1st Place Mixed Media at Mint Hill Arts

After The Frost

The quilt above won 1st place in mixed media at the juried and judged art show at Mint Hill Arts last night. Nice to know that what I am doing holds up in a really good art show.

It was particularly exciting because the judges were Regine and Josephine Bechtler. They are part of the Bechtler family who recently gave a $5+ million collection of 20th century art and founded a museum here in Charlotte for the contemporary art collection to reside.

The show will be up through July 1. I regularly have art in this membership gallery. For a small community outside of Charlotte, the quality of shows produced is quite excellent. I have been very pleased with how well my work is received in this gallery.

As one of my goals is to increase the awareness and acceptance of quilts as an art medium, this award feels really special.

Nancy

Art + Quilt, Lyric Kinard, Book Review

Just finished reading Lyric Kinard's new book, Art + Quilt, published by Interweave. This is the book that many new to the art aspects of quilting have been waiting for.

Lyric presents art elements and principles in easy to understand terms. Better still, she gives great fiber examples and presents some great exercises for the newer art quilter to try.

This would be a great book for a group to work through the exercises together and finish up with critique sessions.

Lyric concludes the book with examples from students showing how the elements and principles are used together. And with open candor, she critiques her own work telling both what worked and what she feels she could have done better.

Reviews of 500 Art Quilts and Pretty Little Mini Quilts can be found on the FiberArtOptions blog.

Why I Quilt

Holly Berries

I love nature, and finding a specimen that really speaks to me of the rhythms of life -- maturity, death and new life. The holly tree is very considerate in providing fruit in the dead of winter for the birds and me. While creating an image that conveys the form is nice, it does not convey my deep appreciation and wonder that this is a living, breathing, life-giving form.

The above image is before quilting and some hand embroidery details are added. Nice, but nothing special in my eyes. The image below is after the piece comes alive with the addition of quilting and embroidery. I never know what a piece will really look like until it is quilted. It never ceases to amaze me what quilting adds.


Holly Berries

To me the quilting line conveys that sense of a living organism that changes, matures, produces fruit that not only gives birth to new plants but sustains the life of many that partake in it. Quilting to me, along with hand embroidery details, take the image into something extraordinary beyond what painting of an image can do. The sculpting of the fabric with thread and needle, the contrast of the quilted areas with the unquilted areas is like bas relief sculpture. Art quilters have created a new art medium that brings a new richness to imagery whether realistic, abstract or non-objective.

And that is why I work in the quilt medium to create my art.

Your comments on this observation would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for looking

Nancy

Choosing a Camera - Tough Decisions

This last week found me looking for a new camera. It was tough. I know essentially nothing about cameras, and basically just want one that does what I need and nothing more. I am not a technophile, I just want function.

Sue asked me how I made the decision and it seemed like a subject for the blog. I am satisfied with my little Panasonic Lumix for general use. But it does not give me the clarity of detail that my quilts need for people to enjoy them or for competitions. As a result, professional photography was my largest business expense last year.

I started at Holly Knott's website and went to the article on photographing quilts. I bought the recommended light bulbs, my DH built light stands and a mounting board for photography. I put the camera on a tripod, read the directions for light balance, delayed shots, bracketing and shot my quilt. The photos I got were better, but no where near the quality from a professional. The details seemed somewhat dull and lacking in comparison.

Several comments from the SAQA Yahoo group helped me understand that a different camera was necessary. So I began researching cameras; Consumer Reports had a recent evaluation that helped. My first trial decision was the Canon Powershot G11.

Once I figured that out, I asked several thousand friends (SAQA & Quilt Art) about the camera and their experience and got back wonderful information including where to go for reviews and experiences with different cameras.
See: dpreviews.com
cnet.com

Since my memory for technical stuff is limited, I put all the comments and reviews into a Word document that later proved very helpful since I went with a different camera than the Cannon.

I knew I was strictly interested in a camera for the studio, not one for vacations, family photos, etc. So weight, size, video, wide angle zoom were not important.

Some of the cameras suggested were (in no order) : Canon XS1 OIS, Casio Exilim 10.1, Nikon CoolPix P60, Nikon D700, Canon 5dMk11, Nikon D90, Canon Powershot G11, Panasonic Lumix LX3, Cano EOS Rebel xsi, and Nikon D3000, Panasonic Superzoom DMC-FZ30 and DMC-FZ35.

Two comments really caught my attention. One from L L Wiener said in short, that one could not get the same clarity of detail in a point and shoot digital that one got from the old SLR.

J Warner reported that she got a Nikon D3000 and the difference compared to her Canon Powershot was dramatic.

Next I called the photographer I had used for years for an opinion. Turned out that he had bought my first choice as a back up camera, but took it back and got a different camera because the original one did not meet his needs. He recommended that I talk to George at Biggs Camera and put myself in his hands. I talked to George, told him my needs and budget limitations and got a recommendation for a different camera than what I was considering.

So again, I researched the new one and compared it to the others. When I looked at the information from my on-line friends, their information verified what I had learned from George. So, my decision was to get a Nikon D3000. It is a beginner level SLR with great reviews.

Other useful suggestions were get a used camera from a reputable dealer. Adorama, Calument and Norman Camera were recommended as well as our local Biggs Camera. And check with Gregory Case who is a resource for SAQA members.

So far, so good. George set it up for me and I have been taking some practice shots. I plan on rephotographing the quilt tonight. Will be very interesting to see what the difference is. Hope this was interesting.

Nancy

Award Winner

After the Frost

After the Frost was juried into the Schiele Museum of Natural History and Gaston County Art Guild exhibit: A Natural View. It was a great show and good strong work throughout. I was especially proud to win a Merit Award in this art show.

Several Charlotte friends had pieces in the show as well. Terry Thirion also was an award winner for one of her acrylic paintings; Ada Offerdahl had two oil paintings, and Betsy Birkner had two ceramic bowls in the show. The museum had a string trio playing and a lovely wine and buffet reception. Don and I hurried off after the awards ceremony to another opening at Christ Episcopal Church where the Guild of Charlotte Artists had a members only show with two pieces of my work.

Again, Ada had two lovely oils in the show, including one of her granddaughter Anna. Ada's portraits are really special and invariably take my breath away. She put a "I really don't want anyone to buy this piece" price on the portrait, but in reality, it is really what the piece is worth.

Enjoy, Nancy

Invitation to Gallery Opening

Featuring :

Pastel & Oil Paintings - Greg Barnes

Fiber Art by Nancy G Cook

Fine Furnishings by Carole Smyth Interiors

Meet and mingle with these award winning artists!

Friday Feb 26, 5:30 - 9 PM
Saturday and Sunday, Feb 27-28, 1-5 PM

Barnes Studios
foxcroft Gallery
7820 Fairview Rd.
Charlotte, NC

Receptions at Barnes Studios

And All That Jazz


Saguaro Morning

A wide selection of my work will be featured at Barnes Studios in February and March located in the Foxcroft Shopping Center, 7820 Fairview Rd, Charlotte, NC.

Receptions will be:
Friday Feb 25, 5:30 to 9
Saturday, Feb 26, 1 - 6
Sunday, Feb 2-5

Greg Barnes, an award winning landscape artist working in oils and pastels, teaches and exhibits nationwide. As he travels, he takes much of his current work leaving space for other artists' work, like mine. It is a light, bright space designed to showcase art, and next to two great eating places - Barrington's for a special dinner and Brixx Pizza for a family repast.

If you are in the area, hope you will drop in and see the work. Come to the receptions and meet the artists.

Nancy