Photos from NC Botanical Gardens Exhibition

The gallery at the NC Botanical Gardens is in the Education Building and is very light and bright. Just right for showcasing artwork that is nature inspired.

Photo 1. This is the right wall of the gallery. Love the panel that helps showcase select pieces.


The exhibition, Seed Play, features my recent series begun in 2004. With the exception of the smaller pieces on the back wall, all the work is inspired by tree seeds and berries.

The photographer - me - is not professional, but I hope you can tell something about the work and the exhibition. All of the work can be seen professionally photographed on my website at www.nancygcook.com .


Photo 2. This is the back panel. I framed seven of my smaller works that are hung as a group on the back wall.

Photo 3. Left wall as you enter the gallery.

Photo 4. Mimosa Dancing and Sourwood Festoons
These are the two seminal pieces for the series. Did not realize that I was doing a series when they were created. They are the only two that have any free motion quilting on them. All the others are quilted using a straight stitch.

Photo 5. Rhoddy Rhythms and Summer Split

Photo 6. Ankle Twister and Juniperus

Photo 7. Late Summer Dawn and Beauty of a Berry

Photo 8. Rose Has Got Some Hips II is the top center piece, and that sold early.

Pine Cone is at the middle of left column and it sold early as well.

It is always a thrill when people love my work, and when they love it well enough to want to take it home to share their lives, it is doubly rewarding.

This show is up through February 27 and they have a great photography show up now and will have another interesting educational exhibit on native plants up before mine is pulled.

Please let me know if you enjoyed this and I will try to post other exhibition photos.

Nancy

Creative Quilting with Beads - Now in Paperback

Lark Books has published the popular Creative Quilting with Beads as an affordable paperback book.

There is a nice review of quilting basics for the non-quilter and then 20 + projects of varying complexity. A number of them would make lovely gifts.

The book concludes with a gallery of photos of related work by other artists. In total, this book is loaded with eye candy that makes my fingers itch to play with beads again.

One project that I liked particularly well was done by Larkin Jean Van Horn, pg 68-71, is called Jewels of Our Past. Full directions are given for making the pieced background and directions for creating the backing of the beaded applique and attaching them to the background are given. It would have been nice to give a bit more information about the beading design but the photos provide plenty of inspiration. The applique idea could be used to create button covers or a lovely broach.


One of the pieces from the gallery section that I particularly liked was by Lisa Binkley, pg 114, called Seedlings. I loved the subject matter and the use of face beads as sections of the cone!





This is a book that warrants being in a personal library for both the eye candy appeal as well as the inspirational projects.

If you would like a chance at winning this book, leave a comment here -- and your contact information - on my blog and I will draw a name on February 20 and send a copy of the book to a lucky someone.

Nancy

Four Ways to Win with Foto/Fiber 2012

Four Ways to Win with Foto/Fiber 2012

A quick reminder that Foto/Fiber 2012, a fundraiser for the American Cancer
Society, opens tomorrow, February 15, at 10 a.m. Central.

I am honored to be part of this event and hope you will support our efforts.

There are 4 ways to win with this fundraiser - one of which is that 100%
of the funds are donated directly to the American Cancer Society through
Fiberart For A Cause. The other three are detailed here today:

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/blog/archives/7355

The photos above are details of the 2 packets that I have donated.

Nancy