Aullwood: More Jean Liittschwager

Jean Liittschwager "Sand Castles", 35" x x 47" H.

As promised, tonight we are lookng at Jean Liitschwager's two remaining pieces in the Aullwood show.  These are much earlier than the Salmon Spawning, which was completed this year, but in one of the styles that she often uses....take a look at her gallery to see her geometric abstracts, but you can certainly see where she was headed in these two pieces.

"Sand Castles" captures a fleeting moment in the lives of her grandchildren.  At dusk, they are looking at the dream of the sand castle they planned in the smaller work which they have completed.  As Jean put it, "The incoming tide may wash their castles away, but the memories of this happy childhood time will last throughout their lives.

Jean Liittschwager, Sand Castles, detail.

Jean used both machine and handwork in this piece and employed sparkly thread once again to add some reality to her elements.

Jean Liittschwager, "Sand Castles" detail.

I particularly like the use of her fancy stitches  done free-motion here which gives more texture.
"Sand Castles" was completed in 2002.

Jean Liittschwager, "Gray May Day", 28" x 34.5" $500
  

Jean Liittschwager, "Gray May Day" detal.

This is "Gray May Day" and is far more abstract that the two previous pieces I have shown you.  I love how she uses commercial fabrics in her work.  Jean lives in Oregon and her house overlooks the McKenzie River. This is the view out her kitchen window,showing  her garden, the banks of the river and the mountain vistas beyond.  As she puts it "April showers bring May flowers but in Oregon it just keeps raining."  She noted that this year, the rains hardly ever came indicating that climate change has arrived in her corner of the world.







Here you can clearly see the variety of prints she used, and the streaks of metallic thread.  She also used dimensional paint I think on the little blips on the bottom of the rain.  Jean often uses bright colors such as these in her work.

"Gray May Day" was completed in 2003.

Please do go to her website and take a look at her scrollable gallery here .  I'm sure you will enjoy it and be impressed by some of her works.