One More Module DONE

This unit represents the sun, the sun god Helios and the masculine principle YANG from the yin/yang symbol.  All are strongly affiliated with the color yellow.  The yin/yang is paper laminated to the underlying fabric, the first time that technique appears in the series.

Fifth Module DONE!

In spite of getting two big shows open last weekend I have been able to get back to work on my Chroma series and have finished the fourth portion of the design.  This one honors illnesses associated with the color yellow.  Ships carrying crew or passengers sick with the plague  were required to fly this flag essentially quarantining it.  And the two elements: cadmium sulphide and arsenic sulphide, were used in dye and paint recipes for the brilliant yellow they produced.  Many's the early chemist who lost his health in the making!  Believe it or not I actually had to remake this module three times to get the simplicity I wanted.  Was there a yellow curse??!?!!

Successful Opening

Quilts on the Wall's exhibit at the Hangar had a fantastic opening.  Zillions of folks turned up and three pieces sold.  If you missed it please come by between now and June 16 on a Wednesday-Saturday afternoon!

Delivery at the Hangar Gallery in Santa Monica

We brought 23 pieces of fine art textiles to the gallery where Quilts on the Wall will be exhibiting for the next four weeks.  Our job was to arrange them, get them name tagged and otherwise set up our show.  Annette Guerrero (Quilts on the Wall president) and Susan Willlen (artist extraordinaire) and I did it in a couple of hours.  Today the gallery's professional installer will be putting it all up on the walls.  If you are anywhere near the Santa Monica Airport this Saturday night from 6-9 please stop by for the grand opening.

Another Module

I have a fourth one finished in the Chroma Series: Yellow and have sketched out the next one as well.  It will deal with the chemicals/poisons artists have used over the eons to create the yellow dyes and paints.  This one is about the range of yellow which make up the primary color and plays with texture and reflection.

Another Module Done

The upper right corner of Chroma: Yellow is now complete, five more sections to go . . .

20 Quilts Off to Frostburg Museum

OMG!!!!  I spent the whole day getting the quilts packed and shipped off for my solo exhibition in Frostburg in Western Maryland.  I'm very excited and hope that if you or anyone you know is nearby you'll stop in for the opening (May 19) or just to visit while the show is up.  The flyer is on the blog if you scroll down a bit, or contact me for specifics.  All the pieces got ironed, de-linted and gently rolled over three swim noodles, all covered in plastic in case the bin runs into a rain storm along the way.  Wish them a safe journey!  Oh yea, I really do have an orchid color storage wall for the only logical reason there is: I can...

2 down, 6 to go . . .

I've been working on the first three modules two of which are more or less done and pinned up.  You can see the outlines of the rest of them.  I have a really strong connecting device in mind which will tie them all together.   That BIG REVEAL will not happen until the last of the eight units is done.  Remember to click on any photo you'd like to see in detail.

Yellow? Did someone say, "Yellow?"

Working on the the first Chroma piece.  Designing is done!  Many of the components are done.  Now it's time to start stitching.  I've divided the piece into 8 units and am starting with #5 for no particular reason.   Here are some of the goodies I've been rusting, dyeing, painting and otherwise creating.   The more specific symbolic items will work their way in once the ground is established.

Memories of Big Sur

This is a tapestry which I've brought out of storage.  Airing and cleaning. 

My SOLO Exhibition. Please come if you are nearby!!

20 of my art quilts will be on display.

Still Experimenting

Beginning to combine various experimental elements for the first of the Chroma panels. I have been thinking very literally about the symbols and images I want to include. Now I'm thinking more along the lines of a path, trail, road leading the eye to various more subtle elements. I've randomly pinned up some of the studies to a small design wall. Next I'll try an idea I have of adding in that visual trail to connect them.

In the Garden

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We did some serious planting of veggies this morning then I went out and took photos of what is already there: amaryllis and a shot of the pond in its spring glory. All 20 fish overwintered just fine including the four babies that hatched last summer.

Artist of the Month

I am currently the featured Artist of the Month on the Southern California/Hawaii Surface Design Association's blog. Please check it out as there are several photos of pieces from my Fierce Winds series: socalhawaiisda.blogspot.com

Chroma Studies

The yellow piece I posted last week is the second of the studies for what I hope will be a series of panels in conversation with one of my favorite things: color. Here are the first and third studies as well. The first is hand embroidered on black felt. The third looks quite a bit like the second but is actually entirely different. It is not on Timtex so is not stiff. It's cotton bonded to felt and then embroidered, appliqued and painted. It is the technique I've settled upon for the first actual panel. I need to get a couple of large pieces of insulation to use as a design wall up in the annex before I start - hoping for next week.

Really done this time!

Here are a couple of items I've posted previously but this time they really are done! The red quilt is called Gram Hava, one more in my Fierce Wind series - this one from the Indian subcontinent. The yellow piece is one of the trials I've been developing for the start of the Chroma series. I am now doing the fourth of these and will be ready to begin the actual piece as I have resolved a lot of questions about how to proceed. Much more on that anon!

Best of Artists' latest book NOW Available

I was approached about 6 months ago by this publisher about having two pieces of my work included in their next Worldwide Abstract and Mixed Media volume. I checked to be sure they were legit - they are and are a serious art publishing company. Well the book drops in a couple of weeks. Lots of variety in the book including some great tapestry weaving! Sorry about how long this address is. I'm on pages 140-142. Please check it out: http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1w49r/BestOfWorldwideAbstr/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http://free.yudu.com/item/details/496113/Best-Of-Worldwide-Abstract---Mixed-Media-Artists-Volume-II&utm_source=streamsend&utm_medium=email&utm_content=15901835&utm_campaign=Announcing%20the%20Best%20Of%20Artists%20Presents%20Worldwide%20Abstract%20%26%20MIxed%20Media%20Volume%20II