits into this niche where the suburbs and woods and fields converge; I have that luxury.  I won't trap or shoot or set the dogs on my the latest groundhog, should he/she take up permanent residence. I will curse it roundly, distract it with corn cobs and melon rinds on the compost pile, and hopefully get to work and fence off the tomatoes. 

All of the fabrics in this top are ones I've printed or painted myself, with the exception of that gorgeous gray speckled one in the last photo.  That's a "sugar dye" from the studio of the talented Deb Lacativa, who dyes them for her own use but parts with a few on occasion. 

A quick reminder to anyone attending the Arts Fest at Penn State this week--my "White Mulberry" and "Plume Poppy" are on display at the Robeson Gallery in Images 2010 until the 11th.