Quilts at Empty Spools/Asilomar 04-22-24

I took about 30 quilts to show as Collector in Residence.  At the last minute before leaving home, I decided to add a few more very large pieces that would show well in the large space of Merrill Hall.  Some of the smaller quilts I changed out daily, including the 12"X12" bird quilts.  These are the pieces hung from the balcony at the back of Merrill Hall.   More tomorrow night.

     "Not Even Solomon" (Eucalyptus bloom)  Ruth de Vos  Australia  2009                   This is entirely machine pieced and quilted. 

L  to  R   "Through the Lens"  Marianne Burr - WA  2012  

"Copper Tree" Joan Colvin - WA   2003

"An Exaltation of Larks"  Mary Quinn  CO  2010

"Purple Reign"  Deb Cashatt   CA  2024  Machine pieced and quilted.

L to R   "Arnold Marathon"  Yvonne Porcella  CA  2006

"Getting My Ducks in a Row"  Pamela Allen  Canada 2005 

"Desert Nights"  Terry Grant   OR 2014

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TCQC quilts at Surfside QGuild 12-12-19

On Tuesday morning I presented a program at the meeting of Surfside Quilters Guild in San Clemente, CA, showing some of the quilts in the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection. The Collection contains about 365 quilts, but, of course, I could only show about 35 in the hour of the program.  When the guild started in 2009 I did the first program and a subsequent one in 2011, so I tried to only show quilts that weren't in either of those programs.  The members seemed to enjoy the presentation, it is always exciting to see a quilt "in the fabric" made by one of the "stars" in our quilting world.

On the stage to the left are "Rialto Tree" by Denise Oyama Miller and "Eleven 3 Thirteen" by Marianne Burr (which is all hand appliqued and quilted).  And on the right is Ruth B. McDowell's quilt "A Rash of Flamingos" (one of the larger quilts in the Collection at 100"W and 52"L).  

If any of you have pictures you took at the meeting I would enjoy having copies of them.  Can't give a program and take pictures at the same time!  

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I added this quilt to the Collection last fall when it was part of "Interpretations: Celebrating 30 Years" at Visions Art Museum in San Diego. This is the second of Marianne's quilts in TCQC.  Her work is amazing, such even stitches and density of stitch. 

"Eleven-3-Thirteen"  Marianne Burr  2013 43"h x 33"w

Silk, felt, chiffon fabrics. Silk and cotton threads.

From her website:  "Beginning with a length of china silk stretched taut, Marianne applies a succession of resists, dyes, and paints.  Hand applique of her hand colored silks of various  types and extensive and stitching with silk and cotton threads,  many of them hand dyed, complete each design. The process may take up to four months of full time work to complete, depending on the size."

 

Marianne's artist's statement: The chaos that began in northeastern Honshu when the earthquake and tidal wave struck on the 11th of March, 2011 has not abated. The ominous pattern of nuclear contamination continues to be discovered and the salt water destruction of the farmland is recognized. Technology has been overpowered by natural forces. As we grieve for the victims we can examine our own life choices.

 

Here are some details of the quilt showing Marianne's mastery of her needle and thread. 

 

The white is an overlay.

The dark blue is also an overlay.

The batting is heavy felt and the back is stitched to the felt, but not through the front of the quilt.

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"Interpretations" exhibit opening at Visions Art Museum 10-17-15

I am in San Diego at HIE again!   I drove down (2 1/2 hours)  for the opening reception for the "Interpretations" exhibit which opened  today.  This is an International juried exhibit with 32 quilts selected by an international jury - Noriko Endo of Japan, Dena Dale Crain of Africa and Alicia Merrett of UK.  They made wonderful selections and the Visions installation crew did a great job hanging the quilts to enhance our viewing pleasure.  The exhibit runs through January 3, 2016, and I hope you can all get to San Diego to see it "in the fabric".  There is a beautiful catalog available for $3 plus postage.  Check with the Visions staff.

 

This is the cover of the catalog showing Betty Busby's "Mycology".

The light spot in the upper left is a reflection from the lamp in my motel room. 

I tried a flash but it was even worse.  

The back of the catalog shows Marianne Burr's "Eleven 3 Thirteen".

Again there is the reflection from the lamp in the upper left corner.

 

After the reception I was fortunate to go out to Ikiru for a late dinner with Linda Colsh and Kathleen Probst.  We all had something different that has been pictured in this blog previously. Except Linda's selection of California Roll - it has never looked so good!  And  it was delicious.

 

Linda Colsh is giving a presentation tomorrow morning and I will attend that before heading home.  Perhaps lunch first ... at Ikiru?

 

The exhibits missing from Palm Springs were also missing at PIQF.  I understand the shipper was UPS!   Hope they locate the palette/shipping container soon.  Everyone would rather have their quilt than insurance money.

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Marianne Burr quilt - NOT in TCQC 01-24-15

Now that the Visions biennial, "The Sky's the Limit" is over, I want to share a quilt that I just love.  However, I  bought one of her quilts at Quilt National two years ago and am still waiting or it to appear after the QN quilts finish touring.  .Marianne's work is all done by hand using a base of heavy felt - it is just amazing.  This exhibit had more handwork than any exhibit I have ever seen - embroidery, embellishments, hand applique, kantha, you name it.   

"Eleven 3 Eleven"  Marianne Burr 2014  32"W x 43"L

Pictures don't do the quilts justice, but it is one of the only ways to share.  Unless you would like to hire me to bring quilts to your guild for a trunk show!

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Quilt Visions 2014 - Opening

Last night was the opening reception for Quilt Visions 2014, "The Sky's The Limit", at Visions Art Museum in San Diego.  This is always such an exciting event with many of the artists in attendance (24 out of 40 this year) along with the staff and most of the volunteers for the Museum.  It is always over too quickly and I want to gather all these people back again for more discussion and visiting.  These pictures were taken at events that happened today - a breakfast for the artists, a walk through with the artists talking about their quilts, a panel discussion about the process of jurying for Quilt Visions and Quilt National. 

 

 The Museum is not large and was very crowded, as you can see.  This is the reception area and gift shop with the Alcove Gallery on the left.  The artists with quilts hanging there are telling this squashed together crowd about their work.

These are the artists gathered for a picture.  I cannot identify each one, but will do so and run this picture again soon.  The quilt on the wall behind them is Emily Richardson's "Swiftly" which received the President's Award selected by the President of the Museum Board of Directors, Andrea Bacal.

 

A few of the artists didn't fit in one frame! On the wall to the left is "Points In Time" by Vicki Carlson of Fort Collins, CO.

 

Charlotte Bird is the chair of the exhibit and has managed, I believe, four of the previous Quilt Visions exhibits.  She is the person who puts all the pieces together and we all need to say "Thanks for a job well done."

Janet Steadman (Langley, WA) on the left is a long-time quilt maker whom I had not met previously,  yet one of her quilts has been in TCQC since 2000.   Friend, Visions volunteer and fellow artist Judy Warren-Tippets is on the right.  On the wall between them is Marianne Burr's (Coupeville, WA) "Eleven 3 Eleven" which won the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Recognition Award.  On the left above Janet's shoulder is Elizabeth Busch's (Glenburn, Maine) "Summer Walk". 

 

 

Mariam Machell is shown with the quilt that received the Mariam Machell Award for Beauty.  Mariam is one of the founding members of Quilt Visions.  The quilt selected by her friends at the Museum is "Ryu, Gwan-Sun by Shin-hee Chin of McPherson, Kansas.



Glimpses of Quilt National opening. 07-02-13

The opening of Quilt National - 2013 was May 24 and 25 in Athens, OH, at the Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center.  I planned a Road Trip around it, which I enjoyed very much (except for the tornadoes).  But at the time I ran out of steam by the end of the day and didn't blog much about the event.  So, I will do so in little drips and drabs over the next few weeks. 


On Sunday everyone who could squeezed into the gallery to hear the artists speak about their work and the specific quilt they have in QN '13. In the center of this picture is Marianne Burr talking about "Thru the Lens".  Marianne says that she is primarily an embroiderer and her quilts are covered with very detailed even hand stitching to create the image.  Her quilt is the cover of the catalog.  www.marianneburr.com
In the background are quilts by Anne Smith, Catherine Kleeman, and Susan Shie.
 

One activity that the artists seem to enjoy is acquiring the signatures of the other artists. They carry their catalogs around and form these little knots of autograph hunters.  I usually join in, but I didn't do much of it this time - don't know why.  Here we have Kris Sazaki (of the Pixeladies and also President elect of SAQA), Susan Polansky, Leslie Bixel, Beth Smith (Director of Visions Art Museum/SDiego), and Deb Cashatt (the other half of the Pixeladies).  Background left is "Bow" by Sylvia Gegaregian and on the right, "Moonset" by Brienne Elisabeth Brown.
 

Deidre Adams with her quilt "Tracings III"  60"square.
This is one of my favorites in this exhibit.  She has used the technique/style that she has developed over the past years, refining and "growing" it into this amazing blend of texture and color.  This quilt sold immediately or I would have added it to TCQC.  The image in the catalog doesn't do it justice and neither does this one - one too dark and this one with a gallery spot shining directly on it.  www.deidraadams.com

 

Here is a close up of Deidra's quilt.  It has been heavily quilted and then painted so that the higher parts of the surface show the paint.  The white rings are added by hand around each "rock".
 

"Solar City" by Katherine Knauer who stands beside her quilt talking of her art.  That is not a microphone in her hand, but a recording device set up by QN staff. 
This is one of the most "traditional" quilts in the exhibit, but only by comparison to what else is hanging.  I think this is the "happiest/sunniest" quilt in the exhibit.  No website.
 

"No One But You" was made by Susan Polansky (picture above) and is another of my favorites.  The details are marvelous and viewed from a distance it just made me smile.  Another happy quilt.  www.susanpolansky.com
 

Isn't it amazing that these details read as they do from a distance.
 

 
"The Conversation" and artist Mary Ann Tipple.  This diptych is 72"W and 92"L.  A large piece that makes a striking impression from a distance.  It is hung at the end of the gallery so that it can be seen when visitors first walk through the door.  This is Mary Ann's father and his sister in the late 1930s.  She comments "since they are on two panels they can be switched to positions of agreement and disagreement.  I admire Mary Ann's work very much and have one of her large quilts (but not this large!) in TCQC.  This quilt sold at the opening.
www.textilearttipple.com