Wordless Wednesday: More Late Fall Color

Geranium "Roxanne" NOT color enhanced.

Oakleaf Hydrangea "Annabelle"

Art Quilting and Ohio

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to be able to go to the Ohio Regional meeting of Studio Art Quilt Associates which was held at Nancy Crow's Barn (her classroom facility) in Baltimore, Ohio.  Nancy graciously opened her barn for about 20 members of SAQA to come and listen to her speak on the evolution of her property and her journey with art quilts as well as the opportunity for us to share our work, each a pot-luck lunch together and listen to Lisa Teufel of Dragon Threads Publishing talk about the jurying process at Quilt National.

Nancy's talk reminded me of this wonderful book by Gayle A. Pritchard, Uncommon Threads, Ohio's Art Quilt Revolution (Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2006.  ISBN-13: 978-0-8214-1706-5  or ISBN-10: 0-8214-1706-1).  Gayle Pritchard did a wonderful job in this book reviewing the early art quilt movement  and what made the heart of it really start here in Ohio.  Well written and heavily illustrated with photographs from the artists themselves in the early years (1970s) as well as bringing it right up unto the publication date with the avant guard pieces and where Pritchard sees the art quilt movement going.   No one artist dominates the book and illustration.  It is thoughtful, even-handed and absolutely exciting.  It is still available on Amazon (and I'm sure many other book sellers as well) for $22.95, but like many art quilt books, you can pick it up used for a song (new from Amazon associates for $4 or less than $4 used plus shipping).  If you are interested in art quilts, I highly recommend it.

I would also recommend Studio Art Quilt Associates...the opportunity to meet with so many talented fiber artists, talk with them, see their work and listen to the programs offered through the regional meetings is just great.  I was fortunate enough to go to Philadelphia this last year to the annual conference which made me want to go to the one coming up in March in Santa Fe in 2013...although I doubt I will be able to make it.  SAQA's membership is open to all who are interested in fiber art, whether as artists, supporters, collectors, or institutional members.  They host a number of juried exhibitions each year and have a really  nice journal which comes out quarterly.  In my case, the Ohio group is very active with members hosting meetings around the state.  I held one here last January....and might consider hosting another one soon.  You can find membership information here.  The SAQA website also has many illustrations of Professional Member's work in their gallery.

November Squash

Thanksgiving ushers in the mad tumble toward the end of the year.  Sort of odd when you think about it....I mean, here's the holiday where we are supposed to pause and give thanks...and then it roars into all the ridiculousness of "Black Friday" which is only "Black Friday" because of all the deals merchants offer to get people to spend...often on things we really don't need.

I admit, I have a lot to get done before the end of the year....and while I was going to work on some things in my studio today, it was thwarted because one of my daughter's friends came over to help decorate the Christmas tree.  I don't usually put up a Christmas tree THIS early...but since I can't handle going up into the attic well, it was best that Meg help out while she's home....and since I grudgingly got an artificial Christmas tree the second year we were here when Carlos was working in California until Dec. 22, and I couldn't handle loading and setting up a real tree myself...and we ended up having to borrow a Christmas tree because the last one I could find which wasn't ridiculous in price...was a pre-lighted one which lighted at the top, and at the bottom...leaving a black expanse.

So..the tree is up...and some of my fancy Santas are deployed....but other things will wait until I  am able to get some other things done....Where did the year go? So...before it is no longer the time to think of bounty...I'm posting this photograph of some lovely squash and gourds from a local nursery.  Love the texture....and of course, I love orange and yellow in all it's manifestations.

Turkey Day

"Domestic Turkey", Lisa Broberg Quintana, 11" x 8.25"

I admit....I love Thanksgiving, and I really don't like the term "Turkeyday."  But, for the most part, I do think it is pretty cool that on this one day of the year, most American's celebrate by making meals which, with some variation, are pretty much consumed by all, regardless of religion.  I also like it that ostensibly, we set aside one day for giving thanks...which again, regardless of your religious beliefs, or lack thereof, we can all observe.  I realize that for many, it can seem hard to find things to be thankful for...so many have hardships of all shapes, sizes and origin.  But I do believe that if we look closely enough, there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for and quite often the practice of observing and being grateful and thankful for even those small things will bring a positive change in one's circumstances even if it is only in our well being.

OK...done with my soapbox for the day.  I did think, however, that it would be appropriate to share this small quilt today.  I did this in January, 2010 to submit to the Quilting Art's "Inner Animal" challenge.  I thought that no one would do a turkey other than me (and I was right) and I admit to having a fascination with the differing colors, textures and plumage of poultry.  I love going to the poultry and rabbit barns at the fair just to see what is there.

Turkeys are ugly birds..well...at least their heads are, but the colors and textures are intriguing.  I used various sheers to make the feathers and individually put the plumage from the tail/back area on one "feather" at ta time.  The body was made from two different types of   white damask polyester blends.  The wattle and eye area was made from distressed painted Tyvek.  The eye is a hematite bead, and the head area was done by free-motion embroidery with one of the decorative stitches on my Bernina 440.

Domestic Turkey, detail. 

I thought it turned out pretty cool....and like many art quilters, I admit to being a domestic turkey.  While I love to cook, I do find that taking care of the mountains of paper which come into this house, dusting, vacuuming, etc..well....they just aren't my cup of tea. I am always running off to things higgledy-piggeldy because I take on lots of things and when asked to do something...fun, work, or whatever..I am apt to join in.  Dust will be there tomorrow...and the next day.....and the next.

Needless to say, it didn't get in.   Who wants to look at a turkey anyway? Silly creatures....not the greatest to look at, certainly not the smartest...but, I do think they are tasty.

My model for this piece was the turkey I photographed in the Poultry Barn at the 2008 Miami County Fair here in Troy.  Turkeys have the obnoxious habit of constantly flipping their wattles around...and jerking their heads, which don't make for good photographs in spots of low light.  I didn't want to use a flash because I didn't want to scare the creatures...so the photograph is out of focus...but I think you can see the resemblance.

So..I hope your day was a good one...and that you can find something to be thankful for.  I am thankful for your reading this and for all the wonderful people I have met on-line and sometimes have met later in person.  

Thanks for reading!

Surprises in the Fall Garden

I've been trying hard to work in the garden for about an hour or so everyday.   Anymore, and I will pay for it the next day by my hands being sore, feet being awful, or my hip hurting...It is hard to rein oneself in.  Most of my work is to cut back some of my perennials.  While most of my neighbors cut everything down, I don't.  I leave my grasses and many of my perennials stalks, particularly rudebeckia (black eyed Susan) and echinacea (coneflower) as their seeds are relished by the birds and the seed heads, or what it left of them, provide interest in in the winter months.  My garden, even in the dead of winter, teams with all manner of birds....although I think I will ask for a heated bird bath for Christmas as since I had to cover my goldfish pond with a net to prevent any more of my fish becoming raccoon relish, the small birds are not able to drink there anymore.

Most people think that gardens this time of year are done, and not worth looking at.  I try to plan my beds for year round interest.  But, I always find surprises when I go to haul garden ornaments away to the shed for the winter, or work at pulling up Japanese honeysuckle and Bradford pear seedlings.  This oak seedling is only about 4" tall....but the leaf is just dumbfoundingly beautiful. I'm pretty sure it is a black oak, but it may be a burr oak....

This red maple seedling is also pretty spectacular for a plant so small.  I think I may move the oak seedling....but I probably will pull this one up.  Red maples have a tendency to suffer once they get to about 12 feet tall here...they exhaust the readily available nutrients and are not as good at getting the rest of the trace minerals out of my alkaline and heavily clay soil.  The soil is rich, but the plants have to be adapted to it.  Unfortunately, red maples are planted heavily here as a landscape tree....everyone wants the red color, and it isn't the best choice for this soil type.  A better choice might be a sugar maple...but those aren't found so much in the nurseries here.

I was startled to find this little nest in my lilac bush which is at the end of the deck.  I guess it just goes to show how little we used our deck this summer...most of the time it was just too hot, and since it faces south, the sun broils you no matter what the general temperature is.


The nest is tiny and made rather loosely of the previous season's daylily leaves.  For that reason, I suspect it is a Carolina wren nest.  House wrens tend to be "pocket nesters" looking for nooks and crannies to build their nests...whereas the Carolina will often build nests in tree branches...but I might be wrong.  Another odd habit of the wren is that the male  builds several nests and the female chooses which one she prefers.


About 100 feet away, outside the fenced in area, I found yet another small nest in my Trident maple.  Again, I think this is a wren nest, as hummingbirds build much more tidy and compact nests.  I have both wrens and hummers in my garden....but I think the hummingbirds prefer nesting in the mature spruce on the edge of the property.  The wrens run along my fence, but I am never really sure where they nest.  I'll just have to wait until Mark sees this and he can tell us what kind of nests these are.

Stitch Like an Egyptian

"Stitch Like and Egyptian" Demo, AQS Grand Rapids MI show 2012

The internet is a wonderful thing...but sometimes it makes me whistful.  Almost a year ago, Jenny Bowker posted that she was curating an exhibition of fiber art from Egypt at the Festival of Quilts in the U.K.   Jenny has lived in the Near East and several Islamic countries for about 15 years as a result of her husband's position.  While in Cairo, she met Egyptian tent makers who made incredible appliqued work on canvas.

Like many, I've long been enamored of Eqyptian art and I would have loved to have gone to the show. I thought I would have to be content viewing it on the internet until I discovered this summer that Jenny had signed a contract with the American Quilter's Society and was going to have the exhibition at the show in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

What luck!  I went to see the show and it was mobbed.  If you have been following my blog, you know that I had one post which I pulled the photos down from when I realized that AQS not only wanted you to have permission from the artist, but also from AQS.  So....I dutifully sent an email to AQS.  and.....never heard back.  However, Jenny graciously said yes, and I decided that I would post this anyway....with the effort I usually take to properly attribute things.

"Stitch Like an Egyptian" was every bit as good as I thought it would be.  I actually had to wait for this picture to get some of the essence of the quilts in...most of the time it was difficult to take a long shot because there were so many people.

Some of the pieces are based on Arabic calligraphy  others like the one on the left here resemble tile work.  Others remind one of the wall of the ancient Egyptian tombs.  Men make these wonderful applique pieces which are often used on the walls of tents at funerals and for other occasions.  AQS alluded to this with the "tent" you see in the first photo.  Unfortunately, this is a dying art as the people are giving up their nomadic life and decorated tents as part of their culture.  Two of the tent makers , Tarek and Hossam came over and demonstrated...using large scissors and with hands that seem too big to make the fine stitches and work that they did.

Here you can see Hossam Mohamed working away at a piece inspired by lotus blossoms.  The woman in the background is Jenny.

The tent makers struggle to provide for their families. I am happy to report that although I was there on the first full day the show was open, many if not most of the pieces offered already had "sold" stickers on them.  I was even tempted to take one home...but I thought better of it as I wasn't sure how I would explain that one to my husband...as I had told him "Don't worry, I'm not going to be buying anything" as I left.

I did, however, buy the catalog that AQS produced...and I was even able to get my membership discount!  It is a wonderful book and well work the purchase price.  I didn't buy the DVD, but it includes the entire show as well as interviews with Jenny, Terek and Hossam.  You can guy it with the book, or separately.

The best part? I discovered that the exhibition will be at Quiltweek in Lancaster, PA, March 13-16, 2013 as well as at the Paducah show, April 24-27 in Paducah, KY.  So...if you are going to either show, make sure you allow enough time to take everything in.

And Jenny? I'm really thankful for the work you put in to make this possible.  It was a real treat to be able to see these wonderful pieces.

Once again, I am participating in Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Fridays" fiber art blog roll...so if you want to see more fiberlicious blogs, just go here and link up!

Light

Yesterday I noticed that it was the beginning of Diwali, the Hindu/Jainist/Sikh celebration.  While it is largely referred to as the "festival of light", it is a fairly complex festival...with a lot of different elements, end of harvest, the return of the Pandavas, the return of Rama...and the celebration of killing of the demon Narakasura the day before the festival begins which symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.  I'm always fascinated with the fact that humans share similar festivals...and that light has so much to do with it...of course, light is necessary for most life forms.

One of the coolest things about Diwali is that it celebrates the awareness of the inner light.  Central to Hindu philosophy is the belief in something beyond the physical which is pure, infinite and eternal.  In fact, according to wikipedia "The celebration of Diwali as the "victory of good over evil", refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings anand (joy or peace). Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Diwali is the celebration of this Inner Light.

While the story behind Diwali and the manner of celebration varies from region to region (festive fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying Reality of all things (Brahman)."  This concept is pretty cool.

Light fascinates me, just as it has so many others in the past.  One of the great things about living in Ohio (or the midwest in general) is how you can watch how the light changes as there is little to obstruct it.  Skies are quickly changing and a source of wonder for me.  

Karl Forster feather reed grass, peony, Miscanthus, Siberian Iris,  and oakleaved hydrangea.

Just moments earlier, the light make the plants in the photo at left glow....and then it faded, emphasizing how you must be quick to seize what you see and want to remember as it rapidly will change.

One of my favorite plants in the spring and again in the fall is Spirea "Mellow Yellow."  it has fine leaves and as it gets older, it will arch and fall like a fountain.  In the spring it has tiny white flowers and bright green leaves.  In the fall, when the afternoon light falls on it, it glows.  I am often taken to task for not cutting down all my perennials in the fall...for I like the stalks of the echinacea and rudbekia which stand up through the snows and ice and provide a food source for goldfinches.  

While the land is flat...light plays across it and changes things.  Here,  midwestern Taj Mahal...glowing like the Taj Mahal but rather than memorializing a favorite wife, it stands proof positive to the richness of the soil and to the importance of this country in feeding the world.  I love the blues/violets/greys and whites on the gold ground...So, while the light is fleeing...both in the day and the season...we do well to take a moment to look at what is around us...and to remember and feed our inner being as well as our corporeal bodies. 

Grain Bins, Nashville Rd., Troy.