"Seasons"

"Seasons" is visiting the Saratoga Arts Council gallery until December 31.  The opening for the members' show is Saturday, December 3 from 6 to 8 p.m.  This picture was taken before the piece was framed so now it is dressed up in fancy clothes and strutting its stuff on the gallery wall.  There were some interesting pieces lining the walls when I dropped this off, so I hope you get a chance to stop by the galley and check out the artwork.

To Muse or Not to Muse

Friend and fellow fiber artist Diane Evans recently asked ME, of all people, what to do about creating because her muse had deserted her.  I advised making something small just to create.  Of course Diane did what she always does, "museless" or not, which is make something gorgeous. You can see her wonderful card by clicking on her name.

My muse and Diane's muse were obviously basking in the sun on the Riveria sipping wine from crystal stemware because I had to take my own advice. I took a collage class with  Fran Skiles  at Quilting By the Lake this summer.  It was very intense and inspiring resulting in these two collages.   After returning home, however, the muse ran away again.  Finally, after 20 greeting cards and 12 small pieces The Muse has returned demanding attention.

The Muse has to wait for something serious to happen until I dig my studio out from under the photography equipment, the carpet of snippets on the floor from 32 small artworks, and piles of rummage sale fabrics waiting to be ironed. Hopefully it will be worth the wait!

Frost Kissed the Yellow Wood

"Frost Kissed the Yellow Wood" is my latest piece for the 2011 SAQA Auction. As soon as it's photographed you'll be able to see it and all the other quilts that have been donated to the auction at http://www.saqa.com/ . Bidding will begin Monday, September 12 at 2:00 p.m. EST.

It's a great opportunity to pick up some great, small works of art. Check it out!

Baby Buzz Flies Solo

Baby Buzz is taking his first solo flight. He's not too sure about this landing business. After the first few flights, he'll get the hang of it.

Baby Buzz will be part of the "Bugs" exhibit that ARTAA http://artaa2009.blogspot.com/
will be showing at the Adirondack Museum Fiber Festival in September.
So far, he's making everyone smile and that's a good thing.
Happy flying, Buzz!

Placemat and Potholder Observations

If it's 8" x 8" and could be mistaken for a potholder, mount it on painted gallery wrapped canvas. Everyone knows it's supposed to be hung on the wall. If it has a binding and is displayed flat on a table, confusion begins and the conversation will go something like this:

"Oh, isn't this pretty." "Thank you."

Can I wash it?" "You could wash it, but it's painted with acrylics, so you could run a lint roller over it to remove dust."

Is it a potholder? "No. It's a small Art Quilt"

Can I put a casserole on it?" "You could if you'd like to, but most people frame Art Quilts this size."

"Oh. It's an Art Quilt."

If it's 5" x 7" piece, give it more presence. Quilt a 9" x 12" background, attach the piece to the background, and add some hanging tabs to the back. Explain that it can be hung easily by putting flat head thumbtacks through the tabs or that it can be framed. Quilters will understand that it's a small quilt, and for others it's still in the placemat size range, but big enough to get it off the dinner table. The conversation then ends with:

"Wow. That's easy."

"Yes. You can take it home and pop it on the wall."

When having visitors in the studio, it's been fun and interesting to observe the reactions to various sizes of artwork. It's a learning experience for both parties. When I make the really little guys, 3" x 5", I put them on a greeting card. Packaged with an envelope in a clear bag, everyone knows they're a greeting card. "Whew."

From Photo to Journal Quilt

Sandra Archbold gets all the credit for growing this beautiful lily. Her gardens are magnificent.

Keeping a visual journal is recommended for quilt artists. I've been drawing and painting forever so keeping a visual journal shouldn't be a problem, right? I have all the papers, pencils, chalks, crayons, markers, paints, etc. I took apart my grandkids' chewed up board books and "Tweetie", aka DH, drilled holes in the pages so I could bind them together. The pages are sanded and painted with gesso. Do I paint those prepared pages? No. Do I sketch in a journal? No. Do I doodle? Only when I'm on the phone on hold half listening to sales propaganda or "elevator" music. Those doodles are the same old flowers I've been doodling for years. No new inspiration there. But...

The light finally went on! I may not be picking up the pencils or the brush, but I am picking up the camera, toting it in my backpack on all those hikes, carrying it on all those walks, taking it on trips, taking it in the car just in case...so I started printing my photos on PFD cotton soaked in Bubble Jet Set ( I had two bottles to use up before trying the prepared fabrics on a roll). Low and behold! I have my own version of the journal quilt. It's instant gratification and no strain on the hands. I can draw with my sewing machine to my heart's content. Now I can stop feeling guilty that I'm not doing something the experts recommend. As usual, I'm doing it my way instead of the recommended way. They're pretty. It's fun. Good enough for me!

What's Your Favorite Color?

"What's your favorite color today?" the granddaughters ask. They've discovered that some days I like blue best, some days yellow or pink or navy with a touch of purple. Some people like one color consistently all day, every day, and live with those colors in their houses and wear their favorite color often. I get bored with just one color. There are so many glorious colors, how could I choose the same one day after day? It must have started with those big boxes of crayons my Mom bought me. Some days an endless number of greens dance in the leaves, grass, and plants. Some days the color of the morning sky is just so beautiful it outshines other colors all day. Some days the blue of the sky is just heartbreaking in its transparent glow. How could anyone resist the blush of pink on an apple blossom?

It was a brown day and with a little brown paint left to use up, and big piece of fabric, another color had to run around on the fabric with the brown. This "critical" decision gets made by staring at the jars and tubes until one jumps up and screams, "Me! Me! Pick Me!" There's not a whole lot deliberation that goes into making the color choices. It's more like, "Yeah, this will work". So the fabric ended up with browns, reds, and a little orange.

What will I do with this fabric? Who knows. It will go in the pile under the table with the other painted canvas and one day, when brown or red is my favorite color, it will find it's way

onto the design wall. Hopefully the fabrics on the design will play well together and I'll end up with "something" I can collage together and cover with stitching. Maybe tomorrow my favorite color will be violet. Who knows where that may lead!