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Archive for the ‘SAQA’ Category

Around the World Blog Post

Monday, October 27th, 2014

Seems every one is doing it or refusing to do it.  I was invited by the very talented and uber fun Pixel Ladies, Deb Cashatt and Kris Sazaki. You can follow their blog here: www.pixeladies.com/blog/. I first met them in person at the SAQA/SDA conference in San Francisco and enjoyed sharing a van with them when we did the studio tours. They are very active in SAQA – Kris is the president of the board and Deb is an active volunteer for SAQA. I am looking forward to seeing them in Portland for the SAQA Fiberlandia conference next year. I recommend their blog to you because it often has a great tip or tutorial for using Photoshop in your art.

To complete my task, I need to answer some questions for you and then assign the task to someone else.

1. What am I working on?

I should be honest and say that I am mainly working on getting my level of creativity back to where it was before we moved to our condo and my studio got seriously downsized. I went from a huge well-lighted daylight basement space to a room that is not quite big enough to be a bedroom for one person. I miss my huge design wall and my large tables on wheels where I did my surface design work. And most of all room to dance while I work!!

I am happy to be part of The Printed Fabric Bee which keeps me in the studio doing some fabric printing every month. This month we are challenged to do a 12 X 12 piece with a science theme. I chose DNA strands. This is my practice fabric where I test colors and prints.

 

 

dnapractice

I have also been working on rehabilitating some quilts that were rushed to finish and needed some help. I am quite happy with the change in this one which I call Taking Leaf of My Seasons. Here is the before. I scanned actual leaves and printed them on silk and just kind of threw them at my beautiful hand painted silk organza background. The realistic leaves did  not work well with the background and the placement was not artistic. So I patiently removed them.

takingleafpreview

I painted more silk organza which I fused together and then cut leaves for each season. I wanted a more artistic placement and I think I have achieved that. This is not a very good photo – which is another thing I lost when we moved – a place to photograph my quilts.

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The problem is with the fall leaves that are too close to the color of the background. I am going to add some yellow and chartreuse paint to them.

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I am also working on a design for a large quilt for a commission for a church here in Oregon. Not sure if I will get the job as they are considering two of us.
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I love to experiment with new ways of adding texture, color and design to my work. I don’t use patterns. I don’t do piecing. I am a fuser and I really like to use fabric like paint in composing an art quilt. I may have a quick sketch, but in general, I work more spontaneously, cutting and placing fabric and finally fusing into place.
3. Why do I write/create what I do?

Well, what would I be doing if I didn’t do what I do? That is the question. I am not one to sit around and read and watch TV all day. I must constantly be knitting, sewing, cooking, quilting, painting. This passion for creating keeps me healthy, mentally and physically.
4. How does my writing/creating process work?

I think I answered that up there in question 2. I just plunge in and start playing with paint, dye, fabric, thread. I often play with an idea in my head for days until I can start working on it.

I have tagged my good friend, Judy Carpenter, who lives in Georgia. We have met in person over the years at conferences and workshops. She does beautiful dye work on fabric and creates the most gorgeous scarves. She also knits obsessively, making beautiful creations. Here is her blog: Judy in the Dyes. Look for her post next Monday.

SAQA Benefit Auction

Monday, September 29th, 2014

skybluepink

It is the third week of the annual SAQA  auction of 12 X 12 quilts. The funds raised help support SAQA exhibitions, publications and education. This is my donation this year. it is created from my snow dyed fabric – cotton and cheese cloth with lots of hand stitching. I named it Sky Blue Pink.

Bidding starts at 2 pm eastern time today. There are many beautiful pieces by some luminaries in the art quilt world. Here is a link to take a look at them: 2014 SAQA Auction. The price is $750 today and goes down each day until Saturday, when you can pick up one for $75. I have always been fortunate to have mine purchased early in the bidding. But every year, I worry that mine will sit there until the end.

Hope you will go take a look and consider making a bid. I purchased this piece by Viviana Lombrozo in the first week of the auction. I can’t wait to receive it and check it out in person.

Lombrozo

No Rest for the Weary

Saturday, September 27th, 2014

GECatNWExpo

Well, I am not that weary, but fortunately, I recovered from my sinus infection and taking care of M & M so that I could keep up with my busy schedule this past week. On Tuesday, I went out to the Expo Center to help hang the SAQA Oregon Show, Exploring Layers. On Wednesday, I was busy, busy doing my left brain SDA work. On Thursday, I went back out to the opening of NW Quilt Expo. I spent a couple of hours at the Columbia FiberArts Guild table, showing some member’s work and promoting the guild. Then, I gave a docent talk for the SAQA show. That is me with my quilt, Walking With Scooter and Mr. C. That quilt has really been getting around.

On Friday, I finally got to my studio to start some clean up and to work on my latest Printed Fabric Bee piece. The queen this month is Leslie Jennison who has asked for Urban Surfaces -think about layered textures of old walls, peeling paint, graffiti, etc., on building walls. I was trying to decide what piece of fabric to use as my base for printing and had an epiphany as I was falling asleep or waking up. (Always get my best ideas, then.) I had done some shibori folds on some cotton scarves that I bought from Darma. They looked horrible – what was I thinking horrible. Here is one of them, dampened and ready to be tortured some more. I will only say that my first step was to paint over the whole thing with diluted black Jacquard DynaFlow paint. I will show the final result in a few days.

 

whatwasithinkingscarf

Intermission: Time to stop, make dinner and go to the symphony.

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg played a violin concerto by Shostakovich. Fantastic concert.

And, I am back!

While at the quilt show, I found my favorite booth with hand-dyes from Maureen Schmidt – a friend from Sonoma County. I bought two packs of neutrals – one, warm and one, cool. High Fiber Diet has neutral as the theme for next year.

neutralfabrics1

neutralfabrics2

And I also found some Radiance (cotton/silk blend) in colors that will be perfect for the commission I am working on.

 

radiancefabrics

This is the gorgeous nuno felted backdrop that my friend, Maris Cavanaugh, made for the guild fashion show.

marisfeltedbackgroundLast, but not least, I finally got to use my new studio tool – an Oliso Smart Iron.

olisoiron

When it is plugged in, it pops up on it’s legs. When you hold it to iron, the legs disappear, but as soon as you let go of it, up it pops. It has a long cord and it goes off after 30 minutes when not in use, unlike most irons, which last for only 7 -8 minutes. I love its bright sunny color.

Quilt Knit Stitch and More

Sunday, August 17th, 2014

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This was a happy week here in Portlandia. My art quilt daughter, Kristin La Flamme, was in town and stayed with us for a few days and it was the debut of Quilt Knit Stitch in Portland. It is the latest Quilts, Inc show which included more than quilts — knitting, crocheting, fashion shows, etc. It really was a good show, but the attendance was not what was expected. The quilts part of it was much smaller than you see at Houston and there were some exhibits just for this show. One was with a theme of roses since this is the City of Roses. The show will be back next year and I hope it gets more publicity going and the attendance improves.

On Tuesday, I had volunteered to help set up the SAQA exhibit and Kristin came along to help. You can see us hanging a sampling of this year’s auction quilts that were on display. SAQA had two of their special exhibits there: Metaphors of Aging and Text Messages. Many people who had not seen art quilts like this before and they were quite taken with the stories that accompanied them.

On Thursday, we had STASH at Gale’s house and we helped Reva get started tying her huge t-shirt quilt. Here we are, stitching away. It was meditative, but hard on the back.

 

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On Friday, we were off to QKS. Kristin was doing docenting in the SAQA exhibits and I was  intermittently schmoozing at the SAQA table, checking out exhibits and shopping in the vendor area.

It was fun to see our fellow Twelve by 12 member, Terri Stegmiller, who was visiting her aunt who lives here. We were able to get a selfie.

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I bought some dye-painted tencil yarn to knit a shrug for myself. I saw it hanging in my friend, Teresa Ruch’s booth and I had to make one too.

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Here is the yarn that I bought.

paintedtencelyarn

I also bought a set of celtic style alphabet woodblocks. I am going to use these in my next Printed Fabric Bee project.

 

 

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It was fun to stop by Marcia Derse’s booth and look at her fabrics. She does printing and discharging on hand-dyed fabrics and then they are commercially printed. I don’t buy her fabric because I like to print my own, but I love to look at what she has done.She has wonderful colors and designs. She just moved from Ohio to Whidby Island and says that she loves it here in the North West.

marciadersefabrics

On Saturday, we jumped on the street car again and went back to the show to hear Marci Rae McDade, SDA Journal editor, talk about the exhibit she curated at the Hap Gallery, which includes one of Kristin’s Army Aprons. This is a synopsis of the show.

Hap Gallery is pleased to present Fail-Safe: Discomforts Close to Home, a group exhibition of contemporary textile and fiber-based artists curated by Marci Rae McDade. The show features a range of art forms made with seemingly safe and comforting materials from everyday life that are loaded with incendiary content. Each object reflects an aspect of anxiety, discontent, and longing in the 21st century, from poverty and racism to mortality and digital disconnect. These potent works compel viewers to take stock of the world today as we collectively contemplate our futures.

On Saturday night, Marci hosted a reception at the gallery so Mr C, Kristin and I went down on the street car. I really enjoyed seeing the show. Such a variety of work. I got a couple of photos. This is of Marci and Kristin, with her apron on a manikin in the back. It is knitted from undershirts that her husband wore during his deployments. You can see a better photo of this and more of her work in the Army Wife series, here.

marciandkristin

I loved this piece that was thread painted and the pieces were hung to give a 3-D effect.

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I also love an exhibit of miniature clothes hand sewn from clothing of deceased people. They are done as a memorial for loved ones to keep. They were exquisitely done.

And so that is what I have been up to. Kristin left at 3 am this morning and now it is quiet around here and I am trying to catch my breath before the next big event in my life.

That Was Fun!

Monday, August 11th, 2014

paigeslide

We had some precious bonding time with that adorable child. She is beautiful, charming, mischievous and the epitome of the strong willed child. She loves being in the center of the action and insinuating herself into whatever conversation is going on around her. Walking back from dinner one night, she kept trying to get our attention by saying, “Hey, I’m here!” She thought the six adults were ignoring, as we chatted on our walk back to the house.

A couple more pics of her – one afternoon, she dressed herself up in her boots, backpack and hat, ready for a hike. So we marched around, singing, I love to go awandering!

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She eats like a farmer. She loves veggies and fish is her favorite protein.

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I don’t know how the three of them manage their crazy life. Jayme is currently spending a month in a trial residency program, learning what it will be like next year. She is working in the neonatal intensive care unit at SF General, which is walking distance from their house. She puts in 12 hours on most days, with one day off. She is taking fewer days off early in the month so that she can come to Bodega Bay on Labor Day week-end to help celebrate our 50th anniversary.

While we were there, we stayed at a flat on their street, house sitting and cat sitting for their friends. The cat, Alice, is 18 years old and requires meds morning and night. She was very shy until our last day, when she finally warmed up to me.

alice

I was finally able to snag a copy of my prolific daughter, Lisa’s, new book, Art, Inc., in which she interviews successful artists and the ins and outs of the business side of being an artist.

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I love this dedication!

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On Saturday afternoon, Lisa, Clay and I went to the American Craft Council show at Fort Mason. Here I am with one of my brilliant daughters.

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I thought a lot of the work was very pedestrian and some was downright bad. I did see lots of gorgeous, but very expensive wearable art that I would have loved to walk off with. I ended up buying this ring which I just love. A silver tape measure!

 

 

newring

 

 

 

I ran into an SDA acquaintance, Lynn Pollard who is dipping paper into indigo and making these lovely prints.

indigopaper

I know I promised more photos of the show, but was not that inspired or I was too busy shmoozing to take photos.

On a sad note, on our drive home this morning, we got a call from Scooter’s vet telling us that he had had some kind of serious episode on his morning walk. He vomited twice and then collapsed and was totally out. The young man who was walking him had to carry him back. She thought it could be a seizure or perhaps he has Addison’s disease, which is not that uncommon in Poodles. I cried most of the drive home, but we got to the vet hospital and he was fine. So he is home with us now and we are waiting for test results to come tomorrow. If it is Addison’s, it can be treated with prednisone and monthly shots.

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Tomorrow, I am going to the convention center to help set up the SAQA booth at Quilt Knit Stitch, the new Quilts, Inc show debuting later this week. It is going to be a busy week. I am looking forward to having Kristin LaFlamme, my art quilt daughter, come to spend the rest of the week with us on Wednesday. She has been staying with Terry Grant and visiting her Mom in Eugene.