The Show is Over

This happens every time at the conclusion of a show.  For months and sometimes years, I have prepared for an exhibit. The opening is a thrill, because the work is hanging on the walls and it looks so wonderful.  I can't believe that I have created all that stuff!

Then the end of the show arrives, everything comes off the walls of the gallery, and it gets packed up to go home. It's over.  Then this cloud seems to hover over your life.  It took so much preparation and it's over, another artist or group arrives to hang their show in your place.  So I'm feeling the downturn in my spirits.  Now when this happens, I'm not surprised and I understand what is going on.

This time, we are experiencing this wonderful very early warm spring in Wisconsin and I can go out and dig, rake and transplant! This is a sure thing, it makes me feel really good.

Hepatica, a wild flower that is filling a spot near an old stump on a hillside.

Little sprouts of May Apples are pushing through the leaves.

Here is a cluster of May Apples that are beginning to open.  Soon when will be like umbrellas that are knee high.

There are daffodils and narcissus everywhere. 

The King Alfred Daffodils bloom outside the windows of my studio.  On a warm day the fragrance is wonderful.

These white primroses have never bloomed for me.

These little primroses have never been so beautiful.  It must be the mild winter and early spring that has made them so large and colorful.

These purple ones are always the first to open up.  I usually find them in mid April when I push the leave aside and find them. 

All these flowers and brilliant colors have boosted my spirits, and when the weather is warm enough, I am in full gardening mode.  My quilting will have to wait!

Ann Fahl

The End is Near

Again, a long awaited show is coming to a conclusion.  Quilts in Color, closes this Sunday March 25.  You still have a couple days to get there.  Here is my "fireplace" photo.  Another View, is included in my book, A Black and White Tale, and is hanging in the parlor of the Anderson Arts Center.

Flamingo Garden, Purple Iris, Smelling the Flowers

Gallery View

Another deadline.  For those of you interested in my Free-Motion Quilting Tutorial, the termination is March 31.  If you'd like to read it go to this link. Thanks to SewCalGal for putting this challenge on the web.

I'm going outside to work in my garden now.

Ann Fahl

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 Cereus,  Jasper? 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

Quilts in Color, part 4

This blog features Barbara J. Schneider from Northern IL.

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

All the artists have gotten a "fireplace" shot.  This one features 2 of Barbara Schneider's pieces from her "Reflections series.

Barbara J. Schneider  says  “I began quilting in 1996 and rediscovered the pleasure of working with cloth, paint, dye, and thread. My background is in visual design and I worked for many years as a designer in the publishing industry. I take lots of photos of found objects, nature, shadows and tactile details. These as well as my underlying interest in the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi have had a strong influence on the direction of my work.  I have an extensive background in surface design and teach as well as exhibit my work nationally and internationally. My artwork is in both private and public collections.”

 

Her Reflections series explores the concept of reflection and how to capture the essence of images that are not physically there, images made of light and movement, images that change. Her depiction of water is what draws me to her work.  She also uses other images, but in this exhibit she featured her water pieces. 

Quilt by Barbara J. Schneider,  from the Reflections Var. 1

Her work is an exploration and interpretation of natural images by enlarging and reshaping them. She collects leaves, pods, flowers, grasses and look closely at their structure and shape. In particular, Barbara likes to collect these natural objects at the end of summer when they have begun to wither and fragment. Looking at them closely and then enlarging them allows her to see them as sculptural objects. She captures the play of light upon surfaces, and shaping the pieces introduces a new element – light and shadow interacting with the undulating surfaces. 

A corner of Barbara J. Schneider's gallery, quilts from the Reflections series

Quilt by Barbara J. Schneider, Reflections Var 11

Even removing the color and designing in black and white her work is fascinating.  This quilt is very wide, but not tall, and completely filled a wall in her upstairs gallery with a Lake Michigan view. 

One other thing, Barbara included some of her 3 yard pieces, which she has printed and manipulated in many ways.  In the gift shop at the Anderson, there are several beautiful wall pieces for sale.

Barbara is from Northern Illinois. She teaches, lectures and exhibits her work extensively. http://www.barbaraschneider-artist.com

Come and visit the Anderson before this exhibit changes. 

My next artist featured will be someone without a web presence:  Rhonda Rodero.  Her work is wonderful.

Ann Fahl

Quilts in Color: part 3

This is part 3 about the exhibit Quilts in Color at the:

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

The featured artist today is Melody Johnson, who has been a quilt artist since 1981. She was also a professional fabric dyer for twelve years . Melody's education includes a BA in painting and drawing from Northeastern Illinois University in1981 and an MA in Fibers from Northern Illinois University in1994.

Melody's philosophy of quilt making is "all color all the time."  According to her, you can never have enough color! The two of us have had many interesting discussions of color, embroidery and fabric. Her quilts emanate with her joy of color.

Here are Melody's quilts hung above another of the Italian marble fireplaces. The quilts are from her Bon Bon series.

All of Melody's constructions are fused pieces, they appear to be pieced, but they are not.  Her quilting makes them appear to be pieced or appliqued. 

Zig-zag # 5,  quilt by Melody Johnson

 Don't you just love the jagged lines in the "rick rack" segments.  They add such strong directional interest in the quilt.  The edge also has "prairie points" to carry out the zigzag theme; I love the fact that they are irregular.  Melody created the perfect edge for this quilt.  Look closely, this is just a 9 patch block.  Isn't it wonderful and joyous?

Matchstick Moon and Matchstick Moons 2, quilts by Melody Johnson

 To create the surface patterns, Melody has used many fine thin strips to create the circular images and the grass-like textures.

Technique Rebellion III-Redux,  quilt by Melody Johnson

Technique Rebellion, above is without a doubt the most impressive quilt in her gallery.  The color and threadwork take your breath away! I am sorry there isn't a detail shot of this quilt.  It is so rich with thread, it is almost like velvet.

Parallel Paths,  quilt by Melody Johnson

This quilt is reminiscent of some of her mosaic pieces.  This was of course is rich with color and texture.  Her use of her own hand dyed fabrics makes all of her quilts sing.

If you would like to see more of Melody's work, you must visit her website. It is in glorious color and you will love seeing all of her work together.

Melody works in her home studio in Tennessee. "For me it's a balance of making the work and helping others find their artistic gifts. I loved the teaching experience, the encouragement, and mind opening exchange between the student and myself.   Teaching was an extension of my art. I am so happy now to have the time and space to enjoy my husband's retirement, to create new work, and to share my daily adventures via my blog. "

Thanks Melody for adding so much color to our day.

Ann Fahl

 

Quilts in Color: part 2

This is the second segment in a series about the quilt exhibit at the Anderson Arts Center in Kenosha WI.

January 29-March 25, 2012

6501 Third Ave.

Kenosha, WI  53143

262-653-0481

hours 1-4:00 Tuesday through Sunday

Marcia Stein's work is my subject today.  Marcia is a San Francisco textile artist whose award-winning work has been shown in a number of juried exhibitions at galleries, museums, and quilt shows throughout the country and is included in several public and private collections.  

I have always found large blocks of color in quilts to be most appealing to me.  They make bold statements that make you step back and study and enjoy the work.  As you will see Marcia likes color too. She is the author of a book from C and T called Picture This!  The image on the cover is included in the show.

Quilt by Marcia Stein,  Sidewalk Cafe

The quilt is stunning.  The black and white stripes are of course very graphic, and are machine pieced.  Also umbrellas are always dramatic, even though Marcia's are not opened up.

She says, “While I still enjoy using the geometric shapes of traditional quilt making and the more free-form techniques of contemporary quilt art, my current work focuses on storytelling through appliqué, and for this I call upon my interest in photography.”

“I enjoy seeking out photographic subjects with an eye toward their successful translation into fabric. I like to portray a scene in a representational way yet with a whimsical quality that makes the work smile back at me as I recall the moment I caught the image on film."

Quilt by Marcia Stein,  '52 Pickup

Both of my son's liked this quilt, they used to have a 1995 Dodge pickup. The angle that she used to picture the truck is most interesting. Marcia used a wide variety of fabrics in this one, including some metallic ones. I am sure she had fun creating this quilt.

Quilt by Marcia Stein, French Laundry 

Of all of Marcia's quilts in the exhibit, this one was my favorite.  Laundry isn't my favorite thing to do, but I remember my mother hanging the wash outdoors in the summer when we lived in New Jersey.  My sisters and I would have fun running in and out and around all the sheets and towels.  This setting was inspired by a photo that Marcia took.  You can find it on her website.  The background is just two colors of beige fabric and this creates such a textured and shadowed wall. The laundry hanging on the railing is just wonderful.  The clothing and the shutters behind are hand appliqued. What great detail.

Look at the stitching on the pockets of this pair of pants.

Here is a detail of one of the shutters.

Marcia states, "My current series is based on photographs I took in Santa Fe, Italy, England, and the South of France.”

Ladies in Waiting  and   Gone for a Walk  quilts by Marcia Stein

Gone for a Dip  and   French Laundry  quilts by Marcia Stein

Originally from Chicago, Marcia is a graduate of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She took up quilting in 1992, after a lifelong interest in other needle arts, and has been pursuing her interest in textile art full-time since 1996.

French Shoes by Marcia Stein

 What little girl wouldn't want a pair of shoes like this?  Thank you Marcia for creating such interesting art.

Ann Fahl

 

A Peek at "Quilts in Color" part 1

I drove down to the Anderson Arts Center to see the quilt exhibit again, and to take all the photos that I didn't have time for the day of the opening.  It's a lovely old mansion, filled with light and beautiful views. I will begin showing you the exhibit Quilts in Color, one artist at a time.

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

View from one of the upstairs galleries.  Lake Michigan was very churned up on Sunday.

I'm going to begin with Gloria Hansen's gallery. Her work was lighted, gloriously, get it?  I have always been attracted to the color and movement in her work. Years back I was quite taken by a tiny piece called "Blushing Triangles."  I liked the colors, her threadwork and the visual impact of the quilt.  This was my chance to see more of her work in person.

Circles Collide, by Gloria Hansen.  Here is one of her medium sized pieces over the lovely Italian marble fireplace.

 

 

Gloria Hansen lives and works in East Windsor NJ.  She is considered a pioneer in uniting the quilt maker with the computer, and in 1996 she co-authored The Quilter’s Computer Companion, a ground-breaking book published by No Starch Press. She also wrote or co wrote 13 titles in the Free Stuff on the Internet series publishing by C&T Publishing. Her latest book Digital Essentials, the Quilt Maker’s Must Have Guide to Images, Files, and More, published by Electric Quilt Company.

Color Fields 1 by Gloria Hansen.  Candace Hoffman, the curator adds 3D pieces throughout the galleries.

 

 

Detail of above quilt showing the metallic thread use.

The above quilt was the smallest in her gallery.  It was my favorite because of her expert use of a flat iridescent thread, probably Sliver or Glitter.  The twinkle that the metallic thread added was beautiful.

Gloria’s work has been exhibited throughout the country and abroad for over two decades. She says “My work is about geometric shapes, photographic imagery, and visual ambiguities expressed in cloth and stitch. In this collection of work, I’ve selected quilts spanning nearly a decade in time. The common thread among the pieces are bold color and geometric pattern. I designed each quilt using computer software."

Perspectives II by Gloria Hansen.  This is machine pieced and hand quilted. When I stepped back from this quilt, the dramatic perspective was a surprise.

"The oldest piece is from 2001, and it features fabrics that I hand painted or dyed. The remaining works all feature fabric that I digitally painted using computer software and then digitally printed with archival ink onto silk or cotton fabric. The surfaces also include some traditional media, such as fabric paints and pastels. The oldest work is machine pieced and hand quilted, the other seven pieces are machine pieced and quilted.” Her work has been included and appeared in shows, competitions and galleries around the world.

Upper--Squared Illusions IV,  Lower--Witley Decay 2, by Gloria Hansen

 

Upper--Going in Circles, Lower--Going in Circles II, by Gloria Hansen

 

 

This is the end of the Gloria Hansen exhibit. Be sure to visit both her website and blog to learn more about how she works. Thank you Gloria for sharing your work with us.

My next installment will feature quilt artist Marcia Stein.

Ann Fahl