Jack in the Pulpit -- Work in Progress, Update 2

The next step in my textile explorations of the Jack in the Pulpit plant was to make some prints directly from the plant.  I have an ongoing love affair with the cyanotype process and use it quite frequently.  It’s basically rudimentary photography, where a natural fiber material, in this case a silk-cotton blend, is pre-treated with light-reactive chemicals.  I arranged my specimens on the fabric and took it out into the bright sunshine for a timed exposure.  The fabric darkened in response to the ultraviolet radiation.

Afterwards, I remove the plants and rinse out the fabric, and viola! Just like magic, a print appears.  They are always wonderful, and always a bit of a surprise.  Due to a variety of factors, these prints came out with a medium tones and medium contrast (they are often much darker and crisper), which is just what I wanted for this work. 

Above is a cyanotype print after layering and stitching, with echo quilting extending the lines of the leaves and spathe.

I also made some heliographic prints, or monoprints.  I used textile paints on white cotton sateen, laid a leaf on as a mask, and put it out in the bright sun.  As it dried, the paint wicked out from under the leaf, leaving an image.  The silvery tones on the leaves in this picture are partly from their whitish undersides, and partly from some silver paint I splattered on the print as it was drying.

And here’s the print, layered and stitched.  I used a combination of echo quilting and pebbled stitching to create layers of transparency. I’m working towards that combination of sunshine and flickering shadows I observed on my plants in the garden.

At this point I was two years into the project.  I didn’t want to stress the plant by harvesting too many leaves at once, so I did the cyanotype prints one summer, and the heliographic prints the next.  I’ve said it before--art making is not a linear process.  It often takes time to develop thematic elements. I wasn’t thinking about Jack in the Pulpit continuously during this time, obviously, but the idea was percolating and taking shape in my subconscious in the odd moment here and there.

It doesn’t always work this way.  I’ve done projects where the entire thing from concept to completion was done in a few weeks.  And I’m exceedingly good about meeting deadlines when need be.  But sometimes it’s good to proceed at a mellow pace.

Jack in the Pulpit -- New Work in Progress

A volunteer Jack in the Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum, has been growing in my black currant bed for many years.  It’s a native plant here in Pennsylvania, although not a very common one in my experience.  At a guess, it got its start in my bed courtesy of a bird that was raiding the currant berries.  Over time, it has grown into a large specimen.  It’s an interesting plant, in that it’s unisexual--as it matures, it has the resources to produce more and more female flowers. 

Here’s another view of it, including Mojo, the neighborhood photobombing cat, to give a sense of perspective.

The flowers, actually spathes, are often green, but in this specimen they developed a wonderful deep maroon coloration with distinctive white stripes. The spathe is the “pulpit”, and the spadix, which is covered with the tiny actual flowers, is the “Jack”.   You need to duck under the leaves, where it’s shady and a bit mysterious, to see the spathes and photograph them, which I did quite extensively.
When I decided to make an art quilt celebrating this plant, I started by editing down my photos to a few which I felt would work well as textile prints.

Here is the photograph printed onto cotton sateen, layered with batting, and stitched. 

There’s lots more to come; stay tuned!

Interviewed by Wendy Edsall-Kerwin

One of the perks of the artist’s life is meeting other artists.  I volunteer a bit of my time and talents for the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, an excellent organization, and I’m convinced that I get as much or more out of the relationship than I give.  Through the Guild I’ve come to know Wendy Edsall-Kerwin, a jewelry and metals artist.  She is doing a series of interviews with artists who were included in this year’s Art of the State Exhibition at the State Museum in Harrisburg, PA, USA, and she has done me the honor of a feature on her blog today. You can read all about it here, or follow the short link: http://wp.me/pdz32-1Dw

Wendy’s entry in the exhibit is her bronze, nickel and brass riveted bowl, Ebb and Flow, part of her Super Bowl Series. 

Also be sure to  check out the wonderful jewelry at Wendy’s Etsy shop

Purchase Award at the Pennsylvania State Museum

I am very happy to report that I have won the  prestigious Purchase Award at Art of the State 2013, at the Pennsylvania State Museum in Harrisburg, PA.  My  Silk Mill #3 is now part of the permanent fine art collection of the Museum.  It is quite a significant honor, and you can see in the picture from opening night just how happy I am to receive it!

The organizers hold an awards ceremony just before the opening of the exhibit in the museum auditorium.  Here is the List of Winners. The purchase award was announced by Pennsylvania First Lady Susan Corbett, who is a supporter of the museum and of the arts.  You can watch a YouTube video of her presentation here:

The award was selected by the First Lady, Museum Director David Dunn, and PMHC Executive Director James Vaughn.  Their procedure was to tour the exhibit once it was installed, then each wrote down their top three potential picks.  Remarkably, they unanimously chose Silk Mill #3 as their top pick. 

The Museum was packed on opening night.  I spent most of the evening standing by my work and talking with people.  It was very exciting and a bit surreal.  I greatly appreciated all the good wishes and congratulations that flowed my way, and it was fun to explain a bit about my process and my subject matter to those who had questions.  And about that process--I am so glad that I am such a careful craftswoman, and always take great care to use only the best materials and practices in my work.  Had I know in advance that this quilt was going to be a museum piece, I would not have changed a thing. 

I did take some time to tour about and admire and enjoy the work on view.  This is an extremely competitive show--this year about 7% of the work submitted was accepted, and I can attest to its diversity and quality.  It’s an excellent show and well worth a visit if you find yourself in the area.  You can view it online in this Flickr album. The Museum also has a Facebook Page.

I hope you can join me on Friday, July 19th, at 6:30 p.m., when The State Museum will host a casual insider’s tour of “Art of the State” with myself and State Museum Director David Dunn. The program is free and open to the public as part of “3rd in the Burg”,  a monthly celebration of Harrisburg’s art and entertainment.

A few more good links--here’s my friend Wendy Edsall-Kerwin’s blog post about the Art of the State 2013 Opening, including her fabulous Ebb and Flow bowl.  And the Lancaster Sunday News had a nice article about the award and the exhibit.

The prizes for this exhibit are not announced until the awards ceremony on opening night, but they do phone up the award winners to let them know so they can make plans to attend. I was on vacation in Minnesota, on a hiking trail with sketchy cell service at Gooseberry Falls State Park, when I got a voicemail with the news. This was my view as I learned of my good fortune:

To read more about Silk Mill #3, the other quilts in the series, and the building they are based on, click the Silk Mill tab at the top or follow this link. 

And now, after all that excitement, it’s back to work in the studio for me!  This is my mantra:  do the work, do the work, do the work.  It all flows from there.

Knit the Bridge in Pittsburgh

I visit Pittsburgh, PA frequently, and have come to love the city more with each trip. I especially love photographing the architecture and the bridges.  I have a lot of fun with my fisheye lens:

So have been following with great interest the efforts of Knit the Bridge, a group of fiber artists with the goal of covering an entire bridge with knitted and crocheted panels--yarn bombing on a massive and completely wonderful scale.  It will be America’s biggest yarnbomb!  Even more impressively,  they have turned their project into a wonderful community outreach program, involving the majority of the communities in Allegheny County.

Recently they have reached an important milestone, as the Knit the Bridge ordinance was passed unanimously by the Allegheny County Council.  They now have official permission for the use of the Andy Warhol/7th Street Bridge.  You can read all about it in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  The panels will be up from August 5th to September 7th.  I will be making a trip specifically to walk the bridge and take photos.  I think it will be amazing.


You can follow the Knit The Bridge news on their Blog and on their Facebook Page. 

And if you can, please consider making a contribution, large or small, to their Indiegogo campaign, to help pay for installation costs, ensure public safety, and reuse the materials.  They have a lot of cool rewards.

Full Disclosure:  I have no connection to the project, aside from being an enthusiastic supporter, and my friendship with Penny Mateer, one of the artists who is making this happen.  Basically, I think it’s cool and I want to experience it.  Pass the word along!

An Award of Merit at Images 2013

It was with great pleasure that I discovered on opening night  that my Skunk and Garlic Mustard  won an Award of Merit at Images 2013, at the Robeson Gallery at Penn State University.  I think part of the credit must go to the gallery staff, who displayed it with such brilliance, hanging it a few inches out from a slightly curved wall and lighting it perfectly. The intensive stitching I did on this work was highlighted, giving it an almost sculptural quality, all without washing out the imagery.  I love and appreciate having my work in this all-media exhibit; the quality of the work is always excellent, and the space itself is wonderfully conducive to appreciating it. 

Another pleasure of attending the opening is seeing the work of my friends, such as fellow fiber artist Marcia DeCamp’s Earthquake Faults. Marcia favors strong geometric elements in her contemporary art quilts, and her color sense is superb.

Over the years of my involvement with this exhibit I’ve become friends with the lovely and talented Anni Matsick, watercolorist and illustrator extraordinaire.  It was fun to have a chance to chat in person and enjoy the artwork together.

Here’s a better look at the two paintings Anni had in the show, Say Cheese on the left, and Sleeping Infant on the right. Both show a great sensitivity for the subject matter and an incredible mastery of the medium.

Anni introduced me to her friend Thomas Mickle, and I greatly enjoyed speaking with him and looking at his incredibly detailed drawings.



Tom’s His Bones Did Not Regret All the Killing He Had Done received the William D. Davis Award in Drawing.

I also met Michele Randall.  We had fun talking shop, and she explained part of her printmaking process, which includes awesome activities like laser cutting.  Her gorgeous Soldier Parade, on the right, won an Honorable Mention.

My happiness in this picture comes not just from the award, which was very significant and meaningful for me, but also from the pleasure of an evening filled with art and the company of like minded individuals. Several people remarked on my work that it transcended the quilt making medium and stood on its merits as a unique artistic expression.  I spend countless hours alone in the studio crafting my work--to put it out into the world and have it understood and appreciated is truly priceless.

The reception was on June 7th (my post has been delayed as I left on vacation afterwards); it is up until July 14th to coincide with the nationally recognized outdoor Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition.  Stop in if you are in the area, it is definitely worth your time.

As always, thanks for reading and commenting!

Silk Mill #1 and Silk Mill #2 acceptance for New Legacies Contemporary Art Quilts

Two of my recent works, both from my ongoing Structures series of architectural art quilts, have been accepted into the New Legacies Contemporary Art Quilts exhibit.  Both Silk Mill #1 and Silk Milk #2 will be traveling to the Lincoln Center Gallery in Ft. Collins, CO for the exhibit, which runs from July 9th through August 31st, 2013

From the prospectus:  “Art quilts accepted for exhibition will exemplify innovation in quilting and surface design techniques as well as excellence in artistic composition and craftsmanship. The goal of the exhibition is to recognize the world's finest contemporary quilt artists and to advance the art form.”

It sounds wonderful!  I am honored to be included.

These works are based on photos I took of the abandoned Ashley and Bailey Silk Mill, in Columbia, PA, shortly before it was renovated and a portion of it was developed into a tourist destination for the Turkey Hill Dairy.  I was enthralled by the way the light shone through the missing windows, and the way trees and plants took advantage of the missing portions of the roof.  Despite the beauty in its decrepitude, I am delighted it has been saved.

After its stint as a silk mill, the building served as a garment factory. Recently when I was lecturing to a quilt guild and was showing these works, I met a delightful woman who grew up in Columbia. She remembered buying  children’s snowsuits at a discount  from a relative who worked in the factory shortly before it shut down in the 70’s.  I love it when my work makes connections!

To see more images and read about the works in progress, click on the Silk Mill tab at the top.

As always, thanks for reading and commenting.

The Susquehanna as Muse Exhibit

This exhibit seems custom-made for my newest work, In Dreams I Flew Over the River.  I am very happy that it will be a part of “The Susquehanna as Muse”, an exhibit by Artist Members of the Pennsylvania Arts Experience.

In Dreams I Flew Over the River

The exhibit opens this week at the beautifully renovated Marketview Arts Orientation Gallery in York, PA.

I am very fine company, with some of my personal favorite artists exhibiting their paintings featuring the Susquehanna River.

Do yourself a favor and take some time to check out their websites:
 http://www.robevansart.net/ 
http://www.patierno.com/ 
http://carololdenburg.com/
http://www.markworkmanart.com/ 
http://www.glennblue.com/splash.html
http://www.stevenheffnerart.com/
http://lancastergalleries.com/artists/john-david-wissler/

In Dreams I Flew Over the River, Detail 1

Due to a prior commitment, I will miss the grand opening on Friday, June 7th, but I will be there for the Patrons and Members Preview on Thursday the 6th.

For any of my local and regional friends, it will be well  worth your while to visit.  The exhibit runs through July 2, concurrent with the fabulous “Visions of the Susquehanna” exhibit in the Gallery Hall, on loan from the Zimmerman Center for Heritage.

As always, thanks for reading and commenting.