Check it Out!

So the quilts are arranged in the gallery and it looks beautiful (if I do say so myself!).  The team that worked to set up the show did a great job and I am so happy with the results.  More photos will be posted soon. 
It was a long trip to get here - but worth it.  Thank you UWW for letting my quilts hang out in this beautiful gallery.

On my Way to Set Up the Show!

Hurrah!  All the quilts are packed, all the bits and pieces are ready to go, and tomorrow morning I start driving North to Whitewater to set up the show.  I can hardly wait.  It has been such a long time filled with thinking and planning - and now it is here.

I will sent photos of how the quilts look in the gallery and let you know more details soon.

Red Umbrella? Dancing?

Dancing with a Red Umbrella symbolizes a leap of faith and an enthusiastic embrace of daring to try something new and different.  And that first leap of faith continues to guide my art adventures.

Here's what happened:  I was presented with the opportunity to Dance with a Red Umbrella at a Hindu temple Aarti ceremony in an ashram in Colorado.  Contrary to my normal shy reticence, I accepted this invitation to be, for me, flamboyant and wild.  it was a wonderful joyous experience and taking a chance has become a guiding principle in my art.

When an idea for a quilt starts to form, I try to follow enthusiastically no matter how strange it may seem.  Each time that I hesitate, I remember when I was offered the red umbrella and thinking "When will I ever have this exact opportunity again - just do it!"

New Beginnings

Starting a New Adventure!  I am going to have my art quilts on display (and for sale) and the Roberta Avonn Fiskum Art Gallery at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater July 21 through August 14, 2015.  I am SUCH a lucky woman!

So - this blog will focus on the quilts that will be on display at the gallery.  And the stories about the quilts.  Because each quilt develops its own personality and story as it transforms from an idea to fabric.

I plan to add the quilts in random order rather than by style.  More fun for people looking at the blog and more fun for me!  So --- here we go!  Follow along and check out the pretty pictures and the details. 

Self Portrait of the Artist

Self Portrait of the Artist   Not for Sale

"So who is the owner of this blog and what does she look like?", you may ask.
This quilt is the self portrait that I used for my Studio door when I was an artist on Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour where I live in the Arkansas Ozarks.

Do you like the hair?  I am especially fond of the sparkly shoes!

Being accepted in Off the Beaten Path was a huge step for my self confidence.  There is a jurying process and you have to present your work to a group of the participating artists and talk about it.  Well, I am very shy and I was pretty much a wreck when I went to do this.  What if they didn't "like me" or think my work was good enough?  Oh my.  But they let me in and it was a great adventure.

The Studio Tour is still taking place and I was able to participate for three years (2006 - 2008).  It is only one weekend a year and folks drive to individual artists' studios and see where the artist works.  My studio is in our house and we live 8 miles (half of those on a dirt road) from the tiny rural town of Calico Rock (population at that time was 992) in a log home in the middle of the forest.

Amazingly, over 150 brave souls came to visit my studio each year.  And bought my quilts and other creations.  It was a wonderful fun time and I truly enjoyed watching and listening as people looked at my work. 

How are these quilts made?

All of the quilts in this exhibit are made with fusible web.  Fusible web is a glue that is transferred or "fused" to fabric with the heat of an iron.

Fused fabric is cut into shapes and then fused to a background fabric to make a design.

Sometimes the edges of each piece are sewn down - sometimes the edges are not.

All of the quilts follow the traditional definition of quilting by using stitching to secure three layers: the front design layer, a layer of batting and a background piece of fabric.

Coal Miner

Coal Miner   19"x23"   Not for Sale

Let me introduce you to my very first attempt at making a portrait quilt.  I had never tried this and was rather new to quilting.  But I had fabric, I found a photo that I liked, and I wanted to see if it was possible.

I have learned a LOT about quilting and faces since making this quilt - but I think that it still carries a certain power.

Golden Girl

Golden Girl  16"x13"   $75.00

This is the first of my Farkleberry Quilts.  The drawing for this lovely lady was made using a Picasso-esque technique of drawing that I learned from the Carla Sonheim book, Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists.

You draw one eye, turn the paper 90 degrees, draw a second different eye, turn the paper 90 degrees .... etc. .... and continue to add body parts at each turn - including an arm, a nose and a tail.

And then you connect the disparate bits into a critter.  The result is much more creative than  just trying to draw from my imagination on a blank page.

Accidents Happen

Accidents Happen 16"x19"  Not for Sale

In June of 2011 the most wonderful thing happened to me.  I took a class that changed the way I made portrait quilts.  The teacher was Esterita Austin and she is an amazing teacher.  She has developed a technique for using fabric to make portraits (or other pictures) by focusing on light and dark areas of a single piece of fabric, putting them together, and then adding paint to really add detail and dimension.

I loved loved loved the class!  This is what I had been waiting for.  This particular quilt is made using the pattern that Esterita provided for the class.  It was amazing how different each quilt in the class looked because the fabrics were different and each quilter/artist's approach was unique.

This technique is the one that I use today for all of my "serious" portrait quilts.

Vigilant

Vigilant  20"x23"    DONATED to Historic Arkansas Museum Auction

This quilt is made of many pieces that are assembled like a jigsaw puzzle.  Focusing on light and dark sections of the fabric gives the face interest and dimension.

It is probably evident that I enjoy faces.  I like people and I especially like the way their personalities shine forth in their faces - and especially their eyes.  When I choose a face to make into a quilt, I prefer intense faces.  Do you think this guy is intense?  Not scary - but very focused - on something.  I wonder what?

T

Alyssa

Alyssa  21"x34"   SOLD

Ah Alyssa!  The first quilt I made in this style.  Named after my nephew's precious wife Alyssa.  Not because it looks like her (she is quite beautiful) but because when I made this quilt, Alyssa was moving frequently and the houses on the figure's head made me think of her.

Houses on Alyssa's head

The background fabric on this quilt is one of my all time favorites and you will see it in several of the quilts in the UWW show.  The gradual color change by increasing the proximity of dots seems almost magical to me.

The technique for this portrait uses small pieces of fabric attached to the background with tiny little dots of glue.  Then the whole thing is fused down and each and every little piece is sewn down. 

There are two other portraits in a similar style in the show.  See if you can find them in future posts.

Good Vibrations

Good Vibrations 14"x15"   $500.00

Some people that you meet just vibrate with wonderful energy and life. This is the first of a series of portraits of my friend Elizabeth.

Flirting

Flirting  38"x20"   $150.00

When these two characters appeared in my sketch pad, I just knew they needed to meet.  But I never suspected that heart shaped balloons would be involved.  There is an obvious attraction - at least for one of them!

Once again, my favorite fabric.  Do you remember seeing it on other quilts in this collection?

Caught in the Branches

Caught in the Branches  28"x28"   Not for Sale

You may have noticed as you look at my blog that I have two very different styles.  One is somewhat realistic portraits of somewhat realistic people.  And the other is whimsical portraits of imaginary creatures.

Well, last year I decided to try to combine the two styles into one quilt.  And this is the result of that experiment.

Now all of my more realistic quilts are also full of imagination - and some would say strangeness.

Yup.  I like this style a lot.

Pink Lady

Pink Lady    28" x 33"    $500.00

This lovely lady makes me smile.  She is bedazzled with many many beads and other sparkly bits.  And she has the most beautiful necklace.

When she was developing her personality and things were starting to surround her head.... the designs within the fabric itself dictated what shapes should surround her face.  Sometimes I am just plain surprised by what my quilts become.

Bags Galore

I recently started making bags for a guild project and found that I not only enjoy the pattern for the bag itself, but I really like adding little mini quilts to make the bag a "work of art".  Here are some of the bags that I have made so far.....

I am going to start carrying them around town and see if they capture anyone's attention.  This should be fun.  I'll report back!

Consternation

Consternation  14"x20"   $500.00

 Another of my more serious portraits.  Notice the rounded corners.  This is now my favorite way to finish this type of quilt.

The color of this individual accents his intensity and state of mind.  Quite the serious fellow.

I Went Shopping for a New Purse....

I Went Shopping for a New Purse...   22"x30"   Not for Sale

This quilt started as a postcard.   I make quilted postcards using bits of paper and layers just like a quilt.  They are 4"x6" and can be mailed without any envelope just like a normal postcard.

Well I liked the design for this postcard so much that I made it into a quilt.  The original title was "I Went Shopping for a New Purse but All I Ended Up with Was a Fish in a Box".  But that was rather long.

The purse is free swinging and can move around.

Woof!

Woof  20"x22"   $75.00

In one class I had to make 25 quick drawings of a dog.  This one turned into a quilt.

Wild Warrior Woman

There is a story behind this quilt.  This is one of the quilts in the Elizabeth Series.  When I made the face I had many ideas for shapes to surround her head.  And then this just sort of happened.

Wild Warrior Woman  26" x 33"   $500.00

I learned how to knit last year and have been bravely leaping into knitting projects.  Well I knit a cowl and it was complicated and challenging.  And when it was finished it was SO huge that it looked like it was going to swallow my head.  Not a good thing.

So - admitting that some projects are just a failure, I unraveled the whole thing.  Or at least I tried to.  But part of it would not unravel because of the sequence of stitches.

Being a frugal person, I saved the crazy part that refused to unravel because it was sort of strange and lumpy.  And then I started on this quilt.  And then - the strange lumpy unraveled cowl landed on this quilted person's head.

It just proves that things happen for a reason.  Or maybe it proves you should never throw anything away!  Uh oh.  That could become a dangerous habit.

Alice Has Something to Say

Alice Has Something to Say  17"x23"  SOLD

And whatever she has to say, it must be IMPORTANT!  You can just tell by looking at her.

I think Alice is a feisty little woman person.  I strive to be more like her every day.

Feeling blue

Feeling blue  20"x26"   $100.00

Does the shape of this quilt look a little strange?  I was experimenting with making the quilt non-rectangular.  I like the way it works with this particular face.

Fiona Featherly

Fiona Featherly  17"x19"   $75.00

Fiona is a teacher who lives on Farkleberry Road.  Her striped sweater is one of her distinguishing features.  She wears it everywhere!

Survivor

Survivor  17"x26"   $500.00

I never know how my quilts will actually turn out when I start.  I always have lots of ideas - but often times, the quilts just become what they want.  I feel like I am along for the journey.

This was one of those quilts.  Since the last couple of quilts had interesting things sprouting from the figures head - I expected this one would too.  But she had a mind of her own.

Her entire face is constructed from a single piece of fabric cut into many small pieces and then fit back together like a puzzle.  I selected this fabric because I knew it would be a challenge.  There were a lot of angular shapes in the fabric and I accented these lines with paint.

This is the second of my Elizabeth Series.  People react strongly to this image.  What is your reaction?

Aunt Mary

Aunt Mary 20"x24"   $150.00

My Aunt Mary was a beautiful and fashionable young woman.  She was never able to see this quilt but I think she would have liked it.

This quilt was included in the Great Arkansas Quilt Show II.  I was dazzled by being included.  I still remember posing with the quilt for pictures.  It was nice to have my attempts at art recognized.

It was also on exhibit for a year in the Little Rock office of Senator Mark Pryor.  Some of our local politicians do a great deal to support art in Arkansas.

Presents for Me?

Presents for Me?  32"x26"   $150.00

Once again two happy drawings came together to chat.  The bird like creature on the right was also featured in The Sky is Falling.  She seems to be everywhere!!

Emma

Emma  24"x34"   Not for Sale

Another of my initial efforts to bring faces to life in fabric.  Emma is quite intense and thoughtful.  She seems to be able to see to the heart of issues.

Hand painted fabrics and an upholstery background.

Ida Mae and Emma Jean

Ida Mae and Emma Jean  17"x29"   $100.00

Two very lovely ladies from Farkleberry Road.  They are different but they are very good friends.  Between them they can do most anything.

The circles on the right side of the quilt are free standing (or free hanging) and are different on each side.

Andrew

Andrew  32"x38"   Not for Sale

Andrew is large.  In fact VERY large for the way that I work.  You can't be in the same room and not notice Andrew.

Done with my hand-painted fabric.  Do you recognize him?

Bob and Chloe Fishing

Bob and Chloe Fishing  23"x27"   Not for Sale

A very different style for me.  But I loved this photo so much - it just had to be a quilt.  My husband was teaching our precious granddaughter to fish on Piney Creek.

You can't see it unless you are standing in front of the quilt, but can you spot that tiny red thing in the water?  Chloe's fishing line is attached to that "bobber" and if you flip the quilt over, you would see that she has caught a fish!

Everybody Counts

Everybody Counts  25"x20"   SOLD

Another Farkleberry character.  The numbers floating around his head are actually those little jellie bracelets that little girls wear.

Woman with a Fur Collar

Woman with a Fur Collar  19"x20"   $150.00

Yup.  It is real fake fur.  Quite a nice dimensional element.