More ArtWalk from the Bank - The Painters

Time to move to the upper floors of Columbia Bank to view the other artists represented there. This post focuses on paintings that caught my eye. I start with one of my favorite local artists, Ed Robinson. Ed's wife Karen is the professional artist in the family, but Ed as well as his son are accomplished artists as well. Ed's day job is with the Dept of Natural Resources I believe, at least some agency where he gets to spend time out in nature. He generally paints landscapes that include water, and he has become a master at rendering realistic rocks under water. This painting is a bit out of his norm, a scene along the Pend Oreille Trail along the lake that I started walking last year. I think its peacefulness and simplicity is what caught my eye and held it. Because it is under glass, this is the only angle I could get without massive reflections. Click on any photo for a larger view.

Multnomah Falls by Ed Robinson

Detail of Multonmah Falls

This one of Multnomah Falls in Oregon is also a bit atypical for him, but nicely done as well.

Another watercolorist, Jeanine Asche, chose a subject close to my heart - autumn leaves. See the red dot? I believe she is the only artist at the bank to have sold a piece of art. I could certainly see why.

Randy Wilhelm teaches art and graphic design at the high school here. My sense from viewing his entries in POAC exhibits over the years is that he's always pushing himself, playing with different media or substrates or subject matter. I'm not normally drawn to this kind of subject matter, but oh, those colors! They made me take a closer look, and while I presumed it was another watercolor, it is instead done with ink and dye. Love the look.

This pair of oil paintings are by Leona Fox (click on the photo to read her artist statement or here to see more of her work). They are rich and reflective and capture a tiny bit of Round Lake, another place I've hiked along.

Lastly, a few acrylic paintings. Peggy Tessema Compton had several in this long narrow format that I found particularly compelling. It works especially well with cranes in flight I think and are larger than the photo would imply. Her colors are rich as well.

And this one by Bruce Duykers, "Shot the Moon". I stood before it for a long time, finding myself gently pulled into it, then pulling back out to see more. This was quite large, a painting to get lost in.

There's one more group to show you, ones working with less often seen materials and with a definitely different take or subject matter. They are sort of in a league of their own and most enjoyable to happen upon in the midst of so much "typical" artwork.  

Back to the Bank for More ArtWalk

As I mentioned, there are around 25 artists besides me showing at Columbia Bank so I'll be highlighting my favorites over the next few posts. But I'm starting this post out with what became the running joke of my display during the opening reception. Many people stepped off the elevator or while walking by paused to take a closer look at that piece of art on the left . . . including me. And then slightly embarrassed, backed away, perhaps looking over their shoulder at me with a crooked smile once they saw what it was.

So close to my own framed pieces, looking framed itself and actually of a kind with my Eisenberg Fountain, it is actually the building's main floor plan with exit route marked in case of fire! Many suggested I make a tag and put a price on it, it would probably sell. We all got a good laugh out of that.

 The rest of the art in this post belongs to Denys Knight, who also displayed on the main floor but nearer the Tango Cafe. I own one of her pieces and am so intrigued with the way she manipulates metal in so many interesting ways. She has begun incorporating strung beads in some pieces, which I'm not sure I like. What I do always like is the weaving, the texturing, the colors and the way in some bits of metal escape over the frame or in other ways come off the background. You can click on any photo for a larger view - do enjoy!

Yes, every bit of that is metal

Another angle, note the crystal bead dangles

Bead dangles on this one too

Those woven metal strips curve WAY out beyond the frame

Doin' the ArtWalk

Couldn't resist the classic feet shot

While it is a great honor to be in ArtWalk, that ties you to one location during the opening receptions so you don't get to do ArtWalk, not until later. I know it's not the Third Monday of the month, but my art group had to juggle dates again and chose today as our July meeting date and doing ArtWalk as our activity. There were 5 of us today, and although we started out at the bank where three of us are exhibiting, we soon realized we'd all gotten a chance to see the art on the other floors.

Foiled by a closed site, we contemplate jaywalking

So it was off to other locations. The bank is just one of 30 businesses displaying art for ArtWalk with a total of 120 or so artists participating (around 25 artists just at the bank). With map in hand we struck out only to discover we'd picked a bad day. Many businesses are closed on Monday - even the event sponsor POAC itself. Oh well, we saw what we could see and enjoyed ourselves anyway. ArtWalk runs into September so we have plenty of time to check out the other locations.

Snails anyone?

I forgot to get the camera snapping so this is the only art I captured today. Aren't these yard ornaments great? They are at Petal Talk, a florist shop, and made by Melissa Hollis.

Love the turtle's eyes

I'm guessing one reason I didn't think to take pictures of the art today is because I'd already taken a bunch at the bank on another day, ones that I will share with you in future posts. Stay tuned! 

 

Solace

Things have been humming along in the studio. I finished piecing the "tiles" top and it is ready to layer for quilting (but must wait until I free up some safety pins!). I cleaned the lint out of my machine and set it up for stitching in the ditch with walking foot. "Sea and Sand" now has all that stabilizing stitching along seam lines done, ready for addition of free motion motifs. I tried a few ideas out on paper, wanting to incorporate some swirling lines that would invoke the idea of waves. I could barely draw decent ones with pencil; I can't imagine I can do it sufficiently with the machine without some kind of guide. I've tried this sort of motif before without marking, a long time ago, and it barely passed muster. I may mark at least some of it on Golden Threads Quilter's Paper just to take away some of the stress, time well spent to avoid the anguish of seeing wobbly weird waves under the needle.

This one is going to my godson's baby boy who is named Kavi, and I want to quilt his name across some of the yellow bands. After several tries, I could see that quilting it in print rather than script would look the best. Some of those bands are quite wide though, so I may add some gently curved lines above and below the name. What to do with the vertical yellow bands? I think the same curved lines, something that I hope will read as rippled sand.

I always feel a bit of guilty after my posts in memory of my late husband. I'm not looking for sympathy when I write them but feel the need to share about him within my blog family. A bit of catharsis for me and perhaps a window to a better understanding of me for my readers. And perhaps, for those who have loved and lost as well, a bit of solace and the knowledge that you are not alone in your grief. So I thought it very timely that I ran across a little essay this week on Solace by an author I discovered not long ago, David Whyte. He has combined these essays based on words we think we understand but upon which he puts a slightly different view in his book Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning in Everyday Words. You can read the excerpt of the essay on Solace in its entirety on his Facebook page here. But it was this last bit at the end that caught my attention, here in this week when I am remembering my dear husband the most:

To look for solace is to learn to ask fiercer and more exquisitely pointed questions, questions that reshape our identities and our bodies and our relation to others. Standing in loss but not overwhelmed by it, we become useful and generous and compassionate and even more amusing companions for others.

But solace also asks us very direct and forceful questions. Firstly, how will you bear the inevitable loss that will accompany you? And how will you endure it through the years? And above all, how will you shape a life equal to and as beautiful and as astonishing as a world that can birth you, bring you into the light and then just as you were beginning to understand it, take you away?

Another Year Passing

Counselors at Camp Cross circa 1975

Pardon this indulgence on the anniversary of my husband's passing.

 

This is the man I fell in love with . . . however, not without a lot of persistence on his part.

This is the man who changed my life, elevated it, enriched it.

This is the man I lost 16 years ago, his passing also changing my life, showing me my true self, my true strength.

He changes me still, influences me when I let my thoughts linger on him, remembering the faith he had in me.

I know he's doing great things in the Great Beyond.

And I know he wants me to keep doing great things in the Great Right Here. Yup, it's part of what keeps me going.

Maryhill Apricots

I always treat myself to a few Maryhill apricots when they show up in my grocery store. They are huge as apricots go, could be mistaken for small peaches in some cases, and ever so good. They come from the same area along the Columbia River gorge as The Maryhill Museum I've introduced you to. This time I bought just two (there were good buys on other fruits that day too) and they've been ripening on the counter. I tried the first one a few days ago, with cottage cheese, and I was not disappointed. As I cut it open, removed the pit and took a small test bite, I realized that apricots remind me of my dad for some reason. And that meant I needed to add them to my comforts sketchbook. Too late for that day, but I could schedule a sketching session for the second one. I did this much this morning before heading out on an errand, my goal to draw quickly, not fuss over getting the shapes just right, and then spend a bit more time getting the colors right with my Prismacolor pencils. Not bad, I decided.

Back from the errand, it was nearly time for lunch, so part two - the apricot split to reveal the pit - also had to go quickly. I had the sequence of colors already figured out, but they needed a bit of tweaking for the richer flesh (the real apricots in the photo read darker than the real thing for some reason), and then there was that pit - more of a challenge than I'd anticipated. Both apricot versions were gone over with a colorless blender which did amazing things, and then with a tortillan. Shadows underneath were rubbed in with a 6H graphite pencil. Even with my "quick draw" mindset, I noticed how many details I was picking up that my initial glance had smudged over.

It did come to me why I was linking apricots and dad. Once my brothers left home, dad started taking me and mom on weekend fishing trips across the state line in Montana. The fishing was mostly an excuse to get on the road, spend time along creeks, and sit around campfires. Dad would often pull over at roadside fruit stands, handing me his wallet and telling mom and me to go pick out some fruit. Flathead cherries were a favorite but peaches would also do. Apricots were less common and so a real find. I can see dad now biting into one, juice running down his chin, face screwed up in a look of satisfaction.

Itchin' Again and Another Ponder

Backing turned to front over batting, edge of top basted to secure.

"Sea and Sand" is all basted up in a neat tidy package, which makes me itch to get going on the quilting. However, that requires changing thread and set-up and settings on my machine. I'm loath to do that when a piecing project is all set to run through the machine.

Top of quilt is at bottom, pieces added from left not breaking thread between rows.

So as I suspected I would do, I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon listening to podcasts while chain-piecing the rectangles and spacers of the tiles quilt. I've got 3 more rows to go and then I can snip these apart, press, and sew these vertical rows between the long strips of sashing.

Here's your ponder for the day, from another comedian, Louis C.K. It doesn't seem to matter what your shtick is, some things remain the same.

When you thwart what’s real about you in order to keep creating content for financial need, you’re just not gonna make it. You’re not gonna keep going. You have your number. It’s very dangerous to be liked by more people than should like you. It’s bad for them, and it’s bad for you. There’s gonna be a shock down the road for them, or you’re gonna dilute yourself and take yourself to a place where you can’t live with who you are. I think that you make an honest account of who you are and you live with the results. The results will be appropriate to who you are… If you’re saying things just to piss people off, then I don’t know why do it. If you’re saying things just to please people, that’s a short-lived victory. But if you just say the things you believe, and the things you like to say, and that mean something to you — if you stay close to the gut — then everything will work itself out.

My woodworking brother and I had several discussions about this. At the time, both of us were toying with the idea of making a living off our art, yet there didn't seem to be much interest in the sort of art we enjoyed making. We'd look at what was selling and knew we couldn't bring ourselves to "produce for the market" - it just wasn't the sort of thing we wanted to spend our time on, or it required reproducing the same thing over and over for the masses when we only wanted to do it once and move on to something else - every effort a one-of-kind. We both found some solace in experienced artists who said basically what Louis says here - stay true to yourself or even some level of success will leave you empty and unhappy. I find it interesting that he also addresses the idea of being "liked by more people than should like you." There's a pressure to success, to keep giving what appeared to be liked at last - I've felt it. And the worry that if I deviate from what people have come to expect from me, they will be disappointed and turn away. Those thoughts crept in as recently as my entries in ArtWalk. I shooed them away as best I could with a "too bad for them, this is what I'm doing right now and I'm happy and fulfilled with it" pep talk. Lucky for me I don't have to depend on art sales for my livelihood. But even so, with no monetary pressure, it is easy to fall into this trap of creating to please an audience, or perhaps to get a reaction. What about you? Does any of this resonate with you?

Progress and a Ponder

Gosh, I've been having the best time in the studio this week. Before tackling the cleaning of the work table, I rummaged around my various stashes for a suitable backing for the Sea and Sand quilt. And look what I found lurking in my batiks! I needed at least a yard and a half of a full 44 inch wide fabric (to keep from having to seam two pieces together) and by some miracle, I had purchased 2 yards of this. I'd noted the price and where I'd bought it on the selvage - $6.98 a yard at a quilt shop here in my little town, one that was a favorite because they carried not only contemporary fabrics, but also beads and yarns. Unfortunately, it went out of business a few years after I discovered it. But their beautiful fabrics live on in my stash!

Next up - clearing off that work table. I quickly realized I did not have to get everything off it. About a third still has its piles mostly untouched, but the rest has been put away or at least moved out of the way into the closet. Going through what was there was a bit like an archeological dig, some bits puzzling (what in the heck project is this from?) some surprising (this is from last year, or maybe older?), some memory jogging (oh yeah, I left this out because I thought I could . . .). Lastly, the hunt for an appropriate batting in the proper size. It's been so long since I've had to check my supply of anything save Thermore that I wasn't sure I had what I needed. In fact, I must have stocked up during a sale because I have several untouched queen or king size batts, several "craft" or "crib" sizes and lots of partials - all in a variety of fiber combinations. I always hate cutting a chunk out of a big batt - just the logistics of it; it's actually very cost effective to buy the biggest batt rather than buying smaller sizes to come closest to the exact size you need. Look at this - I had a piece of Hobbs 80/20 that was just (and I DO mean just) the right width and not too much extra in the length. Everything got smoothed into place without a hitch, and I was ready to start pinning.

And it was a little past lunchtime so I meant to take a break. But that empty design wall and the pieces for the next quilt beckoned. Oh, just put up the sashing strips (which I'd kept in order - probably makes no difference but I thought maybe the pattern across the fabric might be discernible if I did). Oh, and what if I place rectangles between two sashings, just to get a feel for how the colors might be arranged. Then it was, I think I need to put them up in each row across where they will fall to get a better idea. And by then, I couldn't pull myself away until all the rectangles were in place. Look at my bright beautiful quilt top! Because my fabrics and colors are so different from the ones in the pattern I'm following, mine has a very different feel but I am loving it. (And so what if lunch was REALLY late that day.)

That picture is a bit deceptive though. I didn't bother to put up those tiny 1 x 2-1/2 inch pieces that act as sashing or spacers between the top and bottom of each rectangle. They go in no particular order and I have them stacked and ready to go so I can do a bit of chain stitching when I start sewing the top together. Here I've placed a few so you can get an idea of how they will slightly change the look. Oooo, I am excited! (Can you tell I'm feeling better?)

Excited too about Sea and Sand being on the verge of ready to quilt. As you can see in the top photo, pins are in and ready to be closed, then I'll hand baste around the edge of the top. I may do some marking of the quilting, but I'll be doing some stabilizing stitching in the ditch first - thread all picked out. However, something tells me that this second quilt might just get sewn together first.

Oh, and here's the ponder, a 1982 quotation from the ever irreverent but often spot on comedian George Carlin. Kinda fits my mood these days and certainly mirrors my feelings about the world we've been living in where it is all about tying your worth to how much you can produce in the shortest amount of time at the most profit. Taking a breather is not lost time.

It’s the American view that everything has to keep climbing: productivity, profits, even comedy. No time for reflection. No time to contract before another expansion. No time to grow up. No time to fuck up. No time to learn from your mistakes. But that notion goes against nature, which is cyclical. And I hope I’m now beginning a new cycle of energy and creativity.

A Little Art, A Little Craft

Let's start with the craft. One of the things I did last week as I was recuperating was finish up this neck warmer . . . just in time for summer! I stalled out on it months ago when there was only a few inches left to go. I knew I'd be facing an edge finish I'd not done before (I-cord which also made the buttonhole loops) and although the variation on a cable stitch was not hard, it required a bit more attention than the pattern stitch on the preceding earwarmers. I was struggling with new meds and syndrome flares for several months over the winter and I'm thinking that I just sighed with fatigue any time I thought of picking it up.

But it is done now, with buttons added that I wish I could remember their original purpose, ones I salvaged when whatever garment they'd been added to was no longer wearable. They live again to please me whenever I button up this soft and warm alpaca yarn wrap.

As for the art part, I've been meaning to share a post found on the blog Paperiaarre. A friend who knew I had an interest in bookbinding pointed me to Kaija's blog knowing I would appreciate the masterful and interesting bookbinding there. But Kaija also does the most fascinating multi-media pieces, some quite tiny, all immaculately executed. I have mixed emotions about mixed media in general, often feeling like I'm looking at hodgepodges thrown together with not much rhyme or reason. Kaija's work appeals and fascinates because it is evident she has spent much time gathering just the right things to put together, using old photographs, text cut from books, vintage beads, lace and buttons, and more. Like me, maybe even more so than me, she is an artist for whom attention to detail is paramount, and her work never looks cluttered. This particular "Mixed Media Monday" post will give you a feel for her work, and features a piece I just love for its simplicity and invitation to let your imagination wander. Such a perfect match of photo and text in "Your Favourite Delight."

To view more of this Finnish artist's work, check out her Etsy Shop.

Back To Work. . .

. . . and cutting has resumed! Am feeling pretty chipper finally and ready to get going on the baby quilts again. I've cut out all the pieces for the second one, except the pattern says a few more rectangles will be needed once I arrange colors on the design wall. But at the moment, the "Sea and Sand" quilt top is on the wall waiting for me to clear the table so I can layer it and baste it for quilting. Details details!

I'm using a pattern from New Zealand Quilter called "Modern Tiles" although I'll have a different name figured out for my version. I liked the way the quilt gave a feeling movement that was almost like water. My fabric for the sashings and borders is a fun undersea pattern of fish, coral, and other such marine life so this seemed a perfect fit, and again I would not be spending time designing and figuring out dimensions. It's so straight forward, with sashings and borders cut at 1-1/2 inches and the rectangles at 2-1/2 x 4-1/2. Then I spotted the instructions for cutting ninety-nine 1" x 2-1/2 inch pieces. And here I thought this wouldn't get fussy! Well, they are all cut, as well as the sashings and border strips, and I am ready to start shuffling things around so it can go up on the wall and the other top can come down.

Did I mention that the baby this is for arrived? Molly is her name and she arrived safely on June 9th. Better get crackin'!

My Little Corner of ArtWalk

Time to get out the splashy party shoes - POAC'S annual ArtWalk kicked off last night!

Somewhere between printing the brochure and hanging the work at Columbia Bank, I got shifted from the second floor to the main floor. Actually kind of nice as it put me right in the middle of the other textile artists

Third Mondays art group member Cheryl was at one end . . .

. . . and another art group member Meg at the other. Look what has happened to her amazing tree! While I recovered enough from my bout with a virus to attend the reception, Meg had just come down with a cold and decided to stay home and keep it to herself. I wish she could have seen the reactions to her tree. Well, I'll be passing some of that along.

Peeking around the water feature to see where the action was

This actually wasn't a prime spot, being located behind the water feature and elevator. Most people took the stairs at the opposite end straight up to the second floor and its food and wine, then gravitated up to the third floor. My work was hung near the food table at the last exhibit and frankly, I didn't mind the quieter space this time, where I could pull up a chair, and have conversations that could be heard without raising my voice over the socializing crowds. And we were also on the way to the restrooms, so between that and the elevator, we did get some traffic! After the initial first hour rush, I wandered up to the second floor hoping to capture a picture of the fabulous food as well as a bite or two to take back with me but it had all been scarfed up!

As I anticipated, my three pieces looked pretty good grouped together. I always find it interesting to see which piece most people gravitate towards, and especially which seem to appeal most to the men. There's always at least a few guys that look like they've been dragged there by their wives and really aren't too interested in viewing the art; when there's a response from one of them, it's particularly rewarding. "Eisenberg Fountain - Retreat" got more interest and comments than I thought it would, and just like the full-size version, it particularly seemed to appeal to men. One women elaborated on what she liked - its abstract nature, asymmetry and precision in execution (oh be still my heart!). I don't know if she recognized it for what it was, but as in all art, it hardly matters. She LIKED it. "Rift" got nearly as much attention but fewer comments, just long leaned-in looks, often with finger to lip, and occasionally an indication of really liking it too. I suspect the rapt study was trying to figure out what that thing was in there - at least one person inquired about the painted and distressed piece of tyvek. "Family" also got attention, and a few smiles. Renaming it was apparently the right thing to do; one woman pointed at the partial circle on the right and laughed, saying "Oh, there's always an odd one out in a family!" Which is always what I saw in that circle too - old Uncle Bob that we all tolerate and wish he'd stop telling bad jokes. And then there was the young man who came rushing off the elevator, pointing a finger repeatedly at "Family" as he breezed on by. Yeah, I think that meant he liked it too.

I'll have to go back next week to get pictures of the art on the other floors. In the meantime, here are the rest of Cheryl's art quilts in our little corner of ArtWalk. They all feature her hand-dyed and/or hand-marbled fabrics.

Beautiful Garden by Cheryl Lipari

Glamour Girl by Cheryl Lipari

Marbled Leaves by Cheryl Lipari

Fluttering Ferns by Cheryl Lipari