Wildacres Retreat, a week long art residency

(Above: Entrance sign to Wildacres Retreat.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

This past week was an amazing experience at Wildacres Retreat as an artist in resident. I was provided an ideal cabin with lots of windows to the forest.  Two other artists were also in residence for the week.  They each had their own cabins.  Meals were provided and residents had a special place to sit.  We enjoyed many conversations about our creative approaches, our backgrounds, and our hopes for the week.  

Fortunately or unfortunately ... depending on how you look at it ... it rained almost every day.  Yet, my project required me to be inside.  I'm working on a writing project!  It is a long term goal but having uninterrupted time to study, do research, and simply write (badly ... but it's a first draft) was so very, very valuable.

Most days were foggy but meals were served in the cafeteria ... which was a three-quarter mile walk uphill.  It was worth the climb.  After every meal, the walk was all downhill.

I did, however, hike almost every day.  Most of the trails showed lots of lingering damage from last year's Hurricane Helene.  The photo above was from a hike on Rose Creek Trail. 

Lots of trees fell across the trails and were cut.  Thus, there were plenty of tree sections to photograph.  The photo above was taken along the Loop Trail. 

One day I hiked up to the Blue Ridge Parkway on the Deerlick Trail.  It was such a strange experience, almost like stepping into a post-apocalyptic world.  This section of the parkway is still closed for repairs.  No one was in sight. Grass grew in the pavement's cracks.  The picnic area hadn't been cut in almost a year ... nearly burying the picnic tables.  The view, however, was stunning.  On my return hike, the sky opened up and poured so hard that I had to take off my eyeglasses!  Blurry vision was better than attempting to see through that much water!

Wildacres is a bee and butterfly sanctuary.  There's a meadow with hundreds of wildflowers.

Flowers grow along the trails too!

Even the bee hives are pretty!  I had honey on biscuits and decided to buy some to take home!  

Due to the rain and the short time I had at Wildacres, I didn't take many photos but this one says plenty!  I hated to leave!  The time was magical, thought-provoking, and productive.  I made two new friends ... but we all forgot to take a photo! 

Steve had dropped me off at the start of the residency and picked me up on the last morning.  We decided to go to a Starbucks in East Marion.  Believe me, it isn't that close.  It was twenty miles away, down a winding mountain road.  I think what happened next was more than coincidence, more than serendipity.  It really felt like a moment sent by God Himself. Tim, who is writing a book on the way Southern men grief, was already there.  Inside of three minutes, Janet Day arrived.  We three artist in residence had a second chance for that photo!  It had to be a small but significant miracle ... just like the week had been! 

Mandala CCXLVII

(Above:  Mandala CCXLVII.  Custom framed:  16" x 16".  Found objects hand-stitched to a scrap of a vintage quilt.  Objects include:  A small, plastic "point-less" dart board; Go Gater game discs; vintage bottle cap openers; beer caps; lime green plastic tops from a six-pack beer yoke; six, yellow eagle-shaped game pieces; and assorted buttons.  Click on image to enlarge.)

This Found Object Mandala is truly unique!  The center is a plastic target.  The protruding, flexible bristles will literally "catch" the point-less darts.  I didn't show the darts but they are inside a Ziploc bag attached to the wire on the back of the frame.  Also attached to the top edge of the back of the frame is a short aluminum cleat.  Inside the Ziploc bag is the other half of the cleat.  Instructions for mounting the artwork using the cleats is written on the back.  Using the cleat will make the artwork very stable on any wall ... so that people can still throw the darts at the target! 

This is how my mind occasionally works!  Putting parts of a six-pack yoke, beer caps, and bottle openers with all sorts of game pieces.  Fun, fun, fun!
 

Mandala CCXLVI

(Above:  Mandala CCXLVI.  Custom framed: 13 5/8" x 13 5/8". Found objects hand-stitched to an antique crazy quilt block.  Objects include:  A plastic Duke mayonnaise lid with a piece of a lime green plastic beer yoke and a crescent moon charm; four toy airplanes; red, plastic lids; laminated Tampa Nugget cigar bands; crocheted circles; Tinker Toy connectors; four mechanical drawing compasses; blue lids from a toddler's snack item; assorted buttons and beads.  Click on image to enlarge.)

This small mandala was designed for another one of the cut-down frames from an older series of artwork.  It was a challenge to work small, to fit the design into the existing frame; and to use another antique crazy quilt scrap/block that was never finished into a quilt.  I've had the mechanical drawing compasses for months and months.  This is the first time that worked!
 

Mandala CCXLV

(Above:  Mandala CCXLV. Custom framed: 31 1/2" x 31 1/2".  Found objects hand-stitched to a collection of antique quilt blocks. Objects include:  A glass floral frog with ten, round, bright orange buttons; eight, brown oar-shaped drink swizzlers; laminated Air Mail stamps; antique cardboard yogurt lids; peach colored plastic lids; dominoes; copper soda can pulls; white fur coat closure frogs; beer caps; keys; hinges; snowflake shaped Christmas lights; miniature toy airplanes; decorative orange wires for scrapbooking; electric meter tags; assorted buttons and beads.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

This mandala started after receiving an envelop from California.  A friend-of-a-friend sent a collection of antique quilt blocks.  Most were threadbare but the hand-stitching was amazingly tiny and tight.  Whoever started this project knew how to masterfully piece scraps of fabric together.  It was my job to figure out what to do with them.

 

(Above:  The blocks laying on my studio/sanctuary floor.)

I lay them out on my studio/sanctuary floor and just stared.  It seemed that they had once been stitched to some sort of sashing. Perhaps they were once part of a proper quilt top.  Perhaps not!  Oh the stories some of my materials could tell!  Yet, it is up to me to finish that tale!

 

(Above:  The two squares I created from the collection of blocks)

I played with the blocks until I liked the arrangements for two, nice squares.  Then, I just zigzag stitched them together ... flat ... no seam allowance, just "together".  Some of the extra blocks were cut to fill in missing patches.  Otherwise, I just left the threadbare areas as they were.  After all, I knew that I would cover the entire surface with bridal tulle/netting to protect these fragile places.  A piece of a damask tablecloth was stapled to a stretcher bar.  On top went some cotton batting that I got from an auction.  On top of that came the quilt square.  On top of that went the bridal tulle/netting.  I spent three or day evenings quilting these layers together.

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCXLV.)

Finally, I was ready to attach my objects.  I designed the middle ... out to the row of beer bottle caps.  Then, I added the other rings.  Last of all, I selected items for the corners.  I think this piece turned out very, very well.  Happily, I have another square of zigzagged-together blocks for another mandala.  I'm already thinking about how it will be entirely different from this one!

Mandala CCXLIV

 

(Above: Mandala CCXLIV.  Custom framed: 22 1/4" x 22 1/4".  Found objects hand-stitched to a scrap of a hexie quilt top.  Objects include:  A wooden trivet with a 1992 centennial Sierra Club volunteer button; assorted green beer caps; flat, green trees from an toy army collection; green juice lids; clothespins; twelve little locks; infant snack lids; crocheted circles; external toothed lock washers; assorted buttons and beads.  Click on either image to enlarge.)

This is the first time I haven't put a piece of bridal tulle/netting over the quilt before stitching down any of the objects.  Whoever made this small hexie quilt top was an awesome stitcher. The stitches are absolutely TINY.  The quilt top was never finished but must have been treasured for years (or at least stored in ideal conditions).  Every piece of the fabric was in excellent shape.  The thread was still strong too.  There was no reason to protect the material by placing it under the tulle/netting.  I simply stretched the top over two layers of an old damask tablecloth and started adding the objects.

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCXLIV.)

I bought the collection of army men and their equipment and landscape at the Pickens County flea market. The army men really didn't hold my interest but I adored the trees!  They were nice and flat, ready to be part of a mandala!  A couple tables away, I found the Sierra Club volunteer button.  I knew these things had to go together!  The large, green lids came from the grapefruit juice we have almost every day!  I'm really pleased how this eco-friendly mandala turned out!
 

 

Mandala CCXLIII

(Above:  Mandala CCXLIII. Custom framed: 13 5/8" x 13 5/8".  Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt. Objects include: A faucet wheel handle; a pewter coaster; a souvenir plate; vintage child's blocks cut in half; golf tees; Coca-cola souvenir tokens; assorted buttons and beads.  Clik on image to enlarge.)

Recently I had Steve cut down several frames that once held another series.  Only one or two sold.  It was high time to take the artwork out and cut the legs of the frames into usable squares for small Found Object Mandalas.  The older work was matted to a standard 16" x 20" and slipped into an appropriate cellophane bag.  The price was reduced accordingly.  It then became my job to fill the frames.  It was a challenge to work small but it was fun.
 

Lost and Found XVII

(Above:  Lost & Found XVII.  Custom framed: 12" x 15". Found objects hand-stitched to a block of an antique crazy quilt.  Objects include: Frame from an antique hair-brush filled with an anonymous photograph; souvenir spoons; butter and jelly knives; vintage casino chips; hosiery garters; rhinestone jewelry; assorted buttons and beads.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

I've had the antique crazy quilt block for more than two years.  It was an odd shape, corners elongated into a four-pointed star.  It was in dreadful condition.  It was only stitched on a flimsy piece of fabric, but it was beautiful.  I couldn't throw it away.  Finally, I found a use! 

 

(Above:  Detail of Lost & Found XVII.)

The idea occurred after an attempt to drill holes through the porcelain back of the antique hair brush.  It cracked.  I was disappointed and almost threw it out.  Curiosity got the best of me.  I had to find out why the pressure and "stuff" I used behind the brush wasn't adequate to stop the breakage when the drill bit came through.  I took a hammer to the rest of the outward curved porcelain in order to remove it from the frame.  That's when I found the hard, totally flat piece of wood through which the bristles were stitched in place.  There was no way for me to eliminate the space between the wood and the porcelain.  It was going to crack.  Once all this was removed, the thought occurred to me to use the hair brush frame as ... well ... a picture frame.  I had the perfect image!  This picture is truly hilarious and a testament to how ridiculous fashion can be during any era!  How on earth did this woman manage to keep that silly hat on her head!  

 

(Above: Lost & Found XVII from an angle.)

 

From there, it didn't take long to find the fancy utensils and spell out the words "Fashion Forever" in Scrabble tiles.  Thankfully, the crazy quilt block was just the right size!

Nostalgia, a button covered teddy bear

(Above:  Nostalgia. Mixed Media. 14" x 14" x 12".  Button-covered teddy bear sitting on a custom pillow inside a small wooden drawer. Click on any image to enlarge.)

The idea for this piece has been floating around in my mind for months.  No!  That's not quite right!  It's been at least two or three years.  Why it was never started is a mystery.  After all, old teddy bears aren't difficult to find.  Many have been passed up before finally purchasing this one for $2.50 at a local thrift shop.

 

(Above:  Detail of Nostalgia.)

The origin of the idea was a merger of mental images.  One came from a story told in my TEDx talk: A young professional walked into my studio and exclaimed, "My great aunt had a jar of buttons just like yours!" To which I followed up, "Of course she did!  So did my great aunt!" And to the audience, "So did yours!"  Buttons remind us of ancestors who mended, people who saved for a rainy day, and shirts worn by our special beloveds.  Buttons are part of the thread weaving through society's family tree.  As I add in my TEDx talk:  Ordinary!  Extraordinary!  Old, used buttons have always been symbolic for nostalgia.

(Above:  Detail of Nostalgia.)

The other mental picture is a montage: Part Winnie-the-Pooh, part Paddington, part Smokey the Bear, and part the idea that Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer led Santa's sleigh dispensing toys from the Island of Misfits.  Though a bear wasn't featured in this annual holiday television show, one must have been there! I don't need to explain the nostalgia here. It's rather obvious that a teddy bear is emblematic!

 

(Above:  Nostalgia, from the back.)

So ... finally I bought a teddy bear and started covering its fur with assorted white and off-white buttons.  It became immediately apparent that this wasn't going to be as easy or straight-forward as I imagined!  Getting the buttons to stay in place was difficult.  It took two days before I figured out a process that seemed to work ... knot, attach a button, knot, move to another spot, knot, attach a button ... with plenty of extra stitches/knots to secure them.  Plus ... dealing with the overlapping and the way the stuffing seemed to condense as I stitched. Plus ... figuring out how to deal with the joints!  I stitched buttons for days on end but it was worth it!

(Above:  Nostalgia, detail of the statement's beginning on the top edge of the drawer.)

When I started this project, I had no plans for it.  Truly, it was just a hair-brained idea ... which might account for the time it remained an idea instead of a work-in-progress.  But during the frustrating days of stitching, I started to wonder about how I might show the finished bear.  How would it "stand"? Would it just "lay flat"?  How would it sit?  And if it would sit, on what would it sit?  I thought about the three cradles used for my Loss Installation but the little bear was dwarfed inside even the smallest one.  But the pillows I made for these cradles looked promising.  I then looked around for "anything" that might work.  A small nightstand caught my eye.  Its tiny drawer was perfect!  Yet, my mind continued to roam while more buttons were attached. How could the drawer be embellished without taking too much away from the bear?  That's when I thought of the top edge of the drawer as a place for a statement about nostalgia ... something not too sappy.  I googled for quotations and fell in love with one sentence by Dr. Seuss but that's copyrighted.  I made a list of statements that had no attributions.  Steve helped me select this one:  The true friends of your childhood were willing to fight monsters with you.

 

(Above:  Nostalgia, detail of the statement's ending and my signature.)

There was even room for the title, my name, and the year!  Now, this work is ready to be shown.  Where?  I have no idea but it will come to me if I continue to ask those "what if" questions!

Found Object Tidal Wave III

(Above:  Found Object Tidal Wave III.  Framed: 31 1/2" x 31 1/2".  Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt.  Too many objects to list.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Many people have asked about my stash of found objects. They want to know where I find things.  (Thrift stores, flea markets, antique malls, auctions, and through donations from generous people!)

(Above:  Detail of Found Object Tidal Wave III.)

They want to know how I organize my objects. (In plastic bags and small containers ... scattered on several shelves and on the floor and in an antique butterfly cabinet ... think "flat files".  Honestly, there's very little organization.) 

(Above:  Detail of Found Object Tidal Wave III.)

Yet, there is "some" organization involved!  I have a separate area for things that just aren't working for a Found Object Mandala.  These are generally individual items that don't lend themselves to being a centerpiece.  If I only have "one", it has to be a centerpiece; otherwise, I need at least four of the same thing ... multiples.  Sometimes, I only have two or three of an item.  All these things get put in this area until it is overflowing.  When that happens, I know it is time to stitch either a "tidal wave" or a "tornado".  Recently, I opted for a tidal wave!  This is it!

 

(Above:  Found Object Tidal Wave III at an angle.)

There's something else about stitching a tidal wave or a tornado.  The quilt must be something to which I want to add plenty of stitching.  Why?  Two reasons!  First, there is a layer of bridal tulle/netting over the entire surface. It is laid down before any of the objects are stitched in place.  It protects fragile seams and threadbare areas.  Please remember, the quilts I use are OLD and never is perfect condition.  Thus, I have to deal with a large part of the surface where the netting and the quilt aren't other stitched together.  The separate layers are sort of obvious.  Basically, I quilt them together, and in doing this, the netting becomes almost invisible!

 

(Above:  Found Object Tidal Wave III at an angle.)

Second reason:  Balance!  It is difficult to tell in these images, but the hand quilting brings balance to the whole.  The tidal wave itself is very, very busy.  Without the additional hand quilting, the "non-tidal wave" areas fall flat.  With the stitching, there's a subtle sense of balance.  I liked this particular quilt because my stitching shows up nicely.  There's a pleasing amount of stitching everywhere!

Third Times a Charm

(Above:  Third Times a Charm. 27" x 27".  Paint and free motion machine stitching on canvas.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

I promised myself that I wouldn't spend more than a day on this hair-brained idea. After all, my only intention was to be supportive with regards to a SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) regional call-for-entry.  I have no expectations that this small piece will be accepted.  There are so many other, much more talented art quilters whose work will undoubtedly be better than mine.  This was simply a personal challenge, a way to participate in my region, and to see if I could do something that seemed so unlike me!

(Above:  Minnie and Ernie playing on the three art quilts under consideration for the chopping block!)

I read the prospectus for this regional show ... called Trio ... when it was first issued.  Only 2D art quilts with fabric sleeves for hanging slats would be eligible.  I don't generally make such things. I simply ignored the call-for-entry. As the July 31st deadline approached, Facebook friends in the region urged me to apply.  So ... the challenge was on!  Spend only one day!  Enter something that is somehow or the other related to the theme "trio".  I brought out three art quilts made using painted canvas from a 2016 public art project.  (Click here to read a blog post about that weekend!)  Minnie and Ernie were very helpful while I considered how I might cut them into some configuration of "three".

 

(Above:  Third Times a Charm in progress.)

I stared at the cats and the quilts. My thought process started with the title of the public art project and the work I made using the painted canvas.  It was called Nike's Advice ... as in "Just Do It".  I generally don't paint; I certainly hadn't painted in public ... with the public ... for two days!  It was a risky thing to do. I kept telling myself, "Just do it" ... an popular slogan, an adage ... which reminded me of another common phrase:  Third Times a Charm.  That's THREE, as in "trio" ... as in elementary school multiplication tables: 3 x 3 ... as in a traditional nine patch.  Seriously, it didn't take long for me to know that only two of the art quilts were needed for a traditional nine patch.  The mostly yellow piece just didn't look good with the other two art quilts.  Eventually, it was rolled up and put away.  In minutes, I found my rotary cutter.  The other two were cut.

 

(Above:  Third Times a Charm, detail.)

 

A red, white, and blue variegated thread was in my stash. It took less than an hour to zigzag stitch the nine pieces together.  My statement (which I had to shorten due to a strict word count) is below.

When the prospectus for Trio was first released, I had no intention of applying. The exhibition's parameters excluded three-dimensional or custom-framed work. This limitation seemed incompatible with my practice. Traditional wall-hung formats rarely suit my approach to the creative process.

As the deadline approached, however, multiple friends encouraged me to reconsider. Their persistence prompted the question: What might I create that meets the criteria? I recalled yards of painted canvas made during a pre-pandemic public art project. The material was later transformed into two-dimensional art quilts, rarely exhibited due to COVID-related cancellations.

This reflection led me to imagine a third iteration, something more aligned with traditional installation expectations. What could be more classic than a nine-patch quilt? Three rows of three. I revisited two of the earlier quilts, reworking them into this timeless configuration. Perhaps, in this new form, the work finds its place. After all, the third time may be the charm.

 

Two more hand-stitched In Box pieces

(Above:  In Box CDLXI.  Layers of polyester stretch velvet fused on synthetic white felt, hand-stitched with 100% cotton floss and subjected to my melting technique. Click on either image to enlarge.)

It's been over a year since Steve and I moved to Cateechee.  Many blog posts were written with promises to figure out a routine for blogging.  Yet, that really hasn't happened.  Why?  Well ... I was always rather productive.  Now I seem to be "super productive".  Plus, the computer is "upstairs" and the studio is "downstairs".  I know that's silly ... but ... once in my studio, I tend to stay there.

 

(Above:  In Box CDLXII.)

Before moving/retiring, we were always busy with our custom picture framing business.  We placed weekly orders for supplies and needed materials.  Now, the only things we frame are my artwork.  Right this minute, there are four pieces already mounted on acid-free mat board waiting for frames that haven't even been ordered ... including these two pieces!  There's really no hurry but this sort of schedule is still playing havoc with my blogging!  Forgive me!

Mandala CCXLII

(Above:  Mandala CCXLII. Custom framed: 22" x 22". Found objects hand-stitched to a section of an antique quilt. Objects include:  A green, metal trivet with a small, hand-painted wooden disc; five plastic bridesmaids and groomsmen; leaf-shaped mint containers; green golf tees; external toothed lock washers; drawer hinges; green bottle caps; prisms; copper UK pennies; small, plastic crowns; assorted buttons and beads. Click on any image to enlarge.)

I laid out this mandala at the same time as I designed Mandala CCXLI.  Both used a section of the same antique quilt.  When auditioning objects, I tried them on one and then the other substrata.  The challenge with this piece, however, was in the need to cut away the entire back portion of the bridesmaids' dresses.  Fortunately, my Dremel tool did the trick.

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCXLII.)

The other challenge involved the spoons.  They are not all identical.  In fact, some were regular spoons and some were long iced tea spoons.  My bolt cutter came in handy for that situation!

 

(Above:  Mandala CCXLII at an angle.)

 

Otherwise, I used my grinder to remove the feet from the metal trivet and drilled plenty of holes in various objects, including the hand-painted disc attached to the trivet.  Creating these mandalas is almost always an exercise in "fun with tools"!

Mandala CCXLI

(Above:  Mandala CCXLI. Custom framed: 22" x 22". Found objects hand-stitched to a section of an antique quilt.  Objects include: A wooden trivet; dominoes; corn-on-the-cob holders; felt-covered piano hammers; gold belt buckles; JFG vintage jar lids; aluminum pull tabs; antique orange juice corrugated lids; external toothed lock washers; colorful paper clips; small forks and spoons; yellow game pieces; assorted buttons and beads. Click on any image to enlarge.)

This Found Object Mandala started at the celebration of life for a dear friend's mother who died right before her 105th birthday.  At the event, people were invited to take something home with them from several shelves of things this wonderful woman once owned.  I selected the wooden trivet and asked my friend if she minded me using it on a mandala.  (The friend owns one of my earlier mandalas.)  My friend thought this was a wonderful plan.

 

(Above: Detail of Mandala CCXLI.)

It took me several weeks before the piece came together but I'm very pleased with the results.  Some times I have to just look at my stash before the combinations make sense!

 

(Above:  Mandala CCXLI hanging on my ProPanel booth walls.)

I'm currently using some of the panels of my booth to display my artwork and for taking photographs!