Amethyst Garden

Amethyst Garden measures 16X12 (mounted in 21.5 X17.5 frame) and is the first of two pieces meant to portray flowers in a 3Dimensional manner such that they might reach out and beckon to the viewer. Inspired from a photograph, this piece is machine appliqued and quilted. The leaves in the lower left corner are machine embroidered on solvy and tacked down strategically so as to allow the leaves to twist and turn and appear more dimensional. Other leaves in this same grouping are composed of silk cocoon rods that are thread painted. The large single leaf to the right is hand painted and consists of several layers of batting to allow for drapability. Sewn in a pillowcase style, it is machine embroidered and attached such that it comes off the surface and drapes over the frame. The small lavender flowers are silk and are attached by french knots in the center. The larger purple flowers are made from synthetic material that is thread painted and sculpted to allow for a completely 3 dimensional flower. The stems are machine wrapped cording and the leaves are needle felted wool. Originally, this piece was intended for a group project but after having made the large purple flowers, I realized that I had not allowed enough room in the composition for the larger Tiger Lillies. Truly, I was encountering a problem with scale and thus Amethyst Garden was created as a piece unto it's own. Faced with a decision as to what to do with the edges, my husband suggested a frame for this piece. This is the first time, I have actually gone this route with a 3Dimensional piece and I am happy with the way certain elements reach out and integrate themselves with the frame. The second piece as I mentioned earlier is already composed and I managed to overcome the scale problem and make some Tiger Lillies to go with this very same type of purple flowers. Don't know what they are but perhaps someone will be so kind as to tell me. I will be posting the second piece next week and though bred from the same idea, they are very different in feel. I'll give you a hint. The other one has ferns and boy were they a bear to make!!!! Still, I love the way the dimensionality is coming along.

Austin Area Quilt Guild Changing Gears Quilt Show

The Austin Area Quilt Guild will be hosting Changing Gears Quilt Show on Friday, September 17 thru Sunday, September 19, 2010 at The Parmer Events Center located at 900 Barton Springs Blvd in Austin, Texas. More than 400 quilts will be on display along with more than 65 vendors in attendance. There will also be a Boutique Sale featuring handmade items, a silent auction, children's activities, live demonstrations, wearable art as well as a chance to win a spectacular raffle quilt. This is the first year at The Parmer Events Center and also the first year that some of the quilts will be offered for sale. Today, I helped hang the show. Got to meet a whole lot of nice folks and see all the amazing talent in Austin. The show will be judged by De Leclair, Connie Silber, Marilyn Hardy, Nell Smith and Serena Stiles Vrnak. There will also be a Studio Art Quilt Associates booth featuring 12 X 12 quilts from some of Texas' finest artists. So much happening under one roof and close to beautiful Lady Bird Johnson Lake. Please visit http://www.aaqg.org/show2010/about.php for more information. Hope to see you there!!! Added on Monday, September 20, 2010: Generation Y: Song of Hope placed second in the 400 Category Art Quilts, Large and Small at The Austin Area Quilt Guild Changing Gears Quilt Show. Little Rascals received an Honorable Mention, an overall award for Creativity in small quilts division and Judges Choice by Nell Smith. When I helped hang the show, I thought to myself I would be doing good to get an Honorable Mention. You can imagine how surprised I was at the award ceremony on Thursday evening. Competition was stiff. So much talent under one roof. I am humbled to be a part of this wonderful Austin community. To see pictures, please visit http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=2067189&id=1125886821&ref=mf 

Miniature Nature Series: Finding Your Feet and Tranquility

These two pieces were composed specifically for Alzheimers Art Quilt Initiative and Studio Art Quilt Associates Texas @ Houston 2010. Both are 9X12 and portray birds in nature. The top two photos, "Finding Your Feet," show a robin that has just landed on a branch. The next two photos show a finch or warbler of some sort. For this piece, I did a mirror image of the first bird and inked it in different colors. Standing him at a different angle made him appear quite differently, a dash of serendipity. What do they say, how to kill two birds with one stone. Time was running out and these needed to be done very quickly. Because I wanted these two pieces to look different from one another despite the fact that I had used the same sketch for both, albeit in mirror image, I decided to place them in very different settings. Finding Your Feet appears to be set in the summer while Tranquility is reminiscent of fall. Both have a very different feel and I was especially pleased when I pointed out to my husband that they were the same bird, just with different colors, in mirror image and set at different angles in completely different settings. While I am still not sure he believes me, it is true nonetheless. I would have loved to have taken the same bird and made the remaining two spring and winter seasons. Wonder what that would have looked like... Perhaps I will start out all over again with a different sketch and revisit this concept. Now, the only question is which piece goes to which venue? What do you think?