6Ways2Praise

Greetings All,

I have spent this past week at 6Ways2Praise at FUMC of Peoria art camp. Children are inherently creative.  6 Ways 2 Praise Fine Arts Camp provides children the opportunity to express that creativity in various ways while growing their faith through that expression.  This Christ-centered camp for incoming 3rd through 7th graders, will offer students direction by qualified artists in the areas of mixed media, photography, drama, instrumental music, vocal music.    I had the opportunity to do a mix-media project with the children.

Here is a link to more photos of the camp.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/52890538@N03/sets/72157630202611398/

Illinois Quiltscape - update.

Greetings All,

Here is an update via a slide-show of the exhibit at the McLean County Art Center "Illinois Quiltscape"and I hope that you enjoy it.

Illinois Quiltscape explores the complexity and diversity in contemporary quilt making across Illinois. Twenty quilters from across Illinois have been invited to exhibit a quilt of original design. Inclusive of Art Quilts, Modern Quilts, Functional Bed and Wall Hanging Quilts, the exhibition highlights how traditional and contemporary quilting techniques are used to best tell each quilt's unique story.  For more information and to register, visit www.mcac.org or call (309) 829-0011.

McLean County Arts Center is located at 601 N. East Street in downtown Bloomington, IL. MCAC hours are Tues., 10am – 7pm; Wed. – Fri., 10am – 5pm, and Sat., Noon – 4pm. For more information, please call 309/829-0011. McLean County Arts Center is supported in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency.

Blue World/Green World - Going to Brazil!

Greetings All,
Blue World/Green World is going to Brazil!  This is an FAC exhibit.  I want get the chance to travel, but 3 of my pieces will be in the exhibit.  The following artists are included and what an opportunity.

Pat Bishop, Kathie Briggs, Jennifer Conrad, Clairan Ferrono, Cheryl Ferrin, Peg Keeney, Casey Puetz, and Marianne R. Williamson.  Below is an image of one of my pieces in this exhibit and this one is titled "A Trio of Trees".

Illinois Quiltscape - McLean County Art Center.

Greetings All,

Official poster for the "Illinois Quiltscape" exhibit that I picked up when I stopped by to drop off my piece for the exhibit at the McLean County Art Center.  Art work on the poster is a detail image of Linda Kunz  "Golden Limb Ginko".   

Included in the exhibition are:

Cheryl Adam (Bloomington), Frieda Anderson (Elgin), Gail Baar (Highland Park), Rhonda Byrd (Flanagan) , Georgia Dawson (Bloomington), Deborah Fell (Urbana), Connie Guhlstorf (Normal), Gwen Jones (Chicago), Lynn Kunz (Woodstock), Donna Lee (Melvin), Barbara Miller (Normal), Pam Riss (Streator), Barbara Schneider (Harvard), Diane Skidmore (Bloomington), Penny Waldrip (Bloomington), Laura Wasilowski (Elgin), Trish Williams (Peoria), Betty Woodruff (Normal), Carole Wool (Western Springs), and Evelyn Young (LeRoy).

This exhibition was generously sponsored by Judie Bey & Gary Hoover, Charlette & Roger Elm, Alaine Miller, Sewing Studio, Barbara & Bill Taft, and Deb Wozniak.

The Dye Pot update

Greetings All,
I had to add another color to my last damask tablecloth and I chose Rit Fuchsia 12 with result that are more pleasing to my palette and I hope yours also.  Now I am wondering do I want to push it and add another color???

In The Dye...

Greetings All,
Here are some images of my dyeing experiences with Rit Aubergine 33 (left) and vintage table cloths.  In the bucket is a lace tablecloth was my 1st bath and it came out so lovely thanks to Judith Koren Shanahan for the gifts of the cloth.

To the below is a banquet size damask tablecloth that was folded shibori dyed and now my question to myself is to over dye or not.  Once I washed it out I got more lavender and now do I over dye???

I love this close-up of the tablecloth were you can see more of the details.

And Still We Rise: Race, Culture and Visual Converstations.

Greetings All,
And Still We Rise: Race, Culture and Visual Conversations features works by contemporary artists from the Women of Color Quilters Network. Curated by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, the exhibition narrates nearly four centuries of African American history from 1619 through today. Over 50 artists, including Carolyn Crump of Houston, and Barbara Ann McCraw of Denton, Texas are represented. The artists’ unique works draw on the enduring American tradition of visual storytelling through the textile art of quilting.  The work below was created by Julius J. Bremer and is titled In Memory of Jessie.

Then next leg of the journey will be at 1800 Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78701.  The Bullock Museum is hosting the exhibition in conjunction with the 150^th anniversary of Juneteenth in 2015.  The exhibition opens June 19 - August 30, 2015 and it's presented by the Women of Color Quilters Network in partnership with Cincinnati Museum Center and National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Clay Works update.

Greetings All,

Here is my latest piece in the series of pieces that I have titled the Guardians.  They are stoneware that has been glazed or stained and embellished with fabrics/fibers.  In this series the effigies have been stuffed for a more 3-d effect.  The fabrics is this piece has batiks and commercial quilters cotton.  The stoneware has been embossed with lace before glazing to add more texture to the clay just as those piece in the "Spirit Keepers" have.  I love adding texture to the clay and creating more of a mix-media.  I also hope that you like my new series.