ReCOLLections Exhibitions featuring McColl Alumni Artists

Summer Split is one of my quilts in the two month exhibition at MoNA Gallery opening Friday May 4, 2012 7-10 at 1200 Central Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204.

ReCOLLection is an exhibition of art of a number of outstanding regional artists who are alumni of the McColl Visual Art Center.

MoNA has a great reception, so hope to see many friends there on Friday. And if you can't come out Friday, MoNA is open Tuesday through Saturday. 704-970-9676

Nancy

Do you Have a Favorite Weed?

Having created art inspired by tree and shrub seeds for several years, I find myself drawn to seed forms in all kinds of plants.

This little weed I found in my herb pots has a bright yellow flower and three part leaves and a really interesting seed pod. The pod is very angular even the stems that hold the pods go off on their own direction.

If memory serves me correctly, it is a form of oxalis. The little pods taste like pickles.I remember eating them in childhood.

Do you have favorite wild edibles and weeds that you enjoy? 

Nancy

What's that tree with the purple blossons?

Friends often ask me really interesting questions about birds, from my former life as a hard-core birder, and now about trees given my current series on tree seeds. My friend Susan asked the question about the tree in bloom with the beautiful purple blossoms. She also brought me a twig of seed pods from last year. Yummy new inspiration for a quilt. The tree goes by a variety of common names, including Empress Tree and Princess Tree.

This tree is an alien and imported for its lovely blossoms that are unlike any other tree in the US. It escaped from gardens and is now found scattered around the southeast in waste places. It is a relative of our Catalpa tree, but has a very different seed pod. I like the little rotund shape of the pod that splits into two sections. When the pod drops off it leaves a star shaped calyx that is quite intriguing. 

I often change the color of the dark brown seed pods for greater interest. What colors might be interesting for the pods? 

Nancy

Art Quilt Portfolio: The Natural World

Martha Sielman's new book: Art Quilt Portfolio: The Natural World is a feast for the eyes and soul. Art work from more than 70 are featured in gallery sections and a more indepth look is given to 19 artists through photos of their quilts and observations about their backgrounds and signature techniques. 


I am deeply honored to be among the 19 featured artists. It is an amazing experience to have ones artwork so carefully presented and to be among such an esteemed group. Many of my favorite artists are in the book so it almost seems to be a book about my friends. 

This first book in this series by the author and published by Lark Crafts is due out in April. The book features art quilts inspired by the beauty of nature, from flowers and water to birds, animals and insects. Over 450 artists submitted almost 1,200 entries for inclusion in the book, using a wide variety of techniques.


The first chapter - Flowers I - has two artists, Judith Trager and Paula Chung, with 6 pages each of photos of their work, introductory information by Martha Seilman, and background information provided by the artists. This material is followed by 8 pages of gallery photos of different artists. 

I have done my usual quick visual tour through the photos, now I am reading at leisure the content and deeply enjoying the artwork. And it is delightful to get to know the artists in their own words.


I recommend this book highly for both the art viewer, the nature lover, the established quilter and the newbie. All will enjoy.

Nancy

Seasonal Palette Embroidery

Have begun the embroidery work on my piece for the Seasonal Palette exhibition. Photos of completed work are due by the end of March, so I am working diligently to complete in time to ship it off for photography.

Here are the threads I selected. The lighter ones are for French knots at the base of berry stems. There are little nubs of scarring at the base of the stems from where berries from earlier years have been.

I put a small group of French knots made with 3-6 strands of cotton embroidery floss. Most of the floss I use is hand-dyed and add another dimension of complexity to reward the close up viewer.

Embroidering the berries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While the little dark spot on the berries is really more like black, I used a hand-dyed cotton thread that varies from dark green to brown to be more interesting and less harsh. 


 Adding the small end to the berries is like putting the highlight on a portrait. It brings it alive.

I love the little details that trees, branches, stems and berries have. The more I work with them, the more intriguing they are to me. Embroidery allows me to call attention to these details so others can enjoy them as well.

Please let me know what you think.

Nancy

Quilting Arts In Stitches, volume 6 Blog Tour

 Quilting Arts in Stitches, Vol. 6