Quilt as Art by Leslie Gabriëlse

We were really excited to see this piece by artist Leslie Gabriëlse at the 2014 AQS show.  Featured in the SAQA Masters II exhibit, Woman with Two Gents gives the appearance of an impressionist painting when viewed from a distance.  This lovely scene is constructed with large and small pieces of textiles, which are stitched together by hand and augmented by acrylic paint. Like the great painters, Leslie imbues the scene with light. 

Woman with Two Gents, 60 x 78", by Leslie Gabriëlse (Rotterdam, Netherlands)

In the description of Woman with Two Gents, Leslie Gabriëlse says:  "The interaction between the woman and the men is obvious. The sun becomes her halo. She has a string of flowers around her. The setting: plants, beach, and sailboat make it all complete." Perhaps as a result of the fabric textures, this piece reminded us of an impressionist painting, not unlike that of Renoir.

close up, Woman with Two Gents by Leslie Gabriëlse

The close-up photos show the details of the three figures.  A wide variety of textiles were used, ranging from plaids to prints, solid color fabrics and what appears to be batiks. You can see various embroidery stitches that connect and embellish the elements.  

One side of the woman's face is rendered in cool tones, as if in shadow, while the other side is done in warm hues reflecting the sun above.  The woman's beauty seems completely natural. 

Her dress is made with cheerful print fabrics, which lend a natural simplicity to her figure.  Woman with Two Gents was featured in Lark Books' Masters Art Quilts Vol. 2.  As of this writing, this work of art is available for purchase at the SAQA store. For more inspiring works of art, see the gallery at Leslie.Gabriëlse.com.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2014 AQS Quilt Week in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Long Beach International Quilt Festival - Part 3

Here is Day 3 of the Long Beach International Quilt Festival, with an emphasis on international quilts and contemporary depictions of traditional patchwork patterns.

Portugal Folkloric Dancers, 92 x 118", by Leslie Gabrielse, The Netherlands,  at Gabrielse.com

Leslie Gabrielse writes that he was inspired to make this "upbeat piece" in remembrance of the folklore festivals he observed in several villages and towns as he traveled through northern Portugal. He explains, "All the village roads were decorated with colorful arches, and I tried to capture the movement of the dancers... and the variety of the colors of their folkloric costumes."

Notice how the dancers almost seem to be illuminated from behind, as Leslie has very skillfully placed the lighter values of fabrics in the center of the piece to create a focal point for the viewer's eye.

Portugal Folkloric Dancers, close-up

Take a look at the incredible detail of the fabric piecing in this close-up.  Beautiful hand embroidery accentuates the outlines of the dancer's costume.

Orphan Blossoms,  app. 60 x 60",  by Timna Tarr, at Q Tailored Quilts

The International Quilt Association used Timna Tarr's "Orphan Blossoms"  on the cover of the program and the tote bags for this year's Long Beach Festival, which was a great idea, because these traditional Dresden Plate blocks just about jump off of the vivid lime green, pink, and lavender background.  Timna found the antique Dresden Plate blocks on e-Bay and wanted to use them in an updated setting. She notes, "I took the Dresden Plate off its original muslin background and laid it on top of fabrics on my cutting table. When I saw how well the Plate fabrics looked on top of green hues, I knew I had to keep experimenting. Even though the Plates and center Arcs are made of old fabrics, I used new fabrics for everything else, including the one inch circles around the plates."

Orphan Blossoms by Timna Tarr, close-up

We loved the lively, swirling energy of this happy quilt, including the very cheerful "bubbles" carefully appliqued around the outside of the Dresden Plates. Timna has done a fabulous job updating one of the most popular traditional quilting patterns in the history of fabric art.

Majestic Bugs, app. 90 x 90 by Irena Bluhm, at Irena Bluhm Designs

Irena Bluhm writes, "This quilt was stitched first, then color was applied using colored pencils. Double batting was used to create the raised design effect for each colored piece of fabric."

What our camera does not show here, is the exquisite hand-embroidery stitching on each one of the stars, points, and apricot shapes. So many enthusiastic quilt fans were standing and admiring this piece, that we could not get near it for a close-up. This was one of the prettiest traditional-design quilts we saw at this show.

First Snow in Kyoto, by Christina Lauchenauer,  Switzerland, at Quilt-Art

Here's a very original and effective use of hand-sewn and hand-quilted blocks, done in elegant apricots, oranges, and cocoa tans and browns. Christina Lauchenauer says, "I tried to capture the feeling of a first cold ( autumn)  morning in Kyoto, Japan. A little snow covers the last bright leaves, and the rooftops of old houses." Christina adds that she wanted to create a beautiful hushed, muted atmosphere, evocative of the "contemplative quiet and peace of its (Kyoto's) temples."

First Snow in Kyoto, close-up

Christina explains that her inspiration to create this quilt was based on her fascination with sashiko stitching and patterns. In this close-up, you can see the variety of lovely embroidery designs she has created for each block. 

My Double Wedding Ring, by Keiko Goke, Japan,  at Quilt Wonderland

From Miyagi, Japan, Keiko Goke created this beautifully colored machine-pieced, machine-quilted, and hand top-stitched contemporary version of the beloved Amish double wedding ring pattern. Keiko worked without any templates to create sophisticated oval shapes that show off a variety of purples and lavenders against the solid gold and green backgrounds.

Autumn Splendor, by Susie L. Anderson

Susie notes that she was inspired by a Kaffe Fassett design to create this traditional baby blocks pattern in a fantastic color-saturated rainbow of monochromatic solids. We're very impressed by the quilter's fabric selection, as her careful use of light, medium, and deep values allows the viewer to clearly see each face or side of the baby block, thus enhancing the three-dimensional effect.

Birds Return, by Kayoko Oguri, Japan

Here's one of several magnificent quilts we saw with the theme of birds in flight. Kayoko Oguri says, "I like red colors. The pattern of the curves was arranged in my own way. The birds that returned to their nests in the evening sun was depicted." As you can see above, the birds seem to be flying through waves or streams of sunbeams, which were created by the use of shiny gold quilting threads applied to mirror the shape of their wings.