Friday, April 19, 2013

Ahh, Spring--at last!

My world is green--a hundred different and beautiful shades of green.  My late mother in law used to say that the springtime leaves were a "tender" green.  I love that--it's so appropriate.  Everything seems to be in bloom--aahchoo!--but even with all the pollen, it's great to see everything coming to life again.  I wish I were a more dedicated gardener, but I'm just not into it.  I like to work in the yard, planting flowers, but then I'm done.  Weeding, fertilizing, watering--it's all just too time consuming.  I'd rather be in my studio making fiber art (otherwise known as playing).

The art show in Perry was last week.  My "Bonsai" won an honorable mention.  The other two pieces didn't receive any awards.  I didn't get to attend the show--making a trip to deliver and one to pick up the work was about all I wanted to tackle in one week.  It's a long drive (85 miles, one way), but I would've liked to see the whole show.

I'm working on a new piece for the museum exhibit (June 1 - Aug 31).  It's from one of my photos of the lotus pond that's just a few miles from me.  It is incredibly beautiful every summer and I've stopped more than once on the side of the road to try and capture it from every angle.  It's right in front of the Warm Springs Winery and worth watching for if you happen to be in the neighborhood.

The piece has been a challenge and I've spent a lot of time thinking and planning how to portray the scene.  I'll post pictures here once the exhibit opens.  I wanted to save these last two pieces I've done to "debut" at the museum, so only a handful of people have seen them.  I thought there should be something new for the exhibit.

In the meantime, I've been hand-dyeing some silk scarves.  I decided to try the ice-dyeing method on silk to see how it would work.  They are beautiful, but I'm still playing with different techniques to see if I can get as much variation in the colors as I do with the cotton.  I also did some small scraps of linen that a friend gave me.  It really soaks up the color and the weave gives it great dimension.  It also frays around the edges beautifully.  I've got to figure out how to take advantage of that in a piece.

I was contacted by a lady with the Creative Writers Group in Carrollton.  They want to have their July meeting at the museum, with me talking to them about my work, its inspiration, and the story behind it.  Then, they will write about it for their next meeting.  I'm so excited to get the opportunity to introduce a new group of people to art quilting.  I'm sure there are many of them who have a whole different definition of what makes a quilt.  It should be a lot of fun.  Beverly Hammack, who is my contact with the museum, and a good friend, made this connection for me.  She's terrific and has really been promoting my exhibit with all kinds of people around Carrollton.  She has been working, along with a group of other very dedicated people for over 14 years to make the museum a reality.

I don't have any photos to share today, but I'll put something together for next time.  Thanks for stopping by.