Franklin and Marshall exhibit - In Dreams I Saw the Rift

  I am honored to announce that I will have an invitational exhibit at the Philips Museum of Art, on the campus of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, for the spring semester. The exhibit, The Enduring Beauty of the Susquehanna River, will run from January 21 to April 24, 2025.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift

The exhibit will feature 4 of my large-scale quilts I've made over time as my response to living near the  river. From my statement: "A major source of inspiration for my work, bordering on obsession, is the Susquehanna River. I grew up in a house on a hill overlooking the river and took its presence for granted. When I moved to Lancaster to attend Franklin and Marshall I began to explore the river hills in earnest, hiking the trails and learning about all the best overlooks. My enthusiasm was deepened during the decades I spent living near the Northeast Lancaster County River Trail and exploring it on my bike. I’ve enjoyed learning about the important historical impact of the river on the region. Most of all, I’ve come to appreciate how incredibly beautiful, and everchanging in its aspects, the Susquehanna is. It’s been a privilege and a pleasure to spend time interpreting my impressions using the art quilt medium."

 In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 1

Today I am highlighting In Dreams I Saw the Rift. The different panels combine several of my current fiberart obsessions, with cyanotype prints of bamboo and ferns, a needlefelted and heavily embellished river panel, and hand stitched hexagons. I began working with the hexagons, which are a very traditional motif in quiltmaking, after first utilizing them to make the golden mirror in my James Webb Space Telescope quilt, Luminosity. (If you are new here, I invite you to visit Luminosity on my site and read about my amazing in-person experience with the telescope under construction.)

Luminosity

 In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 2

At the time I was working on the design and construction of this quilt, I was immersed in the perception that much of what I took for granted in the world was potentially being reshaped and reformed.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 3

There's a lot that can be swept away in the current.

 In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 4

However, I am congenitally unable to make a somber artwork, so this one is also brimming with color and a sort of guarded optimism. As always, I leave it to the viewer to draw what conclusions they will while viewing my work, and also as always, it really is best enjoyed in person. I hope some you of you are able to visit the Phillips Museum during the exhibit.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 5

This work measures 66"h x 59"w.

 About the Susquehanna: Archaeology of the Lower Susquehanna River reveals that American Indians had utilized its resources for thousands of years. Around 1550 AD, the people we know as the Susquehannock moved from higher up the river to the Lower Susquehanna Valley. The Susquehannock were Iroquoian speakers and shared many similarities with the Iroquois in New York. Learn more here.

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Spotlight on In Dreams I Saw the Rift

In Dreams I Saw the Rift

Today I am shining a spotlight on In Dreams I Saw the Rift, one of the quilts from my series The River. It will be in my solo show, Beyond the Blue: Contemporary Narrative Quilts by Sue Reno, at the Virginia Quilt Museum. The exhibit runs from August 16 - October 23, with a reception on September 23.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift was previously juried into Art of the State 2020 at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, where it won a second place award in the Craft category. The exhibit was hung in the museum, but due to the pandemic the doors never opened. The VQM will be the first time it's physically displayed to the public. I'm delighted that visitors will have the opportunity to see, up close and personal, the wealth of detail and texture I've put into this quilt.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 2

This quilt is the latest in a series reflecting my decades-long obsession with the Susquehanna River. It frequently appears in my dreams as my personal uber-river, wherein I hike its shores, learn to swim, and let it carry me away. Here, while still admiring the beauty, I sensed a disturbance in the flow. I finished this one shortly before the pandemic hit, so perhaps I was prescient.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 3

The center panel is a needlefelted river, with wool and silk and mylar fibers, surrounded by woolen fields and woods that I hand embroidered and beaded. The top panel was made with hand stitched hexagons, done by the English paper piecing method, that I worked on obsessively in the evenings for months. They are arranged with cracks that let the light in, or out, depending on your view. 

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 4

The bamboo panels are traditional cyanotypes, some on silk, some on cotton. At my previous home, neighbors planted a bunch of invasive bamboo, so I was forever rooting it out and got some pleasure from using it artistically. The fern print is a Christmas fern done with the wet cyanotype method; it has just a smidge of variation in while still staying crisp. There is minimal patchwork in this one but it works well to tie the piece together. The size is 66" x 59".

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 5

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Second place award for In Dreams I Saw the Rift

In Dreams I Saw the Rift by Sue Reno

I am thrilled and honored to announce that In Dreams I Saw the Rift was awarded Second Place in the Craft division in The Art of the State PA 2020 at the State Museum in Pennsylvania.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, by Sue Reno, detail 1

This is a very competitive exhibit, and I am always thrilled to be included; to win an award is very special and I am grateful. 

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, by Sue Reno, detail 5

 Due to the pandemic, the Museum is currently closed to the public, but there's a great virtual tour available, my work is best seen in Area 9:

 https://www.exhibitstudios.com/media/tours/21338_art_of_the_state/

Here's the catalogue:

http://statemuseumpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CatalogWeb.pdf

and here's the Awards Ceremony:

https://youtu.be/feoV_j5XHKE

Many thanks to the Museum for putting this all together in a very challenging environment. 

In Dreams I Saw the Rift acceptance into Art of the State

In Dreams I Saw the Rift

I am thrilled and honored to announce that my latest work, In Dreams I Saw the Rift, has been accepted into Art of the State Pennsylvania 2020.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 1

Once again the submission process was very competitive, with over 2000 entries from which jurors Lauren Frances Adams, Clara Lieu and Ron Tarver chose 109 works. Within that group, my work is part of the fine craft category; the exhibit also comprises painting, photography and digital media, sculpture, and works on paper. The exhibit is always of the highest quality, and the gallery space in the State Museum is fantastic. I am delighted to have a place to display this large work, where I can count on the lighting and staging to be excellent.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 3

This year obviously poses some serious challenges for art exhibits. The museum is currently closed, at least until the end of April, and staff is working from home. This opening date has been postponed from June until (hopefully) September. I'll post updates as I get them.

I am acutely aware of how fortunate I am to be currently sheltering safely, to have my basic needs met, and to have studio space in my home. I share this good news with the knowledge that life is difficult for many right now. As I look for ways to help, I'm sending out positive thoughts and love to all my friends.

New work - In Dreams I Saw the Rift

In Dreams I Saw the Rift

 I am pleased to share my new work, In Dreams I Saw the Rift. It's the latest in my series The River, which to date has been focused on my decades of experience living near the Susquehanna in Pennsylvania.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 1

 I've been working on this piece, off and on, for several years, and as I progressed the theme became clearer and clearer. I finished it just before the corona virus crisis became acute. To me it represents chaotic neutral--whatever comes next could be positive, or negative, or most likely a mixture of both.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 2

 But as always, I try and leave it up to you, the viewer, to draw your own interpretations of the imagery.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 3

 The top portion is made from handstitched hexagons of fabric, done in the English paper piecing method. The middle portion is needlefelted and quilted, with lots of hand embroidery on the wool borders. I had a lovely time with all that time consuming hand stitching.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail 4

 The borders are cyanotypes of bamboo, with a wet process cyanotype fern print anchoring it at the bottom. The quilt measures 66"h x 59" w.

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, detail5

You can track it back as a work in progress by clicking here.

As always, thank you for reading, and special thanks to everyone who has shown interest in the progress posts and photos.

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In Dreams I Saw the Rift, part 4

With the river, the bamboo, and the hexies well under way, and work progressing on sewing all the elements together into a quilt top, it was time to think about the backing. Ordinarily, as my work is meant to be displayed on a wall, the backing is not seen, but I am particular about it nonetheless. It needs to be the right weight to support the quilt, yet still be easy to stitch through. And it needs to look good! I spend many hours with it as I am doing the quilting, and I want it to please and/or amuse me.

My procedure in the past has been to hand paint the backs on my driveway, and let it dry in the sun with the cracks in the driveway providing textural lines. For this first effort in my new house, I wasn't quite ready to paint up the driveway (what will the neighbors think!) and there wasn't much in the way of sun, so I retreated to the back deck with a tarp and a good deal of optimism.

The picture above is from the first dripping of the paint. I let that sit a while. Without sun it was not spreading very rapidly, so I got in there with a clean broom and moved some paint around.

While I was waiting on all of that, I used up the bits of paint left in the cups for some improvisational faux-shibori dyeing. I like having a stash of random handpainted fabrics I can pull from for future projects.

The big panel dried enough by sunset that I was able to bring it in and drape it on a table to finish up overnight. After rinsing, drying, and ironing, I had this beauty ready for layering up the quilt.

Big reveal to come! Stay tuned.

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In Dreams I Saw the Rift, part 3

If you are following along, this project may be starting to look like a hodge-podge, but I assure you it all does come together in the end! Simultaneously to stitching the river and the bamboo, I was also working on sewing together hexagons with the English paper piecing method. This type of handwork is very relaxing and meditative, good for spare bits of time or late evenings.

The hexagons are hand basted around a paper template, then arranged in "flowers" with a center and six sides, then the flowers are sewn together. I went a bit free form as it all came together.

In its historic form, the hexagons have a narrow seam allowance, so that the resultant quilt top can be hand quilted inside the margins, avoiding the bulk. I find the narrow allowance to be too fussy to deal with, so I cut mine generously, and appreciate the extra stability it gives when I later machine quilt it. 

Once all the hexagons are sewn together, it's extremely satisfying to pop the paper templates out and call it finished.

More to come, stay tuned!

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In Dreams I Saw the Rift, part 2

I wanted some cyanotype panels to go with the needlefelted river I was making (previous post). I remembered my surprise, years ago, when finding bamboo groves in some locales along river trails; I mistakenly had thought it was only a tropical plant. Some years after that, a new neighbor planted some running bamboo along the property line. In either locale, woodsy or suburban, running bamboo is a terrible idea, displacing native plants and providing little benefit other than its exotic looks. At any rate, over the years as I trimmed back the aggressively spreading shoots, I used them to make cyanotype prints. I dug some out with the thought they would fit right into this nascent project.

The first picture is the exposure under way, the next is after exposure but before rinsing, and below are some finished prints.

Most were on cotton but there were some silk ones also.

I layered them with batting and a thin backing, and started in on the first round of echo quilting.

Stay tuned, much more to come.

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In Dreams I Saw the Rift, new work in progress

It's time for a new, major work! Like many of my larger pieces, it has been in progress for some time, and has evolved as I went along. I started last year, when I was still living in Lancaster, PA, and have worked on it intermittently as time allowed since then. Like the other works in my "Dream" series, it features a needlefelted river.

I began with a length of felt and a lot of wool roving, punched into place by machine. As it progressed I added mylar fibers to approximate the sparkle of sunlight on the currents in the water.

To the edges of the river panel I added lovely chunks of woven wool fabrics. I did some machine quilting to add texture and hold everything in place. This part of it then got packed up specially before the move, so I could find it easily later.

I then spent a considerable amount of time in the new studio, adding a lot of glass beadwork and hand embroidered details.

It was very helpful to have this project to work on as I was getting my house, my studio, and my mind in order after the move.

The wool, backed by batting, is thick and difficult to hand stitch through, so I wasn't aiming for precision, rather I wanted to add lots of texture and movement, and to suggest the woodlands and fields that border the river.

Much more to come! Stay tuned.

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