For the new one

My niece is expecting a child, so a quilt for the newborn is in order. She's very close to her dog Abby. So I wanted to put Abby on the quilt for the new guy.

That way, he will remember Abby long after Abby is gone. This is my first attempt at drawing with stitching. I started with an enlarged outline from the photo (I traced it from the TV screen), then cut it out from fleece, added batting, and started stitching...

and the result:

Close up of Abby

Learning composition

I'm playing with composition studies these days. This is the first--using all the 12 colours of the colour wheel, plus the tints and shades, surrounded by their complementary colours, show them off!

Here's what I came up with.

Black Hole

I like the way it takes my eye around that vortex.

and of course the pun in the title.

On Creating

I'm in the "new quilt" phase. That is, I'm composing a new piece. No. there are no photos. Creation is too close to my bones for that.

The Creation Story I am most familiar with is the Genesis one, the first one. You know, "God created the earth, and it was good." No struggle. No effort. Perfect the first time. Step by step by step, knowing exactly how to proceed. No undoing something and trying again.

Well, my creating process is not so easy. I take a step, then get distracted. Facebook, housework, fixing supper. Anything but work on the the work. Then another couple of steps. and so forth. My design wall changes rather slowly most days. When I was writing, it was all too similar, so this struggle is not new to me. Just still painful.

Then I have to take it apart, and put it together again, differently. And the slogging continues.

What I really enjoy is when I get into a zone, and get much accomplished. It does happen occasionally. I still have to work at getting there.

Here's a photo of a piece I hated so much I cut it up, scrambled it, and put it back together with more added. I quite like "Kiji Abstracted" now.

Showing is fun

Having pieces up on someone else's wall is very gratifying. Obviously, someone thought they were worth showing off, and, there they are! So, here are both "Spring Peeking" at the Silk Purse Gallery in West Vancouver, and "Colours of Cherry Blossoms" at the Joy Kogawa House in Vancouver.

Both will be up until April 21. You'll have to see all the others too. They are so various, and some quite spectacular.

Cherry Blossoms, again

Yes, really, the rain will stop soon, and the Cherry Blossoms will come out in full force. They are such a big deal in this area that whole festivals celebrate them! Art shows too.

The new textile art is at the Silk Purse Gallery in West Vancouver, April 2- 21.
Art from previous years is at the Joy Kogawa House in Vancouver, April 6-21.

I have two pieces in the shows. "Spring Peeking" will be at the Silk Purse Gallery.

"The Colours of Cherry Blossoms" will be at the Joy Kogawa House.

Working in a Series

Over the past several months, I have completed two courses, both of them called "Working in a Series". They were taught by two different instructors. I want to thank both Elizabeth Barton and Lisa Call for their support as I plowed my way through the fields of colour (yes, pun intended).

I found that my biggest challenge was to maintain some consistency--making it a series--and yet maintain my own interest in the next piece.

Here are four pieces in my series Fields of Colour (yes, that is another play on words, alluding to the Colorfield School of abstract art).

What greater image for a field of colour than fields of tulips, seen from above. Full bloom shows sharp contrast among the fields, against a backdrop of roads and fields still coming into flower.

Fields of Colour #1

Fields of Colour #2

River Way

Fields of Colour #3

Waterworks now in Edmonton

The Waterworks Exhibit will be up in Edmonton December 17, 2012 to January 23, 2013.  If you are from there, or find yourself in town, please stop by.

 

Extension Art Gallery

University of Alberta - Enterprise Square

10230 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, AB

(780) 492-0166

 

I was able to see the whole thing when it was in North Battleford, SK. I am always astonished to see the scope of art quilting. So many ways to make art!