SAQA show + recent work

Busy weekend--no, busy month.

Dan and I did an overnight trip to Staunton, VA last weekend to see the SAQA Amazing Art Quilts show. It was rather unreal seeing a piece of mine hanging in a gallery. It's strange even to write those words. I hope that the photo below shows how wonderfully well the show is presented (mine is 2nd from the left). Staunton's a lovely little town and the R.R. Smith Center was a great venue to host the show.



While we were there I also had a chance to reconnect with some very good friends from college. We weren't exactly disconnected, but we handn't spoken in a while and hadn't seen eachother in too many years. Meeting my friend Stacey's 12-year old daughter Zoe sort of underscored the fact that we need to get together more often.

With all of the travel (and more to come), I've been struggling to get in my studio hours. I've definitely made some progress though. The quilt below (draped over the work table in the studio) is finished. In the photo the binding hasn't been completely turned, but it is really done and it's on the bed. I started this two years ago as the back of our wedding quilt. It got too good to be a back and turned into a quilt top in its own right. Who says work doesn't take on a life of its own?



Here's the latest evolutionary stage in the "Seeds of Change" quilt. I overdyed the whole thing with sun yellow before I heat set the stenciled paint. So, the colors pop a little more, the purple is mostly subdued to brown, the paint softened in both texture and intensity and bits of color have emerged where the brighter dye colors were covered with fabric medium and resisted the yellow dye. Much improved, I think. In the photo it's on the studio table getting pinned for quilting.

I need to try using fusible batting. It would certainly make the quilting prep easier. The safety pins are just such a hassle. Anybody have any good advice in that department? (this is also a test to see who's listening--ha ha).



I've also got about a dozen silk scarves in various stages of completion. I'm trying to build up a little inventory for open studio days. I'll try to remember to take some pictures the next time I get the studio all "dressed up". The next Artrul Afternoon at the Greenbelt Community Center is Sunday October 7, 1-5 pm. Stop by if you're in the area.

Recent Internet appearances

I'm surprised (and I suppose sufficiently immodest) to report that I've received some delightful recent Internet "coverage". Thanks all around.

Kerr Grabowski used a picture of me from a workshop as part of her course description for the workshop that she's teaching in Spring 2009 at the Nancy Crow Timber Frame Barn. Kerr's a great teacher, Nancy is a gracious and generous host, and the Barn is a wonderful place to study. You should go to this place and take this class. I can't say that enough.

Susan Brubaker Knapp did an excellent post on her blog about the "Amazing Art Quilts" show in Staunton. She even included a photo of my piece. I was so thrilled to receive her e-mail letting me know. Check out the post on her very cool blog, Blue Moon River.

And finally, Rayna Gillman recently redesigned her website, Studio 78, and included a photo of me from her soy wax batik workshop at Peters Valley last summer. Rayna's another great teacher well worth seeking out. Check out the new book on her website as well. If you ever wanted to try creating your own cloth, but didn't know where or how to start, then buy this book. If you're already making your own cloth and want a creative boost, then buy this book. You get the idea.

High-fiber turned out to be a good description

My first Art Cloth Network meeting was great. Like most self-governing groups, there's a certain amount of time that needs to be devoted to governance, management, planning--all of my regular 9-5 activities. But, there was also time to see a lot of really good art and time to play. These are some talented folks and I feel not just like the new kid on the block, but the younger brother trying to keep up with the big kids. I guess everyone feels that way from time to time. It's in the nature of making and sharing our art that we sometimes compare what we do to the work of others. It can't be helped. In this case though, I felt very welcomed and came away with a strong sense of both acceptance and validation as an artist.

On Saturday we ventured into Manhattan en masse then split up into smaller groups. Some went shopping, some to museums, and some exploring. I would like to have done it all, but chose instead to go the the garment district for a bit of shopping. This is not really Dan's favorite thing to do, so I figured that since I was surrounded by folks who almost can get enough of fabric stores it made sense to indulge. What fun. For my little group of 6 it ended up being a 12 hour day door-to-door. I came home with a few bargains, including several yards of assorted wool that I'm going to "transform" into scarves. Stay tuned for that one.

I wish that I could post pictures of all of the great work that I saw from fellow members, but we agreed for very good reasons not to post pictures without permission. I'm going to err on the side of caution and share just these two that seem to capture the mood for the Manhattan field trip: Great fun and good company.

Here's Rayna as we're about to leave the famous (but rather pricey) Mood. I think that we all concluded that Metro Textile is a far better bet if your looking for a great bargain. Go to Mood if you need something specific and nothing else will do--and expect to pay for being that picky.



The shop below shows Joy, Wrenn, and Janet looking very happy and chic. It was a beautiful day on the street but the subway was like a steam bath. The ladies wore it gracefully. I wish I could say the same.



Perhaps in another post I tell the story of the restaurant that we went to on Saturday night for our group dinner. I use the term "restaurant" lightly. It was one of the stranger customer service experience of my life. More later...perhaps.

It promises to be a high-fiber weekend

This weekend--actually starting today (Thursday)--I'm in New Jersey on the campus of Rutgers University for the fall meeting of the Art Cloth Network. This is my first meeting. The folks I've met so far all seem very friendly. It sounds like the schedule's already been rearranged a bit. Saturday was supposed to be a play day in Manhattan. I think that's moving it to tomorrow to avoid the bad weather forecast for Saturday. I can't even remember which hurricane is headed our way. I think it's the "H" one--maybe the "I".

So, anyway, I'm looking forward to a bit of exploration in the garment district. I brought an empty backpack, just in case! I hope that I have the presence of mind to remember the 4 meters of fabric that Dan & I bought in Paris many years ago then schlepped all over the city. It weighted a ton. Dan probably did most of the carrying--and he's not with me this time.