A few of my favorites by Beyond the Borders friends recently exhibited in "Houston Undercover - a Quilt Show!" held this past week-end....
"Where to Start" is the artwork of my friend Janice McKeehan. The name refers to her puzzle when facing her collection of black & white fabrics during a BTB retreat. I love the movement she created in her swirls and curves.
"Fiesta Baskets" is by Jo Sweet, another friend and long-time BTB member. The playfulness of the baskets' contents tickle me, as do the wonderful color and bonus trimmings that Jo used to finish her quilt (rick-rack & pom-pom trims, etc).
"Stepping Out" by Sara Sissenwein is a wonderful scrappy quilt (above) that began in a workshop with another QGGH friend Lynn Roddy Brown (author of two quilting books!).
"Here Comes a Twister" (below) is another one by Sara.
Kudos galore to Hannah Mallon and her team of diligent workers as this quilt show was a wonderful success!
It is always a thrill to see your work hanging in a show (big or small). So I dare you, if you haven't yet, to enter your work into show ... anywhere, as long as it is this year!
I wandered this morning over to the Rice Gallery on the Rice campus (the only university museum in the country dedicated to installation art), to see the current exhibit. This is a little of what I saw while wandering there.
Looking through the windows before entering the art gallery, you can see the massive piece, Tapumes by Henrique Oliveira, spread across the entire back wall, overlapping onto the sides, clinging to the ceiling and spreading out onto the floor.
It is wonderful!
(Question: Is my new lens (which replaces my old one, damaged months ago) up to the challenge of photographing this work? I hope so.)
The dimension of this piece is as amazing as the actual size. The shot above zooms in on the dangling piece in the first photo.
The work bends and curves so gracefully -- yet it is made of wood salvaged from construction sites throughout the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, which is home to the artist, Henrique Oliveira.
This is a lovely blue onion, one of a pair and easily stands 4 to 5 feet tall.
Do you see the face profile here? The nose leads the way ...
(It also reminds me of the racing profiles of the Tour de France cyclists).
I would love to crawl through this tunnel -- but this is art, not a playground, so I refrain from letting my inner child run free.
Wouldn't it be fun to try?
Another view capturing a small slice of the full piece (1/6 - 1/8 of the whole), including a second peak at my tunnel.
The gallery has included three short videos for viewing: one of Henrique working on other art pieces (in Portuguese, his native tongue), an interview with him about this Tapumes installation at Rice University, which I've included below (courtesy of YouTube and Rice University Art Gallery),
and a slideshow/video of the installation of the piece in the RIce Gallery, which is below (a second thank you to YouTube and RiceU Art Gallery).
To read two reviews of the Rice Gallery's exhibit Tapumes, click here or here.
Here he is -- the imaginative artist Henrique Oliveira who is the ultimate salvage/recycle/reclaim artist, creating colorful pieces (like the one I've shared here) built entirely from wood collected from the streets and construction sites in Sao Paulo.
He calls these installations "tridimensionals" as they incorporate painting, architecture and sculpture. He also participated in the invitational Something from Nothingshow held in New Orleans last year. I look forward to seeing what this young man creates next...
If you live in or near Houston, be sure to stop by the Rice Gallery on Rice University campus, as his installation Tapumes has been extended through August 17, 2009. Note: there is ongoing construction in this building so the actual exhibit may or may not be open for visitors. I popped in today and was lucky to find it open. Tapumes is not as easily visible from outside the building as the website suggests.
In one week, the QGGH 2009 show, Houston Undercover, opens.
One of the quilts on display will be "My Houston Neighborhood" seen below.
This quilt began as a guild challenge in 2006. Members were given 2 pieces of fabric (a light blue and a black print) to use with their own fabrics to make a block on the theme "My Houston Neighborhood".
Since Houston has no zoning laws, members were given free rein concerning the style and content of the blocks. They are quite diverse, just like our wonderful city!
This quilt is 80" square and is our QGGH 2009 Raffle quilt. Tickets will be $1 each or 6 for $5. The winning ticket will be drawn on December 15, 2009.
Come to our show, buy raffle tickets, enjoy the fun!
Beyond the Borders (BTB), my art-quilt-bee-group, recently had an interesting challenge: To create a quilt with the theme of "trees" in with a length of 20" and a width between 6" to 12". The only other rule: the color green could not be used!
Here is my piece in an early phase. I used left-over coffee filters (a gift from my friend Liz B, thank you again Liz!) to build the tree on a base of distressed black funky fabric over an upholstery remnant and trapped under a sheer voile.
Here is a detail shot of the tree's base. Can you see the individual pieces of overlapping coffee filters? Also difficult to photograph is the loose layer of voile framing the tree itself. Photographing textiles is truly a challenge -- which is why one must attend as many shows and exhibits in person -- to see the tactile nature of fiber art pieces.
"Solitude" is my finished tree.
It will be added to our groups master-piece -- Sara N quilted a solid black quilt to which all the finished trees are being attached. The entire Tree quilt, fondly named "Beyond the Branches" will be in our upcoming 'Houston Undercover' A Quilt Show! for the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston (QGGH). If you are in Houston July 23 - 25, be sure to come by Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church to see a fabulous collection of quilts.
While I have posted very little in recent months, I have actually completed a few new pieces. Here is a detail shot of one ....
I continue to play with the layering of fibers, candy wrappers and sheers onto a felt base, trapping them with an overlay of voile or another sheer fabric, then using more decorative threads and plenty of stitching to hold the varied components together. I have experimented with this method on other pieces, beginning with the arches made for a 2008 Textile Challenges trade and including ATCs, fiber bowls and other items.
The above piece is completed and will be one of many quilts on display in the upcoming Quilt Guild of Greater Houston (QGGH) Quilt Show later this month:
"Houston Undercover - a Quilt Show!"
Thursday, July 23, 2009 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Preview Night & Auction
Friday & Saturday, July 24 - 25
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Admission is only $5.00
location: Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
11612 Memorial Drive
Houston, Texas 77024
the QGGH website: http://www.qggh.org
Please come to the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston (QGGH) quilt show to see my quilt (especially since digital images do not do ample justice to the finished piece). In case you are unable to wait until then, here is a full view:
Sitting on Top of the World
See you later this month at Houston Undercover!
I plan to be there Friday....
Last year's "With One Voice" the 2008 Breaking Traditions Traveling Art Quilt exhibit is still traveling and will be debuting in a new venue, an art gallery in Saline, Michigan. Check out the website for Two Twelve Arts Center (snippets below) or the Breaking Traditions blog ...
from Two Twelve's website: July - Breaking Traditions Traveling Art Quilt Exhibit A traveling art quilt exhibit crafted by quilters nationwide and curated by Lynn Krawcyk, as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The theme is: "celebrating all that is good in the world." All quilts are 12"x12". Exhibit runs July 1 - July 30. Artist Reception: Friday, July 17, 2009 7:00pm-9:00pm
The 2008 Breaking Traditions Art Quilt Exhibit is currently on exhibit at the 212 Arts Center in Saline, Michigan for the month of July.
The mission of Two Twelve Arts Center is to provide a creative hub offering visual and performing artists the opportunity and working space to come together to work, create, and teach.
The Center also contributes to the cultural life of the residents of Saline by supporting a full schedule of classes, programs, performances and exhibits. We look forward to providing a framework for a vibrant and supportive arts community with varied opportunities for artists, students and audiences.
from the Breaking Traditions blog: Breaking Traditions is very honored to exhibit in this stellar center. The exhibit hangs on both levels of the center and is accompanied by additional artwork from local Michigan artists that participated in the 2008 exhibit.
There will be an opening reception on Friday July 17 from 7pm-9pm. Enjoy the show!
from me: If you are able to go, be sure to send me photos! Oh, and look for my piece (honoring Henrietta Szold). In the postcard photo, it is on the bottom row, second from the right end, the dark red one with a photo of Ms. Szold.
Time to plug the upcoming 2009 Breaking Traditions Art Quilt exhibit:
Breaking Traditions has become a community effort, helping to support the fundraising projects of fellow fiber/mixed media artists. The 2009 exhibit will benefit Bernie Berlin's dog rescue, A Place to Bark. In honor of Bernie's efforts to find orphaned and abused dogs permanent loving homes, the theme for the 2009 exhibit is Home.
The exhibit features 12"x12" art quilts. Participants for the 2009 show will express those things, memories or emotions that define home to them. Deadline for entries is coming up -- August. This is an open call exhibit, everyone is encourage to participate.
"Where to Start" is the artwork of my friend Janice McKeehan. The name refers to her puzzle when facing her collection of black & white fabrics during a BTB retreat. I love the movement she created in her swirls and curves.
"Fiesta Baskets" is by Jo Sweet, another friend and long-time BTB member. The playfulness of the baskets' contents tickle me, as do the wonderful color and bonus trimmings that Jo used to finish her quilt (rick-rack & pom-pom trims, etc).
"Stepping Out" by Sara Sissenwein is a wonderful scrappy quilt (above) that began in a workshop with another QGGH friend Lynn Roddy Brown (author of two quilting books!).
"Sitting on Top of the World" and "Legend of the Bluebonnet".
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