Artist Village Debuts at International Quilt Festival 2011



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

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

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

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



"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



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

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

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

 

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


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

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

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

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

 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

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

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

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

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

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.