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!

A call for entries

The deadline for applying for this year's Texas Museum of Fiber Arts Exhibit is nearly here. 

Deadline for entries is September 17, 2011.

Texas by the Yard and Yarn – Texas a Fabrication
 Fiber Arts Exhibit

This state-wide fiber arts exhibit will be held October 18 – November 18, 2011 in Austin, Texas.

THEME:  The art may reflect the wondrous and varied landscapes of Texas by “the yard,” may tell the tall tales of Texas by “the yarn,” or may show “Texas a Fabrication – the People and Sites of Texas in Fabric or Yarn!”

ELIGIBILITY:  All submissions must be original in content and executed in a fiber arts technique or process. Applicant must be currently living in Texas, born in Texas, or is currently or has attended or graduated from a Texas educational institution. Once a Texan, always a Texan. (No age requirement.)

The annual event provides a social, cultural exhibit of fine artworks of Texas fiber artists. All events are free and open to the public.  For more information go to  www.texasfiberarts.org   or
 

Click here for further details.

                                        


SPONSORING ORGANIZATION:  The Texas Museum of Fiber Arts (TMFA) fosters education and creativity in fiber art expression, experience, and appreciation. TMFA exists to generate expressions in fiber arts of all kinds through its emphasis on fiber arts education, acknowledgment of established and emerging Texas fiber artists, and celebrating art made from natural and man-made fibers. In keeping with TMFA’s mission to exhibit excellence in Texas’ fiber arts, and to educate Texans about a wide range of original fiber art works, we call for entries that reflect the biggest and best Texas has to offer.

Texas Fiber Art Slide Show

In Austin, Texas during May 24-26, 2008 (Memorial Day weekend), the Texas Museum of Fiber Art held its 2nd show, "Deep in the Art of Texas" in the State Capitol extension. The slideshow above features most of the artwork, beginning with the top prize winners. Click an image as it scrolls by to see the title and the artist's name.

I love the diversity of this show, from the very small (detail and size) to the very tall (vision and size). The artists hail from across our grand state of Texas, and many came to either the Reception Preview (Thurs, May 22) or to the show itself (Sat-Mon, May 24-26).

This is a detail view of "Contestant" (Honorable Mention) by Linda Lewis, a piece designed to be hung so that it casts a shadow. The shadow is the actually piece of art!

Sally Middleton's piece "Life's Clothesline" (Second Place) features several aprons and the invitation to sniff the contents of their pockets, thus bringing a new sense, the sense of smell, to a very tactile show.

Do you see the inspiration photo for Rachel Edwards-Ridder's second piece that she calls "Capturing Memories"? I love that Rachel dedicates this piece to her mother who will celebrate her 100th birthday this year! The edge of this quilt has so many family photographs, each made into its own little quiltlet and each telling its own story. Rachel uses a pair of her mother's glasses, too.

It was a true delight to meet so many fellow artists. My one regret is that I did not get everyone's photograph standing next to their work. I enjoyed meeting each of you and hope to see you again soon.

I must also extend a huge "Thank You" to Carol Ikard, the Executive Director of the Texas Museum of Fiber Art, and her crew all of whom worked long hours to put together this show "Deep in the Art of Texas."


After admiring these pieces by Texas fiber artists, why not make a resolution to submit your work to a local show whereever you live.
I dare you!

Deep in the Art of Texas

I am excited to share the news that my piece "Texas" is featured on the invitation and brochure cover of "Deep in the Art of Texas", a Fiber Arts Exhibit in the Texas State Capitol - Extension. This juried show, sponsored by the Texas Museum of Fiber Arts, runs the weekend of May 24, 25, and 26, 2008.

Nancy Dickey, one of my Beyond the Borders friends, will be giving the first lecture at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday titled "Creating a Winning Quilt: the process and the promise of design." Her piece "Bloomin' Hatboxes" is in the exhibit.

Another wonderful piece titled "Geometrics 101" is created by my friend, Rex Watson, another member of our Beyond the Borders group. Here is the program listing all the featured artists.
I can hardly wait to see "Deep in the Art of Texas". If you are in the area, be sure to come and meet me at the Capitol!