Aullwood: Judith Bastian Krohl, Patricia Larson and Ann Garetson

Judith Bastian Krol, "Down to Earth," 42.5" x 48" 

Tonight we will end the coverage of the Aullwood Audubon (or Nature) Center's show.  In truth, the show closed on August 18, but I hadn't worked my way through all the quilts yet.  I don't always do this, but for this one show, I show EVERYTHING.  Why? It is a small show with people from across the U.S., and I want them to be able to see their quilts hang and show them who else was there and what the jurors selected.

What determines the order in which I cover them? Usually, it is partially determined on who has responded and given me permission to review them.  In  most cases,if I have a quilt in the show, mine is last, if I show it  at all.

However, in some ways, tonight is a good example to show the breadth of art quilts.  This first quilt is one by Judith Bastian Krol, from Westerville, Ohio.  This rather straight forward geometric abstract piece is called "Down to Earth."  It is inspired by light on giant sequoias, the sky flitting through the tops of the trees, glancing off the trunks making patterns as it comes, as well as the various textures--bark, ground, needles, sky.  Judith used commercial fabrics, commercial batiks, rust dyed and hand dyed fabrics, with some beads randomly added to add life.

Patricia Larson, "Earth-Small Critters in the Garden,"  12" x 15"  $50.00

Like Judith Krol's piece, Patricia Larson's "Earth--Small Critters in the Garden" is composed of commercially printed fabric along with hand dyes.  Hers is far more realistic, but it is still abstracted a bit. Nature often inspires Patricia as her other favorite pastimes are hiking, biking, outdoor dance, gardening and cross country skiing.  Patricia also had a piece in the 2010 show, which you can see here.

In some ways, Anne Garretson's "I Felt Some of the Majesty," contains the highest realism, as she used photographs in her piece.  Like Judith, and Patricia, Anne also used commercially printed fabrics.

Anne Garretson, "I Felt some of the Majesty," 22" x 34"  $650.00

In some ways, this piece is tied to the launch of Anne's art quilting.  Here's her artist's statement:  "In 1993, after a very, very long hike, I decided to shift away from my 'real' work as an educator,  to do my true work, as an artist.  In retrospect, it was not a giant leap. I have always believed that everything is related to everything else.  We live not in isolation from the  environment but as part of it.  The image in I Felt some of the Majesty" is a landscape from the Smokey Mountains from that 1993 hike.  A mountain changes slowly over time, but the human experience of it moves rapidly.  The repetitive blocks represent that our experience of a place is never exactly the same twice.  Sometimes we are enchanted by intricate details, other times drawn to our smallness beside a grand vista.

Garretson, "I felt some of the majesty, detail.

Anne also exhibited in the 2011 show.  I showed her work here.