Be Still My Heart - A New Book

I am delighted to be a recipient of Martha Sielmans' newest book by Lark Crafts: Art Quilt Portfolio: People and Portraits. I had been reading about the book for about a week, but a copy came today that is beautiful.

I have just thumbed through it so far, and it has a similar format to the one she did on Art Quilt Portfolio: The Natural World. The book is divided into seven chapters, for example: Happiness, Contemplation, Community. In each chapter, she has in depth interviews with three artists whose work illustrate the chapter titles and a gallery of additional artwork. Some of the artwork is highly realistic, some is whimsical and all are well grounded in art. 

Sielman has selected some of my favorite artists working with the human form in many different styles. Techniques and materials are given for each of the beautiful pieces. While I love photos of lovely quilts, I find that books with artist interviews are far more interesting in the long run as there is always something to learn about each of the artists.

The photography inf the book, and the look and feel of the book are wonderful. I really look forward to reading it cover to cover.  Sielman and Lark Craft are to be congratulated on the second book in the series. It stands up well to the standard set by her earlier book. 

If you are interested in art, art of the quilt, or art of the human form, you will enjoy this book.

 

This goes on my bed side table for leisurely reading. 

Please let me know if you enjoy these book reviews. Getting comments lets me know I am not talking to myself.  

Nancy

Great Backyard Bird Count

I took part this weekend in the Great Backyard Bird Count. giving me a great excuse to sit in the kitchen with binoculars and watch the birds coming to the feeder and the side yard over the creek.

Here are some of the photos. Enjoy and let me know if you enjoy birds.

Nancy

Eastern Bluebird pair - we have 3 pair who frequent our yard

this mockingbird guards the feeder and chases off the robin who likes to come and stay

Great to get a shot of the red belly that this woodpecker is named for

Pine warbler sharing the feeder with a bluebird

Earth Stories- a New Challenge

Twenty five SAQA artists have the opportunity to tell a story about a person or project that is making the earth a better place. We have almost a year to create the work which needs to fill a 72" x 72" space plus a smaller version that tells the entire story. I proposed to tell a story from The Nature Conservancy, an organization that I have long been familiar with and highly respect for all the good they are doing nationally and around the globe.

TNC works closely with local groups to educate and involve the groups in a long term sustainable plan for a critical environment. In North Carolina they are working with state and county groups, the US Amy and a number of industrial giants in the state to preserve and restore natural habitats that have been selected as critical.

I contacted TNC and discussed what project they have that they would like to see more widely understood and supported. They told me of the work they are doing with controlled burns in the coastal areas and the mountain areas. Often these controlled burns are around bogs where underbrush is crowding out endangered plants or changing the habitat so that endangered animals cannot survive.

I selected three diverse species to focus on: the NC indigenous Venus Flytrap that needs open areas for the seedlings to sprout and grow, the yellow fringed orchid that needs less competition from shrubs and grasses in order to grow in boggy areas, and the Red Cockaded Woodpecker that needs mature long leaf and lob lolly pines trees to nest in and the trees need open areas and fire to germinate and survive.

I am excited to see that this selection gives me some repetitive pattern and lines to design with and can be made harmonious with color choices.

Here is my first color sketch of the Venus Flytrap.

These colors are not particularly exaggerated. Love the inside colors of the spiny leaves that are designed to capture flies. The top two leaves to the left show the trigger hairs that release the capture mechanism that holds the fly while the plant digests it.

I also have a photo of part of the flower head of the yellow fringed orchid. Note the fringe of the lip that is reminiscent of the spikes on the flytrap.

Isn't this going to be fun!

Nancy

Seeds Up Close Exhibition at NC Arboretum Asheville NC

The drive to Asheville was sunny, cool, cloudy, and rainy. Every few miles to the Arboretum brought a different weather. We were met at the door by Tracy and her volunteer assistant, Vanessa.
The galleries are at each entrance to the second floor of the Education Center. Mossy Cup Oak and six other pieces are at the head of the stairs.
More information is at the Arboretum website: http://www.ncarboretum.org/exhibits/current/nancy-g-cook/

I love the Arboretum and wish it were closer for more frequent visits. They have beautiful architecture, well designed gardens and great education materials even in the design of the buildings. There is really wonderful nature-inspired art on display all the time, both indoors and out.

If you are in the neighborhood of Asheville NC between now and April 7, check it out and please let me know what you think of it. 

I created some framed small works for the gift shop and hope their visitors like them. One is Turkey Feastings similar to my 2012 SAQA donation. The other is Pine Needles 3.

 My husband does my framing and does a lovely job designed to show each piece off really well. Turkey Feastings shows what his work does for my work.

Pine Needles 3 is in a rectangular frame, not shown well in the skewed photo above. The frame is really lovely but my photography is not!

 Here are a couple of informal photos of the installation in progress. Lovely posters are under construction to tell people about the works in the exhibition. Great graphic arts used. These photos are before lighting and labels are set up.

Installation photos

2012 Accomplishments

I have been a member of a Creative Biz group for many years. Each week we share 5 goals for the week and 4 accomplishments for the last week. At the end of the year we summarize our accomplishments and stop to look forward. We find that keeping track of what we are getting accomplished provides energy for doing more and not getting bogged down and focused on our shortcomings.

Lisa Call has shared her list of 100 accomplishments for 2012. I gain courage from her sharing to do the same with you.

Here is what I will share this year. Do you keep track of your accomplishments? Would love to know what you accomplished.

Accomplishments 2012

Exhibitions: 2012-14

NCBG solo exhibition

MoNA ReCOLLections exhibition

Eat Your Art Out – Fund raiser for Packard Place Gallery

NCBG solo exhibition

The Natural World Mockingbirds Larder

Seasonal Palette: Winter Robins’ Feast (traveling exhibition through 2014)

SAQA: Earth Works (traveling exhibition 2014-17)

NC Arboretum exhibition:  2013

Arranged solo exhibition at Maria Howard for 2013

Contract with Caldwell County Arts Centre for 2 person show in May 2013

Publications/ Publicity

In Stitches article

Blog Round Robin on In Stitches article

Article for SAQA journal

NCBG exhibition reviewed on blog

SAQA featured artist for April

Portfolio 19

Seasonal Palette: Winter Robins Feast journal

Article published in SAQA on line magazine

Sales; Donations

Southern Heritage sold for Duke Cancer Center

Sold 2 small  pieces at NCBG exhibition

Sold 2 large pieces - After the Frost and Late Summer Dawn for Levine Cancer Center

Sold 5 quilts- Beauty of a Berry, Pine quilts: 4 coordinated 12 x 12s, 2 coordinated 4x4s

Sold Delectable Blues

Donated September Song to UUCC

Donated Squirrel Food to SAQA Auction

Commission for 12 x 12 Pine Cone

Commission for first clerical stole

Artwork completed

Finished Winter Robins’ Feast

Created 3 pairs of earrings

Finished SAQA donation quilt - Squirrel Food  

Completed Migratory Paths North, and sent with new name: Pathways Home

Completed 6 pieces and framed them (pine pieces from doing the commission on Pine.)

Completed Turkey Feastings

Completed Delectable Blues

10 quilted gifts

Preparation work for new art work

Created 12 sketches for new work

Completed watercolors exercises in journal

Ordered colored pencils for drawing and practicing botanical illustration

Began research on Nature Conservancy projects, developed project plan along with timeline for Earth Works

Designed stole; selected fabrics

Teaching

Gave hand embroidery workshop

Marketing

Completed watermarks for web images

SDA/SAQA conference got couple of leads for art consultants doing work in health care industry

Gallery tours of Fiber Philadelphia – one gallery owner receptive

Created proposal for workshop for hospital employees

Bascom Center for the Visual Arts

Completed update of website including new emphasis on commissions

Linked sign up for Mail-chimp newsletter to Website

Contacted Cabarrus Arts Council; sent submission package

5 pieces photographed

Contacted Gift Shop Director at DSBG about small work, cards

Wrote buyer of my SAQA quilt donation

2 proposals created and sent in on 4/6 for doing DVDs for Interweave publishers –

Professional Development

Museum of Modern Art in Raleigh

Imperial Art Centre (Maria V Howard) in Rocky Mount to see Handmade Exhibition

Chapel Hill – saw Ellen Kochansky exhibition

Van Gogh exhibition at Philadelphia Museum of Art

Pearl Fryar garden

Attended Christina Cordova presentation

Nasher Museum to see Calder exhibition – fabulous

Maria V. Howard Galleries to see current exhibitions – assemblages – terrific

Contemporary Museum of Art – pitiful

NC Museum of Art to see El Asante (?) – fabulous

JC Raulson Arboretum and found several great specimens for future work

3 exhibits at Mint

High Museum, Aquarium, botanical Gardens – lots of inspiration

Read design book 

Worked exercises with Botanical Illustration books 

Experimented with new pencil sharpeners; determined sequence for sharpening

Created color pencil charts and Color exercises with pencils

Read 4 botanical illustration books

Took 2 day workshop in inspirations from maps

Completed 3 day workshop on creating 3D fiber objects

Completed day long FAO surface design workshop

Watercolor and sketching Workshop at Random Arts with Jane LaFazio

 Attended 3 Creative Capital training sessions on marketing at ASC Board Room

Updated Portfolio and presented to Heather at Red Sky gallery for feedback

Attended SAQA/SDA conference- Goals – meet people; focus on getting health care sales/commissions; gallery shows-

Attended IQA – dinner on working with art consultants; made contacts; walks through of my work; helped with sales of books with my artwork autographed books, made contacts, had a ball

Working effectiveness

Created small works as created commissions, donations

Tried out blocking table for larger work

Organized photo files

Purchased display equipment

Worked out agreement for use of clerical stole pattern

Wrote up commission contract and submitted it to client

Determined to not participate as vendor at Random Arts art sale this time, make prep for next spring’s sale

Miscellaneous Business

Pulled Healthcare Linked In group information

Completed recommendation for Guggenheim Fellowship for Artists

Researched information on the contact for putting my images on tiles, etc.

Selected photographer for quilt

Home

Researched and selected 2 options for a CCRT for the future

Drawers in bedroom, bathrooms, living room cleaned out

Began plans/actions for DE-acquisitioning of household goods

Cleaned out 2 stuffed bookcases – donated books, clothing, house wares

Worked through 5 boxes in garage; Cleaned 2 shelves in studio

Signed up for new prescription coverage

 

Personal        

Advocated for arts in NC and in US Congress

Cleaned out @7000 emails

Began PT for knee

IQA Quilts - Water Inspired

A number of quilts were inspired by water including two that I saw with realistic 3D elements. The above photos are from Holly S. Altman's Tidal Pool: After the Storm. Is it not surprising  that Altman has marine biologist training. I loved the needle lace foam on the shell and the little sea urchins. This was another with an irregular edge that breaks the grid presentation.

Really enjoyed this piece by Linda Steele, called Natural Wonders. Loved the use of a border that framed the piece like an old oil painting, and the careful use of color and imagery to convey the water over the lower left starfish and the rocks on the lower right. This is a large piece, with wonderful dimensionality and depth conveyed with careful choices for sky, background land, stone arch and foreground. Steele really understands ways to convey depth and dimensionality. And then she has added exquisite little details in the foreground to catch the eye and delight the close up viewer. If you have a chance to see this piece in person, check it out carefully.

Carla Stehr created this delight, Moonglow Anemones with an irregular edge. She used organza quite effectively to convey the translucence of the anemone legs.

Pat Durbin created this lovely piece, called Beside the Still Waters, with great depth and intriguing foreground. This was another artwork with small pieced squares to give lots of visual interest.

This photo shows the lovely thread-painted trees on the right side. Her selection of quilting stitches for sky and water is well chosen.

More quilts of interest in my next post.

Let me know, are you bored with seeing an exhibition that is a couple of weeks old at this time?

Thanks for reading.

Nancy

IQA Trends - New to Me

This was the first year I had been to IQA Houston in many years, but I saw several trends that may not be new to others but were to me.

The artist name is Naoko Takeshita. She called the quilt "Green Message"

 
I loved the muted palette, the exquisite hand embroidered clover flowers and the wonderful quilting. The texture is wonderful. It is hard to see, but this was one of the quilts with muted, patterned background fabrics. They add a real richness to the piece.

This is another of the muted backgrounds. The artist used a small stripe for the background. Wonderful hand applique work. This is another quilt where I do not have records of the quilter's name.

Loved this piece, called Tulip Fire by Susan Stewart, with its lovely textures, the embroidery, the exquisite quilting and the textures. Notice the pin tucks in the center of the top photo. This is another with a muted stripe for the background.

Another trend I saw was pictorial quilts with small pieced elements to add interest and depth to the imagery. In the top photo look at the interest added between tree trunks with pieced elements, also in the path, and the front vegetation. Sizes of pieces reminded me of the "watercolor" quilts of a decade or more ago, but in a new presentation.

I have a couple more IQA groups of photos to add, so let me know if your find them of interest.

Thanks for reading,

Nancy