Columbia Open Studios: I was on TV this morning!

Two more pieces from the Circular Churchyard

(Above: The Urn, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. 17 1/2" x 18 1/2". Crayon on silk rubbing, vintage crazy quilt block, and assorted buttons from the South Carolina State Mental Hospital. Hand and free motion machine embroidery. Click on image to enlarge.)

Over the past weekend Steve and I drove to Washington, DC via Asheville where we dropped off more of my work at the Grovewood Gallery. It's been represented there for two full years. Yet, it still feels brand new and very exciting every time new work is needed.


(The Urn, reverse. Vintage linens. Click on image to enlarge.)

In the car I stitched on two more miniature sized art quilts made using some of the rubbings from Halloween weekend in Charleston's Circular Churchyard. I've combined these grave rubbings with scraps of vintage crazy quilts. The reverse sides are also made of other vintage textiles ... often the slightly damaged or stained pieces that no one else seems to want.

For The Urn I used a child's or doll's pillow embroidered from a kit. (The inventory numbers were on the edges inside the seams!) While cute, it really wasn't quite large enough on its own. Thus, I dismantled a pair of "tap pants" ... the name of such underclothing after "bloomers" went out of style in the 1920s. (Bloomers generally were crotchless and gathered at the ankle or just below the knee. Tap pants sort of look like baggy Bermuda shorts!) The former underwear was hand embroidered and I tried to show as much of this handwork as possible under the cat pillowcase and as a sleeve for the art quilt.


(Above, before cutting: The 1920s tap pants that became the sleeve and backing for The Urn.)


(Above: Circular Church Angel III. 10 1/2" x 17 3/4". Crayon on silk grave rubbing and vintage quilt scraps. Hand and free motion machine embroidery. Click on image to enlarge.)

I added more handwork to the quilt scraps. On both pieces, I allowed the uneven edges to remain. I don't always feel that perfect "squareness" is important when using antique and vintage material. I like the "as is" look ... the faithfulness to the authentic ... even in its imperfect state.


(Above: Circular Church Angel III. Reverse. Click on image to enlarge.)

For the reverse, I used an old dishtowel and a cotton dinner napkin with shadow embroidery for the sleeve.



While in Washington, DC Steve and I managed to buy two tickets to the Mariinsky Ballet's triple bill in the Kennedy Center. All the performances that week were completely sold out ... not even a few "singles" sprinkled through the rafter section! Yet, a nice lady walked in while we were "begging" at the ticket office. She was returning two seats in the orchestra due to a conflict! The show was magnificent ... Chopinana, The Firebird, and Scheherazade.

We also visited the National Gallery of Art, the African Museum, the Sackler, and went to see the Star-Spangled Banner and First Ladies areas at the Smithsonian's American History Museum. I didn't take many photos on this quick weekend trip ... except for two details from the First Ladies fashions. Elegant!

Work from the Circular Churchyard

(Above: Circular Church Angel II. 12 1/4" x 14 3/4". Crayon grave rubbing on silk; vintage doily, silk remnant, assorted buttons; hand and free-motion machine stitching. Click on image to enlarge.)

Last Halloween I spend a perfect day at the Circular Churchyard in Charleston. It was a "really big deal" because permission is needed from the congregation in order to create grave rubbings. (I blogged about it HERE.) Since then, I've been free motion stitching on the very large "collage" of grave rubbings ... on and off between other projects. But, I've also been hand stitching on smaller pieces. I took two with me to New York City. I stitched on the plane and on the drive to the Charlotte airport and back. Last week I finished them.


(Above: Circular Church Angel II, reverse. Click on image to enlarge.)

The little bit of "black" showing in the photo above is the recycled packaging felt used in place of traditional batting. The reverse is also "repurposed". It was an embroidered, vintage hand towel.


(Above: Circular Church Angel I. 14 3/4" x 16 1/4". Crayon grave rubbing on silk; vintage doily, upholstery remnant, assorted buttons; hand and free-motion machine stitching. Click on image to enlarge.)

I can't remember where I got this piece of upholstery material. I'm lucky. Lots of people donate random pieces of fabric and other used items to me. Whoever you were ... THANK YOU!


(Above: Circular Church Angel I, reverse. Click on image to enlarge.)


(Above: Memory, a postcard. Click on image to enlarge.)

I didn't get a work juried into this year's Art Quilt Elements but I did get an email invitation to "Hang With Us", an accompanying benefit of postcards celebrating the tenth anniversary of this important show of contemporary quilts. So ... I made this piece. It's been mailed. I'm happy to support this event and hopeful that I'll have work accepted in the future! It's a REALLY, REALLY BIG DEAL!

New York City

(NEW YORK CITY ... View from the Staten Island Ferry. Click on any image in this post to enlarge.)

The weather could not have been more perfect for a long, January weekend in New York City. At times, we didn't really need coats. The sky was deep blue and the nightlights of Times Square were bright and beautiful.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon, met our elder son Mathias and his girlfriend Laura-Jane in time for dinner at Bubba Gump's at Times Square ...



... followed by an evening with Bob Fosse's Chicago.



On Friday morning we visited Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial.



I honestly didn't think any other memorial created during my lifetime could be as powerful as the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC ... but I was wrong.



The place is still very much a construction zone. There are blasting signs and orange-reflective clad laborers everywhere. Security is strict. Admission is free. The place is overwhelming and ever so appropriate. One cannot see the bottom of the two pool's recessed space ... an inverted rectangle descending into the ground so suggestive of the structures taken down by terrorists. All the victim's names are organized by flight or location.



People wept. Others just stared at the new buildings going up just a block or so away, one tower reflected into another.



The museum still isn't open. I'll have to come back one day.



From there we went to Staten Island and back on the FREE ferry.



The view to the city, to the Statue of Liberty, and of Ellis Island are wonderful.



Then ... on to Brooklyn ...



... to the Brooklyn Museum of Art.



I've always wanted to see Judy Chicago's iconic feminine art masterpiece, The Dinner Party.



It was better than I dared hoped. Every guest was perfectly incorporated into the ceramic plate and the unique, embroidered tablecloth.



The lighting is low but the detail shines through.



Every little stitch! It was wonderful.



Yet, we saw all sorts of great art in this museum ... and we only visited two of the four floors! One of the ingenious works was by Mounri Fatmi, a collection of Islamic prayer rug covered skateboards called Maximum Sensation. The juxaposition of cultures in this guy's life were obvious and also wonderfully a happy mix. I didn't snap any photos at MoMa when we got there. It's FREE on Friday nights ... and packed with people, especially in the deKooning retrospective. Believe it or not, I ran into a friend from Columbia, Natalie ... who owns the local bead shop. She, too, was visiting her son. He's a model in NYC. Later I ran into Suzie Surkamer, the former head of the South Carolina Arts Commission. She was on business ... staying in the same hotel. Small World!



After MoMa, we had dinner at Bottega di Vino ... a place that served wine in the largest glasses I've ever used! Everything was beyond scrumptious!



We had to walk after such a meal ... and it was a total pleasure to see all the lights of Times Square.



We also took the subways all weekend long.



Laura-Jane got a hat to sort of "match" Mathias'. They look like chipmunks to me ... and now this one is my computer's screensaver.



On Saturday we got half-priced tickets to see matinees. Mathias and LJ went to see Sister Act. Steve and I went to see Memphis. We were all totally thrilled with the performances.

So much about being in a big, teeming city like New York is artistically inspiring. I'm not really referring to all the fantastic works in international renown museum though. Inspiration, at least for me, is more often found in cemeteries ...



... especially ones with churchyards dating to the 17th century. This was at Trinity Church ... a place with dozens and dozens of awesome headstones. I wrote down a few personal epitaphs but didn't make a rubbing. (No crayon; no fabric ... must return!)



Inspiration also comes through music and any other live performance filled with passion ... like this group singing under the Bethesda Arcade in Central Park.



Unexpectedly, however, the most inspirational time came while walking over the Brooklyn Bridge.



It wasn't just the structure or the traffic or the people enjoying the weather.



Instead, it was the number of locks left by people as mementos of their love.



I snapped at least one hundred photos. There's "something" about locks ... like keys ... that resonates with me. The graffiti was good too ... and in several different languages.

I love New York City ... its energy, its inspiration, and the sense of possibilities that seem to jump off the pavement with every passing person.



Of course, the food's good too ...



... even in the diners! What a hot dog! The menu boasted fifteen inches ... and I think it was correct!



The thing I think I like the best, however, it still the buildings ...



... like the Guggenheim, where we saw Maurizio Cattelan's incredible installation All. (The museum's website has a most amazing time lapse video showing how this enormous piece was installed in the soaring space. It is HERE.)



I took nearly 600 photos. I trimmed the selection to under 200. Most (except for all the locks and the images from the cemetery) are on a Flickr! page. It is HERE. There are over 30 "buildings" in this collection, lots more photos of The Dinner Party, etc. ...



... below are just a few!



Now ... back to work! Back to the joy of creating my own art while thinking about all the inspiration for even more artwork!

NYC ... We we come!

(Above: Birch in Snow with friends Nancy Chambers and Kim Bendillo. Click on image to enlarge.)

Yesterday I posted Birch in Snow on this blog ... and realized that I didn't have a photo that clearly indicated the size of this piece. Sure, I listed the measurements ... but that doesn't always help. Fortunately two friends stopped by my studio last night and posed for this photo! Thanks Nancy and Kim!

Tomorrow Steve and I are off for a long weekend in NYC. Our elder son Mathias and his girlfriend Laura-Jane are already there. They just finished a run of The Nutcracker with Birmingham Royal Ballet in London's O2 arena. We can't wait to see them!

New Year ... new work ... new plans!

(Above: Birch in Snow. 45" x 63". Discharge velvet, fabric paint, free motion machine embroidery, beading. Click on image to enlarge.)
Happy New Year!
Steve and I had a fantastic trip to Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania for Christmas. We stayed with my parents, visited Grandma, my youngest sister Sonya and her husband Vipin, and went to church for Christmas eve. (I forgot to snap many photos ... but what I did get is HERE ... on "My Family Blog".)

We also went to Oil City to check out their artist relocation program. It was an interesting experience. No, we will not be moving. Yes, it helped me clarify some of the important features that a future move will need (like a highly professional community of artists with serious goals who make quality work ... instead of just a really good buy on property!) While there I purchased a book for my sister Wanda ... a silly reminder of a childhood song called "Senor Don Gato". The melody and the little "Meow, meow, meows" from elementary school are still humming in my head. Since we won't be seeing Wanda until April when we travel to her home in Munich (which coordinates with seeing Mathias and his girlfriend Laura-Jane dancing with Birmingham Royal Ballet in the Munich Ballet Festival), I posted the book HERE. (Quite cute!)


(Above: Chocolate mice in the container I used to transport them back to Columbia!)

Over the holidays we received two chocolate "mice" ... a unique combination of a Hershey Kiss, a chocolate dipped cherry, and almond sliver ears. They were made by Sonya's friend. Steve really, really wanted to eat them ... but I saved them from this intended fate for permanent display at Mouse House. (It helped that their ears needed to be glued in place after the trip. Thus, they are now no longer tempting for Steve's palette! I wrote a great blog post ... the chocolate mice in photo ops all over our shop. It is HERE. Most assuredly cute and shows various places in our shop!)


(Above: Birch in Snow, detail. Click on image to enlarge.)

Of course I stitched in the car ... but not on this piece. This one is gigantic. It was actually started several years ago (2004) when our house nearly burnt down. I got too completely involved in beading the drifts of snow. It was a way to forget the daily trauma of the insurance claim, the nightmare of contractor's delays, and just the general chaos associated with the disaster. I rarely opened up the velvet to look at the work. I lost sight of "the whole". As a result, the bottom was saturated with beads; the top was unbalanced with a void I didn't want to address. I thought the entire project was a total waste. I shoved the entire thing into a crate and forgot about it.


(Above: Birch in Snow, detail. Click on image to enlarge.)

I forgot about the beauty of the birch trees I'd seen in Alaska the year before (2003). I forgot about owning the discharge paste I used to create the trunks of these gnarly, weathered trees. I forgot about the pitch black, mysterious nights and the softly falling flakes. I forgot that this was stitched using a layer of thick, white felt as "batting" ... an art quilt before I ever heard the term!


(Above: Birch in Snow, detail. Click on image to enlarge.)

I didn't find the piece until cleaning my studio for Vista Lights, the annual art crawl in Columbia that happens the Thursday before every Thanksgiving. I found it; spread it out; noted the problem of "balance" between "top" and "bottom"; and, surprisingly, I didn't think it was actually "horrible". In fact, it seemed worth finishing. I've been stitching on it during the evenings ever since.


(Above: Birch in Snow, detail of stitched signature. Click on image to enlarge.)

My friend Jeff Donovan (whose studio is across the atrium from mine at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios) suggested "bigger beads" to achieve a sense of balance in the upper areas ... and because falling snow generally is seen spatially ... with the closest flakes appearing larger and the further away flakes appearing smaller. He was right ... and I found all the beads I needed already in my studio.


(Above: Birch in Snow, detail ... as seen from the side. Click on image to enlarge.)

Instead of finishing this with traditional quilt binding and a sleeve for a hanging rod, I mounted the piece on stretcher bars covered with foam-centered board. This was fitted into a "floater frame" and wired for hanging. It is now hanging at Gallery 80808 with the work of the other artists who have studio space there. It is amazing how well it turned out. I really should take a photo of this area ... if for no better reason than to show scale. This piece is really, really big for what amounts to a lot of beading! I am quite happy to say that I don't have other UFOs (Unfinished Objects) any longer ... at least none that I know about!


(Above: Steve and I having lunch at the Columbia Ale House on New Years Day!)

So ... it is the New Year. The first day was glorious ... as is obvious in the photo above! I've generally used this time of year to reflect on my past and to set goals for the future. The cleaning I did for Vista Lights (during which I found Birch in Snow) carried through December. I went to the extreme of patching and painting my studio walls ... and allowing them to be bare for several weeks. (Blogged about that HERE.) I took down all the feathered shutter slats that hung above my space ... inviting "change". I've been thinking about a goal for the coming year and the changes I want to make, artistically. I've also been thinking about the title of a piece I finished last month ... a piece that needed a title.


Above: Spool Cradle. For a blog post about this work with images that can be enlarged, click HERE.)

I asked for potential titles on this blog. I asked for potential titles on Facebook. My blog post was shared on other blogs. I ended up with a very, very long list of fantastic titles. Even my Mom and Dad each had good ideas, excellent words. So many of the titles evoked beautiful, thoughtful mental images.

The most interesting part of this adventure was getting the chance to see how my work resonates with others. Some people saw the spools are symbolic of future dreams. (Layette Dreams and Weaving Future Heirlooms). Others saw them representing past dreams. (Requiem to Lovely Stitches and Before My Mother Was My Mother.) Several people related the spools to tribal drums. Various titles came from the techniques used. (Unraveled Redefined and Stitched Stories). There was a suggestion to use Oatmeal Kisses. In the end, I found that I really didn't want the title to focus on any one way of viewing the work. I didn't even want the title to reflect the way I personally saw the work. I selected a basic title, Spool Cradle, in order that everyone can relate to the work from his or her own vantage point with his or her own history. Thank you, one and all, for helping me come to this decision. The suggestions are all wonderful and I will probably refer to my list for future works!

In conclusion ... what New Year's resolutions have I come up with? First, I will continue to invite CHANGE into my artistic life. (I've been reading an "artquilt list" on-line. Many of the writers are selecting a single word for the coming year. CHANGE is mine.) In order to fulfill this resolution I will start attending About Face, a group that meets at the Columbia Museum of Art to sketch from life ... yes, that's generally a nude model. It is not my intention to draw nudes (though this might happen) but to work on paper and then to paint on canvas. I hope to dissect the canvas for art quilting raw material. I know that that dedicated time for this group will allow me to focus on exploring new ideas ... something that might not happen in my studio because I am very accustomed to "working" in there, not "playing" with hair-brained ideas. I am also expanding my new "home studio" for 3D work and will continue building "things" inside. In order to be accountable for these goals, I've made inquiry for a solo show at a local, Main Street location for later in the year ... nothing like publicly stating one's intentions and putting a public exhibit on the line in order to accomplish a goal!