Free Spirit Art Studio

Quilting Arts 3 Dimensional Art Quilting

2012-01-26T19:59:00.001-06:00

Earlier this month, Kathy York contacted me to let me know that Quilting Arts would be featuring our Artist Village in the February/March 2012 issue. I was so thrilled! The news came when I was feeling blue and needed a little pick me up. Nothing like that to chase the blues away! Meanwhile, I have been planning a trip to Israel and anxiously awaiting my copy in the mail. Checking the mail everyday is a little like watching a pot boil. And still, I hoped to get my copy before I left. Finally, after the mail came today and still no magazine, I went and bought the issue at Barnes and Noble. At last, I could see it! Wow, I am so jazzed. Kathy did a fantastic job at bringing this project to fruition. The article is wonderful and describes how to make a 3 dimensional house. This month's Quilting Arts issue features 3 Dimensional Art Quilting and is a special Art Quilt Collaboration issue. The Space Between by Dinner at Eight Artists is also represented and I am so excited to see my friends, Susan King and Linda Teddlie Minton mentioned. They are marvelous artists and I am happy Dinner At Eight Artists were represented well! I also really enjoyed Jane Davila's article, "Artistic License: Licensing Your Art to Maximize Your Time." So much wonderful information! To order your copy of Quilting Arts, please visit http://www.quiltingdaily.com/content/SubscriberServices.aspx .

2012 Peoples Art Gallery with Generation Y: Song of Hope

2012-01-18T08:43:00.000-06:00

I am so jazzed that Generation Y: Song of Hope was chosen by the City of Austin Cultural Arts Division to be included in the 2012 People’s Gallery Exhibition at Austin City Hall. I have never entered my work here before and I had been told that competition was pretty stiff. 350 artists presented more than 1500 works of art for consideration this year. I am thrilled to be able to share this piece with folks here in Austin. An honor, for sure! Generation Y is a mixed media piece with 3 dimensional elements. A closeup detailed view features a painted background with tree branches created from lush upholstery fibers and dyed lace to mimic tree bark texture. The leaves are 3D and form a canopy. The baby jay rests in a 3D knitted nest. This piece took almost a year to complete and measures 45¼” X 49½.” It has received many accolades and was
voted People s Choice Award at AFA Show, 2nd place at Austin Area Quilt Guild Show and was published in SAQA Portfolio 17 and Quilting Arts Mag April/May 2011, In The Spotlight with Barb Forrister. For more information, please visit http://www.barbforrister.com/naturescapes/generation-y-song-of-hope . It has been travelling throughout the United States most of the year and I am happy to bring it home for a marvelous exhibit at the People's Art Gallery 2012. The opening reception will be held on Friday, February 24th from 6-9 p.m. at

City Hall located at 301 West 2^nd Street in Austin, Texas. Food and refreshments will be provided by Whole Foods and everyone is welcome to attend. Please join us. We would love to see you! This exhibit will be on display the entire year of 2012. Come see all the wonderful artwork by so many local artisans. It promises to be a fantastic exhibit. I look forward to seeing you all! Happy 2012!

Mexican Scrub Jay

2012-01-05T16:55:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year! I am so happy to be blogging again! I am back making art again. This piece shows a photo that I took while staying at a friend's home in San Antonio, Texas. I love this picture and somehow I knew I had to incorporate this Mexican Scrub Jay in my art. He's a beauty for sure. The photo was printed on textured paper that was coated with Golden Digital Grounds Media to allow the full color to shine through. The background is handmade paper that I made years ago and at the time had no idea how I would use it. Bits of paper were torn and mixed with glue. I thought it might be fun to include some threads, Angelina fibers and even heat distressed painted plastics before setting the paper in the mold. Once the paper was formed, I painted it with acrylic paint. And there it sat in the studio for a few years before I finally paired the two together. They were treated with a semi gloss surface protectant and adhered together with acrylic medium. I really like the way they came together. It is as if they were made for each other and the background is simply an extension of the photo. Great way to bring in the New Year!

Ruby and Scarlet

2011-12-19T09:00:00.000-06:00

Ruby

Well, it's Christmas time and what better way to celebrate than with finishing up a few UFOs that have been hanging around for about 7 years now! The last time, my grandmother came to visit, I showed her some pieces that I had hand appliqued, beaded and sewn ribbon embroidery on. Her home is very vintage and she asked if she could have the only two pieces that were completely finished. But of course! They look fabulous in her home. Since then, she has been asking if I would finish some more pieces to add to her collection. These patterns are not my own design and try as I might, I can not find the designer to credit her properly. If anyone knows, please let me know. I would live to add that information here. Her patterns are wonderful. Meanwhile, as I had mentioned, all of these pieces are done entirely by hand. The difference between these two pieces and the ones that my grandmother already has in her collection is that I decided to finally let go of my purist attitude and need to complete the rest of the ladies by hand quilting them. This is a huge breakthrough for me

Scarlet

and a wonderful exercise in letting go. You see, I don't really like hand quilting. Rather I love and appreciate seeing hand quilting work by others. However, it is just not for me and I do not enjoy it! That said, I greatly admire those with the patience to do it! Still, if truth be told, these pieces would never get done if I held onto that need to be a purist! Ha! And so, I figure that I would give myself permission to finish these pieces by machine quilting which I vastly enjoy! And best of all, they will get to be seen and enjoyed rather than languishing in my closet. I decided to finish the two ladies dressed in red to celebrate the season. I love the way they have come out. My grandmother keeps asking me if I have had a chance to finish any more of the victorian lady pieces and I have pretended to not remember what she is talking about. I think she will be pleasantly surprised when I see her for the holidays or at least I hope so! Happy Holidays, everyone!

Fiber Art Palm Trees

2011-12-02T18:39:00.001-06:00

Fiber Art Palm Tree by Barb Forrister

I am so excited about finishing my newest palm tree sculpture. This is a take off from my other canopy trees in which I have opted to use lutradur and lace for the palm fronds. I first began by experimenting with different weights of lutradur, specifically light and heavy weight lutradur. Then to change things up a bit, I added some interfacing. I painted sheets of both lutradur and interfacing with acrylic textile paints and used Mistyfuse Transdoodle sheets to transfer the palm frond patterns onto the painted sheets.

In order to clearly see the stitching, I used heavy weight threads such as Madiera Supertwist, Wonderfil Dazzle and Superior Razzle Dazzle 8 wt thread in the bobbin to stitch the palm fronds. Laying a copper wire along the central vein of the leaf allowed for shaping and sculpting of the leaves. The copper wire was couched by hand using yarn all along the central vein.

The stems of the palm fronds were attached to the main tree and the copper wires were wrapped with yarns. The tree trunk is composed of PVC and was covered in lace to add texture. I have also added decorative lights to the trunk of the tree, thinking it would make a wonderful decorative night light. I also believe it would be a great addition for a room with a tropical theme decor!

International Quilt Festival Quilt Scene Presents Quilts: A World of Beauty

2011-11-29T10:57:00.004-06:00

Songbird by Barb Forrister

Wow, I was so excited to learn that Songbird had been included in the International Quilt Festival Quilt Scene, Winter 2011-2012 Special Annual Issue! What an honor! I am dancing on air. It is a wonderful way to bring in the holidays! The magazine features many wonderful quilts from both the World of Beauty and Special Exhibits show. Also included are Texas Quilt Museum Open for Business, an interview with Sharon Schamber, an article by Leslie Tucker Jenison and Jamie Fingal, 21 Quilts, Totes and Projects to Make, Book Reviews, Glimpses inside Artist's studios and even a Quilt Scene Crossword Puzzle which I am still trying to solve. LOL! The projects and articles are fantastic and as always, the photography is exquisite! This year, Songbird was included in International Quilt Association Presents Quilts: A World of Beauty. Songbird measures 24X18 and is a whole cloth painted piece. Thanks, Quilting Arts! I am so jazzed! Christmas for me came early this year and with that, I will dance in the New Year! To order your copy of International Quilt Festival Quilt Scene, please visit http://www.interweavestore.com/Quilting/Magazines/International-Quilt-Fest-Quilt-Scene.html

Chantilly Lace Finds a New Home

2011-11-28T08:56:00.000-06:00

I am so excited that Chantilly Lace found a new home this month. She made her debut at the SAQA TX booth at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas. This is the seventh piece in the Emerald Treasures Series and measures 9X12. The background is screenprinted and the coral reef is dyed, painted and soft sculpted. Her head and appendages arealso painted with textile paints and her shell is built up on layers and layers of extra batting to provide dimension. She is embellished with beads and embroidery floss. You might remember that earlier in the year, I was blocked and could not seem to make art following my sister's passing. Chantilly Lace was the first piece I was able to create when I finally did get over my artistic block. I am especially delighted that she went to a dear friend and I know she has found a good home! I wish them well!

Studio Art Quilt Associates Portfolio 18: Call of the Wild

2011-11-25T16:53:00.005-06:00

Studio Art Quilt Associates Portfolio 18 has just been released earlier this month, making it's debut at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas. It is an absolutely phenomenal book featuring works of many artists who are professional members of Studio Art Quilts Association. The organization is international and sponsors fiber exhibits throughout the world. The book is published once a year with new works from its members. It is used as a marketing tool for approaching galleries and museums with samples of our work. This year, I have a piece titled ""Call of the Wild" " in Portfolio 18. Earlier, In March of this year, Call of the Wild found a new home when it debuted at the Copper Shade Tree Gallery in Round Top, Texas. Inspired from a photo taken in South Carolina, this piece celebrates the Red Bellied Woodpecker. I love these birds and have been thinking of doing another piece with these beautiful creatures. If you have not yet had a chance to see this book, it is truly a feast for the eyes. To order your copy of Portfolio 18, please visit https://www.saqa.com/store-detail.php?cat=9&ID=9 .

Call of the Wild by Barb Forrister

Contemplation: Quilt of the Month in Machine Quilting Unlimited E Newsletter

2011-11-21T18:07:00.002-06:00

Contemplation by Barb Forrister

Wow, I am so tickled that Contemplation was chosen as November Quilt of The Month in the Machine Quilting Unlimited E Newsletter. This piece was made in 2008 and was inspired from a photo of the Big Thompson River that flows along the Drake and Loveland area in Colorado. I lived in Fort Collins for a while and used

to make regular trips back and forth to Estes Park to visit family. Contemplation was inspired from these trips and was created with natural and synthetic fabrics, cellophane, cheesecloth, Angelina fibers, tinzl and dryer sheets. It is inked and painted, and contains heat distressed plastics, fiber etched leaves, thread painted trees and foliage on Solvy. The piece was machine appliquéd and quilted on my Bernina 1630 with Sulky 30 wt., Isacord trilobal polyester 30 wt embroidery, Superior trilobal polyester, and metallic and opalescent kaleidoscope threads with Superior Monopoly in the bobbin. Contemplation has received Honorable Mentions and has just returned home from a juried invitational exhibit called "The Trail That Lay Before Them" featuring contemporary art quilts at the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, sponsored by the Bureau of Land Management. I am honored that Contemplation was able to be seen and enjoyed by so many folks this month. To sign up for your Machine Quilting Unlimited E Newsletter, please visit http://mqumag.com/ .

International Quilt Festival Memories 2011

2011-11-20T13:20:00.001-06:00

Barb Forrister, Kathy York and Sherri, McCauley
in front of Artists Garden, a group collaboration

I had a wonderful time at festival this year. I was able to connect with so many old and new friends and hang out with people from all over the world. Love this aspect of festival. To the left, is a photo of myself, Kathy York and Sherri Mc Cauley standing in front of our group quilt. Sadly, we didn't win any prizes but we love this piece nonetheless! This piece was initiated and proposed by our amazing Connie Hudson! The top row of the quilt was made by Connie Hudson, Cindy Henneke and Annie Smith. The middle row is represented by Frances Holliday Alford, Leslie Tucker Jenison and Sherri Mc Cauley, while the bottom row was created by Kathy York, Barb Forrister and Suzan Engler. This year, International Quilt Festival had more than 1500 quilts available for viewing with so many wonderful special exhibits as well as the World of Beauty judged show. I especially liked the Texas Lone Star Exhibit, The Space Between, Tactile Architecture and Twelve by Twelve exhibits. They were absolutely phenomenal and I really enjoyed seeing all the beautiful artwork by so many artists. This year was my first time attending Gala On The Green and I had so much fun! Great food, delightful company, good band and lots of dancing. At the end of the night, my friend, Ysmay Gray and I rode home on a horesedrawn carriage. This is something that I have always wanted to do and I thought it was a perfect way to finish the festival! Loved riding through downtown Houston, seeing all the lights and enjoying the view!

Barb Forrister and Ysmay Gray riding home from Gala On the Green

Dinner at Eight Artists Meet in Houston for IQF 2011

2011-11-14T09:33:00.000-06:00

Lost Cavern in The Space Between

Dinner at Eight Artists met once again in Houston for the International Quilt Festival. This year's theme, The Space Between consisted of 37 artists including Natalya Aikens, Frances Holliday Alford, Betty Amador, Astrid Bennett, Loris Bogue, Deborah Borschert, Paula Chung, Joanell Connolly, Cindy Cooksey, Jamie Fingal, Barb Forrister, Linda Frost, Terry Grant, Desiree Habicht, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Lyric Kinard, Susan King, Pam Klebaum, Sherry Kleinman, Susan Brubaker Knapp, Jane LaFazio, Jayne Larson, Gwen Mayer, Linda T. Minton, Susie Monday, Jeannie Moore, Rachel Parris, Judy Perez, Yvonne Porcella, Wen Redmond, Karen Rips, Carolyn Ryan, Cynthia St. Charles, Julie Schlueter, Teresa Shippy, Gayle Simpson, Sarah Ann Smith, Terry Waldron, Laura Cater-Woods and Kathy York. So much fun to see how each of us interpreted the theme! My piece, Lost Cavern has been on my mind for a few years and I have always wanted to do a piece with stalactites and stalagmites under water. It was not until this year, that I finally delved into trying to accomplish this. The backdrop is a painted raw silk background covered with heat distressed lutradur and interfacing. I continued the jagged formations with wool roving and dyed cheesecloth mixed with lace and other bits of silk habotai. It is fused with Mistyfuse and quilted with Superior trilobal polyester thread and Aurifil 40 wt cotton machine quilting and embroidery thread. The divers are women who commemorate our pioneeer sister souls!

Below is a photo of Dinner at Eight Artists meeting at Spencers on Friday night at of course, 8 o'clock. We had a wonderful time, meeting one another, exchanging cards, signing our new book, The Space Between and talking about next year's theme! As is traditional, we raised a toast to Strong Women. May we know them. May we raise them. May we be them! Then, we were off and being silly, playing with spoons. So much fun. Darn, I wish I had taken pictures of us with spoons but I suppose I was having too much fun. You can see more photos at http://dinnerateightartists.blogspot.com/ . Blessed to be a part of this awesome group of women! Truly one of the highlights of festival!

Left to right, Jamie Fingal, Terry Grant, Frances Holliday Alford, Gerrie Congdon, Susan Brubaker Knapp, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Barb Forrister and Susan King

3 Dimensional Palm Trees @ Quilting Arts Open Studios

2011-11-12T11:23:00.000-06:00

One of my most favorite things about festival is doing Open Studio demos at the Quilting Arts booth. I love connecting and reconnecting with folks and sharing new ideas. At last year's Open Studios, I demonstrated how to make canopy trees like the one you see on the far right in the photo above. This year, I opted to carry that idea a step further by showing how you can make 3 dimensional palm trees out of lutradur and lace. I began by experimenting with different weights of lutradur, specifically light and heavy weight lutradur. Then to change things up a bit, I added some interfacing. I painted sheets of both lutradur and interfacing with acrylic textile paints and used Mistyfuse Transdoodle sheets to transfer the palm frond patterns onto the painted sheets. In order to clearly see the stitching, I used heavy weight threads such as Madiera Supertwist, Wonderfil Dazzle and Superior Razzle Dazzle 8 wt thread in the bobbin to stitch the palm fronds. Laying a copper wire along the central vein of the leaf allows for shaping and sculpting of the leaves. The copper wire was couched by hand using yarn all along the central vein. The fronds make for wonderful fans also and I will be looking into this idea soon. The tree trunk was wrapped in lace and I am also planning to add some lights to the trunk. I think it will make a great decorative night light! I will be posting photos soon of the completed tree. And perhaps by that time, I will have also had a chance to play with making some cool fans from lutradur and lace. I'm thinking some peacock designs would be pretty cool! Love playing with lutradur and now I am thinking about incorporating Misty Fuse and velvets/lace. So much fun!

Mixed Media Beads at Quilting Arts MIU and SAQA Meet and Greet

2011-11-10T09:35:00.001-06:00

Pokey Bolton & Barb Forrister @ Quilting Arts MIU

On Thursday, November 3rd, I taught Mixed Media Beads at the Quilting Arts Make It University Booth @ the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas. This was one of the highlights of my trip. I always enjoy teaching and in doing so, I often learn so much from my students. I love the way this educational experience develops. The students learned how to make mixed media beads and then some of them went on to have "aha" moments where they were able to carry the idea further and develop their own original inspirations. I love it when that happens! Maggie Winfield, one of my students created some most unusual beads using fluffy yarns, Angelina fibers, and cloth. Another student created her own original beaded necklace. It was wonderful to see how ideas turn into creations!

Betty Busby, Barb Forrister, Holly, Mary Pal & Misik Kim

Later in the day, I met up at the Studio Art Quilt Associates booth to connect with old and new friends. Some of you may know that I am from Albuquerque, as is my friend, Betty Busby who is one of the most amazing artists that I know! Betty invited me to dinner and introduced me to Holly from Santa Fe, N.M., yet another very interesting and engaging artist! Loved her sense of humor! Seated next to Holly is Mary Pal, an awesome artist from Canada who employs cheesecloth to create beautiful portraits from cloth. On the right is Misik Kim from Korea, one of the artists from Masters Art Quilts II. We had a wonderful dinner at Massas Seafood restaurant, joked around and exchanged ideas. This was another highlight of my time spent in Houston. I love to connect with other artists and develop special camaraderie's. These women were absolutely so much fun! Awesome way to finish the evening!

Artist Village Debuts at International Quilt Festival 2011

2011-11-08T10:24:00.000-06:00

Barb Forrister, Kathy York and Sherri McCauley

Wow, I am home from Houston and finally starting to blog. I had a fantastic time and had the pleasure of reconnecting with so many old friends and also new ones! I think that is my favorite thing about Houston! The comraderie is so amazing. This photo was taken on Wednesday, Opening Night at the International Quilt Festival. When I first walked onto the exhibit floor, the first main exhibit that caught my eye was the Artist Village curated by Kathy York. Words cannot describe how wonderful this village truly was. So fantastic to see 17 international artists coming together to express their ideas. I loved watching individuals come up to the exhibit with a smile on their face as they bent over to peer into each of the houses. It touched my heart to see how the village connected with so many people, a labor of love for sure!

Artist Village Project at IQF 2011

To the left is a photo of the entire Artist Village, a collaboration with Susan Else, Frances Holliday Alford, Pamela Allen, Frieda Anderson, Lisa Call, Jane Davila, Naomi Adams, Jamie Fingal, Barb Forrister, Vickie Hallmark, Connie Hudson, Leslie Jenison, Sherri McCauley, Judy Coates Perez, Melanie Testa, Laura Wasilowski and Kathy York that is being enjoyed by some of the festival attendees.

Closeup of part of the Artist Village Project.

The photo to the right shows a closeup part of the Artist Village with my contribution of the adobe pueble and 3 dimensional tree. I really enjoyed working on this project and am blessed to be a part of it all. Even more rewarding is seeing how it was received at festival. Wonderful to see it have an effect on so many people!

Quilting Arts Open Studios 2011: Creating 3 Dimensional Palm Trees

2011-11-04T00:49:00.000-05:00

Remember the 3 Dimensional Canopy Tree? Ideas have been percolating and I am currently in the process of designing a 3 dimensional palm tree. In my quest to find materials that have body and lift, I have been experimenting with different weights of lutradur and interfacing. Below is a photo of painted heavy weight lutradur.
Please join me at the Quilting Arts Open Studio Booth at the International Quilt Festival on Friday from 12:40-2:40 p.m. where I will be showing how to create 3 dimensional palm trees and foliage. If you enjoy mixed media and sculpting, stop by and learn how to combine lace, lutradur and copper to create palm trees. By the way, these leaves also make for some pretty cool fans. If you have a chance, please stop by and visit. I would love to see you.

Quilting Arts Make It University at IQF 2011: Mixed Media Beads

2011-10-30T10:18:00.000-05:00

Wow can't believe it's that time of the year again! Houston festival is less than a week away and I have been busily preparing for the big event. Just finished packing supplies and putting kits together for a class I will be teaching, this year. Please join me at the Quilting Arts Make It University booth where I will be teaching Mixed Media Beads. The class will be held on Thursday, November 3rd from 12-1 p.m. at the International Quilt Festival located at the George Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. The fee is fifteen dollars and includes all the delicious supplies you need to make fabulous mixed media beads! If you are in the area, please stop by and visit, take some classes, rest your feet and make some wonderfully unique beads to take home with you. Come join the fun. I look forward to seeing you all at festival!

Eye of the Quilter 2011

2011-10-28T23:58:00.001-05:00

Glorious Color By Barb Forrister

The International Quilt Festival will once again host Eye of The Quilter, a special exhibit showcasing photos. This year's theme, Friendship is the Texas State Motto and will coincide with the 175th anniversary of the state’s independence from Mexico. The theme is perfect as so many folks gather together each year to once again meet up with old friends or chance to meet new ones. I think perhaps, it is one of my favorite parts of the festival. This year, Glorious Color, A Mutual Friendship and Spiritual Messenger of Healing have been selected as part of the exhibit. The first photo, Glorious Color tells a story. Color is our best friend. It includes the colors of the rainbow which evoke moods and symbolize emotions. Whether it be it black for mourning, white for purity or red for passion, it is one of our most powerful allies. Orange expresses joy. Yellow symbolizes friendship. Green signifies growth. Blue stands for stability. Indigo represents spiritual realization and purple is the symbol for mystery. They are our pallette and friends for life. The second photo, A Mutual Friendship reminds us that nature is our friend. It symbolizes all the beauty and joy that life has to offer, the symbiotic relationship that all creatures have in common. May we continue to grow with love and respect for one another. The third photo, Spiritual Messenger is dedicated to my dear sister who passed away this August 27th, 2011 and describes the hummingbird as our friend who comes to us with the power of joy and healing, representing the nectar of life and spirituality. When we experience the loss of a best friend, we are often overcome by grief, so overwhelming, it is as if a hole has been left in our heart that can never be mended. The hummingbird symbolizes an accomplishment of that which seems impossible. It's appearance comforts us, allows us to heal and remember the blessings we have been given. May these beautiful creatures continue to visit and provide healing.

The Trail That Lay Before Them

2011-10-27T08:10:00.000-05:00

"The Trail That Lay Before Them" is the first National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center quilt exhibit. This juried invitational sponsored by the Bureau of Land Management featured contemporary art quilts and was on display at the Flagstaff Gallery located in Baker City Oregon from September 2 - October 14, 2011. "Contemplation" has just arrived home safely along with a CD containing photos taken of the exhibit, courtesy of Gypsy McFelter, Exhibits Specialist. Wow, what a treat! The gallery is beautiful and the quilts are exquisite. This was my fifth invitational and I am tickled to have been chosen as one of the contributing artists. To see a slide show of the exhibit, please visit http://trailtender.blogspot.com/

Contemplation By Barb Forrister

Machine Quilting Unlimited: Songbird

2011-10-25T09:20:00.000-05:00

Songbird By Barb Forrister

Wow, I was so surprised to reach into my mailbox and find a complimentary copy of Machine Quilting Unlimited! The November/December issue features Sharon Schamber and the Sacred Threads 2011 Exhibit. Words cannot decribe how beautiful the quilts are! What a treat for the eyes! I am blessed to be in such good company. This month, Songbird is included in the Noteworthy Section of the magazine along with Dijanne Cevaal’s Fairy Forest. I have never seen this magazine before but I can tell you, the content is wonderful! I truly had a fantastic time perusing through the whole magazine. The articles are interesting and the stitching is to die for! Best of all, I got to see the Sacred threads 2011 exhibit. To order your copy, please visit http://mqumag.com/

Summer Blossoms

2011-10-23T09:05:00.000-05:00

Summer Blossoms is part of the soft sculpted 3 dimensional flower series and was created for the SAQA Texas exhibit and sale at Houston for the International Quilt Festival 2011. It measures 9X12 and is set on a dyed turquoise background which was prequilted before adding the 3 dimensional elements. The leaves consist of various materials including Angelina fibers which have been layered and fused with MistyFuse. Stitching of the leaves varies to add interest. Two of the 3 dimensional flowers were created from leftover dyed paper towels that were built up by adding layers of several

mixed media materials, painted and embellished with beads. The third flower to the right is made with Lutradur. all are strategically tacked such that they extend off the surface 2-3 inches. Edges were finished with an envelope style. To learn more about 3 dimensional flowers, please check out my new article, "3 Dimensional WildFlowers" which can be found in volume V of In Stitches Emagazine. I also offer workshops tailored to meet your needs. Please visit http://freespiritartstudio.blogspot.com/p/workshops.html for more information.

Flora and Fauna

2011-10-20T08:49:00.000-05:00

Flora and Fauna was inspired from a photograph taken in my backyard. I always knew there were Baltimore Orioles in Austin but I had never actually seen any till one morning when I was outside having my coffee. I looked up and these gorgeous birds were ducking in and out of the trumpet vine. They were quite amusing and their color, so exquisite! I knew I had to create this piece. I had originally intended to paint this bird but when I got upstairs to the studio, my hands just reached for the orange fabric and out came the Misty Fuse. Once the bird was assembled, I began making the 3 dimensional leaves. I love to mix techniques and consequently, some leaves have been layered and fused with various fibers and Misty Fuse. Others have been thread painted with a heavy thread in the bobbin. Still, others have been fiber etched and fused. Once the vines were in place, I began experimenting with how to create the trumpet vine flowers. They were so much fun.

Love the delicate blossoms. The background was upcycled from a project of which I had leftover machine quilted pieces. Years ago, I had made a piece called Contemplation and just before sending it to a show, I decided to whack off the borders and binding and "fix it." I know, kind of crazy! I suppose it was a good thing because the quilt went on to win an Honorable Mention. But meanwhile, I had kept the already quilted and bound borders. I couldn't bring myself to throw them away. And yet, I found that they were perfect for this project. I took two edges and zigzagged them together such that the binding was on the outside edges. Then, I added the top and bottom binding to complete the piece. I love the thought of being able to upcycle things especially when it is incorporated into nature pieces. I included the original photo from which my inspiration came. Quite different! Interesting how changing the background really changes the feel of the entire piece....

Quilting Arts In Stitches Emagazine 3 Dimensional Flowers

2011-10-16T13:32:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the new In Stitches Emagazine Volume V blog tour with captivating ideas and inspirations by Lindsey Murray, Larkin Jean Van Horn, Amanda McCavour, Cheryl Sleboda, Jane Davila, Carol Ann Waugh, Therese May, Alma Stoller, and Barb Forrister. I had always heard of the new In Stitches Emagazine, however, I was completely unaware of what it was all about or of it's truly remarkable capabilities. I was fortunate to have my good friend, Cynthia Wenslow film the video and take photos for me. She is such a gem! I had no idea what my article and video footage would look like. Wow, was I surprised! Jane Davila and Lindsey Murray down at Quilting Arts were a joy to work with and so talented. It is a beautiful publication through and through, an exciting, revolutionary and tecnhologically saavy way of looking at things that no hard copy magazine could ever accomplish. Love the Zoom In, Zoom Out features and video footage, so much candy for the eyes. You really get the feeling that you are right there with the artist. I truly did not know what I was missing till I saw a copy of the In Stitches Emagazine. It is filled with engaging and fascinating articles by so many artists! Thanks for the opportunity. It was an amazing experience and I am blessed to be a part of it. I know I will be ordering more editions in the months to come. To order your copy, please visit http://www.interweavestore.com/Quilting/Magazines/eMags.html . You won't want to miss out on the fun! Come join me in making 3 dimensional flowers. It will open up a whole new world! Next stop is Carol Ann Waugh with Stupendous Stitching: Using Stitch to Create Textured Fabric. You will love what she does with combining hand and machine stitching.

Come join us on the blog tour.

Monday 10/10 Lindsey Murray http://quiltingdaily.com/
Tuesday 10/11 Larkin Van Horn http://blog.larkinart.com/
Wednesday 10/12 Cheryl Sleboda http://blog.muppin.com/
Thursday 10/13 Alma Stoller http://almastoller.blogspot.com/
Friday 10/14 Therese May http://theresemay.blogspot.com/
Monday 10/17 Barb Forrister http://barbforrister.com/category/blog
Tuesday 10/18 Carol Ann Waugh http://carolannwaugh.com/blog/
Wednesday 10/19 Jane Davila http://janedavila.blogspot.com/

Austin tatious

Lone Stars III: A Legacy of Texas Quilts, 1986-2011

2011-10-10T16:04:00.007-05:00

Lone Stars III: A Legacy of Texas Quilts, 1986-2011 by Karoline Patterson Bresenhan and Nancy O'Bryant Puentes has just been released. This is the third volume in a wonderful documentary series of Texas quilt history. This year, I am blessed to have three pieces included in the publication. They are "Little Boy Blue," "Life's a Beach" and "Group Conversations," a collaboration with Sherri McCauley, Kathy York, Connie Hudson, Frances Holliday Alford, Leslie Tucker Jenison and Barb Forrister. I have not yet received my copy but I am told it is absolutely amazing with lots of eye candy featuring both traditional and art quilts made by Texas quilters from 1986-2011. For more information, please visit http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/brelo3.html . Additionally, these quilts will be featured at both the International Quilt Festival at the George Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas and The Texas Quilt Museum located at 140 Colorado in La Grange, Texas. Please visit http://www.quilts.com/newHome/index.php or http://www.texasquiltmuseum.org/Texas_Quilt_Museum/LANDING.html

Little Boy Blue by Barb Forrister

Life's a Beach By Barb Forrister

Mixed Media Beads at Quilting Arts Make It University

2011-10-06T09:31:00.001-05:00

Come join me at Quilting Arts Make It University! The International Quilt Association will once again host the world's largest quilt festival at the George Brown Convention Center located in Houston, Texas . Every year, the artists and vendors get better and better. So much to see at festival with all the magnificent quilts and over 1500 vendors selling all the latest and greatest products all in one place. This year, promises to be one to remember! Karey Bresenhan and Nancy O' Bryant Puentes will be featuring Texas Lone Stars III Special Exhibit which coincides with their latest book that has just been released. Visitors may also sign up to get a sneak peak at the new Texas Quilt Museum that has not yet opened to the public. For more information, please visit http://www.texasquiltmuseum.org/Texas_Quilt_Museum/LANDING.html

Classes will also offered at festival both upstairs and on the main floor. Quilting Arts Magazine will once again have their fantabulous booth with fantastic books and delicious supplies to inspire creativity. They also offer Make It University Classes and Open Studio Demos by so many amazing artists. This year, I am blessed to be joining them and will be teaching how to make Mixed Media Beads on Thursday, November 3, 2011 from 12-1 p.m. If you are in the area, please stop by and visit, take some classes, rest your feet and make some wonderfully unique beads to take home with you. So much fun! I look forward to seeing you all at festival!

Chantilly Lace

2011-09-27T16:15:00.000-05:00

Chantilly Lace was created for the SAQA booth at Houston International Quilt Festival. It is the first of 3 pieces to be completed and measures 9X12. The background was screenprinted with procion fiber reactive dyes on white cotton and subsequently painted with acrylics to create depth and pattern to the ocean floor. The sea plants consist of both fibers and a dyed soft sculpted doilie that was painted with 3 dimensional paints to add texture. The turtle shell was made entirely from scrap pieces of fabric that have been fused with Misty Fuse. Love that stuff!!!! Extra layers of high loft polyester batting were added to the shell to provide lift and dimension. The shell was also beaded and embellished with embroidery floss. The head, arms, legs and tail have been painted with acrylic paints, layered with multiple layers of cotton batting and strategically tacked down as if allowing the turtle to "float" through the water. In the past, I have carried the sea plant patterns onto the background through stitch, however, I felt that a little geometric pattern would provide interest and a nice change in texture. Actual sea plants were hand stitched. Edges were finished with pillowcase style. This is the first piece I have made in a while, following my sister's death. I am finding it hard to focus and am hoping that with time, the muse will return. Funny how grief can affect your creativity. Interesting observation....

Welcome to My Garden

2011-08-21T12:39:00.000-05:00

Welcome to My Garden has just returned home from travelling. I really enjoy seeing it again. It has been gone such a long time and I had forgotten the happiness it invokes when I look at it. I love the sheen from the tsukineko inks on the silk/cotton blend. It is so vibrant. Love that combination. This piece has text along the veins of the leaves. I had forgotten what all was written on it and am musing over the words and feelings that I felt when it was being made. The text on the leaves of the plant to the right read "Welcome to My Garden" in many languages including French, German, Italian, Swahili, Spanish, Norwegian and many more. It reaches out to people from all around the world through text and beckons visitors to enter the garden and gather inspirational phrases like they would flowers. Here, many things have been planted and cultivated ranging from flowers, vegetables, teas, herbs to dreams for the future. These seedlings brought to full fruition are captured by phrases found on the leaves of the plant to the left. They include messages about special times experienced with friends and family, secrets whispered, conversations held and intimate moments from long, long ago. It is so tranquil that it seems to invite the recollection of the last time I walked through the garden, hand in hand with my lover or shared a cup of tea with my best friend. My sister is very ill right now and so this piece speaks to me even more loudly than before. I have decided to dedicate it to her in hopes that we might return to share more cherished conversations. For you, Ardis, please get better so that we may walk in the garden once more. I love you!

United In Textiles

2011-08-01T09:02:00.001-05:00

Hello, You are cordially invited to the Austin Fiber Artists United In Textile Fiber Exhibit Opening night reception on Thursday, August 4 from 6-8 p.m. at the Julia C. Butridge Gallery located in the Dougherty Arts Center at 1110 Barton Springs Rd in Austin, Texas. The exhibit juried by Nina Mihm of Dragonfly Gallery will feature 48 fiber art pieces from 22 artists. The show will run from Aug 4-27, 2011. Admission is free. Gallery hours are M-Thurs 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. -5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m- 4 p.m. Work will feature all types of fiber art ranging from wearables to wall art to sculptures. Should be a fantastic show! I will have two abstract pieces including Spherical Illusions and Vertical Horizons. Please come join the fun and meet the artists. We would love to see you!

Vertical Horizon by Barb Forrister

Spherical Illusions by Barb Forrister

Dinner at Eight Artists Debut at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach 2011

2011-07-28T10:40:00.001-05:00

Lost Cavern by Barb Forrister

Welcome to the International Quilt Festival at Long Beach. The show will run July 29-31 at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. This is truly one of the best venues around and I am sad to say that I will be missing it! I love all the special exhibits like West Coast Wonders and The Space Between, both of which make their debut at Long Beach. There are some absolutely fantastic pieces to be seen. This year, Dinner at Eight Artists presents The Space Between, a juried invitational exhibit curated by Leslie Tucker Jenison and Jamie Fingal. The exhibit sponsored by Moore’s Sewing Centers and Brother International will include artwork by Natalya Aikens, Steni Mezhda Sosedyami, Frances Holliday Alford, Betty Amador,

Lost Cavern Detail by Barb Forrister

Astrid Bennett, Loris Bogue, Deborah Borschert, Paula Chung, Joanell Connolly, Cindy Cooksey, Jamie Fingal, Barb Forrister, Linda Frost, Terry Grant, Desiree Habicht, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Lyric Kinard, Susan King, Pam Klebaum, Sherry Kleinman, Susan Brubaker Knapp, Jane LaFazio, Jayne Larson, Gwen Mayer, Linda T. Minton, Susie Monday, Jeannie Moore, Rachel Parris, Judy Perez, Yvonne Porcella, Wen Redmond, Karen Rips, Carolyn Ryan, Cynthia St. Charles, Julie Schlueter, Teresa Shippy, Gayle Simpson, Sarah Ann Smith, Terry Waldron, Laura Cater-Woods, Kathy York, Please join us at http://dinnerateightartists.blogspot.com/ to learn more about the exhibit and participating artists. Should be a fantastic show!

Artist Garden

2011-07-25T10:04:00.002-05:00

Artist Garden is a group collaboration inspired by Connie Hudson. Connie is an amazing photographer and on one of her vacations, she came across a beautiful garden in Pennsylvania. With camera in hand, she began taking photos of all the breathtaking flowers present. When she returned, she told a story of how certain flowers reminded her of each one of us. We were all sent photos of one or more flowers and asked to recreate them in our own signature style. I was given the three photos below. One with tiger lilies, another with some sort of blue bell flower and yet another with fern leaves. I am wild about leaves! We were each given a block size with which to create and we mapped out a grid pattern as described. Top row: Connie Hudson, Cindy Henneke and Annie Smith. Middle row: Frances Holliday Alford, Leslie Tucker Jenison and Sherri McCauley. Bottom row: Kathy York, Barb Forrister and Suzan Engler. You can imagine how pleasantly surprised we were when they all came together as one. So much fun and all so very different! I love this piece and best of all it has been juried into the International Quilt Festival World of Beauty 2011 Show! Happy Days! Thanks so much Connie for your amazing photos, heartfelt friendship and amazing inspiration! You rock!

International Quilt Festival World of Beauty 2011: Songbird

2011-07-20T09:51:00.002-05:00

Songbird by Barb Forrister

Wow, I am so jazzed that Songbird has been accepted into the International Quilt Festival World of Beauty Judged Show this year. Yesterday, I received my notification emails, one skinny and one fat! Hey, I'm totally happy with that! I always find it intriguing when one makes it and the other does not, especially when they are done in the same style. A different panel of judges, perhaps work does not fit in the exhibit or perhaps that photo just did not do the work justice. Who knows? I can say that while my work is exhibited into the special exhibits, it is increasingly difficult to make the finalist list for the judged show at Houston. Ask me how I know. I have not done it since 2008. Yet each year, I throw my hat in the ring because after all, you can't make it if you don't try. Perseverance is one of the best lessons, my father has ever taught me and yes, it does pay off. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again! And so it goes! I am equally blessed that our group quilt, Artist Garden also made the finalist list. I will be blogging about that later next week. It was an absolutely fantastic project that I am blessed to be a part of. For now, I will continue to dance and celebrate. I have a feeling it is going to be a wonderful year! Texas is celebrating its 175th year anniversary, this year and Karey Bresenhan and Nancy O Brien Puentes will be releasing their book, Texas Lone Stars III. To commemorate the event, there will be a special exhibit at festival featuring quilt makers that are portrayed in the book. I will have two pieces, Little Boy Blue and Life's A Beach as well as our art quilt, Group Conversations. Additionally, Generation Y: Song of Hope in Celebrate Spring, "Austin tatious" in In Full Bloom, Lost Cavern in The Space Between and my Adobe Pueblo entry in It Takes A Village, a 3 dimensional collaboration with 14 international artists which will make its debut in Tactile Architecture Exhibit. Other wonderful news includes the opening of Karey's new museum as well as the Alliance for American Quilts headed by Amy Milne interviewing and recording Save Our Stories. Like I said, It's going to be an absolutely fabulous year! Can't wait for the fun to begin! Dance!

Songbird (Detail) By Barb Forrister

Transferring Fiber Art to Canvas

2011-07-13T11:05:00.000-05:00

Little Rascals by Barb Forrister Full Image on Canvas

Have you ever wanted to make prints of your artwork? The concept is intriguing. I enjoy collecting art. It is aesthetically pleasing and makes me happy. However, good artwork can be costly. At least for me, I find that some beautiful works of art are just not in my budget, no matter how much I love them! Yes, I suppose if I had all the money in the world, it would not be an issue but unfortunately, that is not the case. And yet, I wonder how many other folks feel the same way. Would they be willing to purchase a print at a lower cost than the original? At least that way, they would be able to take a piece home that they love without putting too much strain on the pocketbook. For this reason, I have been contemplating the idea of transferring some of my artwork to canvas prints. I recently saw a piece by a local artist here in Austin. The quality was quite good! I had never tried this before and was pleasantly surprised when I was contacted by http://www.easycanvasprints.com/ to review their product using one of my own art images. I found their website quite easy to navigate and they offered a nice selection of services. You can choose prints in a large variety of sizes either in a 0.75" or 1.5" gallery wrap. Images can be converted to sepia or black and white, if so desired. They also offer minor and major retouching of photographs. For the borders, you can opt for a wrapped or mirror image or alternatively for a solid colored border. So many options and all at a very affordable price! They are currently offering a promotion with 25% off all orders and free shipping within the United States. Such a deal! I think I will try ordering some more prints and see where this takes me. I am hoping that perhaps in doing so, I will be able to appeal to a larger audience and therefore, be able to share more of my artwork with others. I love this concept!

Little Rascals by Barb Forrister Detail Image on Canvas

Sirena

2011-07-08T15:18:00.004-05:00

Emerald Treasures VI: Sirena represents a celebration of aquatic life. Triple digit temperatures and 85% humidity here in Austin have led me to create another turtle in the Emerald Treasures series. I think perhaps, I must be yearning for the ocean! This mixed media piece is a 10X10 painted silk mounted on a 12X12 painted canvas. The background is sponge painted, followed by placing a resist image of the turtle. Additional paint was applied to fill in the turtle image. The shells were subsequently stamped and the turtle's eye was inked with Inktense pencils. The seaweed is composed of machine wrapped cording. In and amongst the seaweed are actual shells and fossils that adorn the ocean floor. Machine quilted with an ocean theme in mind, the coral and turtle are reinforced with Superior trilobal polyester thread while the water is depicted using Glitter Hologram flat metallic thread. 3 Dimensional acrylic paint was used to provide additional texture to the coral. Sirena was created to bring joy and celebrate the return of aquatic life in the Gulf of Mexico following the oil spill. It is my hope that she continue to grow and once again propagate, the way nature was meant to be.

Exploring More 3 Dimensional Wild Flowers

2011-06-25T14:23:00.000-05:00

I am continuing to explore different flowers while still providing a soft sculpted 3 dimensional aspect. It is a place my art is taking me these days and I am really enjoying the ride. This piece was completed in May 2011 for an upcoming In Stitches Emagazine article. The background is a painted piece of muslin from a demo in my Artful Coloring class. The leaves are made from layered materials I had previously assembled at the Misty Fuse booth in Houston last fall. I love having leaves on hand for different projects. Since cleaning my studios, I have reorganized everything such that I have a drawer dedicated solely to leaves, one for stems, another one for flowers, etc... This has really helped me to explore different ideas without fully having to commit to any particular design. And best of all, when I feel like putting a garden together, it is so much easier and it also helps provide diversity to my work.

I really love the idea of painting and stamping/stencilling backgrounds to have on demand. As the amount and types of finished leaves continue to grow, I find myself engaged in trying to put together different flowers to accompany them. I have decided to use paper as a model for my flowers before transferring them to fiber. This had helped me tremendously. I currently have a 3D iris modelled in paper that needs to be transferred to fiber and I am hoping to get back in the studio soon to put that plan in motion. Still there's the little scrub jay that I need to finish... So many ideas, so little time!

Dream Studio

2011-06-07T10:18:00.002-05:00

I am so excited to get my painting studio up and going. Everything in place and lots of room to spread out! It is still a work in progress but at this point, it is pretty much down to cosmetic changes that need to be implemented. Hanging artwork, maybe some shelves, new lighting and perhaps that new light table from Ikea.... Can't stop thinking about it!!! For Mother's Day, I bought myself these two sets of rolling drawers. I absolutely love them! They hold all my paints, inks and fun stuff. My grandmother happened upon an estate sale and purchased the really cool paint brush holder. I finally have most of my brushes organized and in one place. So cool! Aside from what you see here, I have a walk in closet with shelves and lots of storage for extra paints, dyes, gel mediums and bolts of raw fabric. And with a sink at hand, who could ask for anything more? There is another easel in the corner of the room and a day bed for relaxing at the end of the day. And remember the color swatches from my dear sister in law? They look pretty fabulicious here! I have only had a chanceto paint some 3dimensional flowers and leaves thus far but I am hoping that as my dream studio continues to evolve, I will spend lots of time in here having fun and creating art! I have some ideas for pieces I would like to get started on and am so looking forward to new adventures! Lots of room for having friends over for play days! My sewing studio is also getting a facelift and I am finding it so much easier to work with everything where it should be! Yeah!!!!!!!!

Songbird

2011-05-18T23:11:00.000-05:00

Songbird is inspired from a photo taken in Casper, Wyoming. Canaries known for their songbird capabilities are some of the most beautiful and delicate birds known to man. Ever hear the phrase, canary in a coal mine? It refers to these gentle creatures that were used by early coal miners to determine whether or not carbon monoxide or methane had leaked into a mine. When the miners would carry the canary into the mine, if any of these gases were present, the poor creature would die and therefore alert the men that poisonous gases were indeed present, thereby saving many lives. These gentle birds make some of the most beautiful sounds and exemplify such grace. To commemorate their valiant sacrifice, I have created Songbird which measures 24X18 and is a whole cloth painted piece. I wanted to employ natural fibers to echo an organic feel and consequently chose a bamboo/cotton blend for the background. Acrylic paints were used to freehand paint the image. People often ask what type of paints, I use. Really, I have been known to use any and everything available to me. If I am using an acrylic paint not made specifically for fabric, I will add a fabric medium. There are so many paints on the market, today. I love the Setacolor and Golden paints but I am also pretty happy with the Deco Art SoSoft. All three are wonderful at maintaining the "hand of the fabric" so to speak. Acrylic paints not formulated for textiles often make the fabric stiff even with a fabric medium. The Jacquard paints are also fun to use, especially when you want to impart a metallic essence to a piece. Here, I have used Setacolor, Golden, DecoArt SoSoft and acrylic paints with fabric medium. To continue with the organic feel, I incorporated bamboo batting and a cotton backing. This piece is heavily quilted with Superior SuperBright Fluorescent Trilobal polyester thread, Highlights and Living Colors threadline by Hollis Chatellain. Edges are finished with a facing. This is the third yellow bird in my wildlife series following Tranquility and Sir William. Each is individually unique and capture moments in time. This piece commemorates the canaries that have helped save so many coal miners' lives. Songbird, For you, there will be no crying. For you, the sun will be shining like never before.

Artist Village Project Blog Tour

2011-05-11T00:26:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the next stop on the Artist Village Blog Tour curated by the amazing Kathy York. For this stop, we’ll head southwest to the Adobe Pueblo Village. When Kathy first asked me if I would like to participate in this project, she had mentioned that I might do something that reflected my artistic style. Looking back, that would have been more along the lines of a treehouse but instead I opted to create a piece from my past. Born and raised in New Mexico, I grew up with the blending of both Spanish and Native American cultural influences in which the predominant architectural style was and still is the southwest adobe pueblo. This contemporary adobe is reminiscent of the neighborhood in which I grew up. The color change from one structure to the next was intentional to reflect the addition of one home to another as was done in the past. I wanted this piece to be durable and consequently, choices with regards to materials used for structure and foundation were extremely important. The structural forms resemble styrofoam but are actually ethofoam, a product that when bent does not snap in two as would styrofoam. The walls consist of various shades of peach to brown southwestern fabrics that have been layered and quilted with fused turquoise trim for the windows and doors. Beads were used for the doorknobs. Red rug weavings hang on ladders that were created from twigs tied together with jute. Chili ristras were strung with small chili beads and adorn three sides of the pueblo which has 5 interconnecting units complete with hand cut vigas incorporated into the roofs in the traditional style. Pottery was added to create that warm southwestern feel. The finished piece is set on a twelve inch square base and is approximately twenty inches in height. When it was complete, I couldn’t help but wonder where were the trees?! When I asked Kathy about it, she replied, “Go for it.” Her support and encouragement led me to creating 3 dimensional fiber art trees, a direction I’m not sure I would have taken otherwise. Two 3 dimensional trees were made for this village from PVC, wiring, dyed batting, lace and doilies. This has been a very pleasant and rewarding experience as it has challenged me in new directions. Thanks, Kathy for inviting me to join in on this truly amazing and delightful village. Please join us on the next stop, tomorrow with Vickie Hallmark and her fantastic bird house! http://fiberartglass.blogspot.com/

Dinner at Eight Artists Presents Artist Profiles from The Space Between Exhibit

2011-05-09T07:41:00.001-05:00

Lost Cavern is my rendition of The Space Between. This is a piece that I have been dreaming about creating for some time. I love the surreal feeling I get when I see photos of underwater caves. It is almost as if time stands still and you are in some type of enchanted place where nature appears to be at its best. Mysteries abound and beckon to be revealed. I am so excited that Lost Cavern was accepted into the juried invitational, The Space Between, curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison. The exhibit is sponsored by Moore's Sewing Centers and will debut at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, California on July 29-31, 2011. On Monday, May 9, 2011, I will be the featured artist in The Space Between Artists Profile on Dinner @ Eight Artists. Please join us at http://dinnerateightartists.blogspot.com/ to learn more about the exhibit and participating artists.

Rainbow of Color

2011-05-08T11:37:00.000-05:00

My sister in law used to be a Color Consultant and has decided to pass these wonderful swatches of color on to me so that I might be able to use them in my art. Wow! It' like being a kid in a candy store. So many goodies all in one spot! Last week eight large boxes arrived at my door filled with marvelous and glorious color. It took 2 hours to unpack each one but I am thrilled beyond words. Thanks, Ann!!!! Since then, I have been dreaming about ways to use them. Mosaics, beads and backdrops are a few that come to mind. In any case, I thought I would share these photos with you as they are too cool to keep to myself! How about you? What would you do if these arrived on your doorstep?

The Artist Village Project Tour

2011-05-01T23:10:00.000-05:00

Welcome. I am so excited to be blogging about the upcoming Village Project Tour. Last summer, Kathy York initiated and organized an invitation to 17 international artists to participate in this project. This is my third invitational and I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be part of this fantastic group of artists who have all come together to create this wonderful and quite delightful 3 dimensional village. The blog tour will begin on Monday, May 2, 2011 and will conclude on May 24, 2011. The schedule is listed below. On each artist's day, you can visit their blog or website to see their creation and read about their inspiration. I hope you will stop by each and every site. They are all quite a treat for the eyes!! There are trees and even people included in the village. This project has been entered into Tactile Architechture and we are hoping it gets juried in so that it may be shared with many people. Please wish us luck and join us on the blog tour!

Susan Else (website) May 2 http://www.susanelse.com/
Frances Holliday Alford May 3 http://www.franceshollidayalford.com/weblog/
Pamela Allen (website) May 4 http://pamelart.homestead.com/titlepage.html
Frieda Anderson May 5 http://friestyle.blogspot.com/
Lisa Call May 6 http://blog.lisacall.com/
Jane Davila May 9 http://janedavila.blogspot.com/
Naomi Adams May 10 http://killerbeedesigns.com/blog1/
Jamie Fingal May 11 http://jamiefingaldesigns.blogspot.com/
Barb Forrister May 12 http://www.freespiritartstudio.blogspot.com/
Vickie Hallmark May 13 http://fiberartglass.blogspot.com/
Connie Hudson May 16 http://beyondtherail2010.blogspot.com/
Leslie Jenison May 17 http://leslietuckerjenison.blogspot.com/
Sherri McCauley May 18 http://sherrilipmanmccauley.blogspot.com/
Judy Perez May 19 http://judyperez.blogspot.com/
Melanie Testa May 20 http://www.melanietesta.com/mtype/
Laura Wasilowski May 23 http://artfabrik.blogspot.com/
Kathy York May 24 http://aquamoonartquilts.blogspot.com/

"High Fiber 3Dimensional Flower Garden"

2011-04-19T11:59:00.003-05:00

This "High Fiber 3Dimensional Flower Garden" is composed of soft sculpted flower blooms and foliage. I am enthralled by textiles and love their tactile qualities! As a fiber artist, I am constantly looking for different mediums that can be used to add lift and yet be pliable enough to sculpt; others that remain flat but still provide texture. For me, it is the next place my art is taking me. This piece measures 27X28 and is my rendition of a tactile fiber art garden.The backdrop is a hand painted silk/cotton blend and is machine quilted to give a subtle feeling of lighter foliage in the background. The two large fern fronds on the left are painted lutradur and are machine appliqued and embellished with stitch. Tiger Lillies are painted, stitched and soft sculpted to take on a more dimensional appearance. The small ferns on the right are dyed batting and wool. Other leaves consist of heat distressed lutradur and texturized fibers. Stems are machine wrapped cording. Flowers are all 3 dimensional and rise off the surface anywhere from 2 to 4.5 inches in depth. As is sometimes the case, I am at a loss for a name for this piece. I had hoped to incorporate 3 dimensional, tactile elements though I am not necessarily set on that idea. Any thoughts as to what this piece should be called? I would welcome any suggestions.

Quilting Arts Magazine Article In The Spotlight Barb Forrister

2011-03-22T10:45:00.000-05:00

Wow, I am so excited to be included in the April/May 2011 edition of Quilting Arts Magazine. This is my first magazine article publication and best of all, it is in my favorite magazine! I think perhaps the first time is most special of all. Being so new to this, I can say that the folks down at Interweave were wonderful to work with. Pokey does a fabulous job and how she manages to juggle so many things at once is a mystery to me! The photography was done by their "in house" photographer. I think they did a beautiful job of staying true to color and capturing the essence of both the blue jays and raccoons. While my work was in Stow, Massachusettes being photographed, I received news that Generation Y: Song of Hope had been accepted into the International Quilt Festival Celebrate Spring Show. With only a couple of weeks to get it to Houston, I emailed Lindsey Murray to see how we could accomplish this. She was fantastic and within just a few days, my pieces arrived carefully packaged at my front door with plenty of time to ship to Houston. Later, a few weeks before the article was set to be published, Ellen Seeburger, assistant editor at Quilting Arts emailed me a copy of the article to make sure that everything was correct. As I mentioned earlier, their kindness and attention to detail is amazing and I feel blessed to have my work included in this distinguished publication. Coincidentally, this magazine will be in the stands at the same time that Generation Y: Song of Hope is showing at the International Quilt Festival Celebrate Spring show in Cincinnati, Ohio. How cool is that?! Wow, this is a memory I will never forget! Thanks Quilting Arts!

The Giving Tree: Unifying Color and Design

2011-03-10T18:28:00.001-06:00

The Giving Tree (Full View)

The Giving Tree or perhaps more appropriately named Friendship Tree measures 37 X17 and was inspired from a week long workshop I took with Hollis Chatellain. We each did 33 compositions in 2.5 days. This is my 34th composition which I began in class. For this piece, I chose to work in a mosaic abstract style. Knowing my propensity to work in verical format, I was urged to stretch myself and opt for a horizontal format instead. It has been said that I

The Giving Tree (Detail View)

love details and so this piece focusses on simplicity. Although slightly less comfortable than what I am used to, it was good way to break habits and start fresh. This lesson on unifying color and design began as a way of communicating a theme that I feel strongly about. Nature is a very big part of my work and what better way to share it then to create my very own Tree of Life. It is named The Giving Tree because aside from the background, it was made from pieces of cloth from each of the students. I really enjoyed the idea of recycling and also bringing home a little part of each of these women that I have over the years grown to love and respect. This is the San Antonio Master Class and we are currently in our sixth year of studies. Our group encompasses artists from all around the United States including Wisconsin, Montana, Hawaii, Colorado and many more. Most importantly, we have all suffered, er I mean struggled together, rejoiced in each other's accomplishments and always have supported one another. I am blessed to be a part of this group of dynamic artists. This post is dedicated to the Festival of the Trees. Please visit http://spiritwhispas.blogspot.com/2011/05/festival-of-trees-59.html .

Nature's Aquarian Keyhole

2011-03-03T12:27:00.001-06:00

Nature's Aquarian Keyhole (Detail View)

Nature's Aquarian Keyhole (Full View)

This waterscape with an underwater cave scene is a piece I have been wanting to do for a couple of years but up until now, I had not felt I could convey the texture in a satisfactory manner. In place of the more traditional colors, I have chosen to work in an analogous color scheme using blue, blue violet, violet and red violet. How to portray the rocky jagged feeling of stalactites and stalagmites has truly been a challenge! After more than a year of thoughts percolating through my mind, I have finally arrived at a very textured and tactile piece. Beginning with a hand dyed raw silk background, the ceiling and floor of the cave were collaged with dyed cotton, silk and acrylic felt to reinforce the main colors of the composition working from dark to light colors.The stalactites and stalagmites were texturized and "painted" with wool roving and dyed cheesecloth to illustrate the calcite formations. The larger freestanding stalagmites seen below are formed from heat distressed interfacing, a technique I learned in a workshop taught by Laura Beehler ( http://www.laurabeehler.com/) . Here, the idea is more subtle in comparison with heat distressed tyvek or lutradur but still offers a slightly upraised textural feel reminiscent of rock formations. Also shown are heat distressed, painted lutradur. Machine appliqued and quilted, the bottom section shows stalagmites in the midground with water depicted in and around the surrounding area. Here, I have used bright fluorescent Highlights trilobal polyester thread made by Superior Thread. The divers seen in the foreground were inked on a silk/cotton blend to provide sheen that is normally seen on spandex like diving suits. The edges of the quilt were completed with a facing.
This piece measures 36.5" X 48.5" and speaks of the many caves found in the Bahamas and Mayan areas. Often referred to as wondrous castles, these caves represent uncharted territories. Approximately 20% of known underwater caves have actually been recorded and scientifically documented. They provide a keyhole to learning about anoxic, oxygen free environments that date back tens of thousands of years ago. Primarily inhabited by crustaceans, scientists have also found numerous microbial populations, jellies and other fish that are mostly translucent and very small in size. To date, over 300 species have been confirmed. Considered to be the last frontier, these caves are very dangerous to explore and many lives have been claimed yet the allure of discovering new life remains. This piece has been very challenging but in the end, I am happy with the tactile and visual appearance. Still, sometimes, after working on a project like this for so long, I can't help asking myself, "What was I thinking?" LOL

Art In Fiber 2011 at The Copper Shade Tree Gallery

2011-02-01T17:46:00.003-06:00

Call of The Wild

The Art In Fiber 2011 Show will be held at The Copper Shade Tree Gallery in Round Top, Texas. You are cordially invited to the Opening Night Reception has been changed to Saturday, February 5th, 2011 from 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Refreshments and wine will be served. There are 22 artists represented in this show that will continue through March 12, 2011. The theme is "Interpretation." Each artist was given a specific subject matter; a 3-D art piece, a poem, or a music selection to interpret and create an 11X14 fiber artwork. Artists who based their work on 3-D artwork entitled "Forest Floor" by Gerald Tobola include Letitia Rogers, Cindy Henneke, Andrea Brokenshire, Lana Book, Jo Sweet, Laura Ann Beehler, Janet Moran and Barbara Nilsson. Those creating artwork based on a poem by David

Eastern Bluebird

Meischen include Barb Forrister, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Suzanne Selb White, Fannie Narte, Kate Owens, Annie Smith and Debbie Geistweidt. Finally, artists selected to create their artwork based on a music arrangement by the Copperleaf Quintet include Martha K. Grant, Martha Tsihlas, Gay Ousley, Jack Brockette, Connie Fahrion, Suzan Engler and Margery Hedges. Moonshadow is my interpretation piece based on the poem. Should be interesting to see how folks interpreted each of the three! The show was juried by Ginny Eckley and promises to be a wonderful and engaging. Come meet the artists on Friday evening. We are a very lively group and would love to see you! Please visit http://coppershadetree.com/index.php to learn more.

Amethyst Garden

The show is comprised entirely of Texas Fiber Artists. Here is a sneak peak at some of my pieces that have been included. Some are 3 dimensional and others are very tactile. Please visit http://www.barbforrister.com/ for more information

Moonshadow

Queen of The Nile

Shadow Dancer: Part IV of Naturescape Gray Scale Series

2011-01-17T08:35:00.000-06:00

Shadow Dancer is Part IV of Naturescape Gray Scale Series and measures 41" X 36." This is my first piece to be completed in the New 2011 Year. In 2010, some of my resolutions included working in larger format, increasing scale, delving into texture and bringing things off the surface in order to create a more 3 dimensional effect. I had hoped that this piece would address all of those resolutions. Additionally, I have always found it more difficult to work solely in black and white and so this piece represented quite a challenge for me. I like to construct alot of my own surfaces by building layer upon layer of fibers. Finding myself short of only black, white and gray, I opted to throw in some of nature's rich truffle like colors for the trees. The trees in the background are made from dyed batting and are machine appliqued. Their canopies are thread painted. The larger two trees in the foreground are composed of upholstery fabrics and have been machine needlefelted with bits of wool roving to add texture. The tree to the left in the foreground is created by adding layers of dyed fabrics and fibers including cotton and cheesecloth to assemble a new cloth reminiscent of tree bark. It is also built up with several layers of batting to provide further dimension. Machine wrapped cording was used to represent ridges in the tree bark. The machine quilting reflects the crevices. The wolf is derived from a sketch and is composed of several layers of various fibers including cotton, velvet, silk and upholstery fibers. His eyes are painted with shiny 3 dimensional acrylic paint. The bush on the right is created in the same manner as mentioned in an earlier post on 3 dimensional foliage. Only this time, they were created in black and white. Machine wrapped cording was constructed and set in place as the stems. Leaves were tacked down in a 3D manner as to allow for the canopy to come off the surface. Machine appliqued and quilted with Aurifil thread.This piece is very tactile and serene. It is dedicated to the wolves that are being threatened today. Please visit Defenders of National Wildlife http://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/wildlife_conservation/imperiled_species/wolves/conferences_and_seminars/wolf_awareness_week.php to read more on the subject. In the end, I am happy with my start to the New Year and have resolved myself to continuing more in this vein by delving into texture and creating more 3dimensional pieces in large scale.

Art In Corridor Quilt Exhibit in Austin, TX

2011-01-12T15:29:00.001-06:00

You are cordially invited to The Art In Corridor Quilt Exhibit sponsored by the Austin Area Quilt Guild. The show will feature more than 40 quilts on display January 10th through Friday, March 4th ranging from traditional to folk art and contemporary to fine art. I will have three pieces there including Autumn Splendor, Moroccan Play and Face of Serenity. Additionally, Group Conversations, a collaboration with Sherry McCauley, Kathy York, Connie Hudson, Barb Forrister, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Frances Holliday Alford, Pearl Gonzalez, Jean Dahlgren and Diane Sandlin will be on display. The Corridor of Art can be found in the lower level walkway connecting Travis County’s recently acquired office building at 700 Lavaca in Austin, Texas to the building’s parking garage. The opening reception will be held on Friday, January 14th from 5pm-8pm and is open to the public. Come meet the artists and peruse through the beautiful exhibit. Many pieces will be offered for sale. Parking is available on the street as well as the parking garage immediately north of the building. Entrance to the garage is on Guadalupe Street. Visitor's parking is located on the second floor. There is a charge for the garage parking and for the street meters. If you park in the garage, take the elevators to the lower level (LL) and the elevator will open straight into the Corridor of Art. If you enter the building via street level, take the escalator down to the lower level. Hope to see you all there!

3Dimensional Fiber Art Trees

2011-01-05T18:15:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year Everyone!!! Over the holidays, I decided to make another 3Dimensional tree. This time, the tree would have a treehouse! You know how they say ideas begin to percolate in your head and you just can't get them out? Well, I have been tossing this idea around for a few months now and it just won't leave me alone so I decided to satisfy my curiosity. Beginning with a 40" length of heavy duty copper wire coil that I purchased from Home Depot, I scored the outer jacket with a utility knife at both ends of the wire. One end was scored approximately 20" from the end while the other end was scored at about 7" from the opposite end. The middle section was left in tact. After scoring the plastic sheath, I ran the utility knife down from the scored line to the ends of the wire on both sides. The outer plastic sheath from the copper wire coil was and stripped at both ends and removed such that wire was exposed at each end with the sheath remaining in the middle. I then placed the length of the wire through a 13" length of PVC pipe. The longer length of exposed copper wires were separated from one another and bent to mimic the branches of the tree canopy. The remaining 7" of coil on the opposite end was left coiled together. In order to stabilize the piece while I worked, I placed the whole entire PVC and bottom portion of the tree in a tall cannister. I then took 2 pieces of approximately 10" coiled wire that was smaller in diameter and stripped the outer sheath to expose several small copper wires running together. The wires were completely separated and used to attach smaller limbs to the larger branches. A good pair of needle nose pliars is suitable for this job. The limbs and branches were wrapped with tsumugi silk blend of fibers and the ends were coiled in a loop to secure the wrapping. Once all the branches and limbs were wrapped, I began adding the foliage. Here, dyed lace and doilies with were cut into small pieces and floral wire was threaded through the holes in the lace and doilies. The opposite ends were twisted onto the branches to provide a canopy cover. The trunk containing the unsheathed wire and PVC pipe was wrapped with brown lace. The bottom exposed wire was fanned out and the ends of the wire were looped to assimilate the roots of the tree. The roots were also wrapped with brown lace to match the trunk. Dyed antique lace, perhaps from a ladies dress, undergarments or even gloves were hand stitched to the trunk of the tree to provide more texture. This piece stands approximately 31" high and has a 24-26" diameter canopy. I think it's a great place for a treehouse. And now, it's back to the drawing board to see what I can come up with for that treehouse. Maybe it might even be a tree village!

Eastern Bluebird

2010-12-15T09:42:00.000-06:00

Eastern Bluebird is a 10X10 fiber art piece that is mounted on a 12X12 painted canvas. Little Boy Blue, an earlier piece shows a Mountain Bluebird which is entirely blue. The Eastern Bluebird however is characterized by it's red breast. This piece is painted and inked on a whole cloth background. The leaves are made in much the same manner as described in the previous post regarding 3D Foliage using Misty Fuse. Here, the leaves are appliqued and tacked down in such a manner as to come off the surface and extend past the edges of the piece itself. I think this allows the artwork and subject to integrate more easily with the canvas and allow for a dynamic interaction. I love breaking the boundaries so to speak! Also, notice how the leaves bend and do not all lie flat on the surface but instead provide more dimensionality to the piece.Edges of the leaves are finished with 3 dimensional paint and the entire piece is completed
with a zig zag stitch along the edges. The canvas was painted blue to bring out the rich color in this male's plumage. Eastern Bluebird is heavily stitched with Superior trilobal polyester thread and rich beautiful colors from Aurifil as well. This piece is Part III of Miniature Naturescape Series following Finding Your Feet (Red Robin) and Tranquility (Yellow Warbler). I am really enjoying this series and still would like to revisit the concept of using the same bird in the first two of the series to recreate Spring and Winter settings. I suppose that will have to wait for another day. Today, I am heading back to the studio to try and finish a large wolf that is part of my Naturescape Grayscale Series. This piece is made of various materials and is very tactile. It also has black Misty Fuse leaves!

3D Foliage using Misty Fuse

2010-11-30T12:33:00.000-06:00

I have had some requests to describe how I make my 3D Foliage using Misty Fuse. The leaves on the left show a wide range of techniques however they all have one thing in common. They all involve the assemblage of materials in layers to make your own cloth. And better yet, most of it is made from scrap materials which in my mind is truly a way of upcycling and "going green." I love this idea! The first thing I do is to gather scrap fabrics and thread snippets from other projects that I have previously sewn. I begin by layering the scraps of fabric with Misty Fuse and thread snippets. I also like to include even smaller pieces of cut up scrap material, yarn, fibers and even a little Angelina fiber for sparkle. The materials are fused together between two sheets of parchment paper or Goddess sheets.

The fibers all adhere to the bottom layer of fabric and become one. The difference between using parchment paper and Goddess sheets is that the parchment paper leaves a matt like background whereas the Goddess sheets impart a shiny appearance. Both are wonderful! The choice of which pressing sheet to use is a personal preference. I personally like to integrate the two together and create both matt and shiny backgrounds as I feel this creates interest. Once the cloth is layered and fused, I lay it down on a piece of timtex or peltex and fuse both together again, with Misty Fuse. The next step is to flip it over and fuse a backing for the underside of the leaf. At this point, you have a piece of peltex that is sandwiched between your assembled cloth and a backing and are now ready to take it to the sewing machine to begin stitching. I free motion stitch the leaves however you can prestencil leaves before stitching. Once the leaf shape is stitched, the veins are set in. Individual leaves are cut out and I use either ink or paint to touch up the edges. This method can be applied to whole cloth and used for a variety of different projects such as wearable art and other projects. Here the ideas are endless.

Moon Shadow: Part 3 of Naturescape Gray Scale Series

2010-11-17T13:58:00.001-06:00

Moon Shadow is Part 3 of my Naturescape Gray Scale Series. It measures 11X14 and is mounted on a stretched canvas. Part 1: Dark Shadow and Part 2: White Lightning focus more on landscapes whereas this piece concentrates on bringing nature up close and increasing scale. Another difference between this piece and the first two in the series is that Moon Shadow was created with an added emphasis on texture. This piece began by gathering and sorting every piece of white to black fabric that I had in my stash including all those wonderful pieces of velvet and upholstery fabrics. Yes, it is true that I did not stay entirely true to grayscale but instead opted for a hint of yellow in the eyes and in other parts of the fur. I think perhaps this added interest. When I first began designing this piece, I did not know if this grey wolf would present itself as feminine or masculine in nature. Once the eyes were in place, she let me know she was a she wolf. It was at that moment that she really started to come alive. The background is a commercial fabric. The wolf was composed of various hand dyed, commercial and upholstery fibers layered with extra batting to give added dimension and shape. My purpose was to really focus on texture and making her coat feel as though it was really indeed fur. This is one of the most tactile pieces I have made so far and I am really happy with the way she came to life. Silvery skeleton leaves were added to make her appear as though she is peering out from a nearby bush. She is named Moon Shadow for two reasons. Her setting is amongst the stars and the moonlight highlights her whitish gray coat. Also, I just love the play on words when I refer to my black and white series in terms of tints and shadows for their names. I am thinking that perhaps I should continue on with one more piece in this series featuring a jet black wolf upon a snow setting. I think that could be quite fun! Just wondering if I actually have the fibers make that piece!!!! In any case, I am really enjoying the idea of bringing nature up close by increasing scale.

Dinner At Eight Artists Meet at Houston IQF 2010

2010-11-10T19:00:00.002-06:00

Wow, just getting back from Houston International Quilt Festival and beginning to blog. This year's exhibits were amazing. I loved the SAQA Sightlines and Creative Force show. Such wonderful artists! Another fantastic show was Beneath The Surface curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison. The exhibit consisted of 37 Dinner At Eight Artists and featured a very strong and diverse body of art. I was unable to make the debut in Long Beach and really was looking forward to seeing the travelling show come to Houston. No photography was allowed in this exhibit but the security guard made an exception to allow me to have my photograph taken in front of my Treasured Waters piece. I really wish I could have photographed the entire exhibit. It was so well done. Kudos to Jamie and Leslie and the folks at IQF. On Friday night, the artists met for dinner to discuss the inspirations for

for their artwork and interpretations of the theme, Beneath The Surface. One theme, so many amazing and different interpretations, each with such powerful stories behind them. Having heard these stories, it was not surprising that this was such a fantastic presentation! What a fabulous group of women! I am truly blessed to be a part of this group. Had a wonderful time visiting with each and every one of the artists that were able to make the journey to Houston. Center left photo shows Linda Minton, Leslie Tucker Jenison and Judy Coates Perez. Below, here I am with Frances Holliday Alford. Good food, good wine and great conversation. And as Rachel says, "Here's to Great Women. May We Raise Them. May We Know Them. May We Be Them." Dinner At Eight Artists present included Jamie Fingal, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Deborah Borschert, Jane Lafazio, Linda Minton, Rachel Parris, Judy Coates Perez, Frances Holliday Alford, Sarah Ann Smith and Barb Forrister. What a fantastic evening!

Studio Art Quilts Associates Inc. Portfolio 17: The Art Quilt Sourcebook

2010-11-03T09:09:00.000-05:00

I am thrilled to announce the release of Studio Art Quilts Associates Inc. Portfolio 17: The Art Quilt Sourcebook. It is hot off the press and this is the first year it is being offered in both digital and hard copy format. This publication showcases work from professional SAQA quilt artists all around the world. This year, my piece, Generation Y: Song of Hope has been honored as People's Choice at The Wesley Art Gallery and received second place at the Austin Area Quilt Guild Changing Gears Show. Kind of funny, since it emulates today's world. To read more, please visit http://freespiritartstudio.blogspot.com/search/label/Generation%20Y%3A%20%20Song%20of%20Hope . This piece can also be found in the Studio Art Quilts Associates Inc. Portfolio 17: The Art Quilt Sourcebook here http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/saqa/portfolio17/#/75/OnePage . To see a digital copy of this catalog, please visit http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/saqa/portfolio17/#/1/OnePage or to order a hard copy, please visit the SAQA store or better yet, stop by Houston International Quilt Festival SAQA booth to pick up your copy in person. This is a wonderful publication that comes out annually. Many thanks to Lisa Chipetine and Cheryl Dineen Ferrin for bringing this wonderful publication to fruition!

Fiber Art Trees and 3D Foliage at Quilting Arts Make It University Open Studios

2010-10-29T16:21:00.001-05:00

I have been invited to demonstrate in the Quilting Arts Make It University Open Studios On Saturday, November 6 from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. I will be demonstrating how to make 3 dimensional fiber art trees and foliage. This tree has been designated as part of The Village Project, a challenge issued by Kathy York. When she first approached me about participating in the project, the whole idea seemed quite intriguing. I knew what I would do for the house but my propensity for nature led me to inquire about trees for the project. The response was, "Go for it!" Never having made a 3 dimensional tree before, I was filled with ideas. About the same time, I was contacted by Lindsey Murray of Quilting Arts Magazine who asked if I might be interested in demonstrating some of my work. This fiber art tree seemed a perfect fit! This has been a challenging but rewarding experience. If you have a chance, please stop by and visit. I would love to see you!

Eye of the Quilter

2010-10-27T09:59:00.000-05:00

Eye of The Quilter is a reflection on words and images. These three photos were selected in a special exhibit to be shown at The International Quilt Festival in November 2010. They reflect inspiration gathered from photos. The top photo, White Ibis was taken at Hilton Head in South Carolina and tells a story. The white ibis as a species is becoming increasingly endangered by humankind. Our desire to take over their habitat continues to displace them. This photo is a reflection of the time and signals that change is imminent. The second photo, Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas is one of the most beautiful places in Central Texas. Spectacular by day, it is even more stunning at night. Amidst the reflection of the water lies a story rich in culture and history. For centuries, people have gathered here and history has been made. The third photo, Glass Menagerie was taken in Round Top, Texas and refers to dreams that are held within the jeweled glass. As we look into the bevelled surface, we can't help getting lost in it's beauty. Our mind reflects on times past and dreams of the future. I am thrilled that these three pieces were chosen to be a part of this special exhibit and look forward to seeing the exhibit in its entirety. I am always amazed at where artists get their inspiration. If you have a chance, please stop by and visit the exhibit at The George Brown Convention Center on November 3-7, 2010.

Artist Village Project

2010-10-15T15:51:00.002-05:00

Beginning of Artist Village

I have been working with bringing more dimension to my work and what better way to try it then making a soft sculpture of an adobe style home? Growing up in New Mexico, the predominant architectural style is Southwest Adobe which is a blend of both Native American as well as Spanish cultures and influences. The Anasazi Indians dating back to the time of Christ were well known for their cliff dwellings and later, pueblo style of living. Their homes resembled stacked rectangular units made of mud. When the Spaniards came to New Mexico in the late 1500s, they began adopting the pueblo style of architecture but with a few differences. Mud adobe bricks were assembled with straw and homes were set apart from one another. Still, centuries later, the two styles merged together to reflect the blending of both cultures. This contemporary southwest adobe is reminiscent of the neighborhood in which I grew up. To mimic this in 3D using fiber has been a challenge. I wanted the piece to be durable and consequently, choices with regards to materials used for structure and foundation were extremely important. The structural forms, I chose resemble styrofoam but are actually ethofoam, a product that when bent does not snap in two as would styrofoam. The walls are composed of layered and quilted fabric with fused windows and doors. The colors employ the traditional earth tone browns and peaches accented with turquoise trim and red rug weavings and chili ristras. This piece is still a work in progress. It will have 5 interconnecting units with vigas incorporated and the roofs will be finished in the traditional style. Pottery will be displayed to further give that Southwest feel. I am stringing a chili ristra and will paint the woven rugs to impart a darker maroon red rather than orangy red. I had thought about making an "chimenea," a traditional outdoor stove but realized it would come down to the stove or the ladder. One would have to be sacrificed and I really like the way the ladder looks at the moment. Though, it is still in the planning stage and anything can still change at this point, for now, I will finish the two remaining units and the tops on all five, one level at a time and see where it takes me. Normally, I do not post works in progress but perhaps I should more often. The finished piece will be set on a twelve inch square and be approximately twenty inches in height. This piece is intended to be part of a collaboration with fourteen international artists and will collectively be called The Village Project. Should be interesting to see what everyone comes up with!

More 3Dimensional Flowers

2010-10-06T10:39:00.008-05:00

I have been working on 3Dimensional flowers lately and this is the second piece I have come up with. It measures 16X12 and is intended to be part of a group collaboration. The purple flowers reminiscent of the the others found in Amethyst Garden are composed in two ways. Two of these flowers are layered with assorted synthetic fabrics and machine thread painted to simulate the lines found in nature. The other purple flower to the far left is made of color catcher sheets that have absorbed excess dye from one of my dyeing sessions. It too is thread painted but in a more subtle way since it is in a shadowed area. In fact, the purple flower to the far right was inked to appear slightly darker than the middle flower but yet lighter than the far left flower. The tiger lilies are comprised of various natural and manmade fibers layered together and finally overlayed with a sheer orange synthetic fiber. Each petal was assembled individually, thread painted and joined together to create the whole flower. The flower was inked and edges were painted with a mixture of acrylic paint and gel medium. The pistils were composed of fibers wrapped together and joined to machine wrapped cording for stems. The leaves and sepals for both types of flowers are made of dyed batting and attached by hand to the stem and base of each flower. Lacy ferns were cut from dyed silk paper and were an absolute bear to make but I am happy with the way they provide a backdrop for the lilies. Once the composition was complete, I layered the hand dyed, background and completely quilted it before attaching any of the 3 dimensional flowers. When I finished quilting the entire piece and laid the design elements back on it, I decided to change the composition yet again. Instead of having the quilted ferns as backdrops where the intended 3Dimensional ferns were to go, I moved the actual ferns to the other side to create repeat design elements from one side to another. Once I was happy with the final design, I proceeded to hand stitch each element down with matching embroidery floss. Edges were finished with a facing. In the end, these purple flowers are probably the same size as the ones in Amethyst Garden but it is the change in background that allows for the Tiger Lilies to be incorporated in a successful manner whereas with Amethyst Garden, the tiger lilies would have overwhelmed the whole piece. All in all, I am happy with the way both pieces turned outand love the way each one seems to take on it's own personality. My next project is a 3dimensional adobe house. Now that should indeed prove to be challenging!!!

Amethyst Garden

2010-09-29T17:49:00.001-05:00

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

2010-09-14T22:11:00.006-05:00

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

2010-09-10T11:57:00.012-05:00

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?

Call of The Wild

2010-08-29T20:17:00.006-05:00

Call of The Wild completed August 2010 measures 26 1/2" x 24 1/4" and is the second piece in Nature Series Part III. Here, I had wanted to portray a more realistic looking bird in a wildlife setting. Inspired from a photo, this Red Bellied Woodpecker is inked on a satin/cotton blend, heat set and machine appliqued to a painted and inked cotton background. When I first created this background, I never knew what would live there. When I placed this bird onto the background, he immediately "moved in and found himself a home!!!" This piece really DID seem to take on a mind of it's own from the very beginning. In the original photo, this bird is resting against a blue sky but simply changing the background to a complementary color really allowed this little guy to have a dominant presence. This has been a very enlightening lesson on color theory and I am really happy with the results. The branches that he rests on are composed of various upholstery materials and dyed lace to convey a bark like texture. Once the composition was complete, I struggled with how to quilt it. Finally, I decided to quilt leaves in the background in shades of muted purple and green. This allowed the background to have texture while not detracting from the main composition. The quilting came out pretty nice though you would never be able to tell from the pictures. Sadly. I lost my Nikon on the way home from South Carolina last month and have not yet replaced it. There is really no substitute for a good camera and I am sorely missing mine!!! Guess I'm in the market for a new camera again.

Key Largo and Margaritaville: Emerald Treasures Part IV and V

2010-08-08T12:23:00.007-05:00

Key Largo pictured above measures 18 1/2" X 19 1/2" and is Part IV of the Emerald Treasures series. Margaritaville, pictured below measures 16 1/2" X 19 1/2" and is Emerald Treasures Part V. Both pieces are painted on antique damask napkin backgrounds as well as the turtles, themselves. They are somewhat 3 Dimensional and built up in layers. The turtle shells are composed of dyed antique lace, needle felted with wool roving, and embellished with beads, imported buttons and trinkets. Hand dyed lace, trims and doilies were soft sculpted to simulate coral and plants found along the ocean floor. This series involves hand and machine applique, and machine quilting with metallic and trilobal polyester threads. Both are available for sale to a good home and can be seen at the Copper Shade Tree Gallery in Round Top. I am really enjoying this series and have plans to begin incorporating wire in the next few pieces to add further lift and dimension to the sea plants. I have also been thinking of lifting the turtles up off of the surface as well and allow them to float more freely on the surface. I am hoping that in trying these new techniques, I might be able to truly create a 3Dimensional piece that lifts off the surface and reaches out to the viewer. Should be fun and challenging. Ideas? Suggestions?

Beneath The Surface Special Exhibit at Long Beach

2010-07-18T13:52:00.008-05:00

Beneath The Surface is a juried invitational exhibit curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Jenison. It features work by 37 Dinner At Eight Artists including Natalya Aikins, Frances Holliday Alford, Loris Bogue, Peggy Calvert, Phyllis Campbell, Paula Chung, Gerrie Congdon, Joanell Connolly, Cindy Cooksey, Jane Davila, Muna Elias, Jamie Fingal, Barb Forrister, Terry Grant, Desiree Habicht, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Pamela Price Klebaum, Sherry Kleinman, Jane LaFazio, Jayne Larson, Linda Teddlie Minton, Susie Monday, Jeannie Moore, Karen Stiehl Osborn, Rachel Parris, Judy Coates Perez, Yvonne Porcella, Wen Redmond, Karen Rips, Carolyn Ryan, Virginia Spiegel, Cynthia St. Charles, Sarah Ann Smith, Ann Turley, Terry Waldron and Kathy York. Each of the artists were interviewed and their responses along with a photo of themselves and their artwork can be found on the Dinner At Eight website. My interview can be seen here http://dinnerateightartists.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-05-10T06%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7 Treasured Waters pictured above is my interpretation of Beneath The Surface and measures 36 X 48. It is a 3Dimensional piece that is painted and dyed. You can read more about it here http://freespiritartstudio.blogspot.com/2010/03/treasured-waters.html It is available for purchase through International Quilt Association. Please visit http://www.barbforrister.com/naturescapes/treasured-waters to learn more about this piece. Also, please visit http://dinnerateightartists.blogspot.com/ for more information about the exhibit which will premiere at The International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, California on July 22-25 at The Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. July 22 (Preview Night) - 5-9 p.m. July 23 & 24 - 10 a.m.-7 p.m. July 25 - 10 a.m.-3 p.m. If you are unable to come to the festival, you can preview Beneath The Surface special exhibit by visiting http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1445151 where you can read about each of the artists and see their artwork. This special exhibit has been graciously sponsored by Moore's Sewing Centers and Brother International. The exhibit will continue onto Houston on November 4-7, 2010 at The International Quilt Festival and will be sponsored by our own Iris Karp of Attached Inc. (Misty Fuse). I am so blessed and honored to be a part of this special exhibit and am really looking forward to seeing every ones interpretation of Beneath The Surface.

Feels So Good and Red Dawn

2010-07-04T14:04:00.003-05:00

Feels So Good is a small abstract piece mounted on an 8X10 canvas. It consists of cotton layered with dyed cheesecloth, Angelina Fibers and ribbon. It is machine appliqued and quilted and just seemed like a "fun, feel good" piece. Haven't been in the studio for a while and it DID feel so good to be back in the swing of things.

Red Dawn is part of the small landscape series and is composed of cotton, wool roving, dyed cheesecloth and Angelina fibers. It is needle felted, machine appliqued and quilted with metallics and heavier 30 wt thread from Caryl Bryer Fallert's "Brytes' line from Superior. I have had this thread for a while but really haven't had a chance to use it. Have to say it quilts beautifully and I love the look of the heavier thread. Red Dawn is also mounted on 8X10 canvas. Both are available at the Copper Shade Tree Gallery in Round Top, TX. Please visit http://coppershadetree.com/ for more information.

Austin Fiber Artists Show and Sale at the Wesley Gallery

2010-06-22T17:46:00.004-05:00

The Austin Fiber Artists will be celebrating their 3rd Annual Show and Sale at The Wesley Gallery. Opening night reception will be held on Friday, June 25 from 6-9 p.m. The show will continue through Sunday, June 27, 2010. Please stop by and bring a friend. We would love to see you. My entries for the show include Emerald Treasures and Generation Y: Song of Hope along with many other wonderful pieces of art that will be available for sale. Please visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=131460140214970 to find out more about this event.

Rainbow Pixel Project

2010-06-14T12:34:00.006-05:00

Rainbow Pixel Project measures
60.5" x 39" and is a group collaboration with Kathy York, Leslie Jenison, Connie Hudson, Sherri Mc Cauley, Frances Holliday Alford and Barb Forrister. It was Kathy's idea to come up with 2 inch blocks that were all different in appearance and spanned the whole spectrum of the rainbow, ROYGBIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet). Each block was to be viewed as an individual work of art. Each week we met to show our latest creations. This was an absolutely fantastic way of experimenting with new ideas and mediums. The sky was the limit when it came to types of materials used and techniques incorporated. This quilt consists of cottons, sheers, velvets, ribbons, stitched and painted, needle felted, embroidered, appliqued, heat distressed, hand dyed, foiled, batiqued. You name it. It is probably represented here. I am not sure how many blocks were finally used in this piece but I think the count was approximately 700 2 inch squares. This piece came together so quickly, it was amazing. The first day we met to actually start designing it, about a third of the quilt was pieced together immediately. The last picture shows the back of the quilt before overlaying organza. Kathy did a marvelous job with the photography and it is a show stopper for sure!

Coloring Outside the Blocks: Artists Do Lunch

2010-06-11T16:00:00.013-05:00

Artists Do Lunch measures 77.5" x 51" and is a group collaboration with Leslie Jenison, Frances Holliday Alford, Kathy York, Connie Hudson, Sherri Mc Caulley and Barb Forrister. Frances set the plan in motion. We began with a muslin tablecloth which was spread on the table during our Art Bee meetings. We took turns rotating the tablecloth such that everyone had a chance at some point to work on all parts of it. Once the cloth was almost completely painted, it was divided into 6 equal portions. Each of us went home with a piece which we were to further embellish and quilt. We were also supposed to incorporate black and white somehow in our individual pieces to unify them altogether. Additionally, we were to create a symbol that was unique to each one of us and stamp it in various places of our individual piece. My symbol was a leaf which can be seen on two of the headresses with single eyes. I am still uncertain as to how the eyes managed to work their way into the pieces but they certainly have a presence. It reminds me of the saying in Avatar, "I see you." Funny, how we seem to have an influence on one another even when we are in different places. Frances is in Vermont and Leslie is in San Antonio and still the eyes are present in both their pieces. Kind of uncanny! Once the individual pieces were finished, we met again and cut them in half to reassemble them into the final design. We decided a black and white patterned border would further strengthen and enhance the design elements. This piece was alot of fun to make and somehow symbolizes the bonds that we have all forged and the good times we had visiting with one another. It is here where many voices come together as one.

Key Largo (Emerald Treasures IV)

2010-05-24T22:04:00.002-05:00

Key Largo, The Diving Capital of the World is the largest living coral reef barrier in the United States. It contains more than 55 types of coral and is home to a large variety of marine life. Inspired by the many Emerald Treasures surrounding the island, Key Largo represents a personal challenge to use "old" materials to create something completely different from what they were originally intended. The backdrop is an upcycled damask napkin that was painted with acrylics. The turtle itself was also painted on damask napkins. The shell is painted with both acrylic and gel medium, appliqued with dyed lace and PVC vinyl, needle felted with wool roving and embellished with beads and trinkets. The fins and tail feature painted, heat distressed cellophane and textiva. The sea floor is composed of dyed lace, trims, bullion, doilies and painted, heat distressed tyvek that is soft sculpted to resemble a variety of coral and sea anenomes. A closer look at the floor reveals five glass beaded fish. This piece is hand and machine appliqued, machine quilted with metallic and trilobal polyester thread. Edges are finished with a facing. Key Largo is part IV of Emerald Treasures series with another one on the way. Since the April 20th oil spill, millions of gallons of oil have leaked into the Gulf of Mexico, further compromising these deep sea treasures.

Welcome to My Garden

2010-05-06T15:18:00.003-05:00

I've been exploring various inks on the market, today. I've always used Tsukineko inks but I really had no idea how many different types are available for working on fabric. I think this has alot to do with the huge surge of scrap booking. I bought all kinds of markers and pens ranging from Marvy, Zig Millenium, DecoColor, Y&C Fabric Mate, Pigma to Pentel Gel Rollers for fabrics. All were acid free and of archival quality. All had very unique characteristics, though for writing text, the pigma and gel rollers seemed to work the best. Armed with inks in hand, I began sketching my ideas onto paper. Once my design was complete, I tried inking text as the veins on leaves. Welcome to My Garden was designed to encourage fond memories of time spent in the garden. The leaves on the right bear the words, “welcome” and “garden” in languages including French, German, Italian, Swahili, Spanish, Norwegian and many more. It reaches out to people from all around the world through text and beckons visitors to enter the garden and gather inspirational phrases like they would flowers. Here, many things have been planted and cultivated ranging from flowers, vegetables, teas, herbs to dreams for the future. These seedlings brought to full fruition are captured by phrases found on the leaves of the plant to the left. They include messages about special times experienced with friends and family, secrets whispered, conversations held and intimate moments from long, long ago. It is so tranquil that it seems to invite the recollection of the last time I walked through the garden, hand in hand with my lover or shared a cup of tea with my best friend. As the memories flashed before me, I soon found myself reaching back to my own childhood memories and the sensations I experienced when I first walked through grass and felt the blades between my toes or breathed the scent of a favorite and endearing flower. It is here, where I am reminded of the past. It is here where I have learned to dream. This whole cloth piece was completed on May 5, 2010 and measures 34 X 33. It is inked and painted on a 50/50 silk/cotton fabric. The inks on the silk blend left a beautiful sheen. The hedges in the background are painted with acrylic and overlaid with natural and manmade fibers to add texture. The stamens of the flowers are hand embroidered. This is the first time I have used 50/50 bamboo/cotton batting. I was a little worried about how it would quilt but luckily I had no problem at all. The machine quilting went quite well. This piece came together so quickly. I really enjoyed working on it and best of all, it makes me smile when I see it.

Treasured Waters

2010-03-07T19:32:00.004-06:00

Treasured Waters completed in March 2010 measures 36X48. and is my rendition of a coral reef which is done in a more fiber art style. This piece was created for a special exhibit, "Beneath The Surface" curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison of Dinner At Eight Artists. The exhibit will make its debut in Long Beach, California July 22-25, 2010 at International Quilt Festival and is sponsored by Moore's Sewing Centers and Brother International. This is my first juried invitational and I am truly honored and thrilled to be in such good company!!! If you click on the pictures, you can see a more detailed view. The background is composed of a cotton/silk blend fabric painted with Setacolor paints to show the water as it changes from a light to a dark hue. The ocean floor has sheer backdrops and consists of sea plants made from dyed lace and doilies accompanied by heat distressed plastic and tyvek to similate rocks. The coral reef is made from dyed cheesecloth that is sculpted to give a rough coral feel. I tried to blend the floor by painting with Setacolor and Lumiere paints to show the coral reef extending into the background. The turtle shell is composed of commercial and hand dyed/painted fibers that are needlefelted and further embellished with beads. The head, fins and tail are painted and quilted before attaching to the main quilt such that they appear to float over the surface. The leafy seadragon was also painted and quilted with extra layers of batting to give dimension. His leafy like structures are composed of painted lutradur. The fish on the right is appliqued with a tulle overlay. The smaller fish on the left are actual plastic play fish which have been drilled and hand sewn to the sea anenome. The sea anenome itself is a repurposed dyed "bun warmer" made of three doilies sewn together that buttons in two places to become dimensional. I love the way the clown fish are swimming in and out of the anenome. The jelly fish are comprised of textiva, tulle and sheer overlays with their tentacles made of banana fibers, yarn, cheesecloth and painted dryer sheets. This piece has taken me two months to make and was a bear to quilt due to the 3 dimensional aspect. It is called "Treasured Waters" because it speaks of the coral reefs which presently comprise 1% of the ocean floor. It is these coral reefs that house almost half of the types of marine life today. However, due to bleaching and pillaging, these very same reefs are projected to be extinct by the year 2050, a mere forty years away. Measures are being taken to protect our coral reefs but for now these treasured waters maintain a coexistence of the reefs and marine life that is unparralleled to any other. Some would say they are the rainforests of the ocean not only providing sustenance to marine life but also holding vital medicinal properties such as extracts and minerals that are currently being tested and used to treat cancer, AIDS, inflammatory disorders and many more ailments. Previously, large amounts of tissue samples were needed to extract these hormones and minerals but through today's bioengineering advances, we are able to replicate these treasured samples by using the smallest amounts of tissue. It is imperative that we protect these treasured waters in much the same way that we strive to protect our rainforests. Please visit http://dinnerateightartists.blogspot.com/ for more information.

Textile Twists in 2010 at Tokyo Electron

2010-03-06T01:06:00.010-06:00

The Austin Fiber Artists have been invited to exhibit at Tokyo Electron which is located at 2400 Grove in Austin, Texas (just off HW71 and Montopolis). Tokyo Electron had two Opening receptions on February 24th, one to greet the employees and the second one to greet the public at large. Here you can see the artists taking a short break between the two. There are over 30 pieces of artwork that were juried by Beverly Mangham who also graced us with a talk about the artists and how their work was juried into the show. Additionally, the Austin Fiber Artists collaborated on a spring theme group project called "Primavera" where 27 individual artists each contributed a 6X24 art piece that was later mounted onto panels as seen above. Primavera so wonderfully captures the vast talent of folks in AFA by featuring quilted, needle felted, sculpted and woven pieces. I have two pieces in the show. Vertical Horizon was completed especially for the Tokyo Electron show and is composed of six 12'" wide pieces that are joined by connectors to compose 65" in total height. This piece may be displayed vertically or horizontally as desired and is made of African mudcloth and textiles, gelatin monoprinted sheers, heat distressed plastics and tyvek, and handmade beads. There are alot of symbols incorporated in this piece which relate back to life cycles as they pertain to the sun and moon. Spherical Illusion on the other hand is part of an abstract series I have been working on and measures 16.5 X 20.5. It is composed of hand dyed and screen printed, painted fabrics and is machine appliqued and quilted. Both are for sale and are available to a good home. Please visit Tokyo Electron and peruse the exhibit where you will be delighted to find all forms of fiber art.

The Art In Fiber Exhibit at The Copper Shade Tree Gallery

2010-02-03T11:08:00.008-06:00

The Copper Shade Tree Gallery will have the Art In Fiber exhibit
from February 5th through March 7th. They are located in Round Top, Texas and feature fiber art from 24 artists including Diane Sandlin, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Barb Forrister, Linda Teddlie Minton, Annie Smith, Nancy Dickey, Pam Farley, Laura Beehler, Fanny Narte, Lisa Kerpoe, Martha Tsihlas, Malissa Long, Denna Crain, Linda Sura, Jack Brockette, Sylvia Weir, Mary Macauley, Jo Sweet, Connie Marie Fahrion, Letitia Rogers, Martha Grant, Marilynn Barber, Bobbe Nolan and Susan King. There will also be a book for sale titled "American Landscapes" which captures work from each of the artists. The show will consist of 96 fiber artworks that have been created exclusively for the Copper Shade Tree Gallery. These are some of my pieces that will be at the gallery. Please visit http://www.coppershadetree.com/ for more details. All artwork is for sale and best of all, they have a layaway plan! The Opening night reception will be Friday, February 5th and is open to everyone. Please stop by and visit the artists and their artwork. It should be a fantastic show.

Vertical Horizon

2010-01-28T08:43:00.004-06:00

Vertical Horizon measures 12 X 65 and was completed this month for an exhibit at Tokyo Electron in February 2010. About a year ago, I began playing with gelatin monoprinting on textured sheers. I really liked the results but at the time did not know what to do with them. They finally found their way onto this piece as backgrounds associated with mud cloth, upholstery and cotton fabrics. Since this work was created for a fiber show, I had hoped to continue building on the textural aspect. I began adding colored heat distressed plastics such as cellophane and tyvek as well as handmade fabric beads that again, I had made quite some time ago. Collages were put together on individual panels and beads were attached with embroidery floss on each piece. The panels are linked together by small quilted connector pieces that were further embellished with collaged fabrics and beads as well. Originally this piece was designed to hang vertically as shown but somewhere along the way, I got this idea that it might be cool to have it hang horizontally instead. Sleeves were sewn along the back to make it hang horizontally and the idea was to have a copper rod running through each panel such that you could see the metal as it traversed from panel to panel. I really liked the way this looked but when I took it to my art bee, Kathy mentioned that it would receive more "eye time' hanging vertically and so I sewed additional sleeves to accomodate the new or rather original orientation. Hence this piece can be hung verically or horizontally as desired. Though I prefer working in representational designs, I have tried to be flexible and work in abstract manner as well. Still, this piece is a departure from what I am used to doing. I am hoping it is received well because I really enjoyed playing with the connector pieces and am inspired to continue in this vein.

Sir William

2010-01-22T16:17:00.003-06:00

Sir William completed on January 22, 2010 is the first piece in Part III of my Nature Series. Here the focus is on texture and individual types of birds. This little guy started out as a Williamson Sapsucker but after my creative licensing, looks more like a warbler of some sort. The background was painted in an abstract manner with acrylics and 3 Dimensional paints. Branches were raw edge appliqued and leaves of various types were added. Some are machine embroidered; others are composed of painted lutradur, dyed batting and fiber etched leaves. Sir William was made from snippets of fabric to give a feathery appearance. For some, it jars the mind to have placed a representational image on an abstract background but I really like juxtaposing the one on top of the other. Gives it a different feeling altogether. What do you think?

Calypso: Working In Series

2009-11-24T12:32:00.005-06:00

Calypso is Part II of Emerald Treasures Series and measures 19 1/2" X 23." Completed today, on November 24, her shell is made of both commercial and hand dyed/painted fabrics. The shell is needlefelted with hand dyed cheesecloth and wool roving and heavily beaded to similate the jewels of the sea. This piece is painted with both Lumiere and Setacolor paints. The sea coral consists of cheesecloth that is sculpted to resemble the coral found on reefs. Her appendages are allowed to float giving her a more three dimensional appearance. The tortoise shell is also composed of several layers of batting which helps to give the illusion of her dome shaped back. I love making these pieces. They are so playful and fun and they provide a great project at night when I am watching the football games! I currently have about five series (Emerald Treasures, Egyptian Queens, Gray Scale, Abstract and Nature) with which I am engaged and am having a great time adding new artwork to each. Everyday is a new experience!

Beloved Companion

2009-11-16T18:18:00.010-06:00

Beloved Companion is Part II of the Egyptian Series. The first piece in this series was Queen of The Nile, a tribute to Cleopatra. This piece celebrates Nefertiri. History tells us that Nefertiri was the Royal Wife of Ramses II. She was married to him when she was only 13 years old and he a mere 15 years of age. At the time, Ramses had not even taken the throne. They were said to have had quite a love life and Ramses even refers to her as the "One for whom the sun shines." After they ascended to the throne, he seems to have taken her on as Co Regent of Egypt. Later, he had a temple built at Abu Simbel and dedicated it to Nefertiri. In fact, many of the ancient artwork depicted during this time shows him to be at eye level with her whereas traditionally, the Queen was always portrayed smaller than the Pharaoh to distinguish His superiority. It is not known when she died but she is said to have had one of the most elaborate tombs in The Valley of The Queens. She is known by many titles including Beautiful Companion and Queen of Upper and Lower Egypt. This piece was completed November 16, 2009 and measures 17 X 25 and is mounted on a 24 X 30 canvas. The background is composed of upholstery fabric that is reminiscent of papyrus. Their skin is made of hand dyed fabric and his clothes consist of silk dupioni and commercial fabrics. Nefertiri's clothes are hand painted with Stewart Gill paints. Their necklaces are gold foiled and painted with setacolor ultramarine blue paint mixed with clear gel medium to impart a jewel like lapis tone. Her headdress is painted with sparkling mica and pigment watercolor paints along with gold foiling. Here, Ramses is pictured offering Nefertiri a Lotus plant which is symbolic of rebirth and renewal. The Egyptian cartouches stamped above are their names, Ramses and Nefertiri. This piece was so much fun to make as I was allowed to just play with new and exciting mediums.

SAQA Portfolio 16

2009-10-26T14:57:00.003-05:00

Portfolio 16 is hot off the press and made its debut at The International Quilt Festival in Houston this month. It is an absolutely phenomenal book featuring the works of many artists who are professional members of Studio Art Quilts Association. The organization is international and sponsors fiber exhibits throughout the world. This year, I have a piece titled "Life's A Beach" in Portfolio 16. The book is published once a year with new works from its members. It is used as a marketing tool for approaching galleries and museums with samples of our work. The board has decided that next year we will be going digital and using a CD rather than a book format consequently this year marks the last of the Portfolio books. They are such a treasure. I will miss seeing them. I suppose for me, there's something about the look and feel of a book as opposed to spending more time in front of screens viewing art. Some things are just not the same on screen as they are in "hands" under more leisurely conditions. What do you think? Do you prefer looking at a book or looking at images on screens?

Houston IQF 2009

2009-10-21T09:15:00.004-05:00

This year's IQF for me will always be one to remember! I took part in a few Make It University classes, one by Jane Davila making mini collages. She was a wonderful teacher! Another taught by Leslie Riley featuring TAP, a way to transfer vibrant images to fiber. That was so cool!!! Yet another class taught by Lois Jarvis showed how to rust fabric. Am looking forward to seeing the results. And finally, a workshop taught by my dear friends, Leslie Tucker Jenison and Jamie Fingal involving making your own stamps. Here the possibilities are endless and so much fun. I also had the privilege of participating in the Quilting Arts Surviving the Runway. When Pokey showed us the prizes, I just knew I had to win that portable design wall! I've been wanting one for years and it all breaks down into a cute little duffle bag. The fashion designers on the floor included Leslie Tucker Jenison, Jamie Fingal, Judy Coates Perez and Melanie Testa all of whom helped me to accessorize with earrings, a headband and even more things that we will not go into here!!! After having made my bra, we took to the floor to show off our creations and be judged. I was floored when I took first place! How cool is that?!!! All in all, I had a great time and they were wonderful!!! In addition to my design wall, I won a wonderful set of threads from Aurifil, a beautiful set of fabrics from Moda, fantastic textile paints and a gift certificate from ProChem, lovely lutradur, timtex, fast 2 fuse, paints, inks and an apron from Liquitex and so much more. Good thing, Kharon was there to help me carry it back to the hotel!!! Thanks Pokey!!! I am absolutely loving it all! For sure this year will always be one to remember! To see more pictures from the runway floor, please visit http://leslietuckerjenison.blogspot.com/2009/10/surviving-runway-tim-gunn-wannabes-l-r.html

Naturescape Gray Scale Series: Part 1 and 2

2009-10-09T16:15:00.017-05:00

Naturescape Gray Scale Series is an ongoing study in learning to see value and work in gray tones. The idea of working this way was first put forth to me by Pamela Allen. I remember her wanting us to do a black and white still life. Dark Shadow is more of what I envisioned. Dark Shadow completed in January 2009 is Part 1 of Naturescape Gray Scale Series and measures 25 X 29. It is made of both natural and synthethic fabrics and fibers, machine appliqued and quilted. My goal was to capture light and shadows in a forest scene. The trees that are situated in the background appear lighter whereas the two in the midground are midtones. The tree closest to us in the foreground is very dark and it is where this piece gets it's name, Dark Shadow. I can still remember feeling that it would be the first and last black and white quilt I would ever do!!! I absolutely love color and this was a difficult piece for me to make. Still, nine months later, it is calling me back again.

White Lightning is Part 2 of Naturescape Gray Scale Series and measures 20 1/2 X 25 1/2. It was completed on October 5, 2009 and mounted to 24 X 30 black canvas. This piece was inspired from a photo that I converted to black and white. Once the pattern was made, it was transferred onto muslin. I began sorting out fabrics into seven piles ranging from white to black, a method I learned from Katie Pasquini Mausopust. Working from the actual photo, I matched colors of fabric to complete the picture. Once the design was complete, I fused everything down and layered it up for quilting. Initially I had intended to stay true to gray scale tones, but I soon realized that just the slightest hint of color really made a big difference. The whitest snow was quilted with the palest tint of pink to impart a glow to the snow, hence the name, White Lightning. Had I quilted it in white, it would have disappeared into the background. Indeed the snow that shows depth as it meets the river was quilted in white though at first glance it does not appear so. The snow underneathe the bushes to the left was quilted with a dull medium purple to convey shadows. The river is quilted in white, black and gray. This has been a very interesting study on value and a very valuable learning experience. And I love the play on words for both of these pieces, Dark Shadow and White Lightning. I have already chosen the next piece in this series and can't wait till I get back from Houston so I can begin working on it!!! Perhaps by then, I will have come up with a name for it. LOL

Queen of The Nile

2009-09-23T11:31:00.007-05:00

Queen of The Nile was inspired by a love for Egyptian Hieroglyphic paintings on papyrus. I wanted to see if I could transfer an original design onto fiber and impart the feel of the paper and the graphics of the Egyptian culture. This piece measures 17" X 19 3/4." A sketch was first drawn of the Queen sitting upon her throne. Palm fronds tend to be a reocurring theme and consequently she is portrayed here holding a couple of fronds in her hands. Her throne is painted with fiber paints, gold foiled and stitched with decorative threads. The Egypyian heiroglyphics seen in the four cartouches were stamped with gold paint and outline stitched to give more definition. The large cartouch pictured in lapis behind her spells out the greatest Queen of all, Cleopatra. The remaining three cartouches above her are meant to be seen as writings on the wall. This piece is machine appliqued and quilted, painted, gold foiled and stamped. The quilting was done in an effort to impart patterns and textures that you see in Egyptian artwork. The piece was finished with a facing such that it is allowed to float rather than be contained by borders. Queen of The Nile was mounted onto a red painted canvas and measures 24X30. All in all, I am pleased with the results and am ecstatic that I was finally able to use those stamps I purchased a few years ago while on a visit to Estes Park. I have never used stamps in my work before but these particular ones seemed to suit the design. Perhaps next time, I will do a piece entitled The Betrothed where the Pharoah offers his Queen palm fronds. Truly this piece came together so quickly and was a joy to make.

Austin Bergstrom International Airport Austin Fiber Artists 2009 Exhibit

2009-09-09T16:30:00.009-05:00

Today, I just visited the airport. The Austin Fiber Artists have been invited to exhibit at The Austin Bergstrom International Airport. The exhibit is currently on display and will run through November 3 in the Airside West Gallery located on the concourse behind The Book People bookstore across from Gate 10. The exhibit can only be seen in the airport past security checkpoints. It contains artwork from many different artists including Kharon Clark, Martha Tshilas, Jean Dahlgren, Pam Farley, Barb Forrister, Mary Ann Vaca Lambert, Diana Ramirez, Ruthie Powers, Caryl Gaubatz, Dena Crain, Barbara Sandberg, Dee Merrell and many more. The art ranges from beautiful hand dyed fabrics, hand woven pieces, art quilts, knitted work, needle felted hats to folded fabric origami mobiles. It is an absolutely fanta
stic display. If you are travelling to or through Austin, this is a wonderful site to see. In the baggage claim area, they have several very large guitars that have been hand carved and painted to commemorate Austin's music life that is home to Austin City Limits. You can read more about it on the the airport's art exhibits page listed here at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/austinairport/nr_fabric_909.htm In addition, to their visual art exhibits, they have live music playing periodically. Such a fantastic treat for both eyes and ears!

The Story of Emerald Treasures

2009-09-03T09:53:00.007-05:00

Some folks have asked that I post the story of Emerald Treasures so that it might be an inspiration to other artists who have had pieces damaged. I can tell you there is hope even when all seems to be lost. In July, Emerald Treasures was featured in the International Quilt Festival Commemorative Catalogue as one of the Selected Exhibits for West Coast Wonders II. It can also be seen on their website http://www.quilts.com/lbqf09/enVivo/vidcasts.html under Vidcasts and Selected Special Exhibits West Coast Wonders II. This is such exciting news to me as this quilt has a story of it's own. Completed a year ago, this month, Emerald Treasures was accepted into the American Legacy Quilt Show in Tifton, Georgia along with it's counterpart "Life's A Beach." It was the first time out for both of these quilts and I was thrilled to hear that "Life's A Beach" placed second while "Emerald Treasures" placed third in the Art Quilt Category. Upon their return home, however, the box got caught in a conveyor belt and Emerald Treasures was badly damaged. The picture above shows some of the damage. Her head was decapitated and large chunks of her shell were missing. There were several holes clear through the quilt. After taking her to an appraiser, the quilt was deemed irreparable. She sat on my table for weeks until I got the call from IQF that she had been accepted into West Coast Wonders II travelling venue scheduled to debut in Long Beach, California. This glimmer of hope that she could be restored helped spur me along. I painted another head and began repairing her shell. I was so lucky to have some of the beads left over from when she was first made. Still, there were holes that extended clear through all three layers of the quilt and a nasty gash near her neck. The holes were repaired with Misty Fuse and the gash was covered by adding a layer of dyed scrim to simmilate a shadow below. At last, she was able to travel once more and for that, I was extremely grateful. I was happy enough to settle for that peace of mind knowing that she could once again be seen and enjoyed by others. Imagine the thrill when one of my dear friends who was visiting the show emailed me a copy of her featured in the IQF catalogue! It brought tears to my eyes knowing that she was being received well and that the extra effort in resurrecting her had paid off. It is only recently, that I am able to look back on things and tell my story with a happy ending. And so there is hope even when things seem otherwise. Happy Birthday, Emerald Treasures! Live long and prosper.

Landscape Series

2009-08-20T10:21:00.011-05:00

These are the first two pieces in my smaller set of landscape series. They are 10X10 fiber art mounted on a 12X12 canvas. The first one is a picture from my own imagination. It reminds me of my own private retreat; somewhere I would like to go to just enjoy nature's beauty. It's almost like a hideaway. I have been stuggling for a name for this piece and as of yet have not found one. Any suggestions would be welcome. The second piece was composed from a picture that a friend took while on vacation. It is reminiscent of a peaceful oasis garden and hence I have named it "The Oasis." Funny how some artwork seem to be born with names while others are harder to convey with titles and more easily expressed with thoughts and images. I would like to put forth a few more additions to this series and see where it takes me. At the moment, I am thinking I like the images born of my own imagination better than those set before me. What do they say? The images concocted from your mind are always better than the images you see before you? I wonder if that is really true.

Design Studies

2009-06-16T17:13:00.013-05:00

Elliptical Illusion is the first quilt in this abstract series that was derived from a design study using colored paper as a medium. I have always struggled with composition and so I have been trying to focus on improving my skills. The idea was to concentrate on composition with design principles in mind. I began using painted or dyed paper along with palletes of color from magazines. The thought was to make the "mistakes" on paper first before using fabric. Once the design was complete, it could be transferred to fiber. The first picture shows the original design on paper. It is called Elliptical Illusion I and measures 9 X 12. The background paper was dyed and inked and the elliptical shapes were cut from magazines. Would you believe the largest shape is actually part of a jackolantern? I thought it was pretty cool and added texture to the piece. When this design was transferred to fiber, I decided to work with a more red pallette in conjunction with blue. The resulting Eliptical Illusion II measures 23 1/4 X 31 and has a more organic feel to it. It is almost like skipping stones ricocheting across the water while the original piece has more of a planetary feel to it. Both are neat pieces and although they have the same design, the background and color pallettes were changed making them quite different in appearance. With that thought in mind, I moved on to the next set in the series called Industrial Revolution, so named for its industrial feel of corrugated metal and revolving spheres. Since the first set was so different from one another, I tried to stay true to the original design in the second set. Industrial Revolution I measures 6 X 9 and the background was taken from a magazine advertisement. It is the corrugated metal you see on the back end of trucks. Here my goal was to create a bold yet simple design by using three objects that varied both in size and color to show depth. Once I was happy with the composition, I began by transferring it to fiber. Cylindrical shapes were painted on a rayon background to mimic the corrugated metal from the paper design. Narrow strips of fabric ranging from short light to a long dark and muddied blue were fused onto the painted wholecloth background along with three spheres ranging from a small orangish to a dark deep red color. The piece was satin stitched and layered. Each of the raised cylindrical shapes on the background was outline quilted and the spaces between them were stippled in a vermicelli style to make the corrugated metal pop out. Industrial Revolution II measures 15 3/4 X 21. Both fiber and paper pieces are very similar to one another. My only regret is that I should have added more shading to the fiber. Other than that, they are pretty close. This has been an interesting study on design and I have learned that just a few simple changes really can alter the feel of a design. I really enjoyed this exercise and am inspired to make a third set for this series. Perhaps something with a more organic feel or who knows, maybe those magazine pages will once again have a significant impact!!!

Generation Y: Song of Hope

2009-05-13T20:07:00.008-05:00

Generation Y: Song of Hope measures 45.25" X 49.5" and has been in the making for almost a year. The background was inked and painted. The branches are made from various upholstery fabrics and dyed antique lace to impart a rough and rugged barklike texture. The birds were sketched from photos and transferred to fabric. They were then painted with setacolor textile paints, layered with several layers of batting, quilted with a finished backing and tacked onto the branches in such a way that they exhibit a 3Dimensional aspect. The nest was knitted and the young jay is strategically tucked in place to create further depth. The leaves are made from a variety of materials and methods including fused cotton, dyed lutradur, painted light weight fusible interfacing, painted timtex and tyvek, and thread painted free motion embroidery on solvy. Other materials used to create the leaves include fibers, color catcher sheets and textiva. All in all, I think I counted 10 different ways these leaves were made. Someday, I would like to write an article about them. There are approximately 70 leaves in these tree branches. Some of the leaves are completely stitched down to give the illusion of becoming background. Others are tacked down and allowed to float over and on top of the birds giving a canopy effect. I tried to vary both the size and color of the leaves to differentiate the background, midground and foreground. This piece is three dimensional and was a bear to quilt!!!! Edges were pillowcased and some of the leaves float off the edges. This piece was created in response to the current times. The old Burrough Oak tree provides shelter for this family who is preparing to send the next generation into the world. They have seen hardship and are now looking for change, to become stronger as a result of the struggles they have endured. Generation Y pertains to individuals born in the 80s and 90s who are now entering into the work force and it is this generation that is hit the hardest with the current economic struggle. They come often strapped with debt from their education into a world where times are difficult and even the most immediate future seems uncertain. They represent hope for our future and mankind. And so, we sing the song of hope for Generation Y. This post is dedicated to the Festival of the Trees. Please visit http://spiritwhispas.blogspot.com/2011/05/festival-of-trees-59.html .

American Legacy Quilt Show: Creating Tomorrow's Treasures

2009-04-16T17:38:00.004-05:00

Have been awaiting my return shipment from the show when I received a distressing call from Fed Ex saying that the box that it was shipped in got caught in the conveyor belt, ripped the box and damaged my quilt. I am heartbroken as this is the first time my quilts have actually placed in a juried event. The lady from the Fed Ex Damaged Dept was very kind but could not tell me if the quilt could be fixed or not. Still not sure how a conveyor belt can break through a box or how much damage has been done. Will have to wait and assess the damage upon its return. Words cannot describe what I am feeling right now. On the bright side of things, and I always try to see the good in everything, both of my quilts won! "Life's A Beach" received second place and "Emerald Treasures" placed third. Both Caroline Benefield and Jane Rodgers from the quilt show have been extremely apologetic through no fault of their own and very kind and helpful in providing me with information and helping me to process my claim through Fed Ex. Am crossing my fingers that things go well and that I can somehow repair the damage to "Emerald Treasures." Wish me luck!!!

American Legacy Quilt Show in Georgia

2009-04-13T14:26:00.006-05:00

I just received news that Emerald Treasures placed third in the Art Category Division for the American Legacy Quilt Show in Tifton, Georgia. The Georgia Agrirama Foundation and The Wiregrass Quilters Guild sponsored the event that was held at the University of Georgia Conference Center from April 9-11, 2009. The theme was Creating Tomorrow's Treasures and was judged by Brenda Kalata, an NQA certified judge from St. Augustine, Fla. There were 108 competition quilts, nine presidential quilts, 14 antique quilts, and a Log Cabin raffle quilt. This was Emerald Treasures first time away from home and I am touched that they fared well. You can see pictures and read more about it here http://www.sweethomequiltco.com/weblog/?tag=american-legacy-2009-quilt-show

Fiber Art For A Cause Collage Mania Donation to American Cancer Society

2009-03-27T13:42:00.003-05:00

2009 marks the final year of Collage Mania Fundraisers for the American Cancer Society. Virginia Spiegel, Founder of Fiber Art For A Cause has raised over $165,000 thus far for this very worthy cause and has for the last three years been amongst the top 1o Nationwide Fund Raisers for ACS. This is my first year participating after only recently having learned of it. Each year, fiber artists are asked to make and donate collage style artwork which is posted for an online reverse auction where all the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. The reverse online auction will take place May 5-7, 2009 and can be accessed here http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/CollageManiaArtists09.html. All pieces begin at $80 on May 5th and are marked down to $40 on the following day if they are still available. This collage is entitled Reach For The Stars With All Your Heart and is dedicated to the memory of Robert M. Forrister, my dear Father In Law who died of bone cancer in October 2008 and to my dear Great Grandmother, Epimenia B. Lucero who died after a long battle with ovarian cancer in December 1984. It is also dedicated to a very special survivor, my cousin, Robert Mc Elheney who at age 11 was diagnosed with leukemia, braved a long and arduous 10 year fight with cancer and remains in remission to this day. He is an inspiration to all that hope springs eternal and that nothing is impossible. Reach for the stars with all your heart. Help support the American Cancer Society.

The Copper Shade Tree Gallery in Round Top

2009-02-08T21:42:00.004-06:00

The Copper Shade Tree Gallery in Round Top presents "It's Not A Quilt Or Is It?" show that runs from February 6-28, 2009. This is a fantastic display of 100 quilts made by 18 artists from Austin, Houston and San Antonio. The Opening Night Reception was
held on Friday and it was a site to behold. What an absolutely phenomenal turnout! The place was brimming with excitement and the
show was met with much enthusiasm as four pieces had already sold before the show had even had a chance to begin. Here I am with my good friend, Kharon Clark whose piece we happen to be standing in front of. And speaking of artists, I finally got a chance to meet The Beyond The Border Gals from Houston. What a treat! So much talent all under one roof. If you have a chance, please stop by and visit the show. Gerald and Debbie Tobola at The Copper Shade Tree Gallery have done an amazing job at bringing fiber art to the forefront. And if you can't make it in person, you can always visit and shop online at http://www.coppershadetree.com/selector_detail.php?selector=grouping&selector_id=qs&page=1 .

Exhibiting artists include Naomi Adams, Kharon Clark, Nancy Dickey, Connie Fahrion, Pam Farley, Barb Forrister, Dena Hardin, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Susan King, Pam Lowe, Vivian Mahlab, Jen Mc Gahan, Linda Teddlie Minton, Barbara Sandberg, Diane Sandlin, Annie Smith, Jo Sweet and Martha Tsihlas. This is one you will not want to miss. There is something for everyone. The 5th Annual International Guitar Festival will also be held in Round Top on February 14th and The 2008 Journal Quilts will be on display at the Great Expectations Creativity Center in La Grange, TX (only 10 miles away) where visiting artists in residency include Virginia Spiegel and Carol Moore. There are also 15 geometric and botanical quilts from the Texas Memorial Museum collection at the Winedale Historical Complex, just outside Round Top, Texas (about 4 miles away), And so it's a Texas Shindig as Karey so well describes it. Come see what the buzz is all about.

Life's A Beach

2009-01-26T19:20:00.003-06:00

Life's A Beach was inspired by a photo I took years ago of my youngest daughter with her father. Originally, they were at pool side at our home in Arizona but I decided to change the setting to a beach scene. This is a piece I have been wanting to do for a long time as I just love the looks on both of their faces. I think this was one of those priceless moments that I was fortunate enough to catch on camera. I finally got up the nerve to start this piece this month. Have to say I have always been somewhat intimidated of doing art with people involved, especially when it's your own family and not a fictitious person! LOL!!! Still, I thought I'd give it a try. This piece measures 26x30 and is machine appliqued and quilted. The figures were painted with textile paints and appliqued. The clouds and edges of the water were made from heat distressed plastics. I tried to pay close attention to the highlights and shading, especially trying to capture the shadows coming off the phone and tea pot. All in all, I think this piece came out pretty good and I am slowly overcoming my fear of doing people. Now my oldest daughter would like to know when I am going to do one of her. Oh and Youngest has already called dibs on this one. I suppose that's a good sign.

Purple Mountain Majesty, A Tribute to Bob

2008-12-13T17:37:00.005-06:00

Purple Mountain Majesty measures 17.25" X25" and is a tribute to Bob, my dear father in law who passed away this last October. It is inspired from a photo I took in Estes Park, Colorado overlooking Long's Peak. Would you believe this is the view from my Mother and Father In Law's kitchen window? I think it is absolutely sensational. The sky is painted with acrylics and the clouds are made of fiber fill with tulle overlay. The mountains consist of various hand dyed cottons that have been layered with bits of teased dryer sheets to similate snow along the crevices. Leaves were fiber etched. Machine appliqued and quilted with Superior trilobal polyester and metallic threads. Edges were finished with a black binding. This was an exercise in trying to convey depth across various stratas of foliage, mountains and clouds in a somewhat realistic manner. I am encouraged to revisit these images as I seem to recall a rather large herd of elk that came by one day and "bedded down" in the back yard!!! It was quite a spectacle as it was mating season and the bulls were jousting with one another. They have in the past traipsed through the yard but never the entire herd all at once. Somehow, I like to think these wild beasts were paying homage to Bob in their own way as if to say "Farewell, my friend. We will miss you."

Elemental Dance

2008-10-26T13:51:00.005-05:00

Journal Quilt Project II: Elements-Earth, Water, Air, and Fire: Elemental Dance

Elemental Dance is the first Journal Quilt I have ever made. It is inspired from a desire to create naturescapes using both conventional and unconventional materials and methods in a somewhat realistic manner. This piece began as a study on how to convey water working with fiber as a medium. The ocean background was formed using both commercial and hand painted cotton. Transparent and opaque fabric paints were incorporated along with pearlescent powders. Trying to capture the waves crashing against the rocks was especially challenging. Sheer fabrics, sparkled organza and cheesecloth were used to impart a wet and foaming feel to the piece. Angelina fibers and tinzl were also added to reveal the sparkle effect that water carries. Still, it needed more of a textural feel. The first few months, I began collecting all sorts of plastics from everyday household use. Some of these items included cellophane and wrappers from packaged products, assorted foam packing materials and really anything I could get my hands on. I spent a lot of time trying to determine how these synthetic materials behaved when they were heat distressed either with an iron or a heat gun. The prospect of recycling plastics to include in a naturescape was so appealing as I felt I had a hand in keeping the environment clean. The sky was hand dyed with procion fiber reactive dye. Rocks were raw edge appliquéd to communicate a rugged feeling. Machine pieced, appliquéd and quilted; metallic threads and cotton batting. Elemental Dance refers to the show that Mother Nature orchestrates as a cool brisk ocean breeze accompanies the rolling tides dancing along the rocky shore. Earth, water and air are major players in this audio and visual interplay that entices all the senses of the human body.

Emerald Treasures

2008-09-30T09:23:00.009-05:00

Emerald Treasures was created quite accidently. The backdrop was painted for another piece I was working on but when I finished it, I knew it was not the place for the blue jay, I had intended. Still, it was a nice background and it had such wonderful highlights. The piece reminded me of an ocean or lagoon type setting. Having returned from the Atlantic, I had some great pictures of turtles and so I set out to making a shell. The basic shape was made of commercial cotton with fused pieces to emulate the back of a turtle and layered with several layers of high loft batting to give dimension. Hand dyed cheesecloth and scrim along with roving were added to try and create an algae-like appearance and needle felted to the shell. It was cool but needed something more so I began adding glitter, textile paints, gel medium and beads for embellishment. When the large shell was done, I laid it on the background and immediately knew this was the mom and she needed a couple of babies to interact with her! The piece went together in such a hurry, I was amazed. Wish I could always be in that zone!!!! LOL Their heads and appendages were painted and machine stitched in a low relief trapunto style. A painted background shows the water stitched with metallic thread and the coral outlined with trilobal polyester thread and painted with 3 dimensional paint. My goal with design principles in mind was to create a pleasing composition that would draw the viewer in. And so that is how Emerald Treasures evolved. This weekend I went back to the studio to paint another home for my blue jay but still missed the mark. I created a forest scene with a field in the foreground, still not the right home but again, very cool. I think I've just started another series which I will call Evolution as these pieces seem to do just that, evolve!!! Eventually, my blue jay will find his home.

Austin Area Quilt Guild celebrates A Legacy of Quilts Pearls of Wisdom From Our First 30 Years

2008-09-26T08:34:00.007-05:00

Austin Area Quilt Guild celebrates A Legacy of Quilts Pearls of Wisdom From Our First 30 Years 2008. The show opened last night. This was my first time entering this venue and I really learned alot. I volunteered on Wednesday for checking and hanging. We finished hanging the quilts at 6 p.m. It was so interesting to see how the show was made ready for the public. I really enjoyed getting to meet so many talented people here in Austin. The show was judged by Cynthia England, Sally Hatfield, De Leclair, Connie Silber and Marilyn Hardy. I was completely surprised to learn that Ruby, Contemplation and The Fertility Goddess were awarded Honorable Mentions! Wow, talk about a windfall! This is the first time, The Fertility Goddess, a double sided quilt was hung such that both sides could be seen. It was such a thrill! My other entry, "Contemplation" really was bothering me before the show so I decided to "fix" the river the day before check in. I think it looks much better!!! This was Ruby's first outing and I am pleased she fared well. The show runs from September 25-28, 2008 at the Crockett Center located at 10601 N. Lamar in Austin, Texas. There are over 400 quilts on exhibit and many wonderful vendors. There is also a Children's Exhibit providing fun activities related to quilting and a Silent Auction where you can purchase both supplies and finished artwork. If you are in the area, please come see the exhibit.

International Quilt Festival 2008 World of Beauty

2008-08-12T11:36:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I received news that Little Boy Blue and Little Rascals were accepted into the Houston IQF World of Beauty show. It is my first time getting into Houston and I am thrilled. Wow, what an honor to be among those receiving letters of acceptance. I am especially humbled to be in such good company. It makes me want to continue my quest to be a better artist and hone my skills to the best of my ability. I can't help feeling that the bar has been raised. I am encouraged to proceed with my Nature series and am currently in the process of making a blue jay that is alot larger in scale than what I am accustomed to working on. Today, it is raining and I always look at rain as a sign of growth and renewal. I really enjoy sewing on a rainy day!

Cara Mia

2008-07-10T15:29:00.002-05:00

Cara Mia is a self portrait measuring 16 1/4" X 23 1/2." It is machine appliqued and quilted. The background consists of silk dupioni and cotton. The hair is made from commercial cottons and hand dyed corduroy. This piece is inspired from a 3 day workshop I took with Pamela Allen. I really enjoyed playing with fabric to achieve different tonal values of the skin. I used Derwent Inktense pencils to further blend the colors in the face. I feel as though this has really opened up so many ideas in my mind. I really enjoyed doing this exercise and look forward to doing more larger scale pieces. I really felt that her face needed softening so I added a vine for interest. The trailing vine to the left is made from machine wrapped cording. There are two different kind of leaves on the vine. One set of leaves is thread painted on organza, a technique I learned from Maree Caplin while the other set of leaves are made from textiva film. Having been inspired by Frances Holliday Alford's article in Quilting Arts magazine, I layered one color of textiva film running vertically on a piece of timtex and then layered a second color of textiva film perpendicular to the first. I pinned the layers together and began stitching leaf shapes with veins. I then cut the leaf shapes out and heat distressed them with a hot air gun. The veins on the front of the leaves were painted with Tsukineko inks as well as the back (timtex side) to add more dimension. Leaves were heat set before attaching them to the vine. Edges of the quilt are satin stitched.