Famous?

Well, the magazine "Machine Quilting Unlimited" has an article about quilting with disabilities. I was interviewed for this article, but have,'t read it yet. So if you get it before me, let me know what you think. Oh, and I've been so busy trying to complete Christmas presents so I can't show pics.




Here is the piece I created for SAQA's Art and Science. I didn't get chosen, but I love the piece of the DNA module. It's all hand-dyed fabric and soft edged appliqued. I used Shiva paintsticks as highlighters on the modules. I added silkscreened images of a man and woman after these pics were taken. Machine quilted. I enjoyed doing it.


This is a scan of a Christmas card my Italian grandmother received many years ago. I saved it because I thought it pretty, so I decided to use it this year, and today finished my fiber Christmas postcards and sent them out. This is the first time in many years I've gotten them out on time!

What's New

Polar Bears on Ice was made for a Pointless Sisters challenge about Water. I started it awhile ago and had very specific instructions to follow. It needed to be blue. Okay, I can do that, so I painted some fabric that looked to me like water. I then fused ice flows and the mommy polar bear and her babies on the ice flow. I painted them to add some texture. I then zig zag quilted around each of the ice flows and echo quilted the water. I added stitches to the sky. I was really happy with this little piece, so off I went to the Pointless Sisters meeting where we planned to lay out these pieces that we were going to hang together to show as one large piece. All of the pieces being laid were landscape. As the pieces were laid out, I had a moment of terror. Landscape! Mine was the only vertically challenged piece. I had somehow missed this on the instructions that I looked at just this morning. So I blamed it on my impaired brain. But I've since realized that even though I read the instructions, I made the piece the way I wanted. Rebel? Who knows. I now have a piece of my own that I can add to a category of political-social consciousness. Since I learned about the effects of global warming, I have felt great empathy for the polar bears, who may cease to exist from the effects of global warming. Because I want others to learn about this, I made another piece. This time landscape!
I am sorry to miss next weekend's SAQA meeting as I get so much inspiration from all the great work coming from our region. I am really looking forward to an oil painting class with Brooks Anderson next week. As much as I enjoy fiber art, I also love to paint. I had time for both today, so I'm a happy camper. I don't get trick or treaters where I live, so everyone enjoy the cute costumes and don't forget to "fall back."

Happenings

I was going thru some old pictures and came upon this beautiful Christmas card sent to my grandmother by her sister. Obviously, I come from an Italian heritage. I saved it originally because I thought it unusual. I think I will use it in my Christmas wishes this year.


This is the message from the card. I never learned Italian, so hopefully I can get it translated. But while going thru this container of old photos, I found a picture of my mom as a baby (which I won't post here for privacy reasons.) It was a fun trip into the past.
I try not to post about personal issues, but I wanted some ideas how to make this card contemporary.
Today, Linda Morand, Nancy McDermott and I as representatives of the Pointless Sisters went to Napa to meet with some people who were starting their own Art Quilt group. We met several very nice quilters who needed info to get them moving towards a cohesive group. We brought pieces to show and gave as much info as we could about what we do and how we go about it. I introduced them to the Quiltart list and SAQA so I hope we did enough to help them get started. We saw some of their work which was a treat. Tomorrow we meet as Pointless to work out our water challenge. And I'm happy to report I sent 2 applications out for upcoming exhibits. We'll see!

More PIQF

Some more great quilts at PIQF. This photo is blurry, but maybe you can see why Phyllis Cullen got best use of color with her Pelican wall quilt.


Linda Morand's Yosemite quilt took eight years to complete and is just gorgeous. Try to see it in person if you can it's in the New Quilts of California exhibit.


This is one of Eva Henneberry's quilts. Each of these quilts were made by Studio Art Quilt Associate members. We have creative members in the Northern California region. It's a lazy day for me today. I'm recovering from the last few days of running around (well, not quite running)I spent most of yesterday restocking my studio cabinets that I had emptied to be moved. Now I just have to clean up my work table and my studio will be presentable again. So I can mess it up again...such a vicious cycle. I got my entry into the SAQA Frontiers:Art meets Science and wait hopefully for acceptance. Tomorrow I complete my Pointless Sisters water challenge and then work on some paintings I need to finish. I hope its a good week for all of you.

Pacific International

So I went to Pacific International today and am once again impressed with the quality of workmanship at this Festival. I heard over and over again from men, (attending with their wives?) that these wonderful pieces were works of ART. I certainly don't need convincing. Congratulations to all who exhibited. These pictures were taken at PIQF and are the property of the artists. So no copying these images! "Hong Kong Taxi" (above) was a first Place winner and its creator Jeanette Jorgenson is a fellow SAQA member. I saw this piece first at a SAQA meeting and loved the perspective in this piece and was delighted to find Jeanette nearby to get her in the photo with her great piece. Liz Berg's One Woman Show was well received. She was there to meet and greet, looked great and had an interested crowd asking lots of questions.


I've liked Eva Henneberry's work for years and really admire her commitment to the planet. Eva is another SAQA member from Northern California and loved by all. Great work, Eva. We're all pulling for you.


I think this piece from Ireland won the World Quilt competition, but if not, I liked it a lot.
I would have liked to post more photos, but my hand was unsteady and I have lots of blurry images. Great work all and go and check out the "Hand Dyed" vendors for some beautiful, rich fabrics.

On the Wall

Wow, its been a busy month. I sent my largest piece so far, "A Few of my Favorite Things" off to Pacific International. And hung my "Undersea Symphony" at Gary Farell Winery in Healdsburg (Sonoma County wine country). Our Pointless Sisters show at the Sprint Center came down, but we are working on pieces for two upcoming shows. The photo above is just an idea not yet coming to fruition. The background is a piece I dyed some time ago and has been waiting for a design. I don't think this is it.

This is something I've had on my wall for a couple of months and still am not sure what to do with it. I love to discharge fabric and enjoy the surprise of the final colors. I've been spending several hours a day learning the Corel program in a class from Quilt University. I used to be a whiz at this stuff, but I'm really challenged learning this. I've had the program for several years and took a class with Caryl Fallert but then had the stroke that stopped everything for so long. It's slow going but I'm determined to learn it.

This photo is a peek at a corner of a piece that I finished painting tonight. I dyed the fabrics for the base colors I wanted and fused the pieces in place. Then I painted in some detail with Shiva oil paintstiks. It's mostly quilted, but I plan on adding a bit more surface design. If it is accepted in an upcoming SAQA show, I'll post a picture of it.
I'm also trying to keep up with my painting on canvas. I'm currently working on a good-sized acrylic and a small oil. I need more hours in the day. I promised myself I'd try to post something this week and I met that goal. I was really lucky that I had power all day. This storm really blew and thousands are without power all over the bay area. We really need the rain and we got it. Record amounts! Off to bed.

Works Out and About

I finally was able to get this up. It seems Blogger wanted me to resign an agreement and I missed it.So my piece in this picture is a red doghouse with my 2 Bichons resting comfortably. It was a challenge to benefit an organization that trains dogs for the disabled. Right up my alley!

Oh well, I seem not to be a very good blogger. I've been doing quite a bit of painting. On canvas, on cabinets and on doors.
No pics yet, even though I brought my camera into my studio. but
i do have some news about what I've been up to. I have a quilt on display at the Rocky Nountain Quilt Museum. (Cool!)I have two pieces on exhibit at Soft Expressions Gallery in Anaheim, and the Sprint Center And I have my largest piece so far going to Pacific International. I've had a photograph chosen to be exibited at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, and, if I can get this photo uploaded, I can show you a piece on display at the American Sewing Exposition. I've been interviewed for a printed piece about disabled quilters in Machine Quilting magazine. I'm also exhibiting in group shows at Gary Farell Winery and next year at Moshin Winery and Rincon Valley Library. So even though I am horrible about blogging, I am working hard. For some reason, I cannot post these pics. I'm currently working on a discharged piece that has been on my design wall for a couple of months. I'm still teaching monthly at one of my groups, so I'm staying out of trouble!
Update:
I was so lucky to have a friend come over to help me set up my large Epson. I purchased it, used, before my stroke. So it's been sitting for over 4 years. I know I have power to it, but need to get a USB cable connection for it. I can't wait to use it! Thanks, Helen. That's the good news. The bad news is I spilled a can of dark walnut stain on my family room area rug and it seeped thru to my bamboo flooring. I was able to get it off the floor without staining but the rug is trashed. Off to the dumps with that. Thanks again Helen. So no art today. But I'll be working on it tomorrow.

I am So Bad!

I spend late afternoons catching up on the SAQA groups site and the QuiltArt List and a few other personal sites. By the time I've finished, there seems to be nothing left for ME! It is not self-doubt or frustration as to why I do not blog more often. It may be just plain laziness, but I blame it on tiredness. I finished a piece that I wanted to submit to New Quilts of Northern California, but my images printed out horribly (so much so that I refuse to send them. And now I'm out of photo paper and the images are not printing accurately. But I will post them anyway.

The colors are all messed up. The background is a rich green vision of background trees and shrubs.


They seem to retai their color on the monitor. Maybe I need a new printer?
But I've also been making several redwork kitchen towels for 2 bridal showers. I have both a niece and nephew tying the knot in the coming months. One shower down, one to go!

Painted Fabric

I've spent the last three weeks trying to solve a major computer crash, so Saturday's paint day was a refreshing change. British quilt artist Maureen Thomas, www.aquiltartist.com, is here visiting friends Judy Mathieson and Pat Scoville, so Judy decided to have a paint party/class and twelve lucky Sonoma County quilt artists were treated to Maureen's fabric paint techniques. Maureen uses Jacquard's DynaFlow paints and talk about instant gratification! I usually dye fabrics and use paints as a surface design, but because the paint dries quickly in the California sun and it requires no batching, fabric can be painted and used the same day!



Creasing diagonally and applying paint to the tops of the wet pieces created this effect. Little splotches of iridescent paint were dripped over the paint. Our day included a British lunch which consisted of cucumber-salmon sandwiches, tomato and watercress, basil and chicken. No crusts! Wonderful scones with lemoon curd. The British don't drink iced tea, Maureen said.



I used Liquitex fluid acrylics on my pieces. I didn't water them down as we were working on wet fabric but I found Maureen's fabric has a nicer hand so I'll try watering them down next time.



The Liquitex reacted exactly like Setacolor on my sun prints and that is a good thing to know. Dynaflow does the same. These are Nandina leaves from Judy's garden. I also printed her fern fronds.





Freezer paper resists work well also. The freezer paper was ironed on before painting. They allow the paint to wick under the paper for a soft edge. The stars were added after painting. See how sharp those edges are.

Another good piece of news, My piece "New Moon Created" has been chosen to tour with the SAQA "Fibrations" exhibit. Computer complaints: Can't find my quilt log anymore since the crash. Or my pictures, but I can't recreate those. Oh well, Back to creating art tomorrow!

Fiber Art Portfolio

This is the cover of my self-published "portfolio", a compilation of some of my fiber art pieces. I happened by an art supply store that was having some items on clearance. I found this jewel of a program on the table. It is called "Storyteller" by Epson. It retailed for over $30.00, but I paid significantly less for it.

The back cover includes even more photos of my work.

So, the program creates great images of the photos of your work to include in the book.

I don't know where to get it anymore. If you areinterested, try googling Epson.

Yesterday's post that I never uploaded:
No new art today, although I may do some pencil sketching after this post. I spent the day watering my front yard and my Earth Boxes, my attempt at growing vegetables on my deck in these special boxes. Then I sat in the sun and read a part of Mark McEwen's book, "Change in the Weather, Life After Stroke". It is interesting how lives cross paths. Me, a former television producer crossed paths with Mark, a former television personality, both felled by a stroke at a fairly young age. I'm not far enough into the book to make any judgements, but it sure brings back memories of the early days of my stroke. I don't remember much from the first days, but I am so grateful for the friends I nicknamed "the peanut gallery" who came to visit me in rehab and kept my spirits up. I know, without a doubt, that I would not have progressed as far without their support. Thanks again, my faithful friends.
I visited a fellow artist on an Open Studios weekend. Gen Zorich included a fabulous jewelry designer and a watercolor artist at her open studio so visitors got a "three for one" visit. It was a great idea and well-recieved by visitors .
Sunday, I visited and worked at the Santa Rosa Quilt Show. My art pieces were well-received. This show was excellent! There were over 400 pieces on display and many vendors to tempt our checkbooks and credit cards. I was good and only purchased two pieces, an oriental panel and a fun black and white piece from Aiko's Asian Fabrics, www.aikosasianfabric.com, a delightful booth of wonderful pieces

Art and needles

It's June already! goodness this year has flown. This weekend is the Santa Rosa Quilt Show and Sale. So, if you are available, head on over to the Veterann's Hall in Santa Rosa for a great show. I have four pieces being exhibited. The Obama tote bag, the vineyards piece. Counting crosses, which didn't make it in to Sacred Threads. These areall on previous posts. The fourth piece is a partial collection of Art postcards I recieved after my stroke and some from a swap I participated in a f
few years ago.

I bought a bunch of artichokes this week. They looked so captivating that I had to draw them. This is a colored pencil drawing. I got so relaxed while doing it, that I think I'm going to be doing more of these.

This is a portion of the large wall=hanging I'm doing. I's almost finished, I have to make one more dragonfly. It is the first piece I've done for myself and it will be part of an exhibition later this year.
I just remembered that I never took photos of my portfolio book, but I'm "too pooped to pop" now. I had my first acupuncture treatment today. It seems to have taken some pain from my neck. I'm hopeful it will balance me out.

Dog House

Dog House is a small, 12" X 12" piece completed for a Breaking Traditions challenge benefiting Bonnie Berguin's school for dogs for the disabled. The theme is "home" and the quilts will be posted online and then travel to different venues. Ihe doghouse is a depiction of Charles Schulz "Snoopy" doghouse to honor Mr. Schulz who lived close to me and was a huge supporter of Ms. Berguin's efforts. The dogs are painted versions of my Bichons. Enjoy.
I'm still trying to complete my large quilt and I just completed a printed portfolio. Pictures of that later.

Dyed Paper Towels

I save not only my paper towels from dyeing, but I'm not too embarrased to ask fellow dyers for theirs, even at a Carol Soderland workshop as these were from. They are fused to Timtex.

I haven't had a lot of time to play with this as I'm working on my big wall art, but I can't wait. What fun!

GARDEN GALORE

Sometimes lemons make lemonade. After a nasty fall yeaterday, I had to kick back and let my head recover. So this morning I shot some of my garden. My back yard includes lovely wisteria.


The daffodils are long gone, bue they were a cheery site.
Pride of Madeira is the common name for these coastal beauties. They line the bank along my dreveway. Also drought tolerant, they require little care unless frozen. That happened many years ago when the temp dropped to 13 degrees. The seeds survived and they came back beautifully. I am going for a no work garden, hence the flagstones and cactus rose, also drought resistant. I would love to have acres of lavender, sweet smelling and it definitely attracts the bees.
tomorrow a trip to the ocean and then a Liz Berg lecture and trunk show. Inspiration!

Crime Scene

The back story:
Four local (SF Bay Area)police officers were shot and killed one day last month. It is a real tragedy and affected me personally because I have several family members in law enforcement and public service. A cousin is a police sargeant. My sister works
in the behavioral unit, my father was a deputy sheriff, a nephew is in the
police academy, and my brother is a firefighter. So this story made me think of the dangers public servants face every day.
I overdyed commercial fabric for the background. I then discharged the scope
sight in the center. I stamped the crime scene letters on hand-dyed fabric and
foiled the police badges. I then fused the black "grieving" strips over the
badges and printed the names (with paint pens)of the four officers after
stitching them down. I used Fabrico pens to write around the scope sight "I saw
the news today, Oh Boy."

I hope to complete this piece tomorrow. And as you can see, I am so encouraged by all your wonderful words. I'm also sending my congratulations to a fellow guild member Vicki David who got a second place on her first try at Padukah. Her piece is exquisite.

ONWARD

This is one of the pieces I've been playing with this week. Hand-dyed fabric, paint-stamped images, foiled. I like the way this turned out although I have to clean up the exterraneous foiling.

It took me all day to load this on my longarm. I really need this other arm to come to the party! I actually quilted 2 small quilts last week for our community service project and have a couple more to finish. But this is a piece I've been working on for a couple of years. It is painted silk, with appliqued images--- so far. I wanted to add texture to the background before appliqueing my other images. Stay Tuned!

Success! not the transfers, just the ability to post them.

I'll try again another day. I used hp premium inkjet transparency film cause I had it on hand. And Golden regular gel medium. I'll get some help from somewhere...

The day wasn't a total loss, I made my chocolate coconut nests for Easter.

Happy Easter

With all the talk on the quilt art list about blogging, I figured it is time to post. So Happy Easter and if you don't celebrate, then, happy day. These postcards are going out in today's mail to family and friends. They are fused with Liquifuse on Timtex.


I tried inkjet transfer today and wasn't satisfied with the results, but it was my first attempt.


I tried to post the inkjet pics but there's a problem uploading. I'll try later.

What do You Think?

I can't take credit for these pieces. They were designed by Liz Berg for her collages series and used by her students for her Advanced Design online class. The exercise was to take one of Liz's pieces and recreate using the same shapes but with different color combinations.












The first shows a triadic color scheme. The next shows texture. Then comes monochromatic, and then using plain solids.
Then look at the differences and decide which is a better piece of art and why.

What do you think?

I found this exercise to be helpful in showing what a difference a change in fabric could make.

Give it a try.