What Is That Thing?

On the way to movie night, I spotted this piece of metal in the dirt by the side of the road. Besides being dirty, it was rusty too, so I didn't want to drop it directly into my bag. I could envision people asking as I looked for something to wrap it in, "What is that in your hand?" and me answering, "Occupational Hazard."

Because, in fact, I have no idea what it is, and it didn't occur to me to wonder what it had fallen off of. I just saw an interesting shape, paused to pick it up and admire it, and just as quickly decided to keep it. It could be traced around. It could be sun printed. It's heavy enough to be a paper weight! And my friends who rust dye are probably drooling over the marks it would leave if wrapped in damp fabric. Spotting and carrying home such bits & pieces to use in my art, you see, is definitely an occupational hazard.

Azalea Series?

It certainly feels like I'm working on a series. Or maybe I'm just determined to use up all the leftovers from the original fused version of Azalea Mosaic. Whatever you call it, I'm having fun. This one will be named "Broken Promises" (about 5 x 7 inches). I'm very tempted just to mat and frame it as is, no stitching or quilting. Just really like the shapes and colors. There's one more yet to come, provided I can settle on an arrangement for the very last of the bits and pieces.

Still pondering whether I need to add stitching to the big piece before layering for quilting (see this post and Rhonda's excellent observation), I stitched out some additional pre-programmed embroidery stitches. After much staring, I'd decided that the meandering vines only needed to be over the green tiles, and that a King Tut green variegated thread I have in abundance should work as well or better than the Oliver Twist thread I used on Azalea Mosaic III.


I narrowed it down to two and stitched them across the small test piece on the left. I could pin this little piece to the quilt top and step back, to sort of see the effect. I decided too much light green was popping off the surface so tried my favorite stitch in a dark green Sulky Rayon. That last bit of stitching finally clarified for me why I'd been so uneasy about putting any of these machine embroidery stitches on the top: They are just too even, the repeats too perfect. They need to vary more, like the individual tiles, like nature itself, and that's just not going to happen with these programmed stitches. Click on the picture to better see what I'm talking about.

That was it, all I needed, enough information gathered, conclusive decision made. I pulled the top off the wall, layered it and safety pin-basted for quilting today. I'm still considering using one of those embroidery stitches for the quilting between the squares, but that can be easily tested on the quilt itself and removed without leaving holes if necessary. In the meantime, discarding the idea of using any of those embroidery stitches resulted in a sudden rush of other ways to add something more appropriate. Whether or not I'll pursue any of them is still up for debate.

Drawing Studio - Catching up

No class yesterday because it was a holiday, but since I was home and looking for something to do to justify sitting on the porch in the lovely 70 degree weather, I did some reading and then some drawing. I'd picked up the books my teacher is basing her instruction on and decided it was high time I cracked one of them open. I started with Betty Edwards' second book published in 1986, "Drawing on the Artist Within." This has great quotations in the sidebars, including this gem:

"Seeing is totally different from looking...Art is a specialist's activity in this culture, and is just a symptom of the process of seeing."

Maybe that's why we so often refer to our drive to create as being "bitten by the bug" as if it is some kind of disease? I didn't read long until the bug insisted I put down the book and return to my drawing.


This is the second of the hand drawn on a ground exercises. I still need to go back in with eraser to create highlights and darken around the edges but as for the actual shapes, it is as done as it is going to get. I really struggled with those two fingers curling around the phone. Short and pudgy time after time. Turning the whole thing upside down to work on them was a great help.


Then it was on to my second negative space sketch. Working out the relationships between the lines and the cross-hairs came a bit easier this time. Yes, this takes practice.


And here it is with the negative spaces darkened and all other lines erased. I still have trouble seeing anything but the white space, have to really work at letting the negative dark space pop forward. I scanned ahead in the book to the section on negative space and was relieved to find mention of Artist Mark Wethli's response to the question, "When you want to see a negative space, can you see it right away, the very instant you look at it?" His answer was, "There's always a little time lag before a space pops into focus as a shape. But the lag gets shorter all the time."


Remember my work with creating rubber stamp designs cut from erasers? I really struggled with those designs, partly because I was having difficulty envisioning which parts would be printing and how they would look. I looked at them again yesterday and very shortly I started seeing the negative space for how it defined the design area I'd been so concentrated on. Suddenly the images were popping back and forth, negative becoming positive, positive negative, and I could see how each would work as the stamp. Then I focused on the diamond design that I knew wasn't working but couldn't see how to alter so it would. Bingo! Now I got it and could see what to do to make this one work as a stamp. Proof to me that these drawing exercises are having the desired effect.


But back to my second negative space sketch. I still had the sense that I would see the negative space better if it were not dark. As I mentioned before, I seem to see the opposite of what the majority of people see first. So I decided to test my theory and reverse the light and dark areas of the sketch. As I suspected, now I could easily see the negative spaces. Maybe I'll find something in the book that explains that.

Back to Auditioning - Part III

While I am finishing up the Azalea Mosaic Test piece, I am still confronted with a dilemma for the full size piece. I'm not convinced that adding the same sort of machine embroidery over the large piece (which I believe is around 24 x 24 inches) will do anything but detract from its strong graphic lines and colors. Yet a little voice keeps asking if it doesn't need more...of something, but I don't know what. I'm not sure which voice to listen to.

Sometimes dragging one's feet on these matters is a good thing. One may think it best to move along, jump in, admit it's unfounded fear holding one back from taking the next step, but sometimes it's time well spent. The subconscious works away at the problem and presents ways to approach it when you least expect it. My biggest problem here is that I need to see the effect full sized. In the last couple of days I've finally thought of ways to do that without committing thread to actual art. Above is one solution; I had a printout I was using to guide my placement of fabric squares. No reason I couldn't take colored pen to that to mimic the stitching I had in mind. It may not be full size, but it's giving me more clarity than my test piece or what's been floating around in my head.

Another thing I'm considering is using a clear overlay that can be drawn on. Tablecloth vinyl would be perfect for this, or cobbling together some transparencies to cover the entire top would be another solution.

Other thoughts that have come to mind: Just go ahead and quilt it and see what I think. Then if I feel the need to add vines, I could do it some other way. Believe it or not, I actually considered painting them on (that drawing class must be to blame for this unexpected confidence that I could successfully wield a paintbrush thus). Or perhaps they could be drawn on with a fabric marker. Hand embroidery is another possibility.

But doesn't this quilt understand that I just want to be DONE with it??? Apparently not. Definitely open to suggestions here.

Back to Auditioning - Part II

I finished up my Azalea Mosaic test piece by satin stitching around the edge with the same Oliver Twist green thread I'd used for the vine/leaf machine embroidery. 100% happy with how that looks! I assumed that a black background would suit it best, but of course, wondered about purple as well. Perhaps that would help the purple squares stand up more to that intense yellow. Again, I've cropped these auditions in Paintshop Pro and added a black border to represent the metal frame I plan to mount it in.




I was surprised that I didn't like it better. Although any of these more or less work, none give the impact I was looking for. A little strong, a little busy, a little dull...close but just not right.


So surely the black will be the no brainer, really set it off nicely. This is the same black as auditioned with jungle. It's a batik with hints of purple and blue in it. Huh. It seemed to sap all the life out of this little piece. Didn't expect that.


But the green...oh, I kept coming back to this green and every time it made me smile with pleasure. The satin stitching even pops off it instead of becoming lost on it. I think I have a winner here. Finished size will be 18 by 11 inches. Click on any picture for a larger view.

Back to Auditioning

I often get impatient with the creative process. At a certain point, I want to be done with the decision making, the influx of clever ideas, the laboring over final details. In short, I want to be done and dusted and moving on. But my pieces often don't agree with me. Case in point: Jungle. I'd already spent a lot of time pulling all kinds of possibilities to mount it on (see this post), narrowed it down to one, solved a new problem that cropped up demanding more auditioning and mulling, and was only waiting for a break in higher priority projects to quickly finish it up.


Wednesday, I squared it up and sewed on a narrow binding to create a little spark and delineation between it and the dark background I'd chosen. I placed it on that background and sighed...not at all sure that it was showing it off at all. Worse yet, I had this nagging feeling that it required some beads added to help jazz it up. It just looked a little boring and faded to me. Maybe the binding was a little too much pop? So much for finishing this up quickly. I'd already started pulling some fabric to audition for another piece, so started trying it out on some of those.


Greens looked awful. Purples looked awful. I even tried various tropical oranges and blues. Nothing made me pause and wonder for a second. Then I wondered if the burgundy crushed velvet I'd used on Twisted Tree might be just what I needed - rich and mysterious like the jungle itself. Uhhh, nope (the photo makes it look like it works better than it actually does). I was ready to resign myself to the black as the only answer.


This one was absolutely an afterthought. It was draped over the back of the chair next to the design wall. It was there only because I'd washed it a few weeks ago and hadn't gotten around to putting it away yet. It intrigues me the most, the way the bits of orange seem to balance the orange in the binding. It may be the solution to my dilemma. What do you think?

By the way, I used my Paintshop Pro software program to crop my photos so that you see approximately the amount of fabric that will extend beyond the binding, then added a border to represent the black metal frame I'll be mounting the finished piece into. I think it is critical to seeing which fabric will work best. It will finish at 13 x 11 inches. Click on any picture for a better view of the subtleties of each fabric

Playful Diversions

I got sidetracked yesterday as I was preparing my negative space drawing for posting here. As I thought more about how negative space can be an interesting design on its own, I wondered how this drawing might react to some of the effects in my Corel Paintshop Pro software. How different would my results be with this basic black and white drawing from the color photos I've played with in the past here, here and here? I started with the final rotation of the drawing seen above.


This is buttonized, an effect I hadn't tried yet. This got me thinking about that technique of using a "view finder" to move around a picture until you find an interesting section. Also, I can start to see what would happen if I played with fracturing or overlaying a separate geometric design and changing values within the different spaces.













I noticed there was a brushstrokes effect. Ok, so how would a pencil drawing look with brushstrokes? One of the random settings produced this, which I then could not resist colorizing in one of my favorite palettes. This is the sort of thing I've been thinking about trying with actual paint and brush, so must give it a go.


Magnifying lens is another effect I hadn't tried. I like this idea of making a small portion larger and superimposing it on the actual design. I've done the opposite of this - taking a detail and superimposing it smaller which is also effective.


I had no idea what the feedback effect would do - it was perhaps the most surprising.


Here's another feedback at a different setting. I really like these.


And how cool is this polar coordinates one?













The rotating mirror reflection effect reminded me about playing with my actual set of mirrors. Do you see primitive faces and figures in these?


And finally, my all-time favorite...the wave effect. I just keep clicking the random button and seeing things I love. This and the kaleidoscope effect quickly showed how differently I responded when no color was involved. More waves below.

Drawing Studio Session 4 - Negative Space

Another Monday, another drawing session - this time with a bit of drama. Our teacher got stuck in construction traffic making her over an hour late. So we muddled forward with phoned-in instructions we didn't clearly understand and didn't truly catch what we were supposed to be doing and why until she finally arrived. It was more focus on negative space, this time eliminating all detail in the object we were drawing. Can you guess what my still life was composed of?


Once the basic outline of the still life was sketched in, and then the space around it darkened in, we were encouraged to view those spaces as interesting shapes in and of themselves. The teacher picked up mine and turned it this way and that, really liking those spaces. So you won't have to twist your head, I've rotated my drawing for you.


Have you guessed yet what it is? The composition placed in front of me was overlapping antlers with a feather threaded through the prongs.


We used the picture plane again to trace the outline before drawing on paper. This was more difficult since the plane could not be rested on the object we were tracing. In the first drawing, we simply drew the same size as the picture plane, but on the second one, we went back to drawing at a larger scale. You can see the cross hairs on my second assignment (kitchen utensils "interestingly" arranged) which create a grid like is on the picture plane to facilitate in that enlarging. I still find this very hard, so the teacher suggested I do a quick sketch to get the general shapes in position, then go back and fine-tune to a more accurate rendition. That suggestion helped a lot. As you can see, I didn't get much beyond that sketching out, so have some "homework" to do this week.


Intellectually, I know what negative space is. Yet every time I run across that term as a design tool, I haven't really gotten what it means, why it is as important as positive space, nor how I can use it for design ideas. The teacher admitted that this exercise was very simple, but because of its simplicity, it would help our brains get used to seeing the negative space on its own. I do sense that I am starting to get it, to move out of the intellectual realm as I experience "making" negative space. Something tells me that I would see it more clearly if the negative space were left white and the positive space darkened. I've noticed that my eye often see the reverse of what most people first see in images that can be viewed two ways. For instance, when looking at pictures of old quilts, the quilted motifs often look sunken instead of raised up as they truly are. I seem to see receding images. and really have to work at making the image pop the other direction. Maybe that's why I struggle with this negative image stuff. How do you see?

Test Run

I've had so many distractions and diversion in the last week or so that I couldn't get much done toward my art. But yesterday I spent a big chunk of time at the sewing machine and it was wonderful to be working again. Of the several things I could have worked on, I chose to proceed with my sample to try out ideas for finishing up the Azalea Mosaic. I was curious about the effect of adding meandering vines across the quilt, as if looking at a mosaic tile pathway in a garden. I didn't want it as quilting, I figured, because I wanted it to look like it was growing naturally up and over the tiles, not flattening them down. So I fused some leftover squares to extra background fabric and stitched away.


But first, I tested some of my machine's pre-programmed embroidery stitches on a scrap of fabric. You can get an idea of what a stitch will look like from the manual and the screen on the machine, but I can't really tell exactly what it will look like until I've stitched it out. The first tests were done in an old cotton thread I care nothing about, ditto for the fabric & no stabilizer. Since the squares are fused giving some stability, I wanted to see how badly the fabric might pull up without stabilizer - for the areas between the fused squares. The final test (far left) was done with the actual thread I planned to use - an Oliver Twist Hand-dyed cotton. I settled on the pattern on the far right, but wanted it to look a bit more free flowing, so on the left you can see where I tested increasing the stitch length. You can also see that I penned the identifying stitch number above each stitch, and then noted the length changes. I'll keep this sample for future reference.


How often have I auditioned threads, thinking I've come up with the perfect one, only for it to disappoint me on the real thing? Often, and in this case, I'm thinking this may have been more effective with a green somewhere in value between this one and the dark green I used for the actual quilting. Of course, that's a color I do not have on hand. But I do love the overall effect. There was a bit of distortion because of not using a stabilizer, but I was able to press it out. Not sure I could do that properly on the larger piece. And I have no desire to remove stabilizer from this type of embroidery - so time consuming and you never get it all out. Wouldn't want to use water soluble stabilizer, but perhaps one that disappears with heat would be the answer.


Click on the picture above and you should be able to see that darker green thread (a Sulky rayon)and the quilting. I used a slightly wavy pre-programmed stitch with width reduced and my walking foot to quilt between the fused squares. I was afraid that since the quilting was done after the embroidering, it would show in an unwanted way where it crossed over the lighter green thread, but to my surprise, it did not. Very pleased about that. And the vines do give the organic look of rising and falling as they move across the tiles.

While I like this effect on this small version, I don't think I would like it all over the larger quilt even if I had a suitable darker thread. And of course, I doubt I have enough of this thread to cover the larger quilt - story of my creative life. Maybe I can think of a different way to add a little garden feel to it, but I don't think this is it. I can also see that this quilting stitch doesn't quite make the squares pop like I wanted, even with the Matilda wool batting. But I am pleased enough with these results that I plan to finish this up and mount it much in the same way that I did Twisted Tree. Nothing ventured, nothing gained - this was a definite gain.

Browne's Addition Tour - Bricks & Gingerbread

One last look at the architecture in Historic Browne's Addition, this time strictly from a design perspective that might cross over into my own art, and yours too. As always, click on any picture for a larger view.

Under my feet - cobblestone streets peaking through, brick paths in different configurations.




And when my eyes looked up, brickwork and details only necessary to please the eye.




Slightly skewed and sagging carriage house doors, well worn.


These steps to nowhere...this is behind & below the museum, but once must have led to a fine house. Or perhaps a shortcut between houses for impatient children, or the beginnings of a path into a wooded retreat.



Speaking of fine old houses, so many of them exhibit "gingerbread" trim. Note the similarity between the sunburst's rays over the porch and the swirls in the trim below. This was a bit unexpected that seemed to say of the designer, I don't have to do this like everyone else.



And last but not least, a bit of nature's "architecture." I was so intent on capturing details of one of the houses, that I nearly missed the fact that I was standing right next to this highly textured tree. It was quite large (the fence you just see in the pic is about 4 or 5 ft tall) and the bark texture equally large, unlike the finer texturing I'm used to seeing. Deep grooves, shadows and light, lines intersecting at all angles. It begs to be drawn.

Browne's Addition Tour - Patsy Clark Mansion

This fabulous Italianate is the Patsy Clark Mansion built in 1897 and designed by Kirtland Cutter to be the "most luxurious mansion ever" after a directive from the owner. It is a true tour de force. Quoting from the Spokane Historic Preservation Office website:

Cutter traveled around the world, collecting materials and furnishings for the house. The exterior sepia sandstone is from Italy, the brick was made in St. Louis, Missouri, and stained-glass windows were made by Louis Comfort Tiffany in New York City. Patsy Clark lived in the mansion until his death in 1915; his wife Mary remained in the house until 1926. Eugene Enloe, an investor, purchased the house and later sold it by 1950. The house served as the Francis Lester Inn, a restaurant and event house until 1982. It was then restored as Patsy Clark's Restaurant. Spokane architect Dennis Young was commissioned to design the project, at a reported cost of $233,000. In 1995, Chuck Quinn sold Patsy’s to a group of Spokane businessmen, and, within a year, one of the group members, Steven Senescall, bought out his partners and become sole owner. Mark and Monty Danner, also owners of the Clark House at Hayden Lake, Idaho, purchased the restaurant in November 1999. The restaurant ceased operations in 2001 and the building was purchased by the law firm of Eyman, Allison,Fennessy, Hunter, and Jones in February 2003 who are restoring it to former glory."

I remember when it was a restaurant, and I think my husband and I even blew the budget to eat there once - a very long time ago! I have to agree that the law firm is being a good steward. Enjoy the many fine details of this building (click on any pic for a larger view). Perhaps some of them will make their way into your next quilt. I know they have my mind cranking away.





Even the side/back of the building is impressive with its large carriage house.


When I looked more closely, I could see this connecting "bridge" leading from the second floor of the carriage house directly into the main house. So often carriage houses were far removed from the main house.


Across from the Mansion is Coeur d'Alene Park where this lovely Russian influenced gazebo resides.

Browne's Addition Tour

The Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture is located in the historic Browne's Addition which was platted in the 1880's and intensively developed for well-to-do clients around the turn of the century. According to the Spokane Historic Preservation office: "Within its boundaries is a concentrated architectural aggregate including nearly every residential style fashionable in the Pacific Northwest between 1880 and 1930." After viewing what the museum had to offer, I took a stroll around this neighborhood to, quite frankly, gawk at the incredible late 1800's homes still standing and lovingly maintained. I knew there'd be inspiration in the details too. (Click on any picture to see those details better.) The house above was the first one I spotted on my way to the museum that made it clear there'd be more to my day than exhibits viewed indoors. It is the E. J. Roberts Mansion built in 1889 in the Queen Ann style (see a view of the front of the house plus some of the rooms here). The home remained in the family until the death of their only daughter in 1959. The mansion subsequently became a rooming house, a group home, and apartments. It has been undergoing a rigorous restoration process for the last 23 years and recently opened to the public as a Bed and Breakfast and Event Facility. That explains how someone could afford to own and live in this behemoth. See here for more information about the history of this house.


On the opposite corner was this Queen Ann. I can't track down any info on it, but I remember the plaque saying one of its special features was the rounded bay and multi-windowed copula. It looked off though, especially that rounded bay. I think all the windows had been replaced by modern versions in spite of its National Historical Registry designation.


Making a quarter turn to look at the opposite corner, I spotted this spire. Knew it had to belong to a carriage house.


Here's the house it belongs to - The Hussey-Borgenson House built in 1887 & 1889 in what is considered "a superior example of the Queen Anne style of architecture." This is looking at the back of the house. Click on the link above to see the front of the house. Check out the chimney detail, adding to the overall impact of the house's design.



With its barn/stable/carriage house, they are two of the oldest and most intact domestic buildings in Spokane. Here you get a sense for how big the carriage house is.


It always amazes me what attention to detail many of these older buildings exhibit. Rather than settling for a plain cap on the chimneys, decorative caps were designed and installed.


I was particularly fascinated by this design resolution for the chimney brickwork. I don't think I've seen bricks angled like this before. But maybe I just wasn't looking.


With my love of curves, I rather liked these under the window bay.


Kitty corner from this beauty is this rather garishly painted (in my opinion) house that I thought might be a wannabe. It didn't strike me as anything special, but apparently it is, being a Queen Ann with a two story window bay and multi-gabled roof line. It's the Olmstead House built in 1899 for a former Spokane mayor.


Just down the street from these two I happened upon this group of row houses and was perplexed. They looked in keeping with with the late 1800's time frame of the surrounding houses, yet I wasn't sure this sort of thing would have gone up on this spot back in those days. I decided it must be a very well done recent addition, carefully designed to fit in with the neighborhood. After all, it sits on the edge of the bluff with a fabulous view. and I found that hard to square with what looked like a partially commercial building. I later found information in Spokane: A City With Historical Style by Margaret Krause French & Nancy Gale Compau copyright 2000 indicating that these are townhouses built in 1891 or earlier.


A few blocks up the hill from these I found the Westminster Apartments, looking all in the world like a huge resort one should find in the Alps. I'm not sure when this was built, but French & Compau note: "The first apartment houses in Spokane were very large units. They usually had a living room, dining room, two or three bedrooms, a kitchen and bathroom...Some apartment houses even had rooms for servants to live in and had their own restaurants for the apartment dwellers." Sign me up - I could see myself living in either one of these places.


At the opposite end of the street from the E. J. Roberts Mansion, I found The Finch Mansion built in 1897 and designed by Kirtland Cutter and Karl Malmgren in the Neoclassical style. Talk about totally different. It was remodeled into apartments in 1927 - one of the first luxury apartment buildings in Browne's addition. It didn't look to me like it was still apartments, but maybe in 1927 they did it more tastefully than they did in later years. It sits on a bluff at the end of 1st street overlooking the Spokane River - what a view!


These swags so typical of Neoclassical designs are also found on many many quilts.


Next door I spotted this Mission Style carriage house. The swoopy profile of the roof line on both front and back of the building is what amused me most.


And this is the house it belongs to. Next door to it is a Tudor revival - obviously no zoning of styles here!

I'm saving the last house I found for a separate post - it is just that spectacular.

Last of the Cutwork Applique

Here is the 4th block for the row robin challenge I'm participating in. It is the second of the two designs from the Sisters Challenge quilt. After completing the last of the reverse applique parts today, I sewed the blocks into a row, using a batik provided by the owner for sashing between the blocks. I think you can see how well my batik goes with it, even though the color in the photo isn't as true as the one in the scan of the block.


Then I attached my row to the owner's row, inserting sashing in between. Aren't her Celtic blocks wonderful? Click on either picture for a larger view.

Drawing Studio Session 3 - More Hands

This week's class was frustrating for all of us. I hesitate to even share my results, and we all agreed we are sick of drawing our hand! This time we rested a masked off piece of glass on our hand and traced the outlines onto the glass. The glass also had a single vertical and horizontal line running through the middle. The exercise was to experience using that simple grid to make a proportionally larger drawing of what was on the glass. More studying of relationships and negative space aided by the simple grid repeated on our larger rectangle on the drawing paper. This proved harder than we expected - the eye did not want to make the leap to the larger size.

In addition, we laid down a ground with a graphite stick before starting to sketch. Once we'd gotten the hand sketched as accurately as we figured we could, it was time to "play" with shading. We could make areas darker with the graphite pencil or use the kneaded eraser to lighten areas. I really struggled seeing the light and dark areas of my hand, and now can see some places I could lighten up that I'd missed yesterday. The teacher suggested I could rub out along the outside of the hand to make it pop off the background more, and once she rubbed a spot, I finally got the idea. I had fun with the eraser making swoops and hash marks to give energy to the background. But my poor hand still looks pretty deformed and lifeless to me...

We started a second hand drawing (preceded by groans from all), this time holding something "interesting" in the hand. I chose my cell phone which allowed my fingers to be curled - a much more attractive pose. Not enough time to get very far on it, and I assume we will continue working on it next session.

We were encouraged to turn our work upside down if we got stuck, as well as to concentrate on getting one quadrant at a time right. Amazing how much the upside down orientation helps one to see how to fix something out of whack. The teacher also focused on seeing the negative space rather than the line itself, and I felt I was finally starting to get that. Another helpful technique.

Marie Watt

Museums usually run multiple exhibits concurrently, and the Northwest Museum of Art & Culture that I visited this week was no exception. The galleries running up to the main event featured other items from its permanent collection showcased by themes such as Indian artifacts and fine art. So it was a surprise to turn into one of them and find a display by contemporary artist Marie Watt. The exhibit titled "Forget-Me-Not" is described this way: "Marie Watt explores themes of remembrance, relations, and storytelling, heirlooms, and the notion of things - built, natural, spiritual - passed down from one generation to another." Now I would be lying if I said I didn't roll my eyes after a quick perusal of the exhibit. Her use of recycled blankets rather raggedly rendered into huge tapestries, the bulky dimensional flowers also made from recycled wool blankets, strings of squares looping from floor to ceiling, and particularly the centerpiece of the exhibit pictured above, all smacked of the sort of "pushing the envelop" that doesn't work for me. It just looked like so much poorly conceived and constructed art meant to strike a sentimental nerve and thus be difficult to criticize without inadvertently criticizing the subject of her theme - fallen servicemen and women.


Fortunately, I managed to put my prejudice aside and take a closer look at what Marie was doing. The above is called "Catastrophe" and only shows about half of the piece. Think three or four large wool blankets wide. Because of the dimness of the lighting, it took me awhile to see what was going on in this section.


The applique pieces are stitched down with long stitches, maybe an inch long. Click on this or any picture for a larger view. Very subtle.


When Marie recycles, she recycles! Again, it took me a moment to realize that this section of another very large piece was blanket ends with the satin bindings still intact. These are probably 4 to 5 inches wide.


Here, she has taken larger strips of blankets with their satin bindings and overlapped them, almost log cabin style.


I really grew to appreciate Marie's skill as I entered the circular "Forget-Me-Not: Mothers and Sons." The webbing that serves as background is again, wool blankets that have been slit. The portraits hung upon it are only about 6 inches high and meticulously appliqued from wool. Here her stitches disappear into the soft wool.


Who are these people? Here is Marie's own explanation of this piece:

"Forget-me-not is about memory, story, and devotion. In part, it stems from my disinclination toward abstraction of war by the modern media. Television, in particular, does not lend itself to considering individuals: we are taught to refer to our servicemen and women as 'troops,' which is a collective term. It wasn't enough for me. As a mother, I wanted to know more about the sons and daughters from my community who were sacrificing themselves in our name...Making these portraits helped me to do that.

I am a Seneca woman, a member of a matrilineal society. The Iroquois concept of 'mother' is broad, extending from one's own mother through a long line of women...So it was with this view of motherhood in mind - and its dense web of connections extending across generations - that I asked the men I know to suggest women who were significant to them to include in this work."

Each portrait along with explanatory text can be viewed here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marie-watt-studio

I have to admit that once I entered the circle, I realized what an effective vehicle this was for her intent. In some ways it was a little like viewing the Vietnam VeteransWar Memorial - a simple backdrop to name after name of the fallen. But in this case, it was not names that stared back, but faces, and not a long flat surface, but a soft encircling one. Knowing their fate, I found I couldn't look at them for long. Again, quoting from Marie's statement:

"The result, I hope, is conversation and communion among individuals: those hung from the web of the circle and those, like you, within it. It is a conversation that I intend to expand...I wish Forget-me-not were finished. But I fear I will be adding men and women to its web for some time."

Quiltscapes Exhibit

Yesterday I trekked to the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture to view 43 quilts from the Eastern Washington State Historical Society's permanent collection. The exhibit runs through May 17th so I was running it a bit close. This exhibit was masterfully hung/laid out, and offered a slim exhibit catalog worth the $3.00 they were asking. Because of the low lighting and taking pictures without flash, I've had to adjust the photos, so colors are not necessarily accurate and some are a bit blurred. Here's a sampling of what caught my eye (click on any picture to see more detail). The Lone Star above (attributed to Minerva Hellen Wilson) is one of two 1820's quilts on display. Immediately noticeable was the unexpected chrome yellow fabric near the center and used nowhere else. It was only upon a second look that I realized the squares making up the border were of fabrics used in the star points. Well, of course! Note the break in symmetry of the border (upper left).


The other 1820 quilt was an English mosaic top, pieced over old correspondence. It is suspected that Susan Eusden, who was born in England about 1838, brought the top with her when she and her husband immigrated to America in 1869. Although the overall sense of this top was a mishmash of muted browns and pinks, with only the center a visible flower motif, I soon realized that a pink flower was centered on each side near a line of blue hexagons forming an inner border. These were fabulous blues that had not faded one bit.


This Birds in the Air quilt was made by Sarah Koentz Glover and is inscribed 5th November 1846. It was the border that caught my eye. To get a sense of how small the triangle are, the Birds blocks are 9 inches square and have 91 triangles in each. Mmmm, and this woman had 11 children by the time she made this quilt.


This next one is for my friend LeAnn, who I believe is in the process of quilting a top with this block in it. Identified as Ducks Foot, it was made by Jane Jacoby of Indiana in 1880. My friend pondered long and hard about an appropriate quilting pattern for her very traditional rendition, so I thought she'd enjoy seeing how Jane handled hers. Feathers, of course!


There were two quilts from 1890. This Honeybee by Sarah Chambers was originally dated circa 1850 because of its trapunto, applique and quilting techniques. Further research of the maker and a closer look at its fabrics proved a later date. Well, you know how many quilters eschew the latest fads and recreate masterpieces in styles from the past. Reproductions, we call them. Or just keeping on doing what we always did. I love the quilting in this one. It also gives testament to the fact that quilters didn't used to obsess over perfection quite like we do today. Note the sawtooth borders that do not perfectly match. This was actually the closest match of the 4 inner corners.


The other 1890 quilt was a classic log cabin done in the furrows setting and made from fancy silks. by Jeannie Creighton. What caught my eye was this quirky edge finish - a thick corded or stuffed piping looped at the corners.


This Fifty-Four Forty or Fight quilt was made by Jesse & Ruth Brockway around 1900. You've got to admire anyone who takes on this block using suiting wools and heavy cottons! The blocks were maybe 14 or 15 inches square, and yes, that one star was much brighter than the rest of the quilt. Quite a charming piece.


The last two quilts are from the early 1900's. I've seen cigar band "quilts" before, but not one quite like this. Usually, there is an over predominance of gold silk bands, but this one had a great variety of colors as well as some great text. The maker, Anna Branzeau never finished this top. I could imagine her enthusiasm waning after a while.


Then there was this cigarette silks "quilt." I've read about these but had never seen the silks in person before. Really great detail and some quite extraordinary colors. I couldn't make out the names under these ladies, but they must have been well-known celebrities of their day. And the interesting twist to this quilt? It was made by ladies at a brothel in Walla Walla, WA. With it's very wide dark blue dust ruffle finish, I could easily see it gracing a bed or fainting couch in one of their rooms. The exhibit catalog asks the question, "Do you suppose they collected silkies from customers of from their own smoking habits?"

Tomorrow - an unexpected contemporary exhibit at the museum...

Shooting Spree

Spent the day out and about and have things to share, but pics not ready. So instead, I share some I took the other day between rain showers. Yes, we are getting our April showers in May. It hasn't stopped the turning over of the adjacent fields, though. This piece of farm machinery showed up and I couldn't resist. Not sure why farm equipment captivates me so. Must be the curves, repetition, symmetry.


A Wisconsin friend mentioned how she is seeing a spring green that matches the one in the crayola box, which she always doubted. I see it here too - more yellow than green really, and fleeting.



And then in this hollow, the most intense bright green.

Once home, I snapped some closeups of the few tulips I have blooming.



I'm guessing the single petal dropped down like this is due to the winds buffeting it.


About half of the daffodils are spent, the other half are hanging in there, no doubt because it has been so cool.

Taking the Next Step

Honestly? Part of the reason I've delayed getting back to the azalea mosaic is the knowledge that I needed to shift the squares over and down. I thought long and hard about it and came to the conclusion that it would be easier to do with the top laid out on the table and turned so that the rows of squares would be up and down, not canted. That angling throws off my perception something fierce. Why the shift? Two-fold, really. I wanted a little more free space around the edge in case I decided to "float" the center or to allow a 1/2 inch or wider binding should I decide to go that route. But mostly, the design had started looking cramped to me, and not quite enough gap between the squares. This shifting solved that and I definitely like the look better. I breath out, not in when viewing it now.


I have to thank Mary Stori for the brilliant idea of using a Clover mini-iron to temporarily tack the squares in place. Even though I have used the Steam-a-Seam lite fusible on the squares, its natural tackiness is not enough to ensure squares won't fall off or shift as I take the next steps.


The next steps being to turn the quilt back to square and mark a chalk line around what will probably be the perimeter (if you click on the picture, you can make out the chalk line in the larger photo). Now I can fill in gaps along the edges and trim away parts of squares that fall outside the line. And with all the mosaic "tiles" in place, I can permanently fuse them down. The latest additions aren't tacked so rather than moving the whole thing to the ironing board for the final fusing, I leave it on the table and slip my June Tailor Cut and Press board under it, shifting it around as necessary.


The directions recommend using a press cloth during fusing. Here I've used the release paper saved after removing it from fusible web used in another project. You'll note that the sole plate of my iron has no steam vents, as it is a dry iron. I found it at Vermont Country Store, and love it for fusing because of the smooth flat surface.


And here it is, ready for quilting. I'm going to do up a small sample with leftover squares so I can try out some different ideas for the quilting as well as batting. Pushing through my resistance to take the next steps on this piece has energized me. It has also reminded me that freedom does NOT come from ignoring problems but from facing them head-on, especially once the mind has had a chance to work through them. These things just won't finish themselves up without my help, dang it!

Cutwork Applique Block 3

Finished this one up before bed last night. The pattern is from Traditional Quiltworks Magazine Issue 84 from a quilt called "Sisters' Challenge." Patterns for two of the blocks in the quilt were featured in the magazine. I'll be using that second one for my last cutwork block.

I received my acceptance notification for ArtWalk 2009 here in Sandpoint which means I need to hunker down again with my art quilting. This applique has been a nice little break, but has diverted me from finishing two pieces that missed my self-imposed Easter deadline. I intend those two to be part of my exhibit, and need more new work to have a decent display. I decided I needed to jot down the pieces I hoped to have ready by July 28 for ArtWalk, and it was lengthy. Yikes! Motivation at last...

Drawing Studio Session 2

Today's drawing lesson revolved once again on getting your left brain to get out of the way. We copied the line drawings you see above, but not how you might expect. The photocopy was turned upside down and covered except for the inch or so we were currently working on. Your brain can't quite figure out what it is you are trying to draw, so you focus on spatial relations instead. It also shows how important it is to break a task into smaller parts. - something I know from my quilting experience. Otherwise the brain may get overwhelmed by all the information feeding into it. The sitting man was my first attempt. When I spun the finished drawing right side up, I laughed to see what a pinhead I'd drawn! I knew I'd started out a bit wider than I should have, and instead of keeping the proportion, I just kept sizing it in as I moved down. I did much better with the horse.

We also did this exercise for drawing a mirror image. The left part of the vase was on the paper. The shape is also the shape of a face in profile. Trace over the lines saying each part as you move over it: forehead, eye, nose, upper lip, lower lip, chin. Now draw the same shape in reverse to complete the right side of the face, repeating the parts of the face as you draw them. For right handed people, this is difficult - the right hand being controlled by the left side of the brain. Our single left handed student breezed right through this, saying it was easy compared to the upside down drawing. The rest of us felt the frustration. Apparently, by focusing on the fact that the vase is shaped like a face, the left brain tries to take over because it thinks it knows exactly what a face should look like but does a poor job of relating it out the end of the pencil. I found my instinct was to echo, not mirror the shape. Keeping one eye on the shape I was mirroring, I'd get confused about which direction the curve I was drawing was supposed to go. I actually did better when I forgot about the left side and focused on what part of the face I was drawing. I drew from top to bottom, and actually erased and did it again, with better results. Then I traced from bottom to top and felt perhaps I would have done even better had I done my drawing that direction.

The final exercise was to very slowly draw the lines on a crumpled piece of paper without looking away from it, i.e. without looking at the pencil while drawing. Supposedly this will bore the left brain, and let the right brain take over. I found I was almost immediately in the zone, while other found it hard to shut off their left brain.

There was one more exercise but we had run out of time, so will complete it next week. The time really does fly in this class, and I am finding it a great change of pace. I'm still pondering the why of my subconscious actions. Is there a reason I keep choosing to draw my hand palm up instead of palm down? And how much does my quilting experience factor in on how well I do on the exercises. During the upside down drawing, I felt maybe I had an edge because my eyes are already trained to see spatial relationships. I wondered if the mirror drawing was partly difficult because I do so much echo quilting, not shapes that mirror themselves.