Mandala CCLXXVIII, Thomas the Tank Engine

 

(Above:  Mandala CCLXXVIII, Thomas the Tank Engine.  Custom framed:  25 3/4" x 25 3/4".  Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt. Objects include:  A wooden plate on which is stitched assorted beer bottle caps and the copper top of a cookie press; assorted cookie press discs; felt hammers for a piano; green lids with red rabies pet tags; eight, gold iced tea spoons; metal clips; blue lids; copper beverage can tabs; four, small Thomas the Tank Engines; assorted buttons and beads. Click on any image to enlarge.)

I worried about using the little Thomas the Tank Engines on a mandala.  I thought that it might result in an artwork that had too childish look.  I wondered if it would limit its attractiveness to a potential client.  After all, who really buys a piece of artwork costing over five hundred dollars to decorate a child's room?

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCLXXVIII, Thomas the Tank Engine.)

But then I thought about it some more!  Just because I don't know anyone who would spend that amount to decorate a kid's room doesn't mean others feel that way!  Didn't I have original artwork in my kid's bedrooms?  Well ... yes I did!  Plus ... we bought a rather expensive platform and all the parts for a Thomas the Tank Engine station for that room!  That's when I realized that Thomas the Tank Engine has passed from the currently most popular thing for a boy into the realm of nostalgia!

 

(Above:  Mandala CCLXXVIII, Thomas the Tank Engine.)

The facts of the matter are that I associate Thomas the Tank Engine with my younger son ... who is now thirty-five years old!  Plus, the history of Thomas the Tank Engine is actually ten years older than my husband!  He first appeared in The Railway Series, a British's children's book by Wilbert Awdry in 1945.  His popularity in England grew and grew until he was a hit all over the world. The television program reached the USA in 1989.  In the 1990s, Thomas the Tank Engine was a sensation ... which accounts for my thinking of it as "childish" and not necessarily nostalgic!  Now, I just feel old! LOL!

Mandala CCLXXVII, Andy Warhol

 

(Above:  Mandala CCLXXVII, Andy Warhol.  Custom framed: 30 1/4" x 30 1/4".  Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt.  Objects include:  A yellow children's 45 record on which the face for a clock and a red button is stitched; plastic four-leaf clover lucky coins; miniature dominoes; blue plastic scissors for cutting decorative edges; ViewMaster reels; clamping scissors; cocktail forks; gold beverage can tabs; green rabies pet tags; brioche molds; red and green plastic lids; four Andy Warhol dishes; assorted buttons and beads. Click on any image to enlarge.)

This Found Object Mandala was entirely designed in order to use the four Andy Warhol dishes in the corners!  On the same day that I found the set at the Pickens County flea market, I also found the plastic numbers for a clock face.  They seemed to go together!

 

(Above: Detail of Mandala CCLXXVII, Andy Warhol.)

The challenge immediately became how to balance the center with such large, obvious objects going into the four corners.  Fortunately, I have a small stack of bright yellow children's 45s.  The clock face worked perfectly on top of it.  Still ... I knew that the middle area needed to be strikingly obvious too ... to balance out these other big shapes.

 

(Above: Detail of Mandala CCLXXVII, Andy Warhol.)

 I don't remember when I got the blue plastic scissors but they sure worked well!  Then, the rest of the items simply went into place!  This isn't always how I design my mandalas.  Often, it is just the "one thing" that leads to another but the entire design isn't worked out until several things are already stitched down.  This one, however, was totally designed before the first stitch!

 

(Above:  Mandala CCLXXVII, Andy Warhol as seen at an angle.)

I am thankful for my iPhone.  It is the only way that I can design an entire mandala.  After laying everything out, I snap a photo so that I can remember where the items go!

Mandala CCLXXVI, Mini Foosball

 

(Above:  Mandala CCLXXVI, Mini Foosball.  Custom framed: 18 1/4" x 18 1/4". Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt.  Objects include:  Miniature foosball figures; navy pea coat buttons; red and blue rabies pet tags on green and orange plastic lids; copper beverage can tabs; souvenir spoons; white toddler snack lids; part of a tea strainer on a yellow lid and a silver-plated dish and another decorative dish; Rosebud Salve lids; yellow plastic figures on horseback; assorted buttons and beads. Click on any image to enlarge.)

I've been really busy over the past two weeks.  My mind and hands have gone in several different directions!  First, I finished The Caution Tape Dress and went to Columbia for the Columbia Design League's "trashion fashion" show.  Then, I bought a "new toy"!  I am the proud owner of a scroll saw.  Soon enough, I'll blog about it ... but that's for another day!  Then, I signed up for Jane Dunnewold's Poetic Cloth, an on-line workshop that is supposed to be teaching me how best to use my Gelli plate with fabric instead of paper.  Yet all along, I've also been hand stitching every evening.  Over the next few days, I'll be posting the results of four Found Object Mandalas that were finished and just framed.  First up is Mandala CCLXXVI, Mini Foosball.

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCLXXVI, Mini Foosball.)

I've had the tea strainer for at least a year.  It's been auditioned for potential inclusion several times in the past.  Finally, it worked!  The pea coat buttons have been collected very gradually.  The souvenir spoons were a find from the Pickens County flea market.  I don't think they were ever really "finished".  The vendor had a dozen or more but none of them included the typical, little picture of a particular location.  They were all blank!

Runaway Runway 2026 and the Caution Tape Dress

(Above:  My three models for Runaway Runway 2026.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

It's been almost two weeks since Steve and I went to Columbia for Runaway Runway.  I've been busy since then and am now just getting around to blogging about the experience!  So .. Runaway Runway was an event presented by the Columbia Design League, an affiliate group of the Columbia Museum of Art.  They used to have this "trashion fashion show" every year.  The last time that it was held at the Township Auditorium was in 2013 and I went in disguise in my Pantyhose Dress.  (Click here to read about it.)  Then ... there was a long hiatus.  I've had garments in other shows since then but now Runaway Runway is back!  It's also now back at the museum instead of the giant-sized event venue.

 

(Above:  The Caution Tape Dress under construction on a dress form that is older than me!)

The Red Carpet Dress has been in several shows (even one in Canada ... making it "international"!) and even in Fiber Art Now Magazine.  It was made from a section of the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show's floor covering (a non-biodegradable, non-woven synthetic) and artificial flowers collected from cemetery dumpsters. The Class of '49 (also known as the Black Lives Matter Dress) was made from yearbook photos that were fused to a scrap of muslin and stitched on a tear-away stabilizer) has also been in another recycled artwear show.  It is a requirement for Runway Runway that the entries all be made from non-fabric/recycled materials!  This is the challenge and I adore a challenge!

(Above:  The Caution Tape Dress, photos courtesy of Keira McDermon.)

So ... for this show, I made one new design.  I used the caution tape that was recently part of my entryway installation to the Degenerate Art Show.  I blogged about it HERE.  Initially, I was just going to toss the caution tape ... basically adding to the amount of plastics in our landfills.  Instead, I stitched through strips that were woven until I had enough to stretch around the dress form that I inherited from my mother and grandmother.  I think it is older than me! LOL!  Then strips were stitched in a flowing skirt.  The attachment was hidden under a band of gathered caution tape.  I used grommets (found in my stash of potential objects for my mandalas) to close the back.  The hat was made from a old piece of six-ply mat board and yarn (stitched like one of my fiber vessels). It was embellished with artificial flowers collected from cemetery dumpsters.  All my designs looked great walking through a sold-out crowd and I'm already planning on a new look for next year!
 

Mandala CCLXXV: The Branded Monopoly Commission

 

(Above: Mandala CCLXXV: The Branded Monopoly Commission. Framed: 30 3/4" x 30 3/4". Laminated Monopoly money, playing cards, and pieces hand-stitched to the game board on top of a vintage quilt with additional objects ... including bottle caps, keys, golf tees, miniature plastic crowns, and assorted buttons and beads. Click on any image to enlarge.)

It was truly my honor to accept the commission for this unique Found Object Mandala from Margaret Wunderlich, gallerist and director of Chaos Contemporary Craft in Columbus, Ohio (a place that recently started representing my work!)  The process was straight-forward and even the shipping went well!  Below is part of the documentation PDF that I supplied with the artwork.

After receiving the branded American Express Monopoly Game, I laid out a suggested design on top of a piece of lavender colored mat board. This image was sent for approval and with the plan to add additional objects after these elements were firmly stitched to the selected vintage quilt top.

The photo above shows the selected vintage quilt top. This was placed on top of a piece of 100% cotton batting and a piece of a vintage tablecloth. These layers created the quilted surface for the piece. Over the top went a piece of an orange tulle/netting to protect any fragile materials/seams on the quilt top.

Twelve property cards, all the yellow "service" cards, all the orange "planning cards", and six of each monetary denomination were then laminated and then cut out. To avoid the attempt to stitch through

1) multiple pieces of lamination, 2) the game board, and 3) the underlying quilt layers, the following process was done:

A piece of Pellon's 806 Stitch-and-Tear (a tear-away stabilizer generally used to back dense layers of machine embroidery and other decorative stitching) was cut and lightly taped to the game board. Rings of "service" and "planning" cards along with two pieces of each monetary denomination were tacked/lightly hot-glued to the Stitch-and-Tear.

Anefil Poly thread (an extremely strong, twisted nylon thread that appears as a thin brown line attached to an almost camouflaged skinny needle in the photo above) was used to stitch the elements to the Stitch-and-Tear.

After the stitching carefully linked all the elements together, the Stitch-and-Tear was removed. This created a circle requiring fewer holes through the game board for its attachment. This was important as the design required 234 holes drilled through the game board!

There are four holes per green "house", nine per side or 144 total. There are five holes for each of two dice; forty-four holes along the perimeter for attaching the board to the quilt; and thirty-six holes used with small, silver beads to attach the circle of laminated cards/money to the board! Four holes were drilled through all the green “houses” and the red “hotels”.

Once everything was attached to the game board, the game board was stitched to the quilt. 

At this point, additional objects were laid on the surface. These include keys, golf tees, miniature plastic crowns, and assorted buttons and beads. This image was sent for approval. Once approved, these things were stitched in place.

After the last stitch, the piece was ready for mounting. The red “line”/thread shows the perimeter for the final presentation. The artwork was removed from this larger stretcher bar and stapled to one with an outer measurement matching the dimensions of the red “line”/thread. Before doing this, the final stretcher bar was covered with a piece of acid-free foam-centered board. Using the same drilled holes for attaching the game board to the quilt, the work was stitched to the foam-centered board … through the foam board, through the quilt, and through the game board. This is done to distribute the weight of the elements across the foam-centered board, thus avoiding any potential of sagging in the future. The piece was then put into a black floater-styled frame. The only glue on this mandala was used to attach the metal game pieces. It was simply too risky to attempt drilling 1/16th holes through the metal pieces in ways that could be used to stitch them in place. This is the only mandala I’ve ever made that includes any glued elements.

Finally, the work was carefully packaged and sent via FedEx to Columbus.  Happily, I received the photo above from Chaos Contemporary showing it hanging in its new home!  How grand!

 

 

Press release for the upcoming solo show jointly presented with Susan Perry

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Susan Perry and Susan Lenz open their concurrent art exhibitions: Cascades

Pickens County Museum of Art and History, PICKENS, SOUTH CAROLINA

307 Johnson Street, Pickens, SC

May 16- July 4, 2026

Opening reception: May 16, 2026 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Susan Perry and Susan Lenz, two Upstate fiber and installation artists, will present solo shows responding to concepts found in their joint exhibition title, Cascades. The exhibit opens at the Pickens County Museum of Art and History, 307 Johnson Street in Pickens, SC on May 16 with a reception that day from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. Elan DeHaro will take viewers on a musical journey during the reception. The exhibit runs through July 4, 2026. Perry and Lenz will be showing new work that explores traditional and experimental combinations of paper, fabric, and found materials. Both artists create sculpture forms, immersive installations, and incorporate reusable, natural and man-made materials. Yet, their individual approaches are uniquely different.

Susan Perry’s kinetic, kite-like sculptures developed from a contemplative practice of Sumi ink drawings, marbling, and paper-making. Some of these three-dimensional works will be suspended from the ceiling; others will sit below suggesting a stream of conversation. Her collages were inspired by local waterfalls. Susan Lenz’s work also suggests the movement of water. More than one-hundred units of collaged fabrics will meander across three walls as if tracing the route of one of the area’s many creeks. Strips of lace hand-stitched into eight-foot long, plant-life strands will cascade down another wall.

However different, Perry and Lenz’s works compliment one another. Both acknowledge the changing face of land use, the natural world of the Upstate, and how plant/fiber materials connects us to land, lakes, and rivers. The two artists are linked through textiles, something that defines local industry, history and even the very identity of Pickens County. For well over a century, Upstate women saved fabric scraps, buttons, paper, and photographs. These seemingly mundane objects served as reminders of personal stories and special memories. Perry and Lenz are no exceptions to this habit of intuitive collecting. They both use their saved materials in their studio practices. Found objects are featured in both artists’ shows. Perry will use a traditional, wooden apple tree ladder in her area; Lenz has incorporated found objects stitched into tidal wave profiles.

Though Perry’s and Lenz’s work will be presented in two different parts of the second floor museum space, the two have been in regular communication regarding their concept and the progression of their individual presentations. “I think we’ve pushed one another to think broadly about our materials and especially about the way we respond to our chosen theme, Cascades,” says Lenz. Perry agrees, stating, “Throughout this past year, I’ve been inspired to find new ways to use paper to express water as a central feature of our Pickens County landscape.”

The Pickens County Museum of Art and History is open Wednesday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The museum can be reached at (864) 898-5963.

For more information, please contact the artists through their websites:

www.susanlenz.com

www.susanperry.art

###

 

Tidal Wave XVII, Upholstery Cord

(Above:  Tidal Wave XVII.  Donated upholstery cord hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt with layered buttons.  Custom framed:  33" x 33". Click on any image to enlarge.)

Recently I received a most incredible donation of vintage and antique quilts, a big bag of upholstery cording, and several other items.  I was a little overwhelmed and truly awed by the generosity but I had no idea what I might do with the upholstery cord.  I've received similar lengths of expensive trim in the past.  I've generally given it away, mostly to art teachers and school groups.  This time, however, it just didn't feel right (and since moving, I haven't established a good place accepting this sort of material.)

(Above:  Detail of Tidal Wave XVII.)

I dumped all the cording out onto the floor in order to think about how I might use it.  The colors all seemed to work well together (which isn't really unusual when coming from a single household!  People do seem to decorate with well coordinated colors!)

 

(Above: Detail of Tidal Wave XVII.)

Then, I looked at the donated quilts. One seemed perfect for the upholstery cording.  Soon enough, I was pinning the lengths into a tidal wave formation.  Dozens upon dozens of pins were used.  I think there are some still buried in the layering!

 

(Above:  Tidal Wave XVII as seen at an angle.)

 

It took days before everything was stitched in place.  I also quilted the background with pale lavender perle cotton thread and added an outline of buttons ... stacked units of three buttons!  I'm really pleased with the result.  It really was a challenge!

 

Tidal Wave XVI, a miniature

 

(Above:  Tidal Wave XVI, a miniature. Custom framed: 12 3/4" x 14 1/4".  Found objects, buttons, and beads hand-stitched to a section of an old quilt made from scraps of men's suits. Click on any image to enlarge.)

Each one of my newly finished, miniature tidal waves presented a challenge.  This one was no different.  I had to figure out how to deal with the very dark background, especially since the original quilt blocks were embellished with a dull red herringbone stitch.

 

(Above: Detail of Tidal Wave XVI.)

After stitching all the objects in place, I spent an evening embellishing the background so that my added embroidery coordinated with the red herringbone stitches that were already there!  Since I really love decorative stitching, it was a great way to spend the evening.  It has already inspired the next piece ... another little tidal wave but one that will need plenty of work to handle its bright orange and deep blue, shibori dyed background.  (No!  I didn't dye the fabric!  I just had enough sense to purchase it from a thrift shop where it was priced ridiculously low!  So ... give me a few days, I'll be posting the results soon!)

Tidal Wave XV, a miniature

 

(Above:  Tidal Wave XV, a miniature. Custom framed: 13 1/2" x 17". Found objects, buttons, and beads hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt. Click on any image to enlarge.)

Tidal Wave XV was a unique challenge in color and contrast.  Using just a small scrap from a rather vivid blue-and-white quilt meant finding objects that worked well in the small space and finding balance with the strong background.  Because orange is the compliment to blue, orange was added and much of the embroidery floss used was also bright orange.

 

(Above: Detail of Tidal Wave XV.)

Because green is beside blue in the color wheel, it was the other color on which I leaned to create a tiny but balanced composition.  The background was also densely quilted in order to integrate the netting/tulle placed over the quilt but also to visually break up the triangle and blocks into seemingly smaller pieces.  I think it worked out very well!

Tidal Wave XIV, a miniature

 

(Above:  Tidal Wave XIV.  Custom framed:  17" x 20 1/4". Found objects, buttons and beads hand-stitched to a piece of an antique floral curtain.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Miniature tidal waves are a wonderful way to use some of the scraps that result after creating so many Found Object Mandalas and larger Tidal Waves.  For this piece, I used a scrap of a lovely, rose-colored antique curtain that was donated to my stash more than a year ago.  It also was a great way to use the short pieces of picture frame moulding that were leftover from other work.  It is mounted using a stretcher bar made from more short, leftover pieces. In fact, the entire piece was designed after the stretcher bar and frame were built!  If these parts weren't built, they'd likely end up in a landfill.  So ... the challenge to use them was on!

 

(Above:  Detail of Tidal Wave XIV.)

Another challenge involved the Santa profile cookie cutter.  Without other Christmas cookies around, it was a little difficult to figure out what it even was! Yet once I knew it was Santa, I just couldn't throw him out; I had to figure out a way to use him! Surrounded by all sorts of other "stuff" and with two buttons stitched on top of it, Santa works nicely on this piece!

 

(Above: Tidal Wave XIV at an angle.)

Another cool thing about these miniature tidal waves is the fact that I can use buttons in my collection that aren't as plentiful as needed for a larger artwork.  I had just enough of these!

Four, New Miniature Tidal Waves Under Construction and the first one is FINISHED!

 

(Above:  Tidal Wave XIII, a miniature. Custom framed: 17 1/2" x 18 1/2".  Found objects, buttons and beads hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

The miniature tidal waves are rolling!  After finishing the first one, I still had quite a few objects in my pile that just didn't find a place for inclusion.  So, I decided to stitch a second.  At the time, I feared that my stash of "little things" wasn't quite large enough for a second piece.  I spent about an hour "hunting and gathering" until I had a large pile of small objects ... enough for perhaps four more miniature tidal waves.

 

 (Above: Four miniature tidal wave outlines on my table ... waiting for small found objects.)

It was easy to locate small scraps of quilts and other vintage fabric for the backgrounds.  I spent an entire evening or two outlining the perimeters and waves with buttons.  Then, I was ready to place my stash ... basically, designing all four at the same time!

 

(Above:  Four miniature tidal waves ... designed and waiting to be stitched.)

It only took one afternoon to make the decisions of which objects went on which tidal wave.  Each piece was taken upstairs. I do most of my hand-stitching in the evenings ... upstairs in the living room while we watch whatever Steve streams on television.

 

(Above: Detail of Tidal Wave XIII.)

It didn't take long for the first of the four to be stitched.  These miniatures allow me to use some of the random beads that I have collected.  Their small size also means that I need to stitch much more densely in the areas where the wave isn't covering the quilt background.  Why?  Well, the scraps are old, fragile, and often threadbare.  Like my Found Object Mandalas and the larger Tidal Waves, I cover the quilt with a layer of netting/tulle before adding any of the objects.  This netting/tulle protects the fragile surface, but on these little ones, it is actually more obvious than on a larger piece.  By stitching/quilting the background, I can integrate the netting/tulle to the quilt. Most people wouldn't even see the netting/tulle after that area is embellished!

(Above:  Tidal Wave XIII at an angle.)

 

Tidal Wave XII, a miniature

 

(Above:  Tidal Wave XII. Custom framed: 12 1/4" x 15 1/4".  Found objects, buttons and beads hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Before Steve and I went to Spain, I finished and shared Tidal Wave X here on my blog and on social media accounts.  During the trip, it sold to one of my favorite collectors.  It was packaged and shipped shortly after we returned. I was already working on a large tidal wave but I kept thinking about all the little things that I still had laying on my work table that just didn't find a place in that miniature piece.  I decided to stitch another miniature tidal wave.

 

(Above:  Detail of Tidal Wave XII.)

Before starting, however, I worried that I wouldn't have enough "stuff" or at least enough "interesting and colorful stuff" to fill the wave.  I spent at least an hour searching through saved Ziploc bags, little boxes, and on shelves where "objects" are stored. It was surprisingly easy to find things to use.  Soon, the pile increased ... a lot! I knew that I had "too much" but "too much" is better than "too little".  There's choices.  Designing a miniature tidal wave is really fun but also challenging. 

(Above:  Tidal Wave XII as seen at an angle.)

There's got to be balance of colors, shapes, heights of the objects, and relationship to the background.  Yet, a miniature tidal wave also allows me to use a scrap of a quilt, one not large enough for a good-sized Found Object Mandala.  I'm really pleased with this second "miniature" and I've already started more.  In fact, I've started four more miniature tidal waves!
 

No Kings Protest

(Above:  Selfie at the No Kings Protest in Pendleton, South Carolina.)

As I type this blog entry, I'm multi-tasking.  Why?  Well ... apparently the nineteen second video I shot and posted to Facebook during the No Kings Protest has gone viral (or at least "viral" in my experience).  It has been viewed more than 11,000 times (and counting) in less than twenty-two hours.  I've deleted dozens upon dozens of negative comments (always angry, generally hatefully with personal accusations, and often with misspelled words).  Update:  Another twenty-four hours and the video has been viewed over 64,000 times.  If that's not "viral" what is? LOL!)

I've clicked on the profiles of some of these people.  They might not be real. I'm not exactly sure how to distinguish a bot from a live human being but there are a few clues.  Many of these profiles have been created within the last year, show no posts, have few if any listed friends, and list only very small towns as their home location.  The images used are rather generic.  The comments posted are often the same as those posted by others with similar Facebook pages. Update:  I reported around two dozen to Facebook but received a notification saying that these accounts had not violated any standards and could continue to exist!  I'm guessing that eliminating bots would hurt Facebook's stats and its many stockholders.)

I've blocked so many "people" that I've lost count ... especially since my account only showed one blocked person before yesterday.  (It was quilter who continued to leave very upsetting comments on my Grave Rubbing Quilt series that flourished a decade or so ago.)  

I've deleted more than one hundred of these negative comments.  I've also spent more time than usual "liking" all the No Kings Protest videos and photos that have popped up on my page.  This is the least I can do. I truly believe the words on the sign in the above image.  I can't allow myself to "do nothing".  So ... I'll keep monitoring my video.  I'll continue to block the profiles the leave nasty messages (whether they are "real" or a "bot") and I'll just hit that delete button on the words.

Yesterday was an opportunity for people like Steve and me to express our feelings about the dangers to our democracy.  It was important.  I'm glad we went.  I'm especially happy to see so many others out protesting peacefully with us.  We live in Lindsey Graham's backyard, a very red landscape.  My hope is that those reconsidering their support for the administration know that switching sides will not be a lonely place.  There are plenty of us here in South Carolina's Upstate!  More pictures below!  Now ... time to check that video!

 

Since starting this blog post, Steve and I had lunch.  Then dozens more Facebook profiles were blocked and their mean-spirited comments were deleted. The video passed 16,000 views.  Gosh, that's a lot!