Monday, January 30, 2012

Winter Robins Feast



I am one of the SAQA artists selected to create a piece for the Seasonal Palette Exhibition due to open at Houston. Each of us submitted ideas and photos of four pieces of our work. Mockingbird's Larder was one of the pieces I submitted and that was the one they asked me to use in creating a new piece for the exhibition.

Our dear friend, George Weir, is taking a photography course and needed subjects for portraits and took the photograph above of me working on Winter Robins Feast. Part of my process is to cut stencils from freezer paper to apply my designs onto the fabric. Often I must cut the stencil while the freezer paper is on the fabric. Below my right hand is a small cutting mat that is between the paper and the fabric.In the photo above, most of the piece is covered with freezer paper except for berries that are being inked.

In much of the US, the arrival of robins marks the spring. Here in Charlotte the robins come in droves to stay for the winter. The mockingbird will find a favorite berry bush and guard it until the berries ripen waiting for the right moment to feast. All too often a flock of robins or cedar waxwings will descend and in a day or two will strip the tree clean of berries. No wonder the mockingbird is such an aggressive creature!

Nancy

6 comments:

  1. Wow, Nancy! Till now I didn't realize the scale of your work. It's wonderful!

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  2. Thanks, Margaret. This is the largest piece I have attempted. It will be 78" high by 32" wide - about double my usual pieces. I have been basting over a week now. Wish that was a part of the process that was more fun. Hope to finish today.
    Thanks for your lovely comments.
    Nancy

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  3. beautiful -- looking forward to seeing the ongoing process -- I'm sure it will be as amazing as all your pieces are!

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  4. Thanks, Bev. Appreciate the vote of confidence!
    Finished basting today, now I am selecting quilting threads. Nancy

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  5. Nancy, I loved seeing your large piece in progress--very ambitious; I know you can handle it and we will enjoy seeing its journey. Congratulations on the exhibit in Rocky Mount; what a treat for the viewers. I have two pieces in a SAQA regional exhibit in Little Rock, AR opening Feb. 10. I am going to the opening and the meeting the following day, the first one for our LA, MS, AR, AL region.

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  6. Martha, thank you for the kind note and vote of confidence in the work underway.
    Congratulations on the Regional SAQA exhibition acceptances and good luck for a very successful meeting.
    Nancy

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