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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Quilts in Color, part 5

Rhonda Rodero is featured today. She has no website, but in the Racine Area, quilter's are aware of her wonderful talents.  She is my neighbor:  meet Rhonda.
The Anderson Art Center
January 29-March 25, 2012
6501 Third Ave.
Kenosha, WI  53143
262-653-0481
hours 1-4:00 Tuesday through Sunday

Wisterias Bloom, quilt by Rhonda Rodero

Haiku  by Marisa Rodero
Wisterias bloom--
Laced with a golden breeze stay
Untouched in glory

Rhonda Rodero comes from a family rich with artistic talent; poets, painters and dancers to name a few. She also has had the advantage of a colorful cultural heritage. She grew up in Arizona and studied in El Salvador, Madrid, Arizona State University, and the University of Southern Florida. Her background provides her with a wide range of subjects from which to draw and a sunny palatte of colors to combine in her quilts. Rhonda found her passion when her husband gave her a sewing machine for their first wedding anniversary.  (He thought she could do the mending!)
Detail, Wisterias Bloom by Rhonda Rodero
Quilting became a serious occupation by the time her two daughters were almost grown. She currently lives in Mount Pleasant, Racine County which is rich with quilters at all levels.  

 Photography and drawing are two of her hobbies which serve her well when it comes to designing her quilts.  She chooses subjects from nature; landscapes, birds and plant life. She uses rich fabrics and covers them with lifelike embroidery and quilts them with close attention to detail to create a sculptured look to her subjects. 
¡Pura Vida!, quilt by Rhonda Rodero

Zenith of Color, quilt by Rhonda Rodero
Combined with her artistic eye, her attention to detail has brought her success in shows and competitions. She has been awarded many prestigious prizes in area and national exhibits.

Night Blooming CereusJasper? Cleo? Is That You?,  and Profusion of Color, quilts by Rhonda Rodero
Quilt detail Profusion of Color

As you can see her ability to draw is very important in her work.  Her sense of color is amazing.
Flight of Fancy, quilt by Rhonda Rodero,  her most recent piece
Even though I don't have a detail photo of this quilt, you can see more of  the attention to detail that I've been telling you about.  Rhonda's heavy quilting makes this quilt come to life with texture. 

Many years ago, Rhonda asked me to come into her house to look at a quilt that she was working on.  I didn't know her well at the time.  She had some questions about some sewing or piecing, I don't remember the exact nature of the difficulty she was experiencing.  I said, "Pull out your thread, and let's see what you might use."  She opened a drawer, pulled out a small box with about five spools of thread in it.  So I said, "Where's the rest of your thread?"  Well those 5 spools were all she had collected!  As you can see, Rhonda's collection of both thread and fabric now includes a broad palette of colors.

Thank you Rhonda for your wonderful work.

Ann Fahl





5 comments:

Cedar Ridge Studio said...

Very nice quilts you have a great neighbor. Is there anything doing with quilting June 9th to the 15th in your area?

Sally said...

Thank you for introducing us to this talented quilt artist. Outstanding work and I can see why she's won many awards for her pieces.

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

Wow!!! not being an artist; I find it simply amazing that people are so creative with fabrics......stunning pieces.

annieQ said...

There is a show of art quilts at the Wisconsin Quilt Museum. Here is a link on my schedule page. http://www.annfahl.com/schedule scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Kelly said...

I am loving this tour! Great for those of us that do not live nearby. Thank you so much for sharing!