SeedPlay Exhibition Hung!

Kousa: Another Dogwood's in Town

Wednesday my DH and I, with many of the staff at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, hung my solo show. I am delighted with how it looks at the venue. The galleries are to the right and left of the entry on the hall where the restrooms are. So many people will walk by them on the way to the necessaries. I have several new pieces in the show that have not been exhibited previously. I will show details of some of them here. Hope you enjoy. (Yes, they were my Quilt National entries.)

The top photo is of the Asian dogwood that is finding its way into our landscapes as a recommended replacement for our beautiful native dogwoods, as the natives are dying from a fungal disease. It blooms later and the berry is very different.


Mockingbird's Larder

The detail above is from a piece that celebrates the joyous color that the deciduous hollies provide throughout our gray winters. The berries ripen late so the birds find them welcome food for the late winter when other food is gone.


Echoes of Tulip's Summer

The tulip poplar is one of my favorite trees. It sheds its seeds for more than a year thereby better ensuring that some of them will find suitable soil and weather conditions to germinate and grow.

For me, the multiple ways that tree seeds use for reproduction provide a metaphor for the importance of diversity for a species' survival as conditions change. The lesson it teaches us about the importance of diversity for humans is one that we need to learn in the depths of our hearts, minds and souls.

Please wish me luck for my show that runs until November 14 and come see it if you are any where nearby Belmont NC.

Nancy

SeedPlay - Solo Show at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens

My Seed Play series will be featured in a solo show at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens from October 1 through November 14.

Saturday, November 6, I will be giving a workshop on creating fiber art using botanical illustration and stenciling. To register for the workshop, contact DSBG.

If you are interested in going, check out the information below:

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
6500 South New Hope
Belmont, NC 28012

704-829-1270

Here is what DSBG's newsletter has to say about the work:

"In her work, Nancy highlights the seeds and fruits of trees, bringing them to life with multi-media techniques including botanical illustration, stenciling, quilting and embroidery. The result is a unique effect that inspires closer observation of the beautiful shapes and forms of nature. Working from collected seed specimens, these unusual designs are based on research and sketching to clarify what is architecturally unique for each species and focuses attention on a part of trees that is often overlooked.”

Daniel Stowe is also offering the following classes in conjunction with SeedPlay for an artful and horticultural focus on seeds, pods, and winter gardening:

Seed Saving Saturday, Sept. 18, 10 a.m. - noon Instructor: Dr. Barbara Albritton-Grant

Seedplay: Plants Portrayed in Fabric Saturday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Instructor: Nancy G. Cook

Gardening for Winter Interest Saturday, Nov. 13, 10:30 a.m. - Noon
Instructor: Dr. Barbara Albritton-Grant

Art Meets Science

Art Meets Science Catalog

Just received the catalog from the SAQA juried exhibition Art Meets Science. One of my pieces, Southern Hospitality, is a part of this traveling exhibition. Reading the catalog filled me with tremendous pride.

The curator, Jill Jensen, has hit this exhibition effort and catalog out of the ball park. Her training in science and her own work as a fiber artist give her the background for making this a truly special work. Jill first floated this idea on the SAQA Yahoo group, and received much support for the concept. The concept is great, the execution of the concept is equal to the task, and the results are sterling.

Her selected Juror, David W. Fraser, MD, has a unique and extensive background in both science and art and his juror's statement is pure poetry. His selections provide a well-rounded, strong exhibition of consistent quality. His observations on traditional and art quilt similarities and differences are worth pondering.

Deidre Adams has done her usually superb job of catalog design. Each quilt is given a full page photo with title and sizes. On the facing page is the artist's name, city and state or country and the artist statement. Quilts are presented in alphabetical order by the artist's name which makes this little volume easy to reference. The selected artists are from across the US, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and The Netherlands.

Most of the pieces in the exhibition are for sale on the SAQA on line store. All in all, everyone involved is to be congratulated on this exhibition and the fine catalog. Congratulations, SAQA.

Nancy

Help!! Need a Name for New Quilt

I am entering three quilts into the Quilt National Competition and am brain dead in thinking up a name for the third one. They are all in my Seed Play series.

The first is of deciduous holly berries and is named Mockingbird's Larder.

The second is of the Asian Kousa Dogwood that is being used to replace our native dogwoods that are succumbing to a viral infection. It is called Kousa: A New Dogwood's in Town.

The last one is of a shattering seed cluster of the tulip poplar and several insect eaten leaves. I am showing a small version above. Obviously, it is not the actual design and piece for required security reasons but gives some information to help with naming it.

Please, put on your thinking cap and help me name it. Names I am considering are: Summer Shattering; A Different Tulip.

All suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks a batch,
Nancy

Best of Show - Woo Hoo!!

Pelton's Rose-Gentian

Just found out today that I won Best of Show for the Aullwood Audubon Show in Dayton Ohio this summer with Pelton's Rose-Gentian. You can read about all the work in the show on Lisa Broberg Quintana's blog. She has covered all the work and has photos of them that are luscious.

This gives me a chance to talk about this piece, as it is dear to my heart. I found the inspirational photograph for this piece in a Nature Conservancy magazine. I tracked down the photographer, John Pelton, and interviewed him on how he found it and how he knew it was a new species. Then I purchased permission to use the photography for inspiration for a quilt.

Turns out that this little flower was found early this 21st century by John Pelton,who is an amateur botanist, a professional photographer and a retired engineer from Alcoa. He specializes in photography of Arkansas wildflowers. Out one day, John saw a flower that he knew had to be a rose-gentian, but it was growing in a spot that no known rose-gentian grew. It was growing right next to and in a fast flowing stream in a broken shale valley.

John came back later and examined the plant more carefully and keyed it out. He was convinced that the flower was a totally new species, so he called in other experts on the plant species to help determine its origins. After sending a specimen to a Canadian botanist, the world's authority on rose-gentians, it was confirmed to be a brand new species. Subsequently, as is traditional, it was named for its discoverer.

Now, I was enthralled to learn that John is in his seventies. I love where people of great years are still making substantial contributions to the world. And, it is wonderful that the world still has room for scientific discoveries made by amateurs.

I selected fabrics for this piece to covey some of the environment and mystery of the plant. John discovered the plant growing in broken shale right on the edge of a stream. The shibori dyed fabrics by Lunn Fabrics on the bottom of the piece recall the broken shale. The shibori fabrics at the top, recall the running water of the creek.


Pelton's Rose-Gentian (detail)

I started with the background fabric, dyed by Judy Robertson. Most of the fabrics are hand dyed, the pinks were hand dyed by Janet Lasher, specifically to create these flowers. I used the piecing techniques of Ruth McDowell to construct it.

It was my last pieced quilt. It is large, 50" x 45".

Okay, I know you folks who have done bed quilts are laughing and think that it is small. Everything is relative.

Nancy

Quilt Motif for Architecture of Harvey B Gantt African American Art Center

DH and I went to the Harvey B Gantt African-American Art Center yesterday and were mesmerized.

The architect used the patchwork quilt to develop the architectural motif for both inside and outside of the building. This is a small cultural and art center by US standards, but very user friendly for seeing the work in an afternoon. There are three galleries in the building. One is devoted to the John and Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American Art collected by a couple over decades and purchased by the Bank of America and donated to the AA Center.

While all the art in collection was well worth seeing, we found several pieces in this collection that were stunning. I especially loved a piece called The Sisters by Ernest Crichlow (1914 - 2005). The gray, black and white graphic design consisted of angularity throughout except for profiles and hands. The piece consisted of 4 women in a building and garden in white head dresses, and gray and white uniforms. Three of the women were holding their hands behind their backs and the expressiveness in the bodies, the arch of neck, tilt of head, angle of shoulders gave very distinct personalities to each of the women. It is amazing how much was conveyed with such economy of color and and detail.

In addition to the permanent collection, there were two other exhibitions that were very strong. One exhibit, Romancing the Eye, had a series of delicate, strong wooden bowls, boxes and vases that were exquisite. The artist, Charles Farrar, is from Concord NC. I look forward to seeing more of his work.

The other gallery contained a solo show: Spirits & Spaces by Michael B. Platt, this exhibition is a delight especially for those interested in fiber.

Platt is a print maker, many pieces were printed in editions of 3 and gallery wrapped. Using photograhy in layers, his work was evocative and story telling. In the center of the gallery, he built a "shot gun" house, and a woman's shape was printed on thin gauze and hung in the door. Behind the house were 5 panels again printed on gauze. The combination provided a narrative for the viewer that the viewer and artist were jointly involved in telling and remembering. I will look for more of his work.

Quilters' Attic Sale at Guild

Several husbands lent a hand

On the hottest night in 3 years, a number of guild members and a few happy-to-help-us-get-rid-of-stuff husbands put on a quilters' attic sale at the July meeting of the Charlotte Quilters Guild.

I rented 3 tables at $5 each to help move some of my stash into other hands. Rent money went to support our guild library.


Jeri setting up

After bringing our supplies in, we tried to set up our sales in appealing ways. Folks used different approaches and had quite a variety quilt related items to sell. Always fun to see what others are getting rid of.


Wish I had seen the Elna Press

I wish I had spotted this press in my quick circle around the tables. That might be a very nice addition to my studio equipment.


Yummy hand dyes

And I am always a sucker for beautiful hand-dyed fabrics.


Color coordinated bundles in zip lock bags

This was my set up, easy to put together and remove again.


Organized on bolts

Thank goodness my stash is in smaller amounts, lots of different fabrics, but little that would go onto bolts.


Colorful bins and neatly folded fabrics well labeled

Some of the folks knew how to make a very inviting display.


Magazines and books

Conversation over quilts for sale

Lots of conversation and fun around the room. More talking than buying was the reality.


Conversations and fun amidst the hunt

Probably the most accurate comment of the night was made by one wag: "A quilters' attic sale is like holding open bar at Alcoholics Anonymous."


Most of us at least paid for our tables. I made enough to pay for an artist assistant for a couple more afternoons. I will now donate all the fabric, patterns and tools to continue moving stuff out. That will give me 9 drawers that are empty.

And that moves much out of our garage, which is my reserve space for my studio overflow. Would love to be able to put at least one car in the 2 1/2 car garage this winter.

Anyone with experience in donating lots of fabric, please share what you learned in the process.

Also, what do you think about a press?

Happy Quilting

Nancy