Martha Wolfe

Prayer Flag Project: Pride

2012-01-26T18:26:00.000-05:00

"Pride", 1/25/12

Pride is my fifth contribution to the Prayer Flag Project, and like my other flags, reflects what is on my mind. Pride is an interesting emotion. It's a complex mix of positive self-reflection, a sense of belonging, and satisfaction in one's choices and actions. We all deserve to feel pride in who and what we are.

Spirula spirula, detail

Despite our diversity, we are all fragile and perfect, just the way we are.

Going out on a limb, detail

I deeply admire the bravery so many muster each day, to show their pride, despite ignorance, judgement and prejudice.

"Pride" was created with painted silk organza, hand and machine embroidery, glass beads and a wonderful Spirula spirula I found on the beach:)

Seasonal Palette: Winter

2012-01-13T16:07:00.000-05:00

Stockholm, Sweden

When I submitted my portfolio for entry into the SAQA Seasonal Palette show, I had a very distinct image in my mind that I wanted to create. The light in Stockholm in the summer is amazing and distinct and lasts almost 24 hours a day. The light in the winter is equally distinct, but far more precious, as it is only for several hours each day. And though it is cold and dark in winter my memories are of the warmth of candlelight and the company of family.

the original photo

I was delighted to I receive word that I'd been juried in, and quite fortunate that I'd gotten the season I wanted to do (seems winter was the most popular season, by better than 50%, and many artists were asked to do another season).

In assembling the materials needed, I recovered the picture I thought I remembered--and it was quite different--so I decided to create what I'd imagined.

Starting with the image above, a summer evening photo, I auditioned winter sky and snowy streets and created......

Closing a few windows (brrr), putting the bikes away, a little bit of filtering, and cropping to the right proportion for the show (32" x 78").......I think we are on our way!

"Stockholm: Winter"

Prayer Flag Project: Memories

2011-12-25T23:25:00.000-05:00

"Memories", December 25, 2011

Christmas as a young child often included a visit from my wonderful Grandma Bloodgood. She'd travel by train from Connecticut to visit us in Ohio and we would collect her at the station. When she arrived, in her handbag there would be wonderful things, sugar cubes, tiny perfumes, photographs of us as even younger children, and the rubber boots ---- things that fascinated me. Magic!

Grandma Bloodgood, circa 1900 (rubber boots, left)

Grandma, hanging the rubber boots
on the Christmas tree, circa 1960

It was tradition, that Grandma would hang the rubber boots on our Christmas tree, a relic from her childhood and her father's connections with Goodyear Rubber Co.

As I embrace the holidays this year I am faced with sorting through boxes of old photos and all of the memories of bygone Christmases. Children now grown, relatives no longer with us.....sweet memories, bittersweet memories. What makes each day so special. I am grateful for memories....

"Memories", detail

Joining The Prayer Flag Project, my "Memories" were created with a photo transfer using an inkjet print and gel medium, hand-stamped lettering, organza magic escaping the handbag with beads and crystals, machine and hand-stitched. Details include antique lace and crystal buttons.

Merry Christmas to all!

I've enjoyed the memories and reflecting over these things as I sit and sew. I look forward to forging many new memories with my lovely granddaughter, Elsye!

Gyotaku, Baby: Troubleshooting Fish Printing

2011-12-09T23:55:00.000-05:00

Red Fish

One of my fellow fish friends from grad school and his wife recently had a baby and I wanted to welcome the little one with something special. Since I've only done fish printing on rice paper, it was a good opportunity to try out a couple of things for garments. I've always had a concern about the ink: it needs to be the right viscosity to print the fish details well and it also needs to be colorfast in the wash. In the lead up, I machine tested: Dynaflo, Sumi ink, Jacquard Textile Color, FW Pearlescent, and Tsukineko. They were all color fast to varying degrees, but the Tsukineko held its saturated color by far the best. Both the FW and the Jacquard proved to be too thick to pick up the detail in the fish very well. So I ended up using the Tsukineko All-Purpose inks for this project in Real Black, Poppy Red, and Mist Blue.

I thought it might be useful to share are a couple of other tips that have proven to work well for me and make the direct printing process easier.

I think it is best to work with fish that haven't been gutted and was really pleased to find a local fish market, Claytons Seafood, that only guts the fish for you after they've been purchased. The intact fish has it's natural shape as well as minimal "seeping" of fluids. I was able to get this nice, fresh Jackfish just the right size for my onesies!

Start by cleaning the fish with salt, putting a good coat on it and rubbing it to remove the surface oils and debris. Pat dry and then take small bits of paper towel to fill the mouth and under the gill cover to keep them dry.

Level the fish on a bed of playground sand, covered with plastic wrap. The sand helps you create a flat-ish surface to print from and the plastic makes it possible to use the sand over and over.

Next, using cardboard as a support (and I really like the cardboard the Post Office uses for their Priority mailers - it wicks the ink away and doesn't print if you happen to go beyond the fish while inking), you can extend the fins and tail. Dab Super Glue on the cardboard, open the fin and hold for a couple seconds and you're good to go.

Ink the fish from back to front to make sure the ink gets under the scales. Ink the fins and tail last as they dry out very quickly. Don't forget to cover the eye with a circle of thin cardboard or plastic - you can draw it in later with a Sharpie. And finally, when you put the paper/t-shirt/onesie down to print, DON'T try to reposition it. You only get one chance:) Start at the mouth and gently move your fingers over the entire fish (in a motion similar to typing - don't rub), being sure you get all of the fins and tail. Don't go back to the mouth area after you've done it initially or you'll get a double image.....or a two mouthed fish!

I used pre-washed 100% cotton onesies for the project and printed the first ones with just black ink. After that, the fish was inked with color over the residual black in the hope that the remains of the black ink would help bring out some of the details. The Jackfish was a beautiful little fish, but for the best gyotaku, use something with lots of big scales. Always learning!

one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish

Rumors: "Intruder"

2011-12-01T13:33:00.000-05:00

"Intruder" 2011, 16" x 24"

ru•mor, noun, \rü-mǝr\

1. a story or statement in general circulation without confirmation or certainty as to the facts: a rumor of war; 2. gossip, hearsay: Don't listen to rumor.

"Intruder" is part of an exhibit entitled "Rumors" created by members of the CT fiber artist's group Sisters in Cloth. The premise was based on the childhood games, Telephone or Whisper Down the Lane. A word or phrase is shared with a person, who then shares it with another person, who shares it with another.....and so on. In this case, it was an Artist's Statement that was shared. The person hearing the Artist's Statement (but not seeing the actual work), creates their interpretation of the piece and their own statement, and subsequently shares that with another.

I heard the rumor from Diane Wright in October. I remembered: "modern architecture", "strong lines", "says more about settlers than surroundings", "autumn in New England".

Filtering and collaging a number of photos, I photoshopped the image I "saw" from the rumor I'd heard.....modern house amidst pastoral autumn setting.

Golden's Digital Ground was used to prepare some organza for inkjet printing the bare trees.

Several pieces of organza , and a backgound of non-woven (Reemay) were painted with various fabric paints. The digital images were fused to the Reemay and the organza was layered over the top.

Finally, the intrusive ("says more about settlers than surroundings") house was raw-edge appliqued out of grey-scale hand-dyed cotton. The entire piece was finished with machine quilting.The

Rumors exhibit is part of a show by Sisters in Cloth opening December 1, 2011 at the Guilford Public Library. Wish I was there!

"Intruder", detail

Babies and Hope

2011-10-27T10:26:00.000-04:00

Another gorgeous Florida autumn day as I pack up this baby quilt for my dear friend, Maureen's first grandchild. Just in time for Halloween. Made with love for someone very special.

I've been dabbling the last few weeks, distracted by the day to day. A few minutes being creative goes a long way these days:)

My hope flag is a collage of bits and pieces from the past. Trimmings from my first art quilt, some suminagashi I did with the 6th graders last year, painted dryer sheet and hand-stamped fabric garnished with couched hand-dyed chainette and French knots.

Hope is a theme that goes well with new babies. I think we are all filled with love and hope for our children.....that their lives will be rich with experiences and relationships that bring them joy and happiness.

Deep Spaces: "just Harry"

2011-10-19T20:24:00.000-04:00

Deep Space

A Textile and Mixed Media Exhibit

October 20 - November 30, 2011

Edmonds Conference Center

201 Fourth Ave, N - Edmonds, Washington

ArtsCrush Opening: October 20, 2011, 5-8 PM

January 10 - March 12, 2012

Sam Houston Memorial Museum

1402 19th St - Huntsville, Texas

Opening Reception: January 19, 2012, 5:30-7:30 PM

March 28 - June 24, 2012

La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum

700 Second St - La Conner, Washington

Opening Reception: March 31, 2012, 2-4 PM

Curator Larkin Jean Van Horn selected the theme "Deep Spaces" following a conversation with friends about the limits of space and the photography from the Hubble telescope. While it was clear that textile art dealing with the cosmos would be an appealing exhibit, the title implied so much more. Artists interested in participating in the exhibit were encouraged to interpret the theme in any manner that suited them, and the entries were outstanding. The artists went deep into space, deep underground, deep under water, deep into the woods, canyons and prairies, and deep into the mysteries of the heart. Each artist worked in her own style, whether photorealism or pure abstraction or something in between. Holding all this wide variety together is a common size (18 inches wide by 45 inches long).

A beautiful catalog has been created for this exhibit and will be for sale in disk format, either at the exhibit venues of from the Deep Spaces website or in book form from Blurb. All proceeds from the sale of catalogs will go to Doctors Without Borders.

The exhibit and catalog feature wonderful works from 58 artists around the world. I'm very pleased that my piece "just Harry" is a part of it.

"just Harry" ©2011, Martha Wolfe

Redemption

2011-10-17T18:45:00.001-04:00

Sea Beans collected after last weekend's storm

This is the time of year when Florida really redeems itself to me. When the seemingly endless, oppressively hot days start to cool down. The mornings are lovely with just a hint of coolness in the breeze and you can walk on the beach in search of treasure:) The skies have been just beautiful and I've seen some of the most breathtaking sunsets ever.

Last weekend's storm washed a new batch of sea beans ashore along with a variety of other collectibles and novelties. The Facebook Sea Bean Group has been a buzz with all the finds up the east coast of FL.

I don't usually pick up shells, but, I came upon these 3 perfect moon shells within a couple of feet of each other and needed them:)

You can never have too much orange.

A stranded file fish.

Seems like everyone is enjoying being outside more.

Love these guys!

DDFA, 2011, Opening

2011-10-08T16:05:00.000-04:00

"Eye Candy", Bev O'Connell (left), "High Ti", Ellen Lindner (right, top)

"Kathlyn's Galaxy", Andrea Luliak (right, bottom)

Despite monsoon-like weather, the Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists' 8th Annual Show opened this afternoon at the Boutique 4 Quilters in West Melbourne. The exhibit continues daily through November 1st.

The show features the work of individual group members, such as Lisa-Marie Sanders "City Lights, Steamy Nights" (left)

Also included are group challenges, like "White on White" with pieces by each member, (below)

"Altered Books" by Bev O'Connell, Ellen Lindner, and Andrea Luliak (above)

Art dolls such as "Sea Goddess", Ruth Anne Parker (above)

Details of works by Ellen Lindner

"Playday Project" Bev O'Connell

Sea Bean Symposium: Black-bellied Plover Linocut

2011-10-04T08:48:00.000-04:00

9" X 12", lino with watercolor

It's time, once again, for the International Sea Bean Symposium in Cocoa Beach, October 21-22. This eclectic event glorifies all things sea bean and other beach treasures with speakers, contests, authors and more. The annual event also includes a silent auction with donations from a variety of artists and craftspeople and will include one of my prints again this year.

The black-bellied plover is one of my favorite shorebirds I catch a glimpse of infrequently while combing the beach for sea beans:)

I've never been able to capture a good photo as they're always on the move.The linocut was actually created from a combination of my many photos of fleeing birds.

I printed on a variety of papers, 2 types of rice paper, some block printing papers. (the sea hearts were helpful in keeping the rice paper prints flat:)

I finished the different prints a couple way, some with colored pencil and some with watercolor. I prefer the rice paper, but Harry prefers the watercolor (below).

Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists, 8th Annual

2011-09-30T18:58:00.000-04:00

(please click image to enlarge)

Many thanks to Anita and Boutique for Quilters for hosting the exhibit and to all of my fellow 11 who did so much to pull this together in my absence. M

SAQA Annual Benefit Auction 2011

2011-09-11T12:16:00.000-04:00

(click to enlarge)

Tomorrow is the big day! Take some time to check out the offerings in the SAQA Annual Benefit Auction, 2011. Over 300 wonderful 1' square quilts have been donated to help support Studio Art Quilt Associates exhibitions, catalogs, and outreach programs. Collect some fine art for your home while supporting SAQA.

Below is one of my favorite squares from week one of the auction...."GottaHavaCuppa" by my talented friend, Kate Themel. When it first appeared in the auction inventory back in March, I was informed that "an auction quilt had already been found for me". And they were right.....not only do I really admire Kate's work, but I also have a "special" relationship with the model :D

Kate Themel's "GottaHavaCuppa"

Another one of those projects "about the journey"....

2011-09-06T20:40:00.000-04:00

Pink pig (embossing heat gun), moldable foam and plastic paper clips.

A couple months back, a very generous member of my Dirty Dozen art group, Barbara Bilbo, gave each of us a copy of a book entitled "Print & Stamp Lab: 52 Ideas for Handmade, Upcycled Print Tools" by Traci Bunkers. She challenged each of us to create 2 or 3 new fabrics using techniques in the book as a starting place for a piece for our annual show next month.

Then, by chance, I was going through the Quilting Arts Aug/Sep magazine and stumbled on an article about moldable stamps (pgs 52-54)......so I took it as a sign that it was time to embrace this project:)

I used the plastic paper clips (above) thinking they'd make nice little "houses"----but when they printed, it looked more like an African design to me. So I moved on....

The bottle caps made interesting circles and in some cases, stars. I overstamped them with 4 different sized spools. Then I took pieces of my recently deceased espresso machine and printed them.....talk about repurposing!

The group (Dirty Dozen) proposed a theme to illustrate with our new fabrics......fashion! Definitely not my arena....

So...thinking....my son used to play a video game called "The World Ends with You" that took place in Shibuya, the fashion district in Tokyo. I remember looking at photos (checkout Flickr and Picasa photostreams)...an intriguing place. My idea of fashion?

I used a photo transfer on remay to create a grid to put my swatches on. I sliced and diced the fabrics I'd created and used them to build the bustling fashion district, Shibuya.

I would just love to go see the real thing in Japan.

Festival of Quilts: SAQA Beyond Comfort

2011-08-17T08:14:00.000-04:00

The SAQA: "Beyond Comfort" show recently debuted at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England, August 11-14th to an enthusiastic audience. It was a rare opportunity for me to be able to attend and see my "Tall Poppies" (above, left) hung in this wonderfully diverse collection. What follows are some of the images I shot of the show, more to share an idea of how the pieces were placed in the show than to feature the individual works. A comprehensive collection of all of the show has been posted by Eileen Doughty, curator of the show, here. Enjoy!

Tamar Drucker, left, "When Fog Lifts"

Kate Themal, top right, "Boatman Sketch"

Suzanne Mouton Riggio, bottom right, "On the Sunny Side of the Room"

Diane Wright, "Promised Land"

Lisa Chipetine, left, "You Knocked Me Off of My Feet"

Sharon Bell, right, "Cascade"

Kristin La Flamme,

"The Army Wife: Hanging on by a Thread", left

"The Army Wife: Home Fires", middle

"The Army Wife: Issues Public and Private", right

Juliette Eckel, "A Quilt is a Quilt is a Quilt", left

Uta Lenk, "Illuminated", right

Natalya Aikens, "Piter 4 Triptych", left

Linda McLaughlin, "Monoprint #31", right

Mirjam Pet-Jacobs, "Hidden Shame", left

Julia Pfaff, "The Stitched Green Line", middle

Marialuisa Sponga, "Blue Park", right

Prayer Flag Project: Sisters

2011-06-25T20:22:00.000-04:00

Sisters, June 26, 2011

While sitting quietly and sewing, while rummaging through things in search of the perfect piece of ephemera, while photographing the finished piece.....I find my prayer flags are less about my creation and more about the meditation I experience during their creation. A time to reflect on my relationship to the topic....

.....and so I have been reflecting on "Sisters". My little sister (above) who was my first roommate, sharer of our family secrets, my constant supporter and friend. My sisters-in-law, who have contributed so much meaning and connection in my life and brought amazing nieces and nephews into our world.

And all of my friends that are truly sisters. I feel so fortunate to know so many wise and talented women, whose company I love and whose lives inspire me. I am so grateful for all of my sisters and so glad they are a part of my life.

"Sisters" is a collection of odds and ends; an old surface design experiment makes the background, a quickie photo transfer done with matte medium and interference, bits of a handkerchief and scarf and buttons from my mother's button box.

To learn more about the Prayer Flag Project and/or how you can participate, check out Vivika Hansen DeNegre's new blog here.

SAQA Benefit Auction 2011: Deja Vu

2011-06-24T17:19:00.000-04:00

Seems like we talked about this.......just the other day? Yes, we did and I'm afraid I am exercising my "woman's purrogative to change her mind" :P So, this is, in fact the same inspiration and materials as the earlier version. Only this time, rendered on black. And *this* will be my 2011 donation to the auction!

And for those who did not catch it the first time around, it is time for the annual Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) Benefit Auction to support their exhibitions, catalogs and outreach programs. Last year, over $50,000 was raised through artists' donations of some 300 1' squares and generous bidders. This year, several hundred quilts already fill the online gallery. Check it out and join the bidding, starting September 12th @ 2PM EST.

iPad 2 Test Post from Blogsy

2011-06-23T10:25:00.001-04:00

Elyse's Quilt

This is just a test post to see how the Blogsy app works and to try and optimize it before I leave home. The iPad 2 is a great, portable device, but there is a learning curve getting it to do the things I've done on my laptop when I travel. Blogging is one of those things....and Blogger doesn't have it's own app, so Blogsy seems to be the most popular option.

Including photos in the post is a little tricky....the top photo is inserted through Picasa using the MyPics HD app*. It worked fine once I had taken it from my laptop, stuck it in my Dropbox, uploaded it to my iPad photo albums and then uploaded that to the Picasa app :)

When I'm traveling, I'll just upload directly to the iPad, so I won't need to do that entire song and dance.....(*Turns out this app is the only that's going to work for me as I don't believe there's an easy way to upload from the photo program on the iPad without going through a third party app. Please let me know if I'm wrong.)

The final step is going to see how it looks in Blogger when it's posted....so bear with me, please. Here goes....

Addendum: Seems like it works pretty well, fairly intuitive. Has some features I like better than Blogger, i.e., continuous scaling for photos. The downside, you can't position photos in anything but a list fashion, no side by side. I haven't tried to insert a link or video yet. That's next....

Prayer Flag Project: Fathers

2011-06-19T09:29:00.000-04:00

Fathers, June 19, 2011

I got to see the beginnings of Vivika's "Prayer Flag Project" earlier in the month when I visited CT and was impressed with the thought and detail that she put into each daily flag. Every fabric and thread had meaning. And I loved the idea of the wind spreading happiness, good will and peace through the world.

In response to the invitation to participate in the project, I offer my prayer flag for June 19th, Father's Day, in homage to all fathers in general and my father in particular.

I give thanks for my father, a man of many talents. He lived out many happy moments tending his beautiful flower garden, sharing the colorful bounty with those he loved and cared about.

I give thanks for all the other fathers, be they brothers or sons, husbands or friends. May they nurture and guide the next generation with love and wisdom.

"Fathers" was created with hand-dyed fabrics and layered organzas, includes photo transfer and free-motion embroidery details. The packet in the upper right contains seeds from a bouquet of zinnias my father gave me. (note to self: plant the rest). Wanting a little something more, I searched my mother's button box and found a vintage leather button from one of Dad's tweed jackets. I also discovered a tag from a suit my father mail ordered from a "Hong Kong Tailor" back in the 60's. It reads "Specially Made For Mr W. R. Wolfe, Order No 10627". Seems very apropos.

Thank you, Vivika, for the inspiration....and btw, I'm still working on the less than an hour part:)

SAQA Benefit Auction 2011: Nasturtium

2011-06-16T21:46:00.000-04:00

Once again, it is time to contribute to the annual Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) Benefit Auction to support their exhibitions, catalogs and outreach programs. Last year, over $50,000 was raised through artists' donations of some 300 1' squares and generous bidders. This year, several hundred quilts already fill the online gallery. Check it out and join the bidding, starting September 12th @ 2PM EST.

My 1' square this year is from a photo that was taken in Linnaeus' Garden in Uppsala, Sweden a couple of summers ago.

It's an image that lends itself well to layering techniques with sheer fabrics. In this case it's rendered in organza over a painted non-woven (right).

It's finished with black top-stitching for a more graphic look. A bit of digression from my previous donations.....but it's representative of where I am at, at the moment, and, it's one of my favorite flowers:)

Sheer Bliss w/Sisters

2011-06-09T10:57:00.001-04:00

Some of the "Sisters"

(l-r, Yvette Howard, Robin Wolek, Carol Ludington, Janine Anderson-Bays,

Vivika Hansen Denegre, Ruth Anne Olson, Diane Wright)

I recently accepted an invitation to come and share my sheer techniques with CT-based "Sisters in Cloth". The "Sisters" are an amazing, talented group of women that I've had been fortunate to have connections with over the years. Together, we spent the day at the Guilford Art Center last Saturday, as they took Sheer Bliss to new places....

...each, adding their personal approach and style. Vivika's sketchbook, right, shows the beginning of a sample that includes pieces of her grandmother's wonderful chiffon scarves.

Janine's first creation using and ornate fabric in a white on black layering.

As always, I learn so much with each class. Carol had brought organza that she had painted with Adirondack® Color Wash that created this beautiful effect (below). (I can't wait to get home and try this:) Inspiration abounded...... and a good time was had by all! Thanks so much for a wonderful day!

The Florence Griswold Museum

2011-06-04T19:56:00.000-04:00

Patrick Dougherty's "The Rambles"

Had some time yesterday afternoon, so we drove to the Florence Griswold Museum with my friends, Diane and Dave. An interesting place, a boarding home for a number of "Tonal" and later "Impressionist" artists, it was known as the American Barbizon at the turn of the 20th century. Our visit was brief, but we took in a tour of the house and garden, with wonderful peonies and poppies in bloom.

Climax of the visit, in the midst of the grounds, is an amazing stickwork installation by Patrick Dougherty. Inspired by the Victorian garden, he has created the structure with 6 tons of native birch and bayberry resembling towers and maze-like walls. I was amazed how solid it was....no big, bad wolves blowing it down:) For a more about "The Rambles" visit here or visit more of his installations here.

Chinese Globeflower.....a wonderful yellow.

Summer bursting forth!

Sheer Bliss: Layering Techniques with Sheer Fabrics

2011-05-24T19:37:00.000-04:00

Class samples for "Sheer Bliss"

The last couple weeks I've been teaching my fellow Dirty Dozen friends the techniques I use working with sheer fabrics. It's been a lot of fun and I'm pleased with their enthusiasm and results.

Everyone (me included) was surprised with the infinite gradations you could achieve using only black and white organza.....a pretty good grey scale. Thanks, Bev, for the demo!

Jill jumped right in during the first session and made a couple fun pieces. Ruth Anne blogged about the class, including photos, here.

Today, Andrea, did some beautiful stitching on oranges layered with black and white.

Dij did this lovely stitching echoing a lacy sheer she used in the background.

Thanks, everyone, for participating. We've enjoyed ourselves and learned a lot........particularly, me :D Looking forward to my next class in CT!

"just Harry"

2011-05-03T16:43:00.001-04:00

"just Harry" is a piece about adolescent depression, where a carefree childhood may be replaced with fear and anxiety. Apparently, 20% of teenagers will suffer from depression at some time, making them more vulnerable to other issues including bullying, substance abuse and suicide. Deep spaces for anyone, particularly a child.

The name came from early in the first Harry Potter book, when young Harry, on the cusp of growing up, unaware of the wonders his life will behold and the great things that he will accomplish, humbly identifies himself as "just Harry".

The piece is created entirely with organza using felt as batting. Stabilized and/or fused layers are machine appliqued and quilted. Thread work and colored pencil were used to embellish and finish the piece.

"just Harry", detail

3rd Annual Indian River Lagoon Festival & Art Auction

2011-04-18T14:14:00.000-04:00

This Thursday, Indialantic Elementary School's Quest Program will host their 3rd Annual Indian River Lagoon Festival at the Radisson Oceanfront Conference Center from 6:00-7:30 PM. The evening showcases what the students have been learning including their experiences with local artists.

I've had the opportunity to work with 6th grade students in the program over the course of the year teaching gyotaku (fish printing) and suminagashi (Japanese marbling). We had a wonderful time creating together - they're a fun group to work with!

In preparation for the Art Auction we created a piece together using marbled silk squares that each of the

students made. The fish print is one that I had done. The piece was assembled with organza sashing and comes to life with light filtering through it. My photographs fail to do their beautiful marbling justice!

If you're in the community, we hope you'll come enjoy the event and bid in the silent auction. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Sea Turtle Preservation Society.

Las Tusas: Ponderosa Pine

2011-04-06T08:10:00.000-04:00

46" X 37", Martha Wolfe

From a photograph by Ellen Bulger, used with permission.

Very happy to bring pine cone to a close:) I'm pleased with the results and learned so much in the process! The piece is created entirely with polyester organza in layer upon layer. (For more detail on the process, check out the original post.) Because of the sheen inherent in the fabric, it's a challenge (for me) to photograph it accurately, alas.

So, the big lessons learned:

1) I really liked the effect created by fusing some sheers to the batting and then covering with ivory and quilting....it really made the sky recede. I'll use that technique again - I've got a plan already:)

2) Size does matter. The sheers are sort of "fragile" to work with and rolling and pushing through the machine is hard on them and required a number of repairs. I think this could be remedied by working smaller or getting a long arm machine :) Right now, I don't think I would do another piece this size the same way.

The Pine Cone Emerges (works in progress)

2011-03-26T12:45:00.000-04:00

Martha Wolfe, 36"X46"

Not sure I need a © on something that is a work in progress? We are all about works in progress at the moment. I'm just ready to put the cone in the sewing machine to do some thread work on the seeds. I'm eagerly looking forward to moving on to the needles in the foreground next. To see more about the genesis and evolution of this piece, click here. This is the first piece I have done this large in all organza and it is truly a magnificent learning experience.......in so many ways:)

Meanwhile, in the front yard, a wonderful treehouse is emerging. It is Harry's first real foray into wood and nails and it has provided so much pleasure! He scored a new handsaw last night and is putting it to good use this morning.

The Odyssey team continues to prepare for their upcoming State Tournament on April 9th.

And I had to include this wonderful sighting of the

sandhill crane family taking it to the streets!

We Interrupt This Program.....

2011-03-09T08:18:00.000-05:00

Odyssey of the Mind, Division II - Full Circle

Space Coast Regional Champs!

It's that time of year again! Teammates having been working hard, hoping to repeat their trip to World Finals, like last year. They've selected Problem 5 this year, which, in brief, challenges them to: "to create and present a humorous performance where something changes form or appearance at least three times and eventually undergoes a final change where it returns to its original form and appearance. The team will signal the audience each time there is a change. The performance will include a very silly character, a very serious character, a song and dance, and a surprise ending." And do it all in under 8 minutes!

They had a flawless long term performance and felt confident about their Spontaneous performance.

Waiting patiently through the seemingly endless scores that come before Problem 5....we'd forgotten about how long that takes:)

They did it, again! First place in the Space Coast Regionals! On to the State Tournament next month!

Cause for celebration!

Las Tusas: Ponderosa Pine (work in progress)

2011-03-01T23:06:00.000-05:00

Cropped and filter design for "Las Tusas: Ponderosa Pine"

My latest piece is named for the pine trees that grew in the mountains of New Mexico where I spent some time as a teenager. The smell of the needles warmed in the sunshine will always conjure memories of adventure.......and so, I've been working on a new techniques for working with sheer fabric, in particular, exploring new ways of creating backgrounds and texture.

The image for this piece is based on a photo taken by Ellen Bulger. I found it on Flickr and was taken by the soft colors in the background as well a the lighting and detail on the cone. She has graciously given me permission to edit and use her photo.

©Ellen Bulger, 2010

The first step was to create the dreamy, impressionistic background. For this, I've fused pieces and layers of organza directly on to batting.

Then, I've covered this with a solid piece of organza, with stabilizer, but without any fusing (thus, the many pins:) and sewn it together using vertical stitching, about every 1/3". A very time consuming task, but I really like the background it's created.

Many (many) hours and 2.5 spools of thread later, I have my palette to create my pine cone on. The final piece will be 36" X 46". It's made me consider all of the possibilities for layers in the background.......including a painted whole cloth? So many things to experiment with:D

Double Take: Photo & Fiber in the Gallery@Haskins

2011-02-01T12:06:00.000-05:00

The Gallery@Haskins

February 2 -June 24, 2011

For more information about the show and some wonderful candid photos, check this great post by Diane Wright!

Suminagashi (Japanese Marbling)

2011-01-26T23:32:00.000-05:00

I have been looking for something to complement my gyotaku prints in a special wall-hanging and I think I have found it! These delicate, swirling colors suggest the movement of a water environment and will make perfect blocks to surround a fish print! Japanese Suminagashi (sue-me-nah-gah-she), or "ink-floating", is one of the oldest forms of paper marbling, dating back to the 12th century. Ink is dropped on the surface of water, where it can spread and be manipulated and ultimately captured on paper, fiber, or other water absorbent surface.

I discovered this wonderful, simple, inexpensive Suminagashi kit at Dick Blick that I've been playing with. With some practice, I'm starting to get some nice images on silk.

You start by floating the included paper circles (which are reusable) in a tray of water, 1-2" deep. You want the water to be relatively still.....no ceiling fans, wobbly tables, etc.

Then add the different colored inks to the floating circles of paper, one drop at a time.

You can add as many colors as you like, with the lines getting thinner and the design more complex.

Once all of the colors have been added you can move the inks around using a toothpick or gently blowing on the surface.

Starting in the middle of your design, gently lie you fabric on the surface, slowly unrolling the ends, blotting up the ink from the surface of the water. Pull back your fabric and let dry on a paper towel.

More ink will remain in/on the water and can be blotted up with another piece of fabric, giving a lovely "ghost" image. I've used this piece a couple of times and it's getting a really neat effect.

Identity in Fiber

2011-01-21T16:13:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, weather permitting, will be the opening of the "Identity in Fiber" exhibit at the Windsor Art Center. Artists were challenged to share "a revealing look at our sense of identity" and "personal experiences regarding inclusion or exclusion, joining or separating from a particular group and how that has influenced their sense of personal identity".

The show is curated by fellow fiber artist and SAQA-CT co-rep, Kate Themel, who has put together a number of exciting activities to coordinate with the show (see details, below). Many thanks to Diane Wright, who facilitated my participation in the show.

Shadows of Inspiration

2011-01-14T22:31:00.000-05:00

Indialantic, FL

I was very inspired by Marlis Egger's blog post this morning of "shadow photography". Her photos and link captured people and trees and even bridges in unexpected ways. Shadows are magical and give us the means to slip between present and history......to walk (and dance) among the spirits. Following Marlis' lead, I offer my shadow photography from some beautiful places.

Bandelier National Monument, NM

Prospect, CT

Indialantic, FL

Santa Fe, NM

Petroglyph National Park, NM

Highlands Hammock SP,

Stockholm, Sweden

New Mexico

Augusta Raurica, Switzerland

Double-Take, Take 2

2010-12-14T21:47:00.000-05:00

Tigerlily inspired, detail

As I mentioned earlier, the Double-Take exhibit will include, in addition to the original photographs and an 18" X 24" piece, an 8" square, inspired by the original fiber piece. For mine, I chose the sheer colors I had worked with and reworked them into a fiber flower.

I sliced hundreds of tiny strips in all of the colors I'd used in the "Tigerlily" piece......and then a few more:)

They were sandwiched between two layers of Super Solvy and held with pins.

The sandwich was free-motion "quilted" using a variety of colors of threads.

It was pretty interesting at this stage.....just before I rinsed out the stabilizer.

Floating on black helped determine where to crop for an 8" square.

Using a soldering iron, I trimmed away everything that wasn't a flower.

The remaining piece was mounted on black sheer fabric (making it virtually impossible to photograph:)

Double-Take: Photo and Fiber

2010-11-22T17:34:00.000-05:00

Once again, I have the wonderful opportunity to participate in a Sisters in Cloth exhibition. This time is will be in collaboration with CT Shoreline photographer, Rose Alpert, in a show entitled "Double-Take: Photo and Fiber". Each of Rose's captivating floral photographs will be interpreted by one of the fiber artists in an 18" X 24" piece accompanied by an 8" square detail. The show will debut in February at the Haskins Laboratories at Yale, New Haven, CT. Stay tuned for more information!

"Tigerlily", detail

An amusing aside......it was only after completing "Tigerlily" that I discovered the photo image I was working from on Rose's website.....*rotated vertically*! It actually makes more sense this way:)

Beyond Comfort

2010-11-19T15:40:00.000-05:00

I'm so pleased to announce that my "Tall Poppies" has been juried into the SAQA "Beyond Comfort" exhibit, debuting in Birmingham, England in August, 2011! It was selected, along with 29 other pieces, by Marci Rae McDade, editor of Fiberarts magazine. Eileen Doughty will curate the exhibit.

The exhibit "challenged artists to venture into uncharted territories of creative expression". "Tall Poppies" depicts a departure from past work in both composition and technique......beyond my comfort zone.

I'm looking forward to some celebrating with my CT friends Diane Wright and Kate Themel, whose pieces will also be included in the show:)

Goetheanum Series: West Stairwell

2010-11-13T08:25:00.000-05:00

Here is the first in a series of stairwells I am doing from within the Goetheanum. It measures 18" X 24" and is rendered in hand-dyed fabrics purchased from the Ruby Mountain Dye Works Etsy.

A brief history (excerpts from literature I picked up in the building)....The Goetheanum is the "seat of the School of Spiritual Science and the General Anthroposophical Society, Center for Cultural and International Encounter". This building (the second Goetheanum) was "constructed between 1925 and 1928 and was the first large-scale building to employ reinforced concrete for sculptural forms....designed to harmonize with the local topography - the movement of the terrain and the rocky spurs of the Jura Mountains".

In my experience, it is a magnificent structure to behold on the horizon and a place of great beauty and peace within.

Gyotaku, Take 2

2010-11-11T14:57:00.000-05:00

Branzini, direct method

Spent the morning yesterday working on perfecting my gyotaku technique in preparation for a run with the 6th graders next week. This time I was able to get a whole (uncleaned) Branzini, aka Sea Bass aka Loup de Mer (Sea Wolf.......how apropos:)

I used a bed of sand in a jelly roll pan to support the fish and level it for printing. The sand was covered with plastic wrap before placing the fish in it.

Using Super Glue, the fins were open and bonded to cardboard. Cardboard absorbs the Sumi ink readily so it won't print around the edges of the fins.

Siggi was printing with me again and he'd brought an armful of wonderful fabrics for us to try out (thank you, Lisa-Marie!), among them batiks, rayon and a beautiful shibori.

By the end of the morning, I was really pleased with the prints we were getting. I'm looking forward to trying some larger, more exotic species next time!

Reduction Printing: "Nesting Skimmers"

2010-10-23T14:01:00.000-04:00

It's International Sea Bean Symposium time again! I was planning to make a donation to their fundraising raffle and learned the hard way that the rice paper I did my gyotaku printing on didn't take watercolors well.....alas. I went through my old photos for inspiration and found my pictures of the black skimmers that nested on our beach last year. What a thrill that was! (sadly, they weren't as successful this year). Using a photo as a starting point, I decided to do a linoleum block reduction print.

A lot of people ask me how a reduction print is done, so I made a little video clip to demonstrate. In brief, you start with paper and block, carving out those parts of the block (image) you would like to keep the color of the paper. In this case, a pale grey was inked on the block and printed. With each subsequent layer, you carve out the areas of the print you would like to remain the color you previously printed. In this case, I now carve away the area I would like to remain light grey. And so on, through 5 shades of gray and black, followed by red and orange. The video clip shows the paper before each color of ink is added. Addendum: I'm not thrilled with the resolution on the video, so I will post the stills only in my next post (below).

I love this sort of print....it's sort of a puzzle to figure out the order you'll print in, the colors you'll use, and how much information each layer will need to contribute to the total image. And there is a lot of correlation here with how I design my quilts.

Reduction Printing: "Nesting Skimmers", addendum

2010-10-22T12:12:00.000-04:00

Gyotaku

2010-10-14T19:33:00.000-04:00

Yellowtail Snapper, direct method

In preparation for doing some Gyotaku (Japanese 魚拓, from gyo = "fish" and taku = "rubbing") or fish printing with sixth graders, I thought troubleshooting some methods were in order. I've never done gyotaku before, but always thought it seemed intriguing. Beautiful prints and interesting origins. I mined the internet for methods and after feeling satisfied I had an idea how to do it, I made my first attempt today (with my able-bodied assistant, Siggi Reeves:)

I purchased a really beautiful yellowtail snapper at Whole Foods the other day and kept it frozen until this morning. Once thawed, we set about the lengthy process of prepping the fish for printing.

First, we washed it with salt to remove the mucous-y layer so it would take the ink better. Then spread the fins out and glued them down.

We tried a direct printing method painting Sumi ink on the fish and then printing on rice paper. And we also tried an indirect method, covering the fish with a piece of silk and then dabbing paint onto the fabric, taking a rubbing of the fish.

*Many* lessons learned (but, I will spare you).....suffice it to say, I was pleased with my first effort!

Yellowtail Snapper, indirect method

Dirty Dozen Exposed, 2010

2010-10-01T08:42:00.000-04:00

Tall Poppies

2010-09-28T11:53:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to have this completed! "Tall Poppies" is ultimately the product of spending time with my friend Betty Busby last month when I was in NM.

As luck would have it, she lives only a couple of miles from my husband's family, so we've had a chance to get together a number of times now.

This visit, she generously shared a lot of new techniques (and materials) with me. She showed me (and Harry) how to airbrush, how to paint wonderful gradients on non-wovens and then collage the pieces with fusible web.

To create "Tall Poppies", I started with a photo I had shot on our trip to CA. I played with it in Photoshop and came up with the posterized version on the right. We acid dyed some silk for the background and then using the non-wovens I'd painted (lower right), I started to work out the poppy image. I still had a very long way to go when I left NM!

It's taken me a while to sort through the rest of the collaging and machine quilting. Finally, I decided it needed something to break up the "harsh" edges on the soft background, so I added the French knots. Voilà. Fini!

Thanks, Betty, for everything you shared and and a great time :^)

SAQA Benefit Auction 2010: One Foot Squares

2010-09-14T22:47:00.000-04:00

BJ Parady, Goldenrod Galls 5

The SAQA Benefit Auction 2010 is coming up in just 5 days! This year's auction should be an exciting event, with over 280, one foot squares to choose from. Many of my friends and acquaintances have donated their beautiful artwork to the cause and I spoke about my contribution earlier this year here. So, I thought, as a little something different, I would feature One Foot Squares by artists I have never met!

Cathy Kleeman

Ventanas 21

Wendy Feldberg

Garden Cloth 4: Seedling

Funds raised by the auction will offset the cost of SAQA's exhibitions, catalogs and outreach programs. I hope you'll consider supporting a wonderful organization while adding to your art collection!

I, apparently, am having a "Blue Phase" I wasn't aware of :)

Deborah Boschert

Possibilities

Jenny Hearn

Fissures, Fragments, & Fossils: Glacial Flow

So many mangos, so little time....

2010-08-12T09:37:00.000-04:00

Our Hayden/Haden mango tree, early June

What a bountiful mango season we've had this year! We've only gotten a couple of mangos/season the last 4 summers.........so imagine our surprise!

We've had mango salsa, mango sorbet, sticky rice with mango, mango gifts.....

...loads of dried mango, and just plain mango slices! The best mangos, ever! And, it appears we've fed a lot of animals in the yard, too:)

Next crop, bananas!

Exploring the Albany Bulb

2010-07-07T23:48:00.000-04:00

I've just gotten back from a couple of fabulous weeks in California. Revisited many of my old stomping grounds and a couple of new gems! One in particular, the Albany Bulb was introduced to me by a junior high friend I reconnected with in Berkeley (thank you, facebook).

The Bulb is a post-apocolyptic landscape, a landfill created with, among other things, the rubble from the collapse of the Nimitz Freeway during the 1989 quake.

Through the ingenuity of local artists and creators, it has become an art gallery.

Towering wooden sculptures walk from the bay or ride dragons on the hillside......

...bits of commentary appear here and there

among the colorful "buildings" and urban art. An amazing afternoon!

Click here to learn more about the Albany Bulb.

ConnText: Departures

2010-06-16T22:24:00.000-04:00

Main Entry: de·par·ture

Pronunciation: \di-ˈpär-chər\

Function: noun

Date: 15th century

1 a (1) : the act or an instance of departing

(2) archaic : death b : a setting out (as on a new course)

It's interesting how things evolve.....at the beginning of 2010, quiltart listserv was having a discussion about your word for 2010. I didn't join in officially, but thought about it. I stumbled on the idea of departure originally as "a setting out on a new course", but had to acknowledge other departures in my life. And so departure became my word for 2010.

In January, I'd traveled through this station in New Haven, with my older sons, and was haunted by the thought of how many of my CT ancestors must have travelled here before us. My father, in particular, had made weekly commutes to New York City from here when he studied at Columbia. My father, an avid train lover, had recently passed away, thus, the train station became the analogy for departures.

When Sisters in Cloth invited me to participate in their "ConnText" challenge, I knew exactly (well mostly) what I was going to do. I knew it would be some aspect of Union Station.

The finished piece is 20" X 22", primarily raw-edged, fused, hand-dyed fabrics. The board is organza with image transfer using digital ground. All pieces are machine appliqued.

Ironically, in researching the station, I discovered the departure board (which in fact reads "Train Information") is slated to depart, to be replaced with an LED as part of station improvements. The board is one of the scarce remaining Solari boards in America today. The sound of the board updating is an integral part of the atmosphere which you can experience here.

Years before, I had bought this post card of the beautiful old station with the intention of sending it to my Dad...and alas, here it is my point of departure:)

Travelogue: Odyssey of the Mind, World Finals, addendum: While they slept....

2010-06-01T13:01:00.000-04:00

While tired teammates slept, some stole out to take in the natural beauty of the Michigan State University campus.

Everywhere you looked, signs of Spring had appeared. Lovely temperatures in the mid-60's were a welcome change from the first steamy night in the un-air-conditioned dorms.

Blooming dogwoods will always remind me of our home in NJ when I was growing up.

The WJ Beal Botanical Garden had an amazing variety of plants, the occasional bird and even a rabbit!

A lazy river meandered through campus with a display of artwork by local artists....and home to many newcomers:)

Travelogue: Odyssey of the Mind, World Finals, addendum: It's all about the pins!

2010-05-31T16:17:00.000-04:00

One of the pins from the FL set the teammates all received.

We were warned that pin trading was going to be a big part of world finals----but I don't think any of us realized just how big:) Every group that came; region, state or country; brought their set of pins to trade.

Our team all had Florida pins to trade and embraced the opportunity with different levels of enthusiasm.

Everyone had their favorites, many, international ones, and each day a little time was spent tracking them down.

The variety of pins was really neat---some designs depicting recognizable images; Pokemon, popular candies and cereals and such.

Others depicted images of relevance to the region they came from; surfers, snowboards, Japanese kites.

Many had sets that represented the Odyssey problems, with each duck or slice of pizza or ice cream cone depicting one of the problems.

It was fun to watch their collections grow and change each day. A fun keepsake of the whole experience.

It's hard to capture the excitement in a picture but some of the adults (myself included) got swept up in it. It was a great way to start conversations on the bus:)

My personal favorites ranged from the whimsical (and *very* hard to get) North Carolina Wild Things set..........

.......to this beautiful Japanese set.

Travelogue: Odyssey of the Mind, World Finals: Home, Sweet Home!

2010-05-30T16:13:00.000-04:00

Heading home......with the artwork of Pablo Panini!

It's always so hard when something so wonderful has to end. What an amazing time we've had, every minute.......it was hard to pick just one thing we'd remember (although pin trading rated pretty high!). For me it was the joy of watching the creativity and magic of youth in motion. What hope and promise they will bring to the future through their spirit and talents!

We all agreed that one seldom saw a more friendly, generous, supportive group of people drawn together; from the team mates from all parts of the globe, their coaches and families, to the MSU staff, bus drivers, and Odyssey of the Mind officials. Everywhere you went; the dining hall, the bus, the hallways; people smiled and struck up conversation, shared their stories, their pins, even the shirts off their back:) Everything seemed to work like a fine-tuned machine and from my perspective, everything went beyond expectation.

The trip to World Finals was the culmination of a lot of hard work and commitment from kids and families all year long, followed by a lot of logisitics to sort out to make the trip actually happen. Did we bring home a trophy? No, but we did bring back the lifelong memories of wonderful 5 days with the King and Queens of Rocky Road. Would I do it again?.......in a heartbeat! Wish us luck next year!

Travelogue: Odyssey of the Mind, World Finals: Long-term Competition

2010-05-29T14:32:00.000-04:00

The Kings and Queens after their fabulous long-term performance!

Another busy day ahead of the team with a little downtime in the morning. They kept the jitters at bay hanging out and creating new hairstyles for the boys....but you'll have to pay for those photos :)

Long-term was at 1:30 was here before we knew it. With all our props and scenery gathered, the costumed team gathered for inspection and a pep talk.

Hamburger peaks over the top of the milk jury in the staging area just before showtime. We're here to have fun!

The Kings and Queens of Rocky Road are ready to rock......and they do!! A perfect performance

The judges converge to ask questions about how they made things, where they got their ideas, and admire them up close!

Waiting for our scores, distracted by Sponge Bob :D

Our team's award ceremony....with certificates and the reading of each kid's last will and testament .....something for each of their teammates as they remember them........and of course, more pins!

My fabulous co-coach (*every step of the way*) and I as the crowd dispersed following the World Finals award ceremony.

Headed to the Award Ceremony in their State colors!

Travelogue: Odyssey of the Mind, World Finals: Creativity Festival and Beyond

2010-05-28T22:34:00.000-04:00

Some very subdued Kings and Queens BEFORE their Spontaneous Competition

*ALL* the kids (and some adults, too :) have enjoyed the pin trading that goes along with World Finals (more about this later). We had a little time to trade at the International Center early in the day and then on to our volunteer shift at the Florida booth for the Creative Festival.

Each of the Countries or States attending provided a fun activity for the kids to do. FL had a bicycle powered ball toss. We filled the chute, collected stray balls and stamped an OMER mask.

When you collected stamps from 5 different activities you got......a pin!

OMER, the Odyssey of the Mind raccoon mascot was on hand to greet and pose!

The team from Hong Kong taught everyone how to make a folded paper (not quite origami) goldfish. Other teams had a GI Joe bungie jump, a giant operation game, and lots more.......and did I mention there was lots of pin trading!

A very happy guy leads the way AFTER spontaneous!

Tomorrow is the big day with our long-term competition in the afternoon. Wish us luck!

Travelogue: Odyssey of the Mind, World Finals: The Basics

2010-05-28T06:22:00.000-04:00

Our scenery shipping crate, courtesy of Harris Corporation

We are fortunate to have a down day before our competitions so we've taken advantage of the opportunity to relax and unwind.

By now we are settled into our dorm rooms. They're all double occupancy with shared adjoining baths. Pretty basic, but adequate fare. The downside, no AC......which I gather is not usually an issue in MI......but, alas, this week we are having a heat wave. Tonight, fans all around :)

Food has been your basic dining hall meal plan *yum* with cheerful stuff and the chance to meet new friends. Lots of frozen novelties, too!

There was time for a nice swim at the outdoor IM facility and then we settled down to the business of re-assembling our props and scenery.

Putting the finishing touches on

the Judge's podium.....

.....and reassembling Fugu....

......while some patient parents looked on!

Tomorrow we compete! The Kings and Queens of Rocky Road are *truly* ready to rock!!

Travelogue: Odyssey of the Mind, World Finals: Opening Ceremony

2010-05-27T14:27:00.000-04:00

The Kings and Queens of Rocky Road arrive in Detroit

This is the amazing bunch of young people I co-coach and our exciting odyssey to the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Michigan State. We arrived mid-afternoon and got ourselves all checked in to our dorm accommodations (more on that later :) Got changed into our FL "colors" and headed to the opening ceremonies.

The opening procession included one team member from each of the 813 teams competing. 14 countries were represented and made a wonderful colorful display as the gathered.

When the lights went down, Breslin Center was filled with a laser light show and 8,000 whirling, blinking, exploding lights! The party begins!

We all enjoyed a cool walk back to the dorms as the moon rose over MSU! What a thrill this day has been!

Bloggers Quilt Festival, Spring 2010

2010-05-22T08:32:00.000-04:00

"In Honor of Mom and Dad's 80th Birthdays", © Martha Wolfe, 2003

Welcome to Blogger's Quilt Festival, Spring 2010, with many thanks, again, to Amy for organizing and hosting the event! It's always a great opportunity to meet and share what we're doing all around the world! I love checking out other folks' blogs and welcome you to visit and leave you comments!

This was a very special quilt I made for my parents' 80th birthdays in 2003 and it has the signatures of all of the family members (at the time :) on the tag. I've written a little about this quilt before: "The quilt is made using tatami type pieces. (Tatami(畳 ) (originally meaning "folded and piled") mats are a traditional type of Japanese flooring. Standard tatami are rectangular, and are exactly twice as long as they are wide.) Each square is 8, 1" x 2" pieces. I think this was the first time I used batiks, exclusively, in a quilt, and I fell in love with them. The quilting on it was one of those rare, divine moments when you do something freehand and it comes out perfect. It knew it was a special quilt!"

It also has renewed significance in my life, as it has come back to reside in my home since my parents passed away this year. It reminds me of them and particularly my father's flower gardens. His beautiful sunflowers and the blue Pennsylvania sky make it the perfect place to view it in the wild. Enjoy!

Upcycling: Bottle-cap Charms

2010-05-19T19:56:00.000-04:00

Our amazing Odyssey of the Mind team is headed to World Finals a week from today! I wanted to do something fun for the team mates, to remember the moment or trade to other kids.....so I thought I would try something new.

They're pretty simple, and something I'm sure the kids (10-12 y.o.) could have made themselves with a little direction. First you need caps. (I got a great selection from the generous folks at Twin Beer)

Make a template for the images you want to use by tracing around the top edge of the cap....about the size of a quarter. Trim edges as necessary to fit about 1/2 way down in the cap.

Using a small nail, start a hole in the cap, just where the edge starts to curve upwards. Put a screw eye into the hole and bend so the cap lays flat. (you can get screw eyes at any craft store like Michael's or Joann's, 12 for $1.29)

Finally, fill the cap about 1/3 full with liquid polymer. I used both Fimo and Sculpey, and I'd have to say, in this application I preferred the Fimo. The finished product was just more transparent (see picture).

Place your trimmed photo on top of the polymer and apply a thin layer over the top. Make sure all of your caps are setting flat and bake at 275˚ F for 30 minutes.

Voila! Pretty cool!

Mark Sherman, 2 dye 4

2010-04-30T15:12:00.000-04:00

My tie-dye creations......look out Ben & Jerry :)

Yesterday, I had the good fortune to get one of the last slots in a dyeing class with Mark Sherman (hot off his Paducah tour)! What a great time!

Mark was a warm, engaging teacher that guided us through the steps in creating tie-dyed t-shirts and hand-dyed fabrics.

Using his work and experience as reference, he shared his tricks and secrets with humor......then cut us loose to play/experiment.

Here's Bev, taking first shot at creating a t-shirt ......note how clean the tray is!

Lisa-Marie, slowly, carefully, creating great fabric.

It was pretty much a perfect day at the barn (thanks, Ruth Anne) and I believe a beautiful mess was created by all!

BTW-Mark, I waited a whole 4 hours and 1 minute to check out my results. Oooo.....a new kind of treasure hunt! Too fun, thanks!

Inspiration: Still Growing

2010-04-21T11:14:00.000-04:00

Into the second week of "guided inspiration". This week, brainstorming on the visual---many things come to mind, from world hunger to fairy tales. It's amazing to see the different paths from seed to plant, so evident so early in growth. Some have already started beautiful, delicate leaves.

Some have started to change color.

Some have grown thicker, rather than taller.

...and what a difference a day makes!

(above left, one day later)

Inspiration: Growth

2010-04-18T11:28:00.001-04:00

Day 1

My fiber arts group is using themes for their monthly programs this year---each month one member will lead the rest through a "guided inspiration". Past themes have included dreams... circles...journey. This month I am leading: growth.

growth

Pronunciation: \ˈgrōth\

Function: noun

Date: 1557

1 a (1) : a stage in the process of growing : size (2) : full growth b :the process of growing c : progressive development : evolution d :increase, expansion

On Day 1, (above) everyone received a cylinder with three seeds (in this case, bush beans, in 3 different colors).

Day 4

They were to water the seeds---free-associate the word seed---and follow the growth with photos, sketches or text.

Right now we should be at Day 6 (above left and below).

SAQA Benefit Auction, 2010

2010-03-30T23:09:00.000-04:00

Hollyhocks at the Museum of Art, Santa Fe

Many years ago, when I was 16 years old, I ran away to New Mexico. The shadows and light, the summer thunderstorms, the smell of hot pine needles in the sun.....the adventure imprinted on my soul. New Mexico is truly a land of enchantment and somewhere I always look forward to returning. The noontime sun casts sundial shadows on the Spanish architecture......where does the time go?

Again, this year, Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) is having their One Foot Square Benefit Auction to support their exhibitions, catalogs and outreach programs. The square I am donating is composed of raw-edge appliqued, hand-dyed fabrics, with machine embroidery and quilting. To see all of the wonderful quilts donated and learn more about SAQA, please check out the SAQA Benefit Auction.

Cacophony of Fiber

2010-02-27T13:14:00.000-05:00

I am pleased to announce that 2 of my pieces, "ISS" and "Påtår at Waldermarsudde", were juried into the "Cacophony of Fiber" show taking place at the Rose Room Gallery in the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, March 6 - April 30, 2010. There will be an opening reception on March 8, 6-7 pm. The exhibit, co-curated by Mary McBride and Judy Gillman, contains the work of 26 artists. On March 20, 3-5 pm, Canadian fiber artist and participant, Pamela Allen, will be on site discussing the works in the show.

"Påtår at Waldermarsudde"

Both of my pieces in the show have previously been covered in my blog, so I have linked the names to the original posts for further information. Hope you'll check it out if you're in the area :)

Fish in the Moon

2010-02-09T10:38:00.000-05:00

Fish in the Moon, 14" x 16", mixed media

Our quilt group, the Dirty Dozen, has embarked upon a new year of programs. Each month, one of us will be creating an exercise around a particular theme. These themes may be about content or execution. This month's was "Circles". Over the course of the month, we received broad instructions on things to include in our pieces.......and Voilà!

Fish in the Moon conforms to *most* of the instructions, while taking advantage of many of the fabrics I've already created with different printing techniques. It includes some gelatin monoprinting and some relief printing as well as my new fish silkscreen. (The screen design is from a rockfish watercolor I did years ago that I've always used as my "logo" on my quilt labels.) The piece is machine pieced, embellished and quilted. Another fun, spontaneous experience in fiber art :^) Thanks, Ruth Anne!

It's not where you live...

2010-02-01T09:59:00.000-05:00

Domicile, triptych (46" X 22"), 2010

(photographed on black background)

Domicile began as an experiment with relief printing and gel medium which morphed into a series of residences.

All three pieces are created with cotton fabrics and tissue paper, gel medium, acrylic paint, and glass cabochons.

Domicile I: Single-family Dwelling

Each composition consists of machine applique and quilting with hand embroidery and beading.

Domicile II: Duplex

Domicile III: Apartment

The elements are all the same......it's how you live :)

Reminder: You can click on any image to enlarge for detail.

Meeting Betty.....

2010-01-05T15:11:00.001-05:00

Autumn Evening 23" x 34"

I fell in love with Betty Busby's work the first time I saw Autumn Evening at a show in North Carolina last year......and that was the beginning. I tracked her down on-line to see what else she had done and discovered a colorful, intriguing, beautifully executed body of work! On a whim, I requested her "friendship" on Facebook, where we've communicated since (....and she's routinely beaten me at Scrabble).

While visiting family in New Mexico over the holidays, I had the pleasure of meeting her in person. She invited me to her Monday art group, a great group of women, immediately warm and welcoming. Betty's an amazing woman of many talents and interests, with an immense dedication to her art.....a real inspiration to me. Did I mention, she has really cool chickens?

Harry got to join in a project she was doing with a couple of kids one evening and had a great time.

It was a lot of fun to finally meet and spend some time together......and seeing her work up close is amazing! Looking forward to next time!

Urchin, 27.5" x 30"

Still learning......

2009-12-09T16:51:00.000-05:00

too dark

I've been working on this Chinook salmon smolt print for several weeks now and I can't get it quite right...... The print consists of 3 plates; a yellow and a blue aquatint and a black aquatint and line etch plate. So far I've learned:

a little bit of yellow goes a *long* way

you probably shouldn't aquatint the line etch

too blue

overwiped

I always learn something new in the print lab! I'll keep trying with this one after the holidays:)

Welcome to the world, Little Bird

2009-11-09T16:04:00.001-05:00

Elyse Genevieve

Born October 19, 2009

Just got back from sharing a week with Russ and Cherie and my beautiful first grandchild, Elyse.

What a joy! How lucky we all are!

Coffeetable Mangroves

2009-10-27T22:08:00.000-04:00

In the wild, mangroves protect tropical coastlines. By slowing water flow through their complex root system, they help decrease erosion and create a unique ecosystem perfect for nurturing young organisms.

In FL, mangroves are protected and cannot be removed without a permit. However, this time of year, the plants shed their already germinated seeds (called propagules) and they drift in the rivers and lagoons, as well as the ocean.

Eventually, they wash ashore and can be collected for cultivation. Once rooted, they create an interesting display or can be useful for "filtering" in marine aquaria. So, to start, take a walk on the beach and collect as many of these as you'd like (remember, they make great gifts:). You may want to focus on one size or a variety. Be careful to leave behind the ones that have been chewed on or broken.

Once home, rinse them off and put them brown end down into a couple of inches of water in a clear glass container. Tap water works just fine. Don't pack them tightly (like the picture:(

Leave them on the counter or somewhere they can catch a bit of natural light and over a couple months they will start to grow roots!

I like to wait until they have a leaf started before I transplant.

Then, I use cheap glass containers and gravel I get at IKEA to make the arrangement. Pour a shallow layer of gravel into the bottom of the container. Gently separate the rooted propagules and stand them on the gravel, using more gravel to prop them upright.

Add water, as needed, to keep roots submerged. Relax and enjoy! They're really pretty cool.....

International Sea Bean Symposium

2009-10-17T14:00:00.000-04:00

I haven't really mentioned one of the coolest things I've discovered living on the Florida coast. Sea beans! I had never heard of them when I moved here 4 years ago and now I am attending my 5th Sea-Bean Symposium (their 14th annual) this weekend. Among the talks, displays and other things, there will be a raffle of donated items. As homage to all of the things I love; science, nature, and fiber art, I made my first piece of sea bean art (above) to donate.

I used "Super Solvy" and little random strips of sheer fabrics I'd cut to create the "sargassum" bowl.....which, tragically looked more like camo:(

Forging on, I selected a nice seaheart I'd found on the beach and created a beaded bezel. Voila......objet d'art!

Some sea beans I've collected on our beach.....more about that later:)

Bloggers' Quilt Festival

2009-10-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

Domicile I: Single-family Dwelling

Welcome to Bloggers' Quilt Fest! Many thanks to Park City Girl, the genius behind it all. I'm very excited to be participating again. This time I wanted to share one of my recent favorite quilts, pictured above. It's the first in a series of four that are based on dream fragments and the fantasies of little girls' as they lay in bed waiting to fall asleep. They explore the idea of a house and a home.

As a child, I would imagine a door at the back of my closet that opened into a glamorous, magical place. Descending the spiral staircase, *I* would become glamorous and magical! But, alas, no door!

As an adult, I've had a wonderful recurring dream where I purchase a simple, usually rundown house, and in the process of moving in, I discover an amazing room/attic/garden...that I had not realized was there when I purchased it. I'm not a dream analyst, but it seems just loaded with metaphors! And that is what I am exploring, what makes a structure a house, what are the surprises we find in life, in us.......

These quilts were a lot of fun to make.....and this one, in particular, virtually made itself during a creative weekend with friends. It incorporates a variety of materials and techniques, including, tissue paper, printing and rubbings acrylic paints and gel media, raw edge applique, hand and machine embroidery, handmade glass cabochons and beading.

Thanks for coming and come again.....your comments are always welcome! I look forward to visiting each of you!

The Swedish Cafe: Påtår* at Waldemarsudde

2009-10-03T09:20:00.000-04:00

The opening for our group show is this afternoon, so I thought it would be appropriate to put up my challenge piece, "Påtår at Waldemarsudde". The challenge, The Swedish Cafe, was to create a 12" x 18" quilt inspired by the photo (below). I had the good fortune to have taken the photo, so I remembered the scene quite well. The room had reminded me of my grandmother's shiny, white tile kitchen, and was bright and sunny. A perfect place to share a cup of coffee with my friend, Barbro.

My inspiration was the geraniums on the bright window sill. I selected all sheer fabrics, to capture the light, almost transparent scene. The layers blended beautifully, just as I'd hoped! For batting, I used a piece of cotton shirting left over from my son's shirt I had made for his wedding in Sweden 9 years ago. Perfect!

I learned a lot about working with sheers on this project. I loved the effect so much, I'm looking forward to using them again!

* a cryptic translated definition of påtår can be found here. One of my favorite Swedish words!

It's Show Time!

2009-09-30T13:25:00.001-04:00

Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists 6th Annual Exhibit,

October 2-31, 2009

@ Boutique 4 Quilters, West Melbourne, FL

Opening Reception October 3, 2009, 1-3 PM

Hope you'll join us! For more details, click here.

The exhibit includes current works by all 12 DDFA, including several group challenges. This piece "Barbie's Caviar", is my entry in the "Group Therapy" challenge, exploring a variety of gel media.

It got very pink in there........and if you look closely, it pays homage to my fish embryology days.

If you knew how I felt....

2009-09-22T15:24:00.000-04:00

Shelves and baskets of beautiful dyed wool roving

and batting and other things I have yet to

learn the proper names of.....

One of the things I have found to amuse myself while traveling, is needle felting. It's compact, doesn't require a lot of extra paraphernalia, and you can create some real neat little figures. It's just much easier to do on the road than my other fiber art pursuits.

So imagine how pleased I was to discover the New England Felting Supply store just minutes from my son and daughter-in-law's new home in Easthampton, MA.

It's located in a beautifully renovated 1920's movie theater in the downtown area. You enter through a gallery in front which opens into this huge, magical, exposed-brick "candy" store in the back! Where to begin?

Another really neat thing about needle-felting is it's easy to teach the young people in your life how to do it.... and they'll love it, too!

(l to r) Totoro, a fox in progress and Harry's owl.

All the supplies you need to needle felt, some wool, some styrofoam and a couple of felting needles!

Flowers for my Granddaughter

2009-09-12T09:18:00.000-04:00

My son and his wife are expecting a baby girl the beginning of November and we are all getting very excited about it. It will be the first grandchild for me and a *girl* after three wonderful sons. They had asked me to paint a mural on her wall, another first for me.... I pondered what would be a fitting subject and settled on zinnias, a favorite in my father's gardens.

Russ had painted the room a great "Banana Cream" and picked a sunny corner.

I added Lilla My - a favorite character from the Moomin series by Tove Jansson. "She is a small, determined and fiercely independent Mymble. When she wants something done, she does it straight away. She is very aggressive, mischievous to a fault and totally disrespectful, but can be a good friend when she wants to." A great role-model:^)

Painting the mural was so much fun. It was so great to see them in their new home. And Cherie is just radiant! Babies....amazing!

Coffee with the Muse

2009-09-10T02:12:00.000-04:00

Linda, Diane, and Vivika (l to r)

I've had a wonderful time in New England this past week, visiting family and friends. Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to have coffee and an impromptu quilt show-and-tell with members of Sisters in Cloth in Guilford, CT. Diane Wright and Vivika Hansen DeNegre were members of an earlier incarnation of Sisters that I was involved with when I lived there 6+ years ago. We were joined by current group member, Linda Zimmerman. Everyone shared their current projects and some wonderful pieces I had only seen in pictures. The group has really grown and enjoyed a variety of successes; collective shows, juried shows and magazine articles! It was a real inspiration for me. I love these opportunities to share! Thank you, to each of you!

A small, delicate piece from the "Chroma" series by Vivika.

A beautiful, colorful, hand-quilted piece by Linda.

A wonderful example of Diane's trademark moon and trees!

Material Girl

2009-08-24T23:56:00.001-04:00

About 9 months ago I joined a wonderful group of local quilt artists called the "Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists". One of the stipulations for membership was creating a representational self-portrait, that, among other things, would be exhibited at our annual show. With the show looming on the horizon, I needed to get it wrapped up! The striped shirt had sort of put me off, but once I actually started the project took on a life of it's own.

Probably not the most creative thing I've ever done, but the process was neat and could have a million applications! For more info about that process, check out my earlier post on the Dirty Dozen blog.

Wild Life: A visit with Bill

2009-08-24T09:40:00.001-04:00

Hurricane Bill passed some distance off the coast of FL last week, sending higher than usual high tides, impressive lightening and rain, and a few sea beans our way. The beautiful sunrise on Saturday was host to more surfers than I have ever seen here! I thought I was in Southern California!

Visited the skimmer nursery to find the tides had washed over some of the nests, leaving about a dozen eggs strewn about.

Despite the setback, they seem to be continuing to nest successfully. A little, fuzzy grey head popped up, when the adult (above) stood up.

It's become quite the "multi-generational" flock now. Apparently, the juveniles won't get their full adult plumage until next summer. Click here to hear what they sound like when you get too close (and multiply is x 100)!

A dark sky and a brief downpour gave way to a beautiful sunset and hint of a rainbow. Surf's up.....

Why I love the morning!

2009-08-18T10:16:00.001-04:00

Living on the Florida coast has provided an endless series of awesome sights, many of which you can catch in the early morning. These last few mornings have been incredible. This morning I went for a walk on the beach and witnessed a sea turtle nest hatching (a first for me!)

Probably 100 little loggerheads came pouring out and made their way to the water's edge. There was no stopping them! Instinct is powerful!

Sunday morning I walked on the beach and got to see the amazing black skimmer "nursery" that has sprung up in Cocoa Beach! About 150 skimmers stood watch over 8+ nests and a handful of newly hatched ones.

The only birds outside of the taped off area were a couple of wayward chicks whose mother reminded passersby that they shouldn't get any closer.

....and yesterday morning I got a text message at 6:30am confirming the 6:35 launch of the Delta II rocket. Made it to the backyard in time to see it rise above the horizon and catch the first signs of a beautiful Florida sunrise!

Have a great day!

friends, fiber, and fun w/ a twist of Bikram Bob....

2009-08-16T20:06:00.000-04:00

(l to r) Ruth Anne, Martha, Ellen, Paula, Lisa-Marie, Irene, Jill

I've just returned from a wonderful, relaxing, creative weekend with fellow members of my Art Quilt group, the Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists. Oh, my goodness, what a great time I had. We shared a couple of condos in Cocoa Beach for a long weekend of sewing, laughing, and getting to know each other better. And, it was really productive, too.

This is one of the pieces I had started printing earlier last week----it just flowed out, with the help of a little sangria :^) to improve the quality of my free-motion quilting! I love it! It captures the spirit of the weekend for me and the joy of having special friends! Thanks, guys!

Plastics

2009-08-11T20:46:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a hiatus from completing my Travelogue for a moment and getting some work together for a retreat this weekend. I was supposed to be working on backgrounds with matte medium and gesso, but instead they have become something very different.

I ended up "decoupaging" tissue paper to my muslin with gloss medium mixed with orange interference, printing multiple sizes of bubble wrap, and finally printing some injection mold "skeletons". I *love* these things. I've collected a bunch from my son's Japanese Gundam models and got a few others on our trip this summer. They're perfect for several themes I like to work with.

I was thinking about Woodstock when I made these, thinking I wanted to do something flower-powery. But these seem more 60's to me, modular homes, ode to plastic. I think they'll be fun backgrounds to create from!

Travelogue: Millesgården

2009-07-30T16:24:00.001-04:00

Six Angel Musicians, 1949

Fast forward to Stockholm, Sweden. We've been here a week now, but with very limited wifi access. I'll have to do a lot of catching up, later......

But, today we spent a very peaceful afternoon at Millesgården, the studios, home and gardens of sculptor Carl Milles (1875-1955) and his wife Olga. The grounds sit on a hillside, high above the water, creating a wonderful backdrop for his sculptures.

Hand of God, 1954

My personal favorite,

The Fountain of the Muses, (the Sculptor, Painter, and Musician), 1955

Travelogue: Mariastein and environs

2009-07-23T20:32:00.000-04:00

We had a very special last evening in Switzerland with a brief visit to Mariastein Abbey and walk into France with a picnic at the castle ruin at Landskron.

Mariastein was a pilgrimage site as early as 14th century. The legend of the miracle of the Blesssed Virgin Mary tells of a young boy falling from the hilltop, where the Abbey sits, while his mother napped in the cave far below, where the stone chapel is.

Caught in the arms of "a beautiful woman" the mother found her child picking flowers in front of the cave when she awoke.

This was great, a fresh milk machine! Help yourself to a container and fill it up.

The perilous border crossing between Switzerland and France (or into the EU).

We picnicked atop the keep of the ruins of the Chateau de Londskron, originally built in the 13th century. The view of the Swiss and French countryside was beautiful!

....and so we bid adieu to my brother and his family and head on to Sweden in the morning!

Travelogue: Tinguely Museum

2009-07-23T16:00:00.000-04:00

The Tinguely Museum is a really fun collection of kinetic sculptures that twist and turn and squeak and flash assembled from, literally, everything from old automobiles to garden gnomes. Their creator, Jean Tinguely (1925-1991) grew up in Basel and belonged to the Parisian avant-garde. The collection had changed since last summer with many new sculptures to watch and walk through, anticipating what they'll do when they start to move.

This is a mask from a Fasnacht sculpture with probably a half dozen other masks that bobbed and twirled and creaked. Basler Fasnacht is a big, annual affair in February with lots of live music and parades.....and big noses! I'd love to catch it some time.

Harry was a little disappointed that the robotic arm that smashed electric appliances (from TV's to blenders) was missing this year.

In it's place was an interesting exhibit of unlikely, but dramatic "evening gowns" complemented by armor.

Some of them were really pretty neat---however, not as cool as a hammer smashing a hard-drive.

Travelogue: Evening in Kaysersberg, France

2009-07-22T22:03:00.000-04:00

Headed into the Alsace region of France for an evening in Kaysersberg, home of Dr. Albert Schweitzer. Vineyards lined the roads and cross-hatched the hillsides leading into the quaint town. Storks nested in the chimneys and on rooftops. Quite a spectacle!

Many tudor-style homes from the 14th century, always with beautiful flower boxes. This one is above a winery and attached to the chapel.

Chapelle De L'Oberhof, 1391

I'm still doing a lot of fiddling with my camera functions and got this neat photo in the low light of the 13th century Kaysersberg cathedral. Looks like a painting.