Oceanside, CA drive 07-23-20

Today I drove to Oceanside to deliver a quilt for the "Southern California Contemporary Quilts" exhibit at Oceanside Museum of Art that opens August 1st (through Oct 25).  They will hang the quilts and then post them on a video on their website.  If it can be arranged there will be a way to make a reservation to go to the museum with a limited number of visitors for a limited amount of time.  Something similar to what Visions is currently offering.  All the makers are in Southern California and the "theme" is our "view" of Southern California.  Mine is "Palms", to me the symbol of the area.  More on the exhibit later.  

I dropped KoKo for a visit with Nancy Ota in San Clemente, which is about an hour from my house and half an hour north of Oceanside.  Amazingly, it sprinkled on the way down and it was very overcast.  But by noon the sun was out and there were many people walking the huge Thursday farmer's market one block off of Mission. I turned in my quilt at OMA and found the crepe "booth" for a bacon/cheese/avocado/egg crepe which I ate sitting in my car, parked next to my friend Beth in her car, while we had a nice visit.  It did seem strange, but it worked rather well.  Then home again, stopping to pick up KoKo, and just in time for a ZOOM meeting with an art quilt group I belong to.  After which we required a nap!  

The Pacific Ocean on a grey overcast morning.

Don't know where the circle came from, it isn't part of the picture!

A military ship off of Camp Pendleton. 

The front of Oceanside Museum of Art with the current art piece displayed. 

And a close up!

We parked under the palm trees behind the museum to have our lunch. 

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Friday Feet 02-15-13

Is this elegant or what?  It is the invitation to the Oceanside Museum of Art annual formal fundraiser.

Prayer Flags at OMA 12-04-12

I drove down to San Diego again on Saturday to serve as a docent for the "Brainstorms" exhibit.   Afterward there was a major VAM fundraiser "Sip, Savor, Stroll".  I might have named it "Sip, Savor, Spend" - that was the idea, after all.  The quilts were priced, no auction, but there were raffle baskets galore which were a lot of fun.   I even won one!  And I bought a couple small quilts - one for the Collection and the others for gifts.   I spent the night at Homewood Suites, ate their in house breakfast (okay, but the coffee was not), had a meeting at VAM and headed north on I-5.
 
When I was down with Liz last week I didn't take pictures of the prayer flag project at Oceanside Museum of Art.  Prayer flags seem to be "in" and I thought some of you might be interested in this display, so I stopped to take pictures.  The flags were made by experienced artists and school children, so the quality ranged wildly.

 
I thought they looked a little lost in this spacious foyer.  In the center of the picture is a screen and chairs where visitors can watch a film about the origins of prayer flags in Nepal.  To the right is the entrance to the main gallery where about a third of Quilt National -2011 is on display.
 

 
These flags are mainly by artistic adults.  Below are a few closeups, both of which are in this overall picture.  .
 

 
I like this one with the roots made of two layers of sheer fabric and hanging down.  I wonder if this one is by Jane LaFazio - looks like her style.
 

 
This artist painted a wonderful face and embellished it with lace and beads and rich fabrics.
 

 
These were done by school children.  I'm sure they are proud to see them hanging here.
 

 
On the wall there are three different authentic prayer flags (from Nepal, I guess).
 

 
Here is a nice one done by a child - why not an even number of flowers?  Nice work.
 

 
Another adult effort.  I wonder what the significance is and if the "JANE" on the right is a signature?
 

 
This is just the bottom of a flag - the lettering on it was "Color Outside the Lines".

When you go to see the QNational exhibit take a little time to admire the prayer flags.  Some are very beautifully done.  But they are hanging very high - impossible for a short photographer to reach high enough to take pictures except for the flags that were an the very center of the rope. 

Seeing Art Quilts - Enjoying good company 11-29-12

What a gift it is to spend a day with a dear friend visiting quilt exhibits, enjoy a lovely lunch and have a chance to talk to friends that I don't see very often.  My friend Liz and I drove to San Diego yesterday (stopping at Starbuck's on the way) to see the "Brainstorms" exhibit at Visions Art Museum, have lunch, and stop to see one of the parts of Quilt National - 2011 at Oceanside Museum of Art.  It was a lovely, sunny day but with rain predicted for the afternoon in Orange County.

We went first to Visions Art Museum.  Liz is not an art quilter, but she is interested in seeing whatever there is to see.  We chose our favorites and filled out the voting slips for Viewers' Choice. No photography is allowed, so I am showing you the cover of the catalog.  The photos are excellent - done by Eric Nancarrow of Alaska.

It is an outstanding exhibit - make the trip!  The exhibit closes Feb 17, 2013. 

www.visionsartmuseum.org

 

We had lunch at Ikiru a nice little Japanese restaurant about two blocks from the museum, but we had to pass on the green tea ice cream this time. They don't have just sushi, Liz had delicious tempura.  www.ikirusushisd.com/

 

Then we headed north on I-5 to Oceanside Museum of Art.  Back in March I saw two parts of QNational at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, so I have been eager to see the third part.  I wasn't disappointed, there are some wonderful quilts there. 
One thing we noticed in both "Brainstorms" and QNational - 2011 was the dominance of hand stitching.  Some of the quilts are entirely hand stitched (I.e., Carolyn Sullivan's "Mushroom") and some have both machine and hand stitching (i.e., Elizabeth Brimelow's "Rook Road").
Again, no photography.  www.oma-online.org/  The exhibit runs through Feb 10, 2013

One of the quilts I admire is this one (from the catalog):

"Firebox"  Jan Myers-Newbury - Pittsburgh, PA  2010  Dyed in arashi shibori techniques, machine piecing and quilting.
With the gallery spotlights it glows.  It is not all pieced, some of the lighter rectangles appear to have been blocked when another layer of color was applied.  Intriguing.
 

 

By the time we left Oceanside the clouds had rolled in.  The Pacific Ocean is just beyond the bushes (which are just beyond the southbound lanes of I-5).   The sun was struggling to shine through, but soon gave up and we had periodic sprinkles on the way home.  Not much and the traffic was light until we got into Orange County and were in with the "rush hour" commuters.

A lovely day with lots of friendship and artistic inspiration.  Thanks, Liz.  And Beth and Charlotte and Judy and..... 

Visions 2010 @ Oceanside Museum of Art 10-25-10

The biennial Visions exhibit has a special place in my life - I've been attending since the very first one in 1987 which was held in Fallbrook. I still remember the thrill I felt as I walked through the quilts displayed - a feeling I experience with every Visions exhibit. The friend who accompanied me was much more of a traditionalist and she was disappointed! I was amazed that the quilt she liked the most was the most traditional one there. Yesterday I attended the special events in connection with the opening of "Quilt Visions 2010: No Boundaries", as always, I was thrilled. The Oceanside Museum of Art where the exhibit is held is adjacent to the Oceanside Civic Center - a breezy, tiled, water-filled pavilion.

I seem to discover unusual flowers there. This is a hibiscus with two-colored petals than turn down instead of flaring open. Lovely yellow - I can almost taste it.

Looking to the west the water flows gently around islands of palms toward Pacific Coast Highway. Beyond the buildings in the middle of the picture is the ocean.

There are always gulls wading and bathing in the fountain. This guy stood pat after the others took wing. He refused to spread his wings on my command!

Across the street at the Oceanside Museum of Art ( http://www.oma-online.org/exhibits.html ) art quilt fans gathered on the front terrace waiting for the doors to open for the 11am artists' tour of the new exhibit. I understand there were 25 artists (out of 39) in attendance. But there was a large crowd packing the galleries, so I saw little of the artists as they spoke, but I could hear every word over the p.a. system. It is fascinating to hear what they chose to say about their technique or inspiration or just their selection as a Visions artist. Afterward they all seemed friendly and approachable and I collected a few autographs in my exhibit catalog. Photos are not permitted.

"Before Sunset" Nelda Warkentin 14"L x 50"W

This is the quilt on the cover of the exhibit catalog and is also on the Visions website.

http://www.visionsartmuseum.org/exhibits/exhibitions.asp?pg=biennial

"Zinnia" Velda Newman 87"L x 212"W

This is the quilt that appears on the exhibit postcard. It is absolutely gorgeous and one that I would buy in a split second if #1 I had the money and #2 I had some place in my house large enough to hang it.

There are seven or eight quilts that I would love to add to the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection and at the top of the list is Judith Content's fabulous "Cataclysm" which was inspired by a book about the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883. I have always coveted Judith's quilts, but, so far, all I have managed is one of her narrow silk scarves which I hang on my wall when I am not wearing it. I have my fingers crossed that "Cataclysm" will become part of the Collection.

It was a great day and I came home to fall into bed. Although my bronchitis is almost gone, I still tire very easily. In fact, instead of joining acquaintances for lunch I went back to my car and stretched out for a little snooze - it helped me get through the afternoon. Featured then was a panel of four artists answering very interesting questions asked by moderator Judith Content and also questions from the audience. The panelists were Deidre Adams, Gloria Hansen, Jane LaFazio and Katie Pasquini Masopust. They all work in different styles, using different techniques and all were very forthcoming about how they mesh their art and their everyday life.

Oceanside Civic Center 11-14-08

I suppose there are rundown places in Oceanside, for years it had a bad reputation as a rip-roaring Marine town- being the closest town to Pendleton Marine Base. I don't think that is true anymore. The Civic Center, across the street from the Oceanside Museum of Art, is white and blue and terra cotta. There is a great sweep of open space between the buildings where a large pool with little overflow areas and usually lots of gulls.

This California gull thought I might have something to feed him, but I didn't and he flew off after I took his picture.

The water flows over the edges of various pools and the gulls seem to enjoy standing with their feet in the running water. This is only about two blocks from the beach so it is an easy "fresh water spa" for the gulls.

This view is from the parking areas to the north of the civic center. I always enjoy the view through the arches, especially when I can stand and listen to the wind in the palms.

I posted a picture on 02-04-08 of the newly finished addition to the Oceanside Museum of Art (where Visions is hung).

A Gallery & a Museum 02-04-08

My drive on Sunday was to see the exhibit at the Visions Art Quilt Gallery and to drop by the Grand Opening of the new Oceanside Museum of Art.

The exhibit at VAQG is from California Fibers, a local group that was formed in 1970 and has a limited membership of 25. The work includes quilts, tapestries, baskets, wearables. It is their first time at this new gallery.

I do enjoy visiting the redevelopment area where the Gallery is located. It was the Navy Training Center for many years, but is now being developed as "Liberty Station", a 'destination' - galleries, restaurants, stores, etc. There is a Trader Joe's grocery, Starbucks, Panera restaurant, Von's groceries.. and a number of other places open, a large church meets in one of the buildings on Sundays and there is a dance studio in operation. Many of the buildings, perhaps most, have yet to be refurbished and rented, but things have progressed since the VAQG moved in almost a year ago. And the Watercolor Society of SDiego has a lovely gallery in the same building. You can find info about the development at http://www.sandiego.gov/ntc/ or http://www.libertystation.com/

For info about the VAQG see http://www.quiltvisions.org/

The only drawback I can see (hear?) is that the airplanes from the San Diego airport take off directly overhead. It can be deafening! But the grounds are very nice with large trees, a rose garden and many buildings from the early 20th Century.

The Oceanside Museum of Art is where the Visions exhibits are held every other year. The quilts have been selected for 2008 and I was surprised that there are about the same number as previous years. It turns out that the old portion of OMA is now offices and the gift shop and all the galleries are in the new building. There appears to be only slightly more wall space than there was before. Disappointing.

I purposely did not arrive until about an hour after the opening started because I am not fond of crowds. But there were still a LOT of people visiting the galleries. The exhibit is of early 20th Century plein air paintings of the San Diego area, all are very nice and some are quite wonderful. In one small area, all by itself and with a solitary lady on guard, was a lovely Sam Maloof chair that apparently has been donated to the museum. A treasure, indeed. Altogether I had a lovely Spring day looking at art and enjoying great weather. ....and limited traffic!

A meeting in San Diego 10-27-07

I drove to San Diego today (Saturday) for a meeting of the Visions Art Quilt Associates, which is an affiliate of the Visions Art Quilt Gallery. The group meets about every other month for the purpose of letting all the Visions members and interested people visit, share ideas, share work and usually to hear a short program relating to our quiltmaking interests. I haven't attended during the summer and wanted to see people I haven't seen and catch up with what the group is doing. The attendance was low - because of the disruption of so many lives by the fire and also due to people having gone to Market and Festival in Houston. I learned sadly that three Visions people have lost their homes and at least half a dozen were evacuated, but had been able to return to their intact houses. Some said they had to attend the meeting just to put a little normalcy in their lives. We had a fascinating presentation on quilt appraisals by Julia Zgliniec who is a certified quilt appraiser (in fact, MY certified quilt appraiser) and past president of Visions. I go to Julia for TCQC appraisals because she has long exposure to both traditional and contemporary quilts. She was there for the first Visions in 1987 - her twenty years of involvement is a plus in my book!

On the way home I zipped off the highway at Oceanside to see the work in progress on the Oceanside Museum of Art where the biennial International Visions exhibit is held. The construction will be finished in time for Visions - 2008 coming up next fall and will greatly expand the gallery space available.

There were sprinkles periodically all the way home, which must be a huge help to the firefighters and the humidity last evening was 81% - up from 9% last Sunday! But the fires are still burning, so there was smoke in the air in some areas, but not enough to cause me a problem. I was amazed that the fire burned right up to the I-5/San Diego Fwy at Camp Pendleton, even though I had heard that there were closures on Sunday and Monday. I took some pictures as I drove along and posted them in an album that you can access at http://picasaweb.google.com/DELQLTS/FirestormOnI5AtInspectionStation102707

The weather is warmer today, but will be mostly in the high 70s with more drizzle predicted for late tomorrow. Next weekend the winds are suppose to visit us again, so keep your fingers crossed that there are no fires to burn everything that hasn't been burned already!