Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year.

 Behold The Child

Got Jazz?

 Greetings All,
The Fiber Artist Coalition: Got Jazz? exhibit will began
January 16, 2015 - February 27, 2015 | 9 AM - 4:30 PM
Open M-F 9am-4:30pm | Th 9am-7pm

Meet the Artists' Reception | Thursday, January 22, 5-8pm
@ the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center | 316 Eau Claire Street, Eau Claire, WI 54701 | 715-832-ARTS (2787) | info@eauclairearts.com

My "Smooth Jazz Clip Art" piece will be a part of this exhibit and photo by Kathy Hillegonds and you can check out more of her work at: http://kathyhillegondsphotography.shutterfly.com/

Participating artists are:

Pat Bishop
Kathie Briggs
Jennifer Conrad
Clairan Ferrono
Linda Henke
Pat Kroth
Casey Puetz
Jan Rickman
Gwyned Trefethen
Laura Wasilowski
Joanne Weis
Marianne Williamson
Fiber Artist Trish Williams

Clay Works Updates

Greetings All,
I have been busy and just not taken the time to post.  Here are a few things that I've been doing.  I have been reconnecting to my love of ceramics and I'm taking a practicum at ICC.  I am also mixing some of my hand painted fabrics in some of my new works.

 

My latest creations are several jacket created with some of my hand dyed cotton, African cotton prints, and Afrocentric cottons.  One size fits most.

Parking Lot Paint Shibori merge.

Greetings All,

Here is my latest piece in my Spirit Keeper series.   I used extruded clay, my Parking Lot Painted Shibori, cottons, wire mesh, jute cording, burlap, and wired ribbon.  This is number four and I hope that you enjoy.

This one started out horizontal, but ended up vertical.  Below there is a full and detail image of my completed piece and I am truly pleased with it.

FUMC 30th Fine Arts Exhibit

Greetings All,

You are invited to attend the 30th Fine Arts Exhibit

116 NE Perry Ave, Peoria, IL 61603

October 19-November 9, 2014
Opening Reception
Sunday, October 19, 2014
2:00pm - 4:00pm

This is Thirtieth Fine Arts Exhibit at First United Methodist Church in Peoria. This is a group exhibit that offers a special opportunities to explore the relationship of the spiritual as reflected through the arts.  I chose my piece "Smooth Jazz Clip-art" for this exhibit because jazz has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and I've heard it in and outside of church and we I discovered Duke Ellington "Sacred Concert" I was over joyed and I hope/pray that you will be also.  So if you are in the area do stop by and see the exhibit and let me know what you think.

~ GALLERY HOURS ~
Monday-Friday
11:00am - 3:00pm
Sundays
9:30am - 12:30pm
Evenings
By appointment
Phone Church office 673-3641

Parking Lot Shibori update

Greetings All,

Here's an update of my latest "Parking Lot Painted Shibori for your viewing pleasure.  Below left is pink dyed cotton that was painted with Setacolor Raw Senna #25.  The 2nd color was applied with Setacolor Black Lake #19 (above right).










 My next piece was a melon dyed cotton that I applied the Raw Senna (below right) and my 2nd color was applied with Dye-na-Flow Azure Blue #814 (below left)

 

The next piece is a white polyester crepe that was painted with the Raw Senna (below left)  and the 2nd color was applied with Dye-na-Flow Emerald Green # 820 (below right).

 

 

 Above is a piece that started out white cotton with a metallic gold design printed on it.  I added Raw Senna and dark brown.  I have one more 80 degree day here in Peoria, IL and I shall do some more tomorrow before the rain comes and the cold.

Endeavors an exhibit.

Greetings All,
The opening receptions was a smash at the Foster Gallery of Christian Fine Art and here is a slide show to prove it.  I hope that you will enjoy it.

"Art is a means of grace, a channel by which God's love is made real to us . . . As a means of grace, art can help us grow in faith . . . Art can help us grow in knowledge of ourselves and knowledge of God's work in this world as expressed in that art . . . Art can help us grow in community when we gather to experience and create that art." Carol McPherson

Memroial - I

Greetings All,
Here is my latest piece titled "Memorial - I".  It is simple in it's construction, but me most powerful in meaning.  It honors young unarmed black males that have been killed that we know of throughout the country.  I was thinking of these mothers and my heart aches for them being a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Parking Lot Painted Shibori-update

 Greetings All,
Someone asked me if I work and my reply I am retired and can do what I want when I want to. I work all of the time, but not in a traditional job, I am working now as I type, I've been working on my "Parking Lot Painted Shibori" fabrics for two weeks now. For the last two day I have been using my 2002 Subaru Forster as my worktable and drying rack and love each step in the process.  I also need to say this for a long time I could not work, I could not find my flow, no inspiration.  But now I'm back!

Mother Water-II

Greetings  All,
From time to time I have been asked to recreate a piece and sometimes it's been easy and other time not so.  I started Mother Water-II a year ago and could not get it finished until just now.  When I moved to Peoria, IL it was one of the hardest thing that I had ever done and I came with the excitement of learning how to work in an art gallery and thinking that I would have a space exhibit and to teach.  All of those dreams where shattered and I could not work.

I started this piece and it would just not flow.  I did some small pieces thinking that they would kick start my creative juices and that to did not work.  I have always been able to work through whatever I was going through, but this time it was different and I have been asking why the whole time.  What do you want me to learn from this part of my journey God?  I am still waiting for the answer.

Parking Lot Shibori update

Greetings All,

Here are phase II of my latest painted shibori and I've added a second color to my previous base fabrics.  Below right is fuisha with lemon yellow.

                            detail
 Ultramarine blue with cobalt blue added as the 2nd color

                             detail

 Left is violet with a 2nd coat of violet added and below center is the detail.

Parking Lot Shibori update

 Greetings All,
Here are images of my latest painted shibori pieces.  Each piece is 45 inches wide and 72 inches long ( 2 yard).  Left and bottom center is Fuschia.

 detail

 Right and below center are painted with Ultramarine blue.

 detail

 Left and below center are painted with violet.

 detail

 This has been a wonderful exploration and I am loving every minute of it and learning as I go.

Parking Lot Painted Shibori-update

Greetings All,

Today's Parking Lot Painted Shibori is brought to you by the letters F for Fuchsia #49, Ultramarine Blue #12, and Violet #29, which are all Pebeo Setacolor transparent fabric paints.  Each piece is white on white cotton that's either a stripe or dot and they are two yards in length so that I can create a garment.  More to come later as I progress and I hope that you enjoy my journey.

Wearable Art

 Greetings All,
I have been busy this past week created tunics.  Some I had cut out a while back and other were just on the spur of the moment.  All are one size fits most and the lengths go from the hips to the knees.  Most of the fabrics were gifted to me by Lorain Little of Chicago Needles and Threads Quilters Guild, Juni Nelson, and Lynnde White, to whom I am very grateful.


Buzz Buzz (above) is a batik that I bought for myself and decided to share a part with humanity.

 Sun Set (above center) this ombre fabric was gifted by Loraine Little. Flash From The Past (below right) fabric is a vintage print from Juni Nelson.

Blues Blue (left) is a vintage wax print gifted by Juni Nelson and I also created a head-wrap/stole.

 Red Mask (above center) African wax print gifted by Lorraine Little.

Flux Kente (below right) gifted by Lynnde White to whom I gave her one as a gift for blessing me with the fabric.

FUMC - Foster Gallery

Greetings All,

I will be the featured artist a the First United Methodist Church,

Foster Gallery for Christianity and The Fine Arts. Opening September 21,2014, concert at 4 pm by Dr. John Orfe and Gaudete Brass Quintet.   Reception at 5:30.  116 NE Perry Ave, Peoria, IL and phone 309-673-3641 or www.fumcpeoria.org.  Exhibition will be on display through Nov 19, 2014.

The mission of The Foster Gallery for Christianity and the Fine Arts is to nurture mutual understanding and appreciation of the connection between art and faith, and to develop and strengthen relationships between artists, the community, and the church.I am honored and humble by this opportunity and hope that if you are in the area that you will stop by and see the exhibit.

Converging @ Speakeasy Art Center.

Greetings All,

I am so very excited to be a part of "Converging" an upcoming exhibit of a diverse group show that includes Susan Carson, Ann Conver, Jennifer Costa, Cathie Crawford, Patricia Whalen Keck, and Judith Koren-Shanahan.  This exhibit is at the Speakeasy Art Center in Pekin, IL.

Flash from my past.

Greetings All,
This is a flash from my past.  When I started quilting I focused on bed quilts and then I started on art quilts with the use of African and Afrocentric prints.  A sister/friend got in touch with me last week and once business was taken care of she told me she had gotten the piece she bought from me in the late 90s framed.  I asked her to please send me a picture and here it is.  Thank you so very much Brenda Hampton for your friendship and support.

Parking Lot Painted Shibori Update

 Greetings All,
Here are my latest updates on my painted shibori and I am loving have the larger PVC because now I can create 2 yard pieces and that is garment worthy.