A New Day, A New Year, A New Camera!

It's time:  for a fresh look at a new year, and a new way to look at art - through my new digital camera!  My daughter, Lise, presented me with a new Nikon yesterday - in hopes that I soon would be taking lots of photos of lots of new art work [among other subjects].  Stay tuned - the newest and best is about to come!

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