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!

My newest ATCs

Last month I participated in Susan Lenz's amazing Cyber Fyber show -- including the International Random ATC Swap, held on January 17, 2009. Everyone around the world was encouraged to participate -- all you had to do was mail your ATC's with a stamped return envelope. A maximum of 3 ATCs could be traded with no restriction on age, location, or artistic medium. I traded two (they are at the end of this post).

My first envelope to arrive had this ATC tucked inside. Look closely. It is a photo of an alarm clock (it looks just like my old digital clock radio from ol' college dorm room days!) The time displayed is 6:00 a.m. Below the image is a clear simple statement: not good

These words echo my sentiments whenever I must arise early in the morning (I am a natural night owl who fortunately does not have to awaken before sunrise often). This thought provoking ATC was made by Amanda Graham (that's all I know -- Amanda, leave a comment if you find this post!)

My second envelope arrived the next day with this ATC tucked inside featuring 3 silk ribbon flowers and 2 tiny tatted butterflies.

This delicate creation was made by Pam Freck in Lexington, South Carolina, USA. I must ask you Pam, did you tat the butterflies yourself?

Here is a side view (just for fun & to see the dimension of this sweet ATC).


This is a peak at three ATCs I made after learning about the Cyber Fyber show. The red one was traded with Susan and was one of the 163 ATCs on display on the walls of Gallery 80808/Vista Studios in Columbia, South Carolina. The gold one lives with me as my memento of this fun challenge and show.

The third one, Space, has traveled to it's new home across the Atlantic Ocean. It now lives with Jean Toms, fiber artist in Devon, United Kingdom with a blog, Genies Art World, devoted to her fiber art and mixed media, and a second blog, Genies Photos, for her photography. This link connects directly to her comments on the Cyber Fyber ATC swap.



My spiderweb ATC has traveled in the other direction, crossing the Pacific ocean to its new home in Brisbane, Australia with Paula Hewitt. Her blog, The Beauty of Life, is filled with her various projects that range across a broad spectrum. There are tutorials on making polymer clay buttons & fabric books, photos of her embroidery & quilting projects, and best of all, her observations and comments on life and raising children.

This was fun in so many ways. First the excitement of trading postcards and ATCs directly with Susan Lenz, then seeing the entire show online, then waiting to receive the ATC's from the International Random ATC Swap and last of all, getting messages from the two who received my ATCs! Thank you Susan for enabling all this fun to happen!

an old trade and a new one

Here is my September arch for Kate N. which I call Out for a Stroll.

Kate's arch features a portion of an old Valentine card, assorted candy wrappers, sheers and sparkly voile fabrics, glass beads and fun stitching. I hope she is pleased with it!

Here is a view of the back. This is one of twelve arches I have swapped with my Textile Challenges group. Well, it's one of 10 as I have two that I am still finishing.

Below you may recognize one of my BJPs from last year, Cooler Days Ahead. This is going to Susan Lenz for her Cyber Fyber exhibit. This exhibit has three main components, one of which will feature all the fiber art postcards that she has received from her internet trade. If you are interested, there is still a little time to join her show, click here to learn more. I am trading for her postcard #223 in her second round of postcard trades.


Susan is also trading Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) for her gallery show. I have made Spirals especially for Susan and her growing ATC collection. I am trading for her ATC #139. Click here or here to see other ATCs that are still available.


On Saturday, January 17, Gallery 80808, site of the Cyber Fyber exhibit, is hosting an ATC Trading Day. I am sending in a few to trade (maximum is 3), including this one, Space.



Here is a peek at the back of my Space ATC.
I am keeping this ATC for myself, perhaps because it still needs a name.


If you are interested in the gallery's ATC Trading Day, mail your ATCs (no more than 3) to arrive by Jan 17, 2009 (include stamped & self-addressed envelope to cover the return postage). Perhaps you will receive one of mine!

Cyber Fyber fun!

I've found a new internet inspired Fiber Art show, Cyber Fyber exhibit curated by Susan Lenz in Columbia, South Carolina.


CYBER FYBER is an exhibition of international fiber art scheduled for January 8th through 20th, 2009 at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios, 808 Lady Street in downtown Columbia, South Carolina, USA. The brainchild of Susan Lenz, this exhibit will focus on the supportive, global community of fiber artists with whom Susan regularly shares new techniques, contemporary approaches to textiles, and finished work by Internet websites and blogs. The exhibition will include three primary areas: Fiber ATCs (Artist Trading Cards); fiber postcards; and the work of several invited artists. The exhibition will also include FIBER DAY and ATC trading day. From the beginning, Susan Lenz is documenting CYBER FYBER on a blog/journal.

In Susan's own words:
When I first introduced CYBER FYBER on February 2, 2008 I had 163 Postcards and 130 ATCs. Before this time I'd never made an ATC and had only made seven or eight postcards for a few Internet friends as surprise Christmas presents two months earlier. I honestly thought it would take all year to trade this number but within six weeks all but about six ATCs were gone! I had to make another round of cards! As a result there are 267 postcards and 163 ATCs in CYBER FYBER. Most of the ATCs are gone. There are still postcards left....but WOW....the numbers are staggering!

Intrigued, I had to take a look and found both a postcard and an ATC to trade for. If you are interested in joining this show, take a peek at both the available postcards and the available ATCs. Remember Postcards measure to be 4" x 6" while ATCs are 2.5" x 3.5" Hurry as time is dwindling .....

"Cooler Days Ahead" is my piece that I have decided send to Susan, in trade for one of her fiber art postcards.


If you want to join this show, start by looking through the postcards/ATCs still available for trade, choose one that interests you -- then follow Susan's directions:
post a message at that postcard or ATC site stating "this is the one you want!" then email Susan directly with your snail mail. She will reply, letting you know you have made contact. Then simply mail your postcard &/or ATC so that she will receive your package in time for the fast approaching show.

Only one of each (postcard or ATC) can be traded, as this allows for a greater diversity of artists in the upcoming show!