More Great News!

Today brought an envelope with more great news!  Two of my pieces are accepted into the Art for God's Sake exhibition at St. Anastasia's Roman Catholic Church, Troy, MI, May 3-5, 2013.

The two pieces chosen for this exhibition are shown below.

Five Smooth Stones was inspired by the story of David and Goliath...a reminder that it is not always the biggest or strongest that finally wins.

"Five Smooth Stones"

Experience was inspired by the quote: "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience..." -- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

"Experience"

Besides the excitement of being accepted in these exhibitions, all this good news is important to me because this year, 2013, I'm calling my year of "Investment". I want to concentrate on my art and see if there is really something for me in this direction. So far, I'm thinking I'll definitely keep investing!  There are so many of you who read this blog that have encouraged and advised me that I share all this with you as well.  None of us are on this journey alone. I'm just very privileged to be traveling alongside some very talented and wonderful people!  My deepest thanks to all of you.

What a week!!

This has been a strange week really.  Very sick so that was the downside.  BUT, at the same time, I found out that I was accepted in 2 more exhibitions!!

So in addition to Art on Main (my first public art exhibition) in the previous post below, I will also have pieces in the Fiber Arts exhibition at the Poudre River Gallery in Ft. Collins, CO, April 4-27, 2013. They accepted my small 12" X 12" art quilt entitled "Snow Tree".

"Snow Tree"

Then shortly after that, I received word that my two pieces entered for the Celebrate African Grandmothers were accepted.  These two pieces were made especially for this exhibition that will tour Canada this spring. Both are Mixed Media Textile art on canvas. The tour and subsequent auction of the works will raise funds for Royal City Gogos. It is a very worthy cause that, being a grandmother myself, I am  privileged to support.  For more information on Royal City Gogos, click HERE.  "Wall of Courage" was inspired by one of their promotional pieces in which the African Grandmothers were described as a wall of protection for the generation of grandchildren orphaned by AIDS. I imprinted the wall AND the clothing of these women to signify their solidarity in standing as protectors and support for the grandchildren they have chosen to raise. The symbols on Wall of Courage signify bravery and valor. The fabrics for their clothing are from Africa, as is the bark cloth in the background.

"Wall of Courage"

The second piece for Celebrate African Grandmothers is entitled "Tears of Joy" inspired by another comment in their promotional video that says these grandmothers prefer to look with joy and hope toward the future of their grandchildren.  Again the fabrics are from Africa as is the bark cloth. The many tears surrounding the main teardrop of a grandmother holding her baby grandchild, are crystal beads. The symbols in this piece signify unity, safety and security, and learning from the past.

"Tears of Joy"

Have to say...all this good news helped me feel better! Now I'm physically on the mend although still without a voice. 

More News!!

Received an e-mail this morning that my piece, "The Sapling" was accepted for Art on Main in Zumbrota, MN!!  The original art work had to be 12" X 22". Then, when accepted, it will be photographed and blown up to 24" X 44" vertical for banners to be placed on the lamp posts on Main Street in Zumbrota, MN!!

This is my first acceptance for Public Art!!

This is a very special piece for me. It became a kind of test/inspirational piece for my upcoming series "Pecans" that I'm doing in honor of my dad...who LOVED pecans and had planted his own orchard.  When he passed away, his ashes were buried under a HUGE pecan tree in what used to be their front yard.  While there for his memorial service, I took (with permission of the new owner) several twigs from that HUGE pecan tree and had thermofax screens made from them. Those are the screens I used for printing the "branches" for The Sapling.  The "trunk" is made from bark cloth from Africa (Thanks, Wil!!), a place my parents still held dear in their hearts after living there for a while.

So, Dad, this one is for you.....

Here is the piece that will be on Main Street -

THE  SAPLING

All fabrics are my own hand-dyed and surfaced designed fabrics. (except for the painted silk in the ground. That was a gift from a friend Canada. Thanks, Maggie!) The dark brown strip through the ground is hand-dyed yarn from a company run by my neice, Faith, and her business partner, TactileDactyl Fiber Art. Be sure to check them out!! Their yarn is luscious! And yes...those are real pebbles.

Some Exciting News!

ACCEPTED!!

My latest piece, "Spring Forward", has been accepted at the 17th Annual Primavera Springtime Celebration of the Arts in Plymouth, MN.  I hope any of you in the Twin Cities area will stop by and check it out!  The exhibition is April 12 - 15, 2013 at the Plymouth Creek Center, 14800 - 34th Avenue in Plymouth MN.  Click HERE for info and a map.  (And yes...those are real watch mainsprings and bits and gears)

Spring Forward

Next bit of news....I just received my advance copy of the book "Art Quilt Portfolio: People and Portraits".  My piece, "Sky Gazer" is in the PLAY Gallery on page 187!!  

CANCELLED - Still suffering from this danged flu. The Celebrate Show Giveaway will have to wait until next week I'm afraid.  BUT...I'll make TWO sets of snow dyed fabrics so be sure to comment to win when it is posted.

ACCEPTED!!

Just last night I received word that my piece "It Was A Dark and Stormy Night" was accepted for the PAGE TURNER exhibition at the Some Things Looming Gallery in Reading, PA!

"The digital era is altering how we read books so we wanted a challenge that alters the way we perceive books. Whether it be an altered book or incorporates pages of a book, we challenge you to create the ultimate...Page Turner.  Our major requirements for this challenge are that you incorporate fiber techniques and any parts or pages of a book."

As an avid mystery reader, I chose as my inspiration the iconic beginning line of a mystery novel - "It was a dark and stormy night...."  An angry gray sky, the storm crashing outside.  But a true fan of the page turner is cuddled up under her quilt. The light from the bedside lamp shining on the pages.  It is the dark and stormy night of her mystery novel that captures her attention.

I hand-dyed the background fabric so I could have the white spot for the big flash of lightening.  The house is made out of pages from ruined paperback books by 3 of my favorite mystery writers.  (The books had a run in with blue jello.....don't ask....)   I used gel medium to adhere them all together, cut out the house shape, painted it and added detail with stitching.  

I’m so excited!  Here is the piece:

It Was A Dark and Stormy Night