This week I completed another small quilt exercise.  I began by deciding to use some of my Japanese fabrics that have sat for too long on my 'stash' shelves.  I decided that if I don't cut into them, someone else will after I'm gone.  No fair.  They're mine.  So I cut.

Out of it all came "Nara Nine-Patch", machine-pieced and -quilted 'in the ditch.'  In the photograph, the negative space became positive, which I find interesting. I've always wanted to go to Nara, Japan.  My mom did decades ago, and came home with stories of temples and ruins of great beauty.  It's a VERY old city, about to celebrate its 1300th birthday!  UNESCO has designated it a world historic site, a treasure.  My 12" x 12" piece is a little treasured bit in my personal world, made with fabric perhaps as only old as 3/1300ths as the city for which it's named. And, I remember my mom when reflecting on Nara.

Monocerotis and Me

June 4, 2010

                                                                                      
Two days ago, I felt the urge to create something, anything. I hied myself into my art areas to seek inspiration. I had no particular project in mind. After some mining of stacks of papers and fabric and supplies and "stuff", I came upon the photo printed on fabric that you see in the little work pictured below, finished yesterday. The picture inspired me instantly to do something with it. Two days from birth to life for my piece.  [Completion came so quickly because this work is small - only 10 1/2 inches square.] Since it's not a very large piece, I was able to hand quilt it. This is satisfying to me in a whole different way than machine-quilting a larger piece.

Millions of light years away in our Milky Way galaxy of millions upon millions of stars and planets and comets et al, the star Monocerotis V838 [in the constellation Monoceros] put on a light show of beyond-spectacular proportions. Visit the Hubble Space Telescope websites for a retrospective of its photographs. Monocerotis was a true shape-shifter!  http://www.hubblesite.org/  http://www.hubble.nasa.gov/  http://www.spacetelescope.org/ 

Many months ago, I printed on cotton fabric a photograph of Monocerotis at work, one of the many that the brilliant, tax-payer-sponsored and -financed Hubble space telescope has captured of this particular star's death agonies since about 2002. This image was taken by permission, copyright-free from the Hubble site. You and I fund Hubble, so it's working for us every day! Per their requirements, I have advised Hubble that I'm using their photo in this way.

So, in two earth days, thanks to millions of light years of space image transport captured by Hubble, you can see a bit of our universe's history, a light show from God.

I'm going to put this up for sale on my Etsy website, http://www.artquiltartist.etsy.com/  and the possibility also exists I may donate it to the annual fund-raising auction of Studio Art Quilt Associates http://www.saqa.com/ by July 1st.

SAQA is a non-profit, educational organization for art quilt artists of all mediums. Visit their website in September to see all of the donated work.  The auction starts on Monday, September 20th.  You can pick up a piece of original work by fiber artists from famous [definitely not me!] to just-emerging [probably my category] and support a worthy art organization at the same time.




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May 27, 2010 While much of our planet is parched, sere, and desperate for water, we are currently blessed in our beautiful Pacific Northwest with an over-abundance of rain this spring. Although we're already being warned that the rain does not equal snowpack/does not equal enough resource to sell to other states for power and that we may have rationing this summer, it's just so difficult to believe that we're going to be short of such a life-giving substance while we're just this side of toxic mold outgrowth at all times. 

 The octopus sun print in my photo was created on a dry and warm day last summer, when thoughts of rain were far away and the sounds of birds and frogs were quite close to my patio. We're hoping for one such day this Sunday, anticipating a break from the downpours for at least a short period this long-weekend. Remember those who held/hold our country's [and your and my]well-being as more important than their own. Remember those you love. Pray for peace. Create wonderful memories this Memorial Day, even in the rain. Make art, not war.  [NO live octopuses/octopi were injured in this sun print!  It was made using a gelatin octopus toy belonging to my young grandson.]

This is a photo of a silk scarf I painted about 18 months ago. It is an adaption of a black and white shell design I saw in a book entitled "Designs for Coloring: Seashells", written and illustrated by Ruth Heller, published by the Penguin Group (USA). I asked for and received permission to adapt her design. I try to be scrupulous about asking for permissions, whenever needed.

Copyright is a fragile thing and oh, so important to any creative person, no matter what medium. Although a work is considered copyrighted once you have completed it, the work must be registered with the national copyright office [fee required] in order to be able to claim damages and lawyer's fees, should any court case ensue from infringement of one's work. I believe it's possible to register a group of works as well as an individual piece.

I've always loved seashells. On long-ago trips to the U.S. Virgin Islands and to Tahiti, it was a joy to observe them in their natural sandy ocean habitat, knowing they were 'alive' with a sea creature tucked inside. I've had an idea for quite some time of a painted quilt of shells...

May 26, 2010

I spent this morning with six other artists - a fiber artist "small group." There's something so relaxing and stimulating at the same time about sitting and talking and creating art with like-minded and creative souls!

One artist was sewing small flowers from recycled plastic bags [and sells these in a gallery]. She is also a collage artist. Another makes small books and whimsical journals. A third is a photographer and couture clothing creator. Another was working on a re-purposed wool hooked rug in a quilt pattern. A fifth is a collage artist/acrylic painter. A sixth is a mixed media artist, currently teaching sewing-machine beading. And I, your textile artist ordinaire, was knitting a baby blanket for a little one born not too long ago. One of our group was absent today - she's a painter, and readying a new gallery with another painter for opening in Pioneer Square in June.

After all of that creative stimulation, I had to drop by "Dick's Drive-In" on Capitol Hill for a Special, fries, one tartar sauce, and a water. Then I performed a drive-by of the new Dick Blick art supply store bricks and mortar building, situated across the street from Seattle Community College. That's on my list for a road trip, artist 'date', in mid-June with two artist friends.

I'm ready for a nap. I'm also ready for an art interlude. I can't promise in what order these will happen, but both will be experienced soon, I am sure.

An Update and a Correction

Mary Dempsey, on staff at the center, must be a sibling of Patrick and not his mother. And Mary's the quilter. www.dempseycenter.org

Free-Motion Quilting and a Mind Vacation

May 20, 2010

My major creative move for today: baking bread. I have a hand-written recipe from my long-departed grandmother for her "Scotch Oatmeal Bread" [that is delicious]. For some reason, I got it in my mind today to bake that bread. Part of the attraction is the physicality of the process: kneading dough and moving a large porcelain bowl around the kitchen, all followed by the physical act of eating something so darn delicious! Part of the fun is the creativity involved in taking a number of raw ingredients and blending them into something so satisfying. When I got into the kneading process, my mind drifted and carried me away down memory lane.

Along the journey I discovered that both of my double-ovens are "off" in temperature. One is low by 10 degrees, one is low by 25! No wonder the Thanksgiving turkey seemed to take forever. Guess I need to start compensating by adjusting the settings upward. Luckily, for some reason I tested the temps before I put the loaves in to bake.

While the dough was rising, I spent some time free-motion quilting a lap-size quilt I want to finish this week. I experienced a second time period in the 'drift zone', just like when kneading the bread. I can't remember anything in depth about my time 'away' at the sewing machine except a few highlights, most of which involved thinking 'art thoughts.'

Speaking of quilts: I got led astray this morning through several web-sites and ended up at one for a Cancer Hope Camp & Wellness center in Maine - sponsored by Patrick Dempsey, an actor on t.v.'s "Grey's Anatomy." His mom is a quilter and a cancer survivor, who has an applique quilt photo posted. The clinic gives quilts to patients and their children - and accepts donations. There can't be too many quilts made for folks of all ages who need comfort. Speaking of Mr. Dempsey: he was recently in Seattle and given an award for helping to raise funds for Children's Hospital cardiology. For a guy who didn't graduate from high school, and is severely dyslexic, he has certainly made his life's work a success as a pretend-doctor and genuine caregiver. His creative acting feeds the art of kindness and compassion. Thank you, Mr. Dempsey. Speaking as one who comes from a family touched way too many times by cancer, I personally applaud what he is doing to help battle this monstrous disease.

Initialization, Kick-Off, Birth Day of an Art Quilter's Blog

May 20, 2010 I've been thinking of creating this for a long time now - 'this' being a blog. I enjoy reading blogs of other art quilters, and artists of any media, actually. Why not my own? I'm a textile artist, a fiber artist. I make quilts that hang from walls or that sometimes lie on beds - but they're not the usual "Little House On The Prairie" quilts. I love creating my own patterns, painting pictures with fabric, paint, other embellishments. As we go along together, I'll share what media I'm currently using, and introduce new tips and techniques that I pick up along the way. Creativity gives life a joie de vivre that makes my soul sing. Creating art in any form gives me a happiness unparalleled, a sense of completeness, a feeling of accomplishment. It also can birth frustration, foment challenges, unveil insecurities. The work that I'll document will be signposts along the road that will help direct my creative path. You'll share my 'warts and all.' No holds barred. Nothing held back. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - but I try to recycle the Uglies back into something more beautiful as time goes by. My thought has been to journal my artistic meanderings, and learnings. I'm not sure that wisdom will drip from these pages, or ooze in the work I do and share in future posts. But, that's not the point in my doing this. The 'doing' is the point. And so I shall do this. I look forward to hearing from kindred souls!