Teaching at Lander University

(Above: Me teaching the "Four Family of Stitches" for the MAT Program at Lander University. Click on image to enlarge.)



On Wednesday I had the distinct honor of sharing my sketchbooks and fibers with the MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) students at Lander University. Eleven of the twelve adult students already have art degrees. By this time next year, they'll be in the public schools as art teachers. My job was to introduce fibers and show how I "archive ideas" through sketchbooks and journal writing.



I brought a small hands-on project: creating a miniature art quilt. Ink-jet prints of my African mask images on Sheer Heaven paper were transferred to muslin and used for the top layer. Recycled felt was the batting. A piece of batik or another layer of muslin became the back. I brought plenty of beads and buttons for embellishments.



These students will be presenting another project at an upcoming, statewide conference for art teachers. It is in Columbia. The conference includes an evening when attendees can visit the working studio of local artists.....like me! So....I'll be seeing them again!



Today I'm headed to Charleston for "First Friday". Five of my "Angels in Mourning" pieces are part of a show at Nina Liu's and Friends on State Street, opening tonight. Tomorrow is my "artist lecture" at City Gallery at Waterfront Park. I'm a little nervous....but prepared!

Presents for Jillian!

(Above: Katie wearing a dry felted scarf of wool and Jillian's hair. Click on image to enlarge.)

I have several projects on the "back burner" at all times. There will never be enough days in my life to finish them all....and I keep adding to the stack....but, every now and then, I really do get one or two of these "special" things accomplished.

Yesterday was such a day! I created two gifts for an amazing friend, Jillian Owens. I met Jillian the day she had her head totally shaved bald for charity. This experience and the images I snapped became my Decision Portrait piece called Bald is Beautiful. To read about this piece, CLICK HERE.


(Above: Beautiful. 13" x 11" unframed; 17" x 15" framed. Click on image to enlarge.)

The first present was this small portrait of Jillian with snippets of her hair tied with perle cotton as embellishments. The second present was a dry felted scarf made using 100% wool fibers and Jillian's hair. It took only about an hour to make using my embellisher. I hope it keeps Jillian warm in the coming winter months as her hair grows out!


(Above: It's So Hard to Say Goodbye, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. Reverse. Click on image to enlarge.)

I also finally remembered to shot a photo of the back of my latest Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. I added it to an earlier blog post too.....and I added a few detail shots to yesterday's entry....details of my upcoming public art quilt project called Looking For a Mate. Scroll down to view these "mateless" socks!

Keys and the start of "Looking For A Mate"

(Above: The start of a public arts project called Looking For A Mate. Click on image to enlarge.)

Although I've been busy preparing for both exhibition presentations, I've not neglected my stitching! In fact I've started the "prototype" for my public arts project, Looking For A Mate. The idea is for people to bring their "mateless" socks to the annual autumn arts event held in Columbia's downtown. It's called Vista Lights and is always the Thursday before Thanksgiving.


(Above: Detail of Looking For A Mate, in progress. Click on image to enlarge.)

This year I'll be at Guy Jones' River Runner, the local kayak and outdoor sports shop. Guy supplies me with free felt! Believe it or not, there's a boat company that ships its vessels to distributors wrapped in gigantic, acrylic felt "bags". The substrata for this art quilt is recycled felt.


(Above: Detail of Looking For A Mate, in progress. Click on image to enlarge.)

The Congaree Vista Guild awarded a grant to pay for advertisements in the local, free weekly news publication. These ads will tell people to bring their mateless socks to the event where I'll be creating another, larger ART QUILT. Thus, the public will have fun and also learn what an art quilt is. Plus, all the materials are being recycled! The new piece with the public's donated socks will be completed and on view for the annual spring arts crawl! The complete proposal for this project is HERE!



I've also been making more tagged keys. Before Sunday my stack looked like this (above). By Sunday afternoon the stack grew to this (below). I love making keys. It's a good thing I enjoy it so much because I still have hundreds to go! I'm not sure I'll finish all these now....maybe on another day. The keys will join all the other keys that are on display at The City Gallery at Waterfront Park in Charleston....part of my solo show there. Along with the doors, I'll be creating a store front window installation in October.


(Above: Tagged keys. Click on images to enlarge.)

Presentation for the Fiber Guilds in the Charleston area

This past Saturday I presented a brief "lecture" at The City Gallery at Waterfront Park for members of the Palmetto Fiber Arts Guild and The Cobblestone Quilters Guild. It was lots and lots of fun to be among fellow textile artists.....talking about my work....and sharing some of it in a "trunk show" sort of fashion.

I prepared by typing up a "script" which I didn't follow but used as a "guide" to keep myself on track. Then everyone was invited up to the table for a little "hands on" sort of sharing. We talked about techniques and working methods. We laughed about our shared compulsions with thread of all kinds.

Next Saturday is the "public artist's lecture". It is going to be a Power Point presentation and totally different from this presentation. I'm planning on discussing my development as an installation artist with images of both past and upcoming works as well as a brief history of how the current installation, PERSON GROUNDS, was conceived and created. It promises to be lots of fun too!

Please click on any image to enlarge.

More Windows!

(Above: Window XIV. Unframed, approximately 11" x 9 1/2"; Framed, 17 3/4" x 15 3/4". Click on image to enlarge.)

In my quest to "get ahead" and have pieces "on-hand", I just finished four new "Windows". I love making these and have ideas for other "faux stained glass" designs.


(Above: Window XV. Unframed, approximately 11" x 9 1/2"; Framed, 17 3/4" x 15 3/4". Click on image to enlarge.)


(Above: Window XVI. Unframed, approximately 11" x 9 1/2"; Framed, 17 3/4" x 15 3/4". Click on image to enlarge.)


(Above: Window XVII. Unframed, approximately 11" x 9 1/2"; Framed, 17 3/4" x 15 3/4". Click on image to enlarge.)

Trying to get ahead!

(Above: In Box LXXV. Unframed 15" x 11"; framed 19 1/4" x 15 1/4". Click on image to enlarge.)

Last Week after delivering all my newest "In Box" series and "Faux-stained Glass" series pieces to the Grovewood Gallery in Asheville, I figured that I ought to continue working on more of these works. I'm trying to "get ahead", to have a few pieces on-hand....in advance. Besides, I LOVE making these and have ideas for variations. So...over the past few days, I made In Box LXXV. It incorporates several animal skin printed polyester velvets. I've rarely used anything except the solid colors. The result has a nice tribal feel to it.

(Above: In Box LXXVI. Unframed 15" x 11"; framed 19 1/4" x 15 1/4". Click on image to enlarge.)

Then I made In Box LXXVI. The first layer of polyester velvet is entirely in shades of gree. The second used lavender and purple. I carefully planned where the 21 abalone shell beads would go before doing the free motion stitching. I bought these square beads at Bedazzled in Washington, DC months ago....a relatively expensive string of very, very attractive beads....just for this experiment. I worried that they'd appear "plopped on", sitting on top of the fibers, inadequately incorporated into the design....but I LIKE THE RESULTS.

(Above: My studio table...set up with tiny trays of cut letters, strips of printed and painted watercolor paper for "tags", acrylic medium to adhere the letters to the paper, handmade cording to attach the "tags" to the keys, a list of words, and a dictionary....because I'm not a great speller! In another life I must have been a kidnapper; I love collaging "ransom note" like text! Click on image to enlarge.)

I'm now finishing up four, small "Windows", faux-stained glass fiber pieces....but, in the meantime, I'm back to creating more tagged keys. The first 200+ are hanging in my exhibition at The City Gallery at Waterfront Park in Charleston and are available for cash&carry sales at just $15 apiece. Several sold during the reception and need to be replaced this Saturday when I present an "artist talk" for the local fiber guilds. I'm also arranging an opportunity to display my door unit and keys here in Columbia....in one of the big storefront windows of the Tapp's Department store on Main Street. The store has been empty for years and there's an effort to use it for the arts! I'm imagining all sorts of "Keys for the City" suspended around the door units....which means I'll need at least another 200+ keys....so I'm tagging keys again....trying to "get ahead" of deadlines and have plenty of work available for such an opportunity!

It's So Hard To Say Goodbye, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt

(Above: It's So Hard To Say Goodbye, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. 25" x 25". Vintage linens and lace. Recycled felt center. Hand stitched. Click on image to enlarge.)

With all the excitement over "Personal Grounds", my solo exhibition at The City Gallery at Waterfront Park in Charleston, it might have been easy to neglect some of my other fiber work. Fortunately, hand stitching is one of the most effective ways I know to focus my thoughts, calm my nerves, and let me sleep peacefully. So.....yes....I've been continuing my Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series and just finished a new one.....It's So Hard To Say Goodbye.


(Above: It's So Hard To Say Goodbye, detail. Click on image to enlarge.)

The rubbing came from a small, bronze marker in the more modern section of the Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, DC. I loved all the French knots and seeding stitches that held all these vintage linens and laces together. The piece went along on my trip to Hungary.


(Above: It's So Hard to Say Goodbye, detail. Click on image to enlarge.)

The vintage linens I used on the reverse were in a box sent from Connie in Texas! Thanks so very, very much!


(Above: It's So Hard to Say Goodbye. Reverse. Click on image to enlarge.)

New Work and a three day trip!

(Above: Stained-Glass XXII, detail. Click on image to enlarge.)

Sure...the last two weeks were very, very busy getting prepared for and installing my solo show, "Personal Grounds", at The City Gallery at Waterfront Park in Charleston. It was really exciting and the show looks great. My parents flew in for the reception and my youngest sister Sonya and her husband Vipin drove for twelve hours to surprise me that same night. It was a magical evening and a fantastic weekend! Scroll down to the next blog post for lots and lots of photos.

Yet, there is no "rest" for a working artist! Creativity and art production MUST CONTINUE....especially when one is lucky enough to have representation at a place like the Grovewood Gallery in Asheville. My "In Box" and "Faux-stained Glass" fiber pieces have been selling well! At the end of last month I received an email message requesting the following work by approximately mid-September: (3) large "In Boxes", (4) small "In Boxes", (3) small faux-stained glass pieces, and (1) large faux-stained glass piece. That's A LOT OF WORK...and I had my show to install too but I LOVE A CHALLENGE! So...despite the exhibition schedule, I've been busy creating these new pieces:


(Above: In Box LXXII. The artwork is approximately 29" x 17". Framed, it measures 35 1/2" x 23 1/2". Click on any image to enlarge!)


(Above: Detail of In Box LXXII featured directly above. Click on image to enlarge.)


(Above: In Box LXXIII. The artwork is approximately 29" x 17". Framed, it measures 35 1/2" x 23 1/2". Click on any image to enlarge.)


(Above: Detail In Box LXXIII featured directly above. Click on image to enlarge.)


(Above: In Box LXXIV. The artwork is approximately 29" x 17". Framed, it measures 35 1/2" x 23 1/2". Click on image to enlarge.)


(Above: Detail In Box LXXIV featured directly above. Click on image to enlarge.)


(Above: In Box LXVIII. Artwork is approximately 16" x 12" unframed and 19 1/4" x 15 1/4" framed. Click on image to enlarge!)

(Above: In Box LXIX. Artwork is approximately 16" x 12" unframed and 19 1/4" x 15 1/4" framed. Click on image to enlarge!)

(Above: In Box LXX. Artwork is approximately 16" x 12" unframed and 19 1/4" x 15 1/4" framed. Click on image to enlarge!)


(Above: In Box LXXI. Artwork is approximately 16" x 12" unframed and 19 1/4" x 15 1/4" framed. Click on image to enlarge!)


(Above: Windows XIII, a small faux-stained glass fiber pieces. Approximately 13" x 11" unframed and 17 1/2" x 15 1/2" framed. Click on image to enlarge.)


(Above: Windows XII, a small faux-stained glass fiber pieces. Approximately 13" x 11" unframed and 17 1/2" x 15 1/2" framed. Click on image to enlarge.)


(Above: Windows XI, a small faux-stained glass fiber pieces. Approximately 13" x 11" unframed and 17 1/2" x 15 1/2" framed. Click on image to enlarge.)


(Above: Stained Glass XXII. Approximately 17" x 57" unframed; 64 1/2" x 24 1/2" framed. Click on image to enlarge.)


(Above: The top part of Stained Glass XXII. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: The middle part of Stained Glass XXII. Click on image to enlarge.)


(Above: The bottom of Stained Glass XXII. Click on image to enlarge.)

Steve and I headed north to Asheville last Wednesday with all this artwork! We went on to a Thursday evening antiquarian book and print auction outside Washington, DC. Today we went to Cumberland, MD to see the Will's Creek National juried art exhibition at the Allegany Arts Council's Saville Gallery where my Aegis won the sculpture award!


(Above: Me, posing with Aegis at the Will's Creek Survey National Juried show at the Saville Gallery in Cumberland, MD.)

Now.....more great news! Two of my art quilts were just accepted into Art Quilts XV: Needleplay at The Chandler Art Center's Vision Gallery in Chandler, AZ from Nov. 5 - Jan. 15 ...... Born an Angel and On Earth a Bud. Also.....here's a review of my show in Charleston!