Peacock Feathers and Artifacts

(Above:  Peacock Feathers, detail.  Click on any image in this blog post for an enlargement.)

Tomorrow at 6:00 AM I head south to Florida where I'll be teaching a sold-out weekend workshop for the Art Quilters Unlimited of Fort Myers.  I'm really excited as my hostess is taking me to the monthly "First Friday" art walk.  This trip is also at the beginning of a jam-packed month ... so busy that I know I will not be starting any significant, new work for at least three weeks.

(Above:  Peacock Feathers, Unframed: 27" x 39"; Framed: 38" x 50".  Polyester stretch velvets, real peacock feathers, metallic foiling, self-guided free motion embroidery and melting techniques.  Inventory # 3869. $1200.)

That doesn't mean I won't be stitching!  I have plenty of hand embroidery to occupy some evenings ... but this post will be the last one showing really NEW work for a couple weeks.  Everything pictured here is headed to my upcoming solo show at City Art here in Columbia. This show actually opens AFTER exhibiting at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show and  BEFORE heading to the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts in Cedarsburg, WI to teach another workshop!  Yes, November is busy ... but also full of wonderful opportunities and interesting people.


(Above:  Peacock Feathers ... getting framed.)

I really wanted at least ONE really big piece for the show at City Art.  I made six with outside dimensions measuring 25" x 37" ... with white-on-white presentations ... which will really look great on the brick walls at City Art ... but that wasn't quite as big as I thought I could go.  This past weekend found me pushing the limits of my sewing surface but it was worth it!


(Above:  Peacock Feathers, framed.)

The piece is stitched to an over-sized piece of mat board.  I worried that this was too flimsy ... so totally glued the mat board to a piece of foam-centered board and allowed the two surfaces to dry overnight.  There is a one-inch depth between the glass and the mat board.  It looks great ... if I can say so myself!

(Above:  Artifact XIX,  Unframed:  14" x 10"; framed 26" x 22". Inventory # 3865. $395.)

Thinking BIG, I thought about an idea I explored when at an art residency at the Rensing Center ... an idea of enlarging a single "box" like those in my In Box Series as a final composition.  (Click HERE to access that blog post.)  Looking back, I really didn't trust myself or my materials enough to allow much space without a lot of stitching.  This time, I challenged myself to do just this!  I called last year's pieces "Artifacts". I made fourteen of them.  So, although a bit different, I kept the names in the same series.  Like normal, this new work has inspired even more ideas!   Like the earlier pieces, these are matted and framed under glass.  The image above shows the mat and the fillet inlay.


(Above:  Several of the new "Artifacts" ... framed.)

This photo shows how they look framed.  Below are close-up images showing only the fiber art.  Scroll down and enjoy!

(Above: Artifact XV,  Unframed:  14" x 10"; framed 26" x 22". Inventory # 3854. $395.)

(Above: Artifact XVI,  Unframed:  14" x 10"; framed 26" x 22". Inventory # 3855. $395.)

(Above: Artifact XVII,  Unframed:  14" x 10"; framed 26" x 22". Inventory # 3856. $395.)

(Above: Artifact XVIII,  Unframed:  14" x 10"; framed 26" x 22". Inventory # 3857. $395.)

(Above: Artifact XX,  Unframed:  14" x 10"; framed 26" x 22". Inventory # 3866. $395.)

(Above: Artifact XXI,  Unframed:  14" x 10"; framed 26" x 22". Inventory # 3867. $395.)

(Above: Artifact XXII,  Unframed:  14" x 10"; framed 26" x 22". Inventory # 3868. $395.)