"Time for a Change" by Kathy Piper 14" square is part of the exhibit,
"Magical Mystery Tour, en hommage". The exhibit of challenge quilts from Canyon Quilters Guild in San Diego is at Visions Art Museum .
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Friday Feet - "Time for a Change" 02-10-12
"Time for a Change" by Kathy Piper 14" square is part of the exhibit,
"Magical Mystery Tour, en hommage". The exhibit of challenge quilts from Canyon Quilters Guild in San Diego is at Visions Art Museum .
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Additional comment on "What a Great Evening 02-03-12" 02-09-12
Jeanne Marklin posted a comment about the TCQC exhibit at VAM that struck a cord. I wrote the following back to her and decided I would also share it here.
Jeanne - Thanks for your comments on my Blog post. You are spot-on about the "design principles" aspects of the 12-inch quilts. It didn't start out that way, but during the five years since I started buying these small pieces I have noticed that I tend to select those that show a new or different technique. A specific example is "Lake in the Woods" by Sandra Hart (2nd row from bottom, 2nd from the left) which is a whole cloth quilt, printed on fabric with the row of stitched beads to indicate the water line. I almost didn't believe it until the quilt came in the mail. It is a very effective technique which could lend itself to many variations on the same image. Del
I mean - as in a series. But it could also be a speedy way to produce multiple copies in an attempt to make money. I don't think Sandra Hart would do this. Someone, however, could crank out duplicates of their own design - maybe even sell the "blanks" for the buyer to embellish as they wish. I hope not. But since it occurs to me, I'm sure it will occur to someone else. I have always thought that this type of easy duplication is what killed the great embroidery movement of the late 60s and early 70s. When anyone could buy a preprinted "original" to just add the stitches as indicated it was no longer satisfying to the creative urge of the maker.
A major component of my enjoyment of art quilts is the originality invested in each one by someone who finds joy in expressing their ideas in fabric and thread. Something I have enjoyed for all my 65+ years of quilt making - either periodic or obsessive!
Jeanne - Thanks for your comments on my Blog post. You are spot-on about the "design principles" aspects of the 12-inch quilts. It didn't start out that way, but during the five years since I started buying these small pieces I have noticed that I tend to select those that show a new or different technique. A specific example is "Lake in the Woods" by Sandra Hart (2nd row from bottom, 2nd from the left) which is a whole cloth quilt, printed on fabric with the row of stitched beads to indicate the water line. I almost didn't believe it until the quilt came in the mail. It is a very effective technique which could lend itself to many variations on the same image. Del
I mean - as in a series. But it could also be a speedy way to produce multiple copies in an attempt to make money. I don't think Sandra Hart would do this. Someone, however, could crank out duplicates of their own design - maybe even sell the "blanks" for the buyer to embellish as they wish. I hope not. But since it occurs to me, I'm sure it will occur to someone else. I have always thought that this type of easy duplication is what killed the great embroidery movement of the late 60s and early 70s. When anyone could buy a preprinted "original" to just add the stitches as indicated it was no longer satisfying to the creative urge of the maker.
A major component of my enjoyment of art quilts is the originality invested in each one by someone who finds joy in expressing their ideas in fabric and thread. Something I have enjoyed for all my 65+ years of quilt making - either periodic or obsessive!
# # #
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
More on Visions Art Museum Del Thomas Gallery 02-07-12
I drove down to San Diego again today to attend the annual VAM Volunteers' Brunch and to give some details on the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection quilts for those volunteers who conduct tours of the galleries. I took a few more pictures, particularly the two below that I failed to snap on Friday. I will still post a Picasa album with many more pictures - as soon as I can squeeze the editing and captioning into my day.
Here is the gallery sign over the entrance from the foyer into the gallery. I had asked that it not be "in your face" - no neon, no flashing lights - just a simple unobtrusive sign. And that is what it is. It is a little high for anyone to take a picture of me with the sign, but that is okay, there are enough pictures of me taken in the past week! Enough to last several lifetimes.
And many of them were taken in front of the wall of forty twelve-inch square quilts. Unfortunately, when I am standing in front of the quilts I block out six of those in the center. Now, if I lost some weight I might only block out four, which is a good idea, but not relevant to the current exhibit. But I do apologize to those artists whose work is blocked in most of the pictures taken on Friday.
On the left side is a table with a stack of gallery guides that give title, artist, home state/country and year of creation along with a little information about each quilt. Above this table is a diagram showing the title and maker of each quilt. On the right side are some wool vessels that are for sale in the gift shop located in the foyer where these quilts are hanging.
Top row: Judith Roderick, Kristin LaFlamme, Terry Grant, Sherry Kleinman, Nelda Warkentin, Els Vereycken, Bodil Gardner, Kirsten Duncan.
2nd row: K. Grace Howes, Sue Benner, Aileyn Renli Ecob, Karen Rips, C. Terry Meyer, Brenda Gael Smith, K.Velis Turan, Gerri Congdon.
3rd row: Terry Grant, Mary Pal, Doria Anne Goocher, Linda Colsh, Polly Bech, Els Vereycken, Ruth Powers, Sue Dennis.
4th row: Thom Atkins, Sandra Hart, Joan Sowada, Diane Perin Hock, Terri Stegmiller, Sally Sellers, Cynthia St. Charles, Chris Hanson.
5th row: Julia Zgliniec, Nanette Fleischman, Nikki Wheeler, Natalya Aikens, B.J. Adams, Nancy Morgan, Catherine Kleeman, Deborah Boschert.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Too tired plus Monday Browsing 02-06-12
I haven't had time to do much browsing this past week, but here are a few that are worth a look:
Clip Art Antique Valentines http://tinyurl.com/Antique-Valentine-Clipart
Lessons from Melody Johnson http://fibermania.blogspot.com/2012/01/fusing-101.html
Melody posts QAWM (Quilting along with Melody) with text and pictures as she is creating one of her distinctive works of art. Her website is worth exploring as she is so very sharing with her techniques and methods.
This week I'll move the pictures from the Friday Visions Art Museum opening into a Picasa album and give you URL - maybe you can help me identify some of the people.
Corky absorbs some Vitamin D. As you can see his hair has not yet grown in where the vet shaved him to do the laser surgery. I think the sun will help, don't you?
A wonderful gift from Nancy Ota 02-05-12
Nancy Ota and I have known each other for many years (maybe even 30) - she is a treasured friend. She and her husband Mike came to the opening at VAM on Friday night and in the Japanese tradition she brought a gift.
What better gift than something handmade and made with the exactitude and style that Nancy puts into everything she makes. This little indigo quilt is 10"W X 5"L. Machine piecing, hand applique, hand embroidery, hand sashiko, straight pins made with silver thread and tiny seed beads.
The pin cushion is silk and slightly stuffed.
On the back is this lovely dedication which Nancy did with free motion on her machine. And she added Fast Finish Corners to make it easier to hang.
With friends like Nancy and Bonnie and Verna and Carol and Maggie and Diane and Mabel and Ruth and Rayna and Terry and ....... so many, many quilters around the world, I am blessed. Thank you, Nancy. And Thank You to all who left me loving comments on my Saturday post.
I do enjoy hearing from you - anytime.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
What a great evening! 02-03-12
Last night was the opening of three exhibits at the Visions Art Museum and also the grand "reveal" of the sign on the newly named "The Del Thomas Gallery". It is what museums do when you donate a large amount of money!! It was also the "First Friday" night when all the museums, galleries, studios, etc., are open to the public to show them to what they have on offer. There were lots of people at the Liberty Station complex and more than 750 people came through VAM, so most of the time it was packed. I was pleased and honored that friends came from north Orange County and south Orange County and San Diego county to help me celebrate. Thanks to each of you. It was lovely! And I was thrilled that Nancy Morgan who made the quilt "Night Bloom", which was on the exhibit card and the poster, flew in with her husband from Maine for the weekend. How great for them that we are having such fabulous weather.
Here is the wall with the forty twelve-inch square quilts. They were purchased from individual artists, from SAQA online auction, the Alliance for American Quilts Auction, and some were gifts from artists. They are only 40 of the 59 of this size, and of the 200 quilts in the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection. There is a sign on the end wall with a diagram of the quilts showing the title and artist. In addition there is a gallery guide that lists each quilt with the artist, where they live and a few lines that I wrote about why they are part of the Collection. Photo by Karen Rips.
Beth Smith, Director of Visions Art Museum, presented me with a bouquet when she introduced me and announced the "reveal" of the gallery sign. I didn't take a picture - duh! This picture from Nancy Ota.
I did put lipstick on, but forgot to powder my nose or straighten my scarf. I love the wings sticking out from behind my hat! Photo by Karen Rips.
I hope you will be able to visit the Museum sometime before April 22nd to see the three current exhibits: the twelve inch quilts from TCQC; "Art & Science", the very nice exhibit from SAQA; and the wonderful humorous challenge quilts from members of Canyon Quilters Guild showing their interpretation of Beatles songs.
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