More Pieces for my Patchwork Installation

(Above:  Tacking the pieces to previously black-painted frames.  The work above measures 18" x 23".  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Not all the pieces for my Patchwork Installation are as large as the one in the above image.  Some are only 8" x 10".  Most are somewhere in between, averaging 13" x 17" or thereabout.  My process is to first staple recycled, black industrial felt to a stretcher bar. (The felt was formerly the protective covering for a kayak or canoe while in transit from a manufacturer to my local outdoors shop.)  A bright yellow pencil line is drawn onto the felt ... around the black-painted frame ... establishing the perimeter of the final piece. Then ... leaving a half inch space between the scraps and the yellow line, I pin sections of quilts, lace, crochet doilies, upholstery trim, ribbon, bits of embroidery, and assorted textiles onto the felt ... constructing the piece.  Each piece is then hand-stitched together before being removed from the stretcher bar.  The half-inch border is important.  It allows me to tack the work inside the perimeter of the frame.  I have fourteen or fifteen different styles/colors of upholstery tacks, ordered from Lee's Decorative Showcase.  The excess felt is trimmed away using a soldering iron.  This process is not done one-at-a-time.  I generally construct at least ten pieces at a time.  I wait until they are all stitched before tacking them to their frames and melting away the excess felt.  Recently, I finished fifteen pieces.  The blog post shows most of them.  Unfortunately, I didn't notice the shadow of my own arm on some of the pictures ... but that's okay!  I'll do better with the next batch.  They are already being stitched!  More to come!  I'm closing in on my goal of one-hundred! 

 

Mandala CLXIII, Spinning Out of Control

(Above:  Mandala CLXIII. Custom framed: 40" x 40".  Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt. Found objects include:  Mahjong tiles; dominoes; clear, plastic candle holders for a Xmas tree or cake (?); copper-colored, red, and blue can pull tabs; external toothed lock washers; a brass lid; an ornate aluminum lid; light blue syringe plungers; blue plastic bottle caps; large and small screw eyes; a brioche mold; a blue casino chip; a coffee K-pod; a glass part of a table lamp; part of a rotary telephone receiver and ringer; 45 record adapters; toy motorcycle wheels; red and white plastic connectors from a child's building set; crystal chandelier prisms; buttons and beads.  Click on any image to enlarge.) 

For quite some time, I've thought about stitching another "spinning out of control mandala".  I did this once before.  The piece sold.  (CLICK HERE to access the blog post featuring this artwork.)  The original idea was to use some of the unique things I had in my stash, things that I didn't have in multiples.  Yet, I didn't want to try duplicating my design.  So, I didn't look at my earlier blog post or any of the images saved on my computer.  I thought I'd started with circles of buttons.  Looking back (and finally reading my own blog post! LOL!), I realize that's not what I did.

(Above:  The well worn, vintage quilt used for the mandala's base.)

I didn't remember that the base of my earlier "spinning out of control" mandala was made on scraps of a quilt that I stitched together.  I didn't do that either.  Instead, I cut a big square from this red, white, and blue vintage quilt.  The quilt was well worn and donate to my stash by a local friend.  Then, I penciled circles onto the surface and stitched rings of dominoes, Mahjong tiles, buttons, copper can pull tabs, etc. 

(Above:  In progress photo.)

Looking back, I now realize that I started with an off-kilter focal point made from three, large pinking scissors and three, strange piano parts. Inside my penciled lines, I started stitching randomly placed small objects. The design wasn't obvious enough. To correct this problem, I added the circles of bottons.

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CLXIII.)

Because this time I stitched all the circles first (and because they were made from so many different things), there really wasn't a good way to add random objects.  Instead, small circular arrangements looked better.  They were fun to construct.

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CLXIII.)

Now that I remember (LOL!) what I did, I will probably try again ... hoping to use some of the many found objects in my stash that just haven't found a place on a mandala.  I won't try to duplicate my earlier design.  In fact, I have a totally new idea and can't wait to start it.

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CLXIII.)

Unfortunately, I will have to wait.  Why?  Well, I'm deep into stitching pieces for my upcoming Patchwork Installation.  Thankfully, I love doing that too.  Both projects feed my soul, my desire to give "second life" to all these assorted things!

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CLXIII.)
 

More pieces for my Patchwork Installation

(Above and below:  Individual units for my Patchwork Installation.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Although this is the week when summer officially starts, autumn and September will be here before I know it!  My plan is to have at least one hundred pieces ready for the solo show opportunity at the Imperial Centre's art gallery in Rocky Mount, NC.  The idea is that these pieces will be hung abutting one another ... meandering up and down and across the gallery wall.  I've envisioned a stream of pieces that will even turn the corner in the gallery space.  There's a free standing wall.  The end is only 7 3/8" in width.  I have a piece for that narrow space too.  The pieces in this blog post number 70 - 78.  Already, I have about fifteen more constructed and just waiting for me to stitch together.  It is a real joy to give "second life" to these old, often well worn, and generally neglected pieces.  Now ... back to stitching!

 

Mandala CLXII and the Patchwork Installation Continues

(Above:  Mandala CLXII.  Custom framed: 25 1/4" x 25 1/4".  Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt.  Objects include: A trivet made from Popsicle sticks and beads; two different sizes of blank, glass slides; bamboo styled salad forks; copper beverage can tabs; keys; brass screw eyes; clear, plastic candle holders for cakes; vintage film capacitors; brass buckle slides; assorted buttons and beads.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Even though I'm hard at work creating more and more units for my Patchwork Installation, I had to stitch another Found Object Mandala.  The vintage Popsicle stick trivet had been sitting on my mat cutter for weeks and weeks.  It seemed to be calling to me, "Susan! Use me!"  When I acquired the blank glass slides, I couldn't ignore the trivet any longer! LOL!

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CLXII.)

Most of my Found Object Mandalas are presented in floater frames, frames that don't lip over the perimeter.  This one, however, is in a traditional frame.  I've had the frame for years.  It had another, older piece in it.  That piece has been cut up and made into greeting cards.  To be honest, the greeting cards look better than the piece ever did ... and the mandala looks better in the frame than the piece ever did too!

(Above and below:  Individual pieces for my Patchwork Installation.)

In the meantime, I've been stitching up a storm in anticipation for my solo show at the Imperial Centre's Maria V. Howard Arts Center in Rocky Mount, NC.  The exhibit runs from September 1 to December 31, 2023.  My vision for this installation is a running, linear arrangement of the individual units ... meandering down the length of the gallery walls ... flexibly hung with the sides abutting one anther ... moving up and down, around the corners, above and below other artwork.  My goal is at least one hundred pieces.  So far, I've got sixty-nine!  Each piece features scraps of quilts and other textiles stitched together and then tacked to black painted frames.  So far, so good!

 

Trip to Wilmington, NC for an invitational fiber show

(Above:  Selfie on the day after the art reception! Click on any image to enlarge.)

Recently I was selected to take part in a national, invitational fiber exhibit curated by Susan Kranyik.  Our correspondence was amazing, fun, and included an undeniable connection that goes beyond fiber and stitch, politics, family dynamics, and even the willingness to be supportive.  Susan instantly understood that the pieces I most wanted to exhibit were ones created during the pandemic that had never been shown outside my blog, social media, and my own studio.  Basically, I wanted to let a few of these works have "their day in the spotlight".  I wanted REAL EYES to see the artwork.

(Above: A photo near the time the reception ended ... including my Cemetery Flags being viewed by one of my longest friends who just happens to live in Wilmington!)

The show is up through June 25 at ArtWorks, an incredible warehouse in which more than sixty artists' studios exist.  The space includes more than one area for temporary exhibitions, a gift shop, offices, and a sales area.  Confluence-Connections, the fiber exhibit, occupied a large, well lit, professional gallery area, and I was so pleased to see my work hanging alongside the works of many friends including Patricia Turner, Richard Lund, Penny Mateer, Beverly Smith, J. Bruce Wilcox, Mary Mazziotti, Michele Jaquis, R'hea Roland-Singer, and Robin Lyn Haller.  I was especially happy to have an opportunity to see Cemetery Flags on the wall.  Let's face it, at just over nine-feet, it needs a very tall wall and this space was perfect.  My other works included The Protector, Lost & Found VI, and Capitals on Blue and Gold. 

(Above:  Selfie with Steve in the Belvedere/upper attic of the Bellamy Mansion.)

Most of the time, I simply ship my artwork to a venue and include a pre-paid return shipping label.  I don't actually go, but Susan Kranyik's vision, excitement, and overall personality made both Steve and I want to attend the opening reception.  We are so glad we went!  We were able to go to dinner with my one-and-only true friend from elementary/middle/high school.  She happens to live in Wilmington.  We were also able to visit several historic sites in Wilmington.

(Above:  The front of the Bellamy Mansion.)

We really liked the self guided tour of the Bellamy Mansion.  It was like peeking into the lives of an elite family and their slaves during and after the Civil War.

(Above:  A parlor at the Bellamy Mansion.)

For the most part, Steve and I were the only ones in the grand house ...

... admiring the china, silver, gasoliers, faux-marble fireplaces, and period furniture.

(Above:  The parlor at the Burgwin-Wright Mansion.)

We also took a guided tour of the nearby Burgwin-Wright Mansion ... which was like stepping further back in the history of Wilmington ... to pre-Revolutionary days.  On the grounds was a small artisan and arts festival.  We also went to the Farmer's Market, walked the Cape Fear River boardwalk, and had lunch in a great craft brewery.  If possible, Steve and I will return to this charming city instead of having that pre-paid shipping label put on the boxes that brought my artwork there.  Another trip to Wilmington would be great fun!

 

Trip to DC and NYC

(Above:  Selfie with Steve inside the 360-degree video enclosure (think, an aluminum igloo!) by Stan VanDerBeek called Movie-Drome (1964–65).  Part of Signals: How Video Transformed the World at MoMA.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Steve and I just returned from a most wonderful trip to Washington DC and NYC.  For some reason, I didn't take many pictures while in DC.  Perhaps that's because we had a very good reason for going!

(Above:  Sims and Dolly just after the George Washington University graduation for those receiving their Masters degree from the College of Arts and Sciences.  Sims will continue her studies of primates and we hope to return to see her get her PhD!)

It was so rewarding to see Sims Patton get her masters degree!  We went to lunch afterwards ... and also had dinner together the next day.  Otherwise, Steve and I visited the Smithsonian American Museum of Art and Portrait Gallery and browsed through both the Eastern Market and the Tephra ICA Arts Festival, an outdoor show featuring many of the artists we know from past Philadelphia and Smithsonian Craft Shows. Amazingly, we got entry tickets to the Smithsonian African-American Museum and spent five hours there (without even getting to two of the seven levels!)  We highly recommend this experience! It was far better than either of us dared to imagine, and we will return!

(Above:  Nari Ward's Vertical Hold, 1996, at MoMA.)

From DC, we took an early morning Amtrak train into NYC for a five night stay!  Although we've been to New York City several times (including last August!), neither of us had ever been to MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art.  This was a first.  We were among the first wave of people to enter last Tuesday and the last to be ushered out!  Sure ... we stopped for lunch in the terrace cafe ... but otherwise, we were never tired.  It was fabulous! 

(Above:  Natsuyuki Nakanishi's Compact Object, 1962.)

I snapped a fair amount of images.  I've included several in this blog post, but mostly I was entranced with the wide range of artwork, the arrangement inside the spacious galleries, and the maze of rooms. It would be easy to get happily lost on any of the floors!

(Above:  Manolo Millares, Composition 9, 1957.)

Some of the works that fascinated me most were ones done around the time I was born.  I like thinking about "modern" being sixty+ years old.  It is also challenging to view unique approaches to artwork that are still being explored as if "brand new". 

(Above:  Ana Mendieta's Nile Born, 1984.)

Seeing a work by Ana Mendieta was special too.  I've long admired her pioneering spirit and mourned her untimely death.

(Above:  Detail of Arman's I Still Use Brushes, 1969.)

MoMA has a comprehensive, on-line listing of its artwork.  Yet, there's no comparison to standing in front of these pieces.  The depth, color, and artist's hand just doesn't come across well enough when just seeing a photo!  Still ... I've linked the pieces I've included in this blog post.  It is wonderful to have this resource.

(Above:  Erol's Glory of the Kings, 1959?)

Often "modern art" is viewed as a very American driven, mid-20th century era.  I was happy to see so many other influences ... like Erol's Turkish inspired calligraphic marks ... and ...

(Above:  Detail of Gustav Klimt's Hope II, 1907-08.)

... the lush, early 20th century colors of Klimt!

(Above:  Selfie with Steve outside the VanCortlandt Historic House.)

Steve and I love museums, but we don't spend all our time inside!  We also visited Van Cortlandt Park, toured the 18th century VanCortlandt House Museum ...

(Above:  Patricia Cronin's Memorial to a Marriage.)

... and went to Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx to see Patricia Cronin's Memorial to a Marriage, the first and only Marriage Equality monument in the world and future, final resting place for the artist and her wife, Deborah Cass.  This 400+ acre cemetery also has graves for suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Herman Melville, Dorothy Parker, Irving Berlin, and too many others to list.  The landscaping is magnificent.

(Above:  One of the mausoleums at Green-wood Cemetery.)

We also went to Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.  This place has an art residency program but it is without housing and lasts for nine months.  Ah ... to dream of such an opportunity!

(Above:  Bisa Butler's show, The World is Yours, at Jeffrey Deitch's gallery in Soho.)

Another highlight of this trip was going to Jeffrey Deitch's New York Gallery in Soho to see Bisa Butler's The World is Yours art quilt exhibit.  The space was filled with people and at least one or two of the included works were listed as in a private collection.   

(Above:  Sojourner Truth by Bisa Butler.)

We saw our first Bisa Butler art quilt at the Smithsonian African-American Museum in DC.  CLICK HERE to see it, I Go To Prepare a Place For You, featuring Harriett Tubman.  The size of these pieces is enormous. The fabrics dazzle.  The use of transparent tulle is brilliant.  There is no wonder why Bisa Butler's work now commands six figures and that museums across the country are lining up to add one to their collection.

(Above:  Selfie at the Bisa Butler show.)

Of course I snapped a selfie from the loft area inside the gallery.  I took other selfies too ...

(Above:  Selfie with a detail of the Nick Cave Soundsuit mosaic."

... including this one!  The Nick Cave Soundsuit mosaics at the Times Square/42nd Street subway station is the largest and most ambition mosaic in the entire subway system.  The installation covers 4,200 square feet and is called Each One, Every One, All Equal. 

(Above:  Waiting for the Roosevelt Island tram.)

Steve and I are really good at navigating the NYC subway system.  Steve even has a senior pass.  I bought a week of unlimited rides for $33.  Best buy in the city!  Knowing that our transportation needs were as easy as swiping our cards, we ventured to Roosevelt Island.  While there we walked to the southern tip to see the The Ruins, the former smallpox hospital that has sat abandoned since closing in the 1950s.  This unique site is possibly going to be the meaningful site for a COVID-19 memorial.

(Above:  Panorama shot of NYC from Roosevelt Island.)

From here, we took the metro system's suspended tram across the East River and into Manhattan.

(Above:  The High Line.)

We really hope to return to The Ruins after the permanent memorial is created.  We like the way significant places from the past are transformed into new spaces ... like The High Line.  In the past, we walked from north to south.  This time, we walked in the opposite direction and continued to remark how different the views were.

(Above:  Detail of one of the many Van Gogh paintings in The Met's new show.)

Another important thing happened last August when we last visited NYC.  We purchased an annual senior pass to The Met.  This pass cost only $110 and allowed "a friend" to accompany the senior member!  Last August, we went to The Met every single day ... five days in a row. Since our pass was still valid, we visited The Met three times!  The "big day" was last Thursday.  Members can enter a full hour before the general public.  We went in with several hundred others ... but far fewer than were lined up outside.  This allowed us to visit the special Van Gogh's Cypress exhibit without hordes of people in the space.  It was awesome.

(Above:  Inside Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty exhibit.)

By the time we left the Van Gogh area, we were first in line to visit the Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty ... though lots and lots of people were coming into the museum at that time.)

Anyone who knows me knows that keeping up with fashion is NOT something important in my life.  I own (and wore during the trip) clothes purchased from thrift stores and t-shirts that have been in my possession for at least a decade.  That said, I adored this exhibit.  What's not to like about fields of seed beads ...

... and loosely crocheted mohair yarns being interspersed with delicate artificial floral units ... all over nearly invisible silk tulle ...

... or clear and opaque futuristic materials made into easily wearable garments?  From hand-painted caftans dresses to oversized wedding gowns covered in ostrich feathers, the exhibit was eye-popping.

We also visited Lauren Halsey's new rooftop installation, a full scale architectural piece drawing on an Egyptian framework covered in African-American tagging ... with a fantastic view of the city.  The photo above came from another temporary show about the life and artistic achievements of seventeenth-century Afro-Hispanic painter Juan de Pareja (ca. 1608–1670).  The words included the manumission documentation.  We'd never heard of this word.  It means "release from slavery".

 Included in this exhibit was a piece of 15th Spanish lusterware. 

Steve and I wandered through other areas of The Met, including the Islamic art section, Cecily Brown's enormous and "messy" paintings in Death and a Maiden, and Berenice Abbott's New York Album ... photographs from 1929.  There's no way to really see The Met in a single day ... or even three days ... or even a week.  Yet, every visit is unique, insightful, and beautifully displaced.

We stayed in a TownePlace Inn ... on hotel points.  Our upgraded room (because Steve is "special"! LOL!) had a balcony.  It was a great place for pizza dinners!

(Above:  A choral concert at St. Patrick's Cathedral.)

We intended to see a Broadway show and had tickets to the Fosse revival, Dancin' but it closed early.  The refund was instantaneous.  Several other shows were investigated but we happily settled for a free choral concert with the brass instruments and organ at St. Patrick's Cathedral.  It was a late Easter selection of divine music.

(Above:  Detail from Carl Klewicke's 1907 quilt.)

On our last full day in NYC, we spent the late afternoon at the American Folk Art Museum.  This totally free museum had two shows running, including thirty-five quilts in What That Quilt Knows About Me.

(Above:  Quilt from 1790-1810 with a center panel by John Hewson.)

The works were not arranged thematically or chronologically but in spaces that truly showcased each one.  The pieces included works by enslaved sisters in antebellum Kentucky, a British soldier during his convalescence in the Crimean War, living artists, anonymous makers, and even a 1935 charity quilt made by the Ladies' Aid Society of the McKinley Community Church ...

... with hundreds of finely stitched names!

(Above:  Detail of the Littlejohn sisters dense quilting and trapunto, 1850).

What's not to like when comparing two entirely different approaches to hand-stitching?  Perfect tiny running lines and trapunto ...

(Above:  Detail of Susan Arrowood's Sacret Bibel, 1875-95.)

... or the freedom of expression in hand-cut applique figures?  I could only wish for more!

 

(Above and below:  Sunset views while riding on the Staten Island ferry.) 

On our last evening, Steve and rode the Staten Island ferry.  The weather was perfect.  The sunset illuminated the Statue of Liberty magnificently.  The skyline lit up as if to bid us "good-bye" ... until the next time ... and there will be a next time!