New Work - Fox and Hackberry

Fox and Hackberry is completed!  It will be on my website soon, but I'm happy to share the first look at it here with all my loyal blog readers.  It's 50"h x 66"w, and features cyanotypes on cotton, made from photos I took of a red fox skull, a heliographic hackberry print, and some almost-traditional patchwork.  You can read about the cyanotype process in a previous post here, and see the results below.  I am very happy with how crisp and detailed these prints came out--I spent a lot of time on the photography.

Those wonderful swirly shapes in the center are vintage hand-crocheted doilies, appliqued onto a piece of silk I hand painted:

Here's another detail shot, with skulls and a portion of the hackberry print.  I saw a red fox in my backyard this past winter, running along the edge of the woods where the hackberry trees grow:

Fox and Hackberry is one of the new works in my Flora and Fauna exhibit that just opened at the PA Arts Experience Gallery at 114 N. Prince St., Lancaster, PA.  Here's the front of the exhibit postcard:

And the reverse of the card with all the relevant info.  I will be at the Gallery on 10/1 from 5 - 9 for First Friday, and again on Saturday as part of the Art Walk festivities.  It's going to be great weather and great fun--hope to see you there!

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.