Day 3: FB Art Challenge

This is about my 3rd Day of the Art Challenge currently circulating on FaceBook. I was nominated by Pam Biswas.   Thank you Pam!  For this third day of the 5-day challenge, I am sharing three pieces that appeared in contests and shows, including one award winner.

This first quilt, "My Favorite Presidents", was made in 2003 for a competition held at Quilt Impressions, a quilt shop in Stafford (which has closed). 

 

The challenge was to make a quilt using the fabric with images of Washington, D.C. sites during cherry blossom season: the White House, the Washington Monument, the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials and the Congressional building.    I combined the fabric (the blue squares in my quilt) with seven of my favorite Presidents of the United States: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton. 

The seven President blocks were all made by using patterns from Presidential Redwork: A Stitch in Time (click here for a link to Amazon).  After tracing the portraits, I used crayons and archival safe pigment pens to give the Presidents a little more color.  The Presidential Seal was included.

 

This quilt is the closest to a neutral monochromatic quilt that I have made ...  (however, on my "quilt bucket list" is a plan to create a beige-cream quilt).  My Presidential quilt won first place in the store's challenge, though it was really a Viewer's Choice award.  Customers in the shop could place votes per each can of food they brought and donated to the store's food drive (I confess - I may have brought a large bag or two of donations!  Did I buy my first place?)

The next piece is simply known as "Texas" and was featured on the program cover for the Texas Museum of Fiber Arts 2008 exhibit, held in Austin, Texas.  Here it is as it appeared in the show.

Texas is a locker-hooked rug made with 100% cotton fibers in an original design of the state of Texas.  It first appeared in the second Fiber Art show held at the Copper Shade Tree Gallery in Round Top, Texas in February, 2008.  My Beyond the Borders art quilt group were the featured artists in the first two fiber art shows at Copper Shade Tree Gallery.  The fiber art show is a February tradition now, and features fiber artists from across the state of Texas.  My rug, Texas was purchased during the show, but not before Carol Ikard of the Texas Museum of Fiber Arts admired it.  

Carol contacted me, requesting permission to use my Texas rug on her program cover, and she also tracked down the new owner and received permission to borrow the quilt for the exhibit. 

Such validation that someone admires your work when they want it to share with others and also want to feature it!  Here I am at the show's opening.

This last piece is a small, beaded piece that I named "DNA Gone Wild!" and is now also in a private collection.  DNA Gone Wild appeared in a Beyond the Borders show held in the Houston Center for Contemporary Crafts in October/November 2008.  This was quite a year for our Art Quilt group!

Here is the description that accompanied my piece:

Everyone has studied the double helix shape of DNA in a science class somewhere - in this piece, DNA Gone Wild!, the double helix has spun apart (or perhaps tighter), until the spiraling ladder configuration has reformatted into a single strand with multiple arms spinning out from a single core.  This new form is preparing to venture into a brave new world.

Materials used include: batik cotton fabrics, fibers, beading and buttons.  The size is 4" x 6".

It sold at the show (Wow! It is exciting to sell your precious hand-made art!)

 

I am including one more piece.  "Cooler Days Ahead" which features beading and hand embroidery on a mono-printed background fabric.  This 4" x 6" postcard appeared in the January 2009 show curated by Susan Lenz called  Cyber Fyber.  Click here to learn more about that show.

I nominate Patricia Marek to join this 5-day Art Challenge by posting three photos a day of her artwork, and nominating another artist to carry the challenge ever forward. I look forward to seeing your lovely art!

Susan's work

Tuesday before the opening of the 2014 International Quilt Festival, I visited the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) with a friend visiting from Chicago.  I was delighted to spy a quilt in the current exhibit CraftTexas 2014 that is a creation of a local friend of mine. 

Moon Drunk is an original work by Susan Fletcher King.

Susan used fabric, dye, thread, ink, and batting to create moonlight scene, stitching this piece in 2012.  (note: CraftTexas 2014 is open through December 24, 2014 at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft located at 4848 Main St, 77002.  Be sure to see it.)


Thursday was the first chance I had to view special exhibits at the huge festival.  Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison co-curated an exhibit titled Reflections (sponsored by Havel's Sewing, presented by the Dinner at Eight Artists).  It's description in the program reads: "A mirror image. A response to a thought or word. A memory. What glints back at us as we gaze upon the water? The throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it. What will your reflection reveal about you?" Susan has a piece in this exhibit too.

The Parable of the Dragon and the Sheep by Susan Fletcher King

Susan explains her Reflection piece with this statement:  "Do you choose to stand out, be bold, and make a statement?  Or do you choose to be part of a flock, merely a reflection of your surroundings.  Every day the choice is yours."   She was inspired by a photograph of a South African Blue-headed Agama Lizard.

Then on Saturday as I was admiring the many quilts in the International Quilt Association's judged show, I spied a third quilt by Susan.

 

The Visitor by Susan Fletcher King

"Little miracles happen very occasionally, and if we are lucky, we might be in the right place at the right time to witness one.  Here, this heron is stepping from his world into ours, giving us a moment to always remember." reads Susan's statement.  Materials she used include prepared-for-dyeing (PDF) fabric, Tsukineko All-Purpose inks, acrylic paints, cotton batting, commercial fabric backing, numerous and various threads. Her original design was inspired by a photograph supplied by Thomas Wrublewski.  

All three quilts measure 24" x 60" in size.  All three quilts feature original designs that Susan drew, painted, inked, fused raw-edge applique pieces, stitched with many various threads and machine quilted.  To see more of her work, visit her website:

http://susanfletcherking.com/

Susan's work is also shown and sold through Copper Shade Tree Gallery in Round Top, Texas:

http://coppershadetree.com/

a new "Call for Artists"

Copper Shade Tree has featured fiber artists and their creations every February since 2007.  I was honored to be included in their first two fiber art shows featuring Beyond the Borders, my art quilt bee.

Time has come to think about entering "The Art in Fiber 2013" , a juried show.  More exciting news:  the juror for the 2013 show is the one and only Karey Bresenhan (one of the founders of the International Quilt Market and Festival, among other accolades).  

Check  http://www.coppershadetree.com/ (Copper Shade Tree's website) for details on submitting artwork.  "A View from my Window" is the theme for this year's show with a deadline of Sunday, October 13, 2012 to submit art by.

Hmmm, I wonder if I have time to create a new and impressive piece to enter this year?  Or rather, I wonder who will be juried into this show?  I can hardly wait to see (especially if it includes me) .....



P.S.  My very first blog entry talks a little about the first show.  Click here to read that long ago story of mine ....

Texas Quilt Museum

An enjoyable day-trip from Houston (or Austin or San Antonio or other locales in-between) is to La Grange, Texas.  Why, you might wonder?

 To visit the best little quilt museum in Texas, of course!

Texas Quilt Museum, La Grange, Texas

This museum opened in 2012 and is located in the heart of La Grange in a beautifully restored 1890s building (originally a furniture store).  It is simply wonderful.  I visited for the first time recently and now am wondering what took me so long. 

The exhibit I saw with my friend is the third installment of "Texas Quilts Today" featuring quilts from Lone Stars III.  I wish now that I had not missed the first two exhibits of the quilts from this book. I may have to go back to see this exhibit again before it closes on September 30, 2012.  For more information, the museum's website is http://www.texasquiltmuseum.org

After soaking up the visual eye candy of these wonderful quilts, you may be hungry for lunch. My favorite lunch spot in La Grange is Weikel's Bakery.   I love their sandwiches and always take home a loaf of fresh bread (or two)!

As you head for home, you may enjoy a stop at All Around the Block Quilt Shop in Giddings (they have a fabulous fabric selection and patterns and notions too) or Copper Shade Tree Gallery in Round Top (they have "a delightful collection of decorative and functional crafts, all handmade by Texas artisans").

I hope you enjoy your day-trip as much as I did.  I'm already planning a return trip .... soon!

Art in Fiber

Be sure to go to Round Top, Texas this month to see the fabulous annual 

Fiber Art Show now on display at the Copper Shade Tree gallery

 

Art in Fiber 2011 is on display from February 4th through March 13th, 2011.

Photo: Fiber Art created by Suzan Engler

          This year's show features 22 outstanding artists, some are returning favorites while others are first-timers to this event. Ginny Eckley, a renowned fiber artist herself, served as the juror, selecting each of these 22 from the many artists who applied this year.  Ginny's website is http://www.fabricpainting.com/

If you cannot get to Round Top while the show is up, never fear, the Internet is here!... The online show will be available soon on the Copper Shade Tree website  http://www.coppershadetree.com/index.php

          Each year, gallery owners Debbie and Gerald Tobola tweek the application process, making it a fun event.   With a theme of "Interpretation", artists were asked to create a new piece featuring their interpretation into fiber of a 3-d art piece, a poem or a piece of music.  I can hardly wait to see these special pieces!  Perhaps I'll see you there, when I dash to Round Top to feast on some serious fiber art candy for my eyes.

Call for Texas Fiber Art

Here is this year's information for the annual Fiber in February show at the Copper Shade Tree gallery in Round Top, Texas. I invite any and all Texas fiber artists to apply! Read on for further details ....

"The Art in Fiber"

February 5 - March 7, 2010

Copper Shade Tree - Fine Craft Gallery
206 E. Mill St.
Round Top, Texas
info@coppershadetree.com
www.coppershadetree.com

Copper Shade Tree is a fine craft gallery located in Round Top, Texas. Our small town is a tourist attraction for visitors from around the world. The gallery focus is the Texas artist. Currently, there are nearly 80 artists represented in the gallery, with two-thirds of them live within 150 miles of Round Top, of which we consider to be local art.

Once again, it's time to prepare for our February Fiber Show. This will be the fourth year to host this popular event. Each year we've expanded the show to include more areas of Texas. The 2009 show included 18 fiber artists with a total of 102 art quilts displayed in the gallery and 114 art quilts displayed on our website. For 2010, our intent is to include a smaller quantity of pieces, but not necessarily the number of artists.

As some of you know, we continuously change the look of the gallery. We want our customers to feel as though they are walking into a different gallery each time they visit. This also helps them get a different perspective of each piece of art. Our gallery is a tool that helps educate the public about fine craft in Texas.

The new approach for 2010 is to exhibit Fiber Wall Art. Our definition of Fiber Wall Art is: art quilt, thread painting, weaving, etc. that is framed (without glass), or applied to painted canvas, or fabric covered canvas, etc. Art quilts may use the traditional hanging method with sleeve and stick.

The requirements for the 2010 show include a total of four (4) Fiber Wall Art pieces:
* One (1) 10" x 10" fiber art on 12" x 12" x 1-1/2" painted canvas (your choice of color) with the theme - "American Landscape".
* Three (3) Fiber Wall Art pieces: Maximum size 4' wide x 5' long and the Minimum size is 8" x 10". (Size is limited due to space restrictions; however, you are encouraged to submit different sizes to show your diverse creativity)
* Either mail or hand-deliver one (1) finished piece of artwork for the jury process.
* Each piece of artwork will be your original design.
* Each piece of artwork will be created exclusively for "The Art in Fiber" exhibit (Work cannot have been exhibited in any other show or competition)
* $20 application fee (non-refundable) Payable to: Copper Shade Tree
* Must be a Texas resident
* Consignment fee of any sold work. (65/35% ...the gallery retains 35% of sell price.

Copper Shade Tree reserves the right to reject any piece of art at the time of delivery.

Marketing and food for the Opening Reception will be provided by Copper Shade Tree.

Important Dates and Timeline:

September 1, 2009 Deadline for submitting your Artist resume that includes your personal information, accomplishments, awards, etc. and one (1) finished artwork for the jury process.

September 9, 2009 Copper Shade Tree will notify the individual artists of the jury results. These artists will then have their individual pieces selected in January for the show. Once selected, further detailed information will be distributed.

December 1, 2009 Deadline to deliver the "American Landscape" artwork. A hardcover book is being planned for this series.

January 19 - 22, 2010 The artists who have been selected for the show will bring their finished pieces to the Copper Shade Tree for selection. An appointment will be set with each artist during these dates.

Open Studio Day in La Grange

On Friday, February 27, 2009 at the Great Expectations Creativity Center in La Grange, Texas, Karey Bresenhan held an Open Studio Day inviting quilt and fiber artists to come view the work created by the two Artists-in-Residence, Virginia Spiegel and Carol Moore. It was a wonderful day spent hobknobbing with over 70 fellow artists .... and the lunch was tasty too!

Here is a sampling of the hand-dyed wool roving Carol brought with her to use during her month-long stay in La Grange.


This is a close up view of Virginia's painted fabric pieces.


Carol and Virgina pose during a lull in the conversation. They are standing in front of Carol's piece that was juried into the "Oh Canada" exhibit to be seen at International Quilt Festival shows this year.

Virginia is talking with Karen Stiehl Osborn about one of her pieces which is made of Lutrador. I love the transparency of this piece. Displaying this art in the window on this beautiful sunny day where the Texas greenery can be seen beyond is a perfect touch.

The room slowly filled as everyone arrived, coming in twos and threes. In the back corner you can glimpse more of Virginia's work.

Karey is a gracious hostess. She is welcoming everyone to her Texas ranch, and introducing the Artists-in-Residence, seen below.

Seated is Ruth Moore, Carol's mom (who traveled in from Toronto two days earlier), behind her is Virginia Spiegel (floral jacket) and Carol Moore. They are quite excited to be sharing their new pieces created during their month-long stay at the Creativity Center.

After lunch, many others shared their artwork. One of my favorites was seeing Jamie Fingal's three apron pieces (no photos -- sorry -- but check out Jamie's article in issue #23 of Cloth-Paper-Scissors magazine, March/April 2009 or watch for an upcoming Quilting Arts episode)

Frances Holliday Alford brought many stickers, decals, stamps and more -- which she shared with anyone who would still long enough to decorate a postcard -- it was wonderful fun. She sent me off with a few more postcards of hers that she wishes to get more cancellation stamps on!


Here is Frances, her smile and one of her heavily stickered postcards.


Ruthie Powers, also from Austin, is beginning a new adventure -- she's designed some amazing stamps, which include mirror images where the negative/positive spaces are reversed. Here is Kim DeCoste (Education Manager of Quilts, Inc.) demo-ing different ways to use Ruthie's stamps. Is that Iris of MistyFuse next to Ruthie and listening too?

Before heading home for the day, I popped into the Copper Shade Tree gallery in Round Top to see the "It's Not A Quilt ... Or Is It?" fiber art show that was currently going on. This wall features one art piece by each of the features 18 artists in the show. There are some amazing Quilters & Fiber Artists in Texas! Be sure to drop by if you are in the area soon, as the show will be up for a bit longer.

Deadline: September 5, 2008

Just a quickie reminder that tomorrow, Friday, September 5 is the DEADLINE for all Texas Fiber Artists and Quilters to send in their applications to the "It's Not a Quilt ... Or Is It?" show in Round Top, Texas.
Below is more info .....
===============

"It's Not A Quilt ...Or Is It?" is a juried fiber show open to art quilters and fiber artists residing in the state of Texas.
Note: this show is held in a gallery and all pieces are for sale. Open to Texas Residents only. The show will run for 3 weeks in February 2009.

Important Dates:

September 5, 2008
Deadline for submitting your Artist Portfolio for the jury process.

October 1, 2008
Deadline for submitting digital photos to the gallery for promotional materials. Photos should be of new work that will be available for the show.

January 27, 28, 29, 2009
The artists who have been selected to participate in the show will bring their finished artwork to Copper Shade Tree.

February 6 through 28, 2009
Opening night of "It's Not a Quilt ... Or Is It?" at Copper Shade Tree Gallery, Round Top, Texas. The show closes at the month's end, February 28, 2009.

===============

The essential information to be included with your application is:

• Name
• Address
• City (must be a Texas resident)
• Phone #
• Email
• Your Artist Statement
• Brief Description of each piece
• Two photos of each piece (one of the full piece, another detail shot)

Email your entry to: gerald@geraldtobola.com

Or

Mail your entry to:
Copper Shade Tree
206 E. Mill St.
Round Top, TX 78954

Please email Gerald if you have any questions: gerald@geraldtobola.com

"It's Not a Quilt ... Or Is It?"

Hot off the Presses: Gerald and Debbie Tobola have just released information for the 3rd Fiber Art show held in their Round Top gallery, the Copper Shade Tree.

==========================
Beyond the Borders, my local Art Quilt bee, held our first two group shows at the Copper Shade Tree Gallery. I had pieces in both shows (yea me!) and I am thrilled that Gerald has opened this show to artists across the state. I can hardly wait to see this year's fiber show.

Here are a few links to the earlier years (thank you to my blogging BTB friends!) so click away or zoom past for more information on entering the 2009 Fiber Art show....
First click for our 2007 Beyond the Borders show or click for Mary Ann Littlejohn's 2007 blog or again for Linda Minton's blog. Be sure to look at the gallery walls (yes, look beyond our art quilts) as there is a lot of great non-fiber art too. All created by fellow Texans!

Click these links to our 2008 Beyond the Borders show, on Mary Ann's 2008 blog, or on Linda Minton's 2008 blog.

Last of all -- Would you believe my very first blog showcases some of my work from both the 2007 show and the 2008 show at the Copper Shade Tree gallery?

Now back to the breaking information on the 2009 Fiber Show.....
==========================

"It's Not A Quilt ...Or Is It?" will be a juried fiber show and is open to art quilters and fiber artists residing in the state of Texas. Note: this show is held in a gallery and all the pieces are for sale. With that in mind, only submit work you are interested in selling. Here is specific information, directly from Gerald:

Once again, it’s time to prepare for our Juried February Fiber Show. This will be the third year to host this popular event. Each year we have raised the level of artistic creativity and 2009 is no exception. We look forward to seeing what magical inspiration you have up your sleeves. The main focus of this show is the Art Quilt. Due to limited amount of wall space, we cannot accept bedding quilts. Open to Texas Residents only. The show will run for 3 weeks with the Opening Reception on Friday evening, February 6, 2009.

Important Dates:

September 5, 2008
Deadline for submitting your Artist Portfolio for the jury process. Include your Artist's Statement and either digital or hard copy photos of two (2) pieces of new work, along with descriptions, available for the show dates. Each piece should include both a full shot and a detail shot. These works should be essentially completed for the jury process. To reach the acceptance level, you must commit to at least five (5) art quilts. Also, this year all art quilts must be priced to sell. Art Quilts that are marked not for sale (NFS) will not be accepted.

September 10, 2008
Copper Shade Tree will notify the individual artists of the jury results. These artists will then have their individual pieces selected for the show in January. Once selected, further detailed information will be distributed.

October 1, 2008
Deadline for submitting digital photos to the gallery for promotional materials. Photos should be of new work that will be available for the show. This will allow time for magazine and newspaper advertising, and to order postcards to have available to hand out at the gallery and other locales.

January 27, 28, 29, 2009
The artists who have been selected to participate in the show will bring their finished artwork to Copper Shade Tree.

February 6 through 28, 2009
Opening night of "It's Not a Quilt ... Or Is It?" at Copper Shade Tree Gallery, Round Top, Texas. The show closes at the month's end, February 28, 2009.

===================

The essential information to be included with your application is:

• Name
• Address
• City (must be a Texas resident)
• Phone #
• Email
• Your Artist Statement
• Brief Description of each piece
• Two photos of each piece (one of the full piece, another detail shot)

Email your entry to: gerald@geraldtobola.com

Or

Mail your entry to:
Copper Shade Tree
206 E. Mill St.
Round Top, TX 78954

Please email Gerald if you have any questions: gerald@geraldtobola.com


Gerald also says: "Thank you for your interest in the show. We are a little different than most galleries and want to make this process as easy and as stress free as possible. We wouldn’t want this to get in the way of your creativity."

Here it is ...

For my first blog ever....

I thought I would share "Hearts A'Flutter", a fiber art piece I created to fulfill the first two challenges with the Textile Challenges group:
1) Cut-back Applique in which layers of fabrics are cut-away to reveal further depths underneath, and
2) Altering the Surface using any technique to alter the fabric's surface (pleating, painting, beading, etc.).

I used a diversity of fabrics and threads: cotton, velour, rayon, tulle ultra-suede, artificial flower petals, vinyl (that looks like leather), eyelash yarn, Sulky rayon threads, cotton threads, ending with a sprinkle of sequins and beads.

While I would love to say that I finished this piece because I was eager to share it with my new friends in Textile Challenges, the truth is that I worked hard to get it ready for the first group show of Beyond the Borders, my local art quilt group. The show, held in February 2007 at the Copper Shade Tree Gallery in Round Top, Texas was so hugely successful for both the gallery and my BTB group that Gerald and Debbie Tobola, the gallery owners, invited us back for a second show this year, again held in February.

This time I submitted a few journal quilts, all variations of my first journal quilt "Happily Ever After" (inspired by a Sulky presentation to our Daytime Guild in May 2006 and not in this year's show). This piece reminds me of my small cottage home -- except this quilted home is in the open, rolling countryside while I live in the heart of Houston, surrounded by many homes & fences.

"Feeling Blue" is my first mono-chromatic quilt -- but if you look closely, you will see I couldn't resist putting in a field of bluebonnets, the state flower of Texas. Just like "Happily Ever After", this quilt has four rolling hills, two trees and the cozy cottage -- all of which are fused and machine appliqued.

When I began this journal series, my idea was to play with color within a single pattern, to examine how color choices impact the feel of a finished piece.

"Calico Cottage," the third quilt in this series, features vintage calicos from my fabric collection dating back to 1970s and earlier (leftover strips (1.5" wide) from an early strip quilt made for my sister Gretchen -- more on that another day). I affectionately call this one my wonky piece. In using the old pre-cut strips of calico, I had to piece backgrounds from which I freehand cut the sky and each hillside (the foreground is the only solid piece of fabric). The rooftop is pleated, the tree-tops are semi-ruched, and both tree trunks are pieced from two semi-coordinating strips. I also played with placement of color -- blue hillsides and ground, green tree-bark, and of course the tiny, white calico cottage!

I must showcase my Beyond the Borders art quilt group too. Here are a few of us at the close of our Opening Night at the Copper Shade Tree, February 1, 2008 -- our second gallery show!


In front: Gerald Tobola, Linda Minton, and myself, Cathy Winter.
Behind us are: Connie Fahrion, Debbie Tobola, Barbara Jensen, Susan King, Liz Broussard and Nancy Dickey.
Not pictured but also featured BTB artists that night are Mary Ann Littlejohn, Jo Sweet and Rex Watson.
We are in the front room of the gallery. Look closely at the walls behind us to spy art work by Connie, Susan, Mary Ann.....

This is an amazing group of fiber artists that I am thrilled to call my friends. I always look forward to seeing them at our regular meetings.


I cannot close until I include this link to the Copper Shade Tree so that you can see the Best little art gallery in Texas!!! (at least in my humble opinion)

http://www.coppershadetree.com//index.php