Watt & Shand Postcards

I've been a member of Postmark'd Art since its inception. Incredibly, we are now on our 8th round of mail art exchanges, and still going strong. The possibilities for design excitement in the 4" x 6" format seem limitless, and the fun of getting cool art in the mail never grows old for me.

This time around I riffed on what I was creating on a large scale in the studio, and made a set of "Watt & Shand Banner" postcards. I used the fabric I had custom printed from my photo and used in "Watt & Shand #2" , and combined it with fabrics used in "Watt & Shand #1". I'm really happy with the way they turned out, I like the way the banners stand out from the monochromatic color scheme.

If you are new here, you can track back the progress of the Watt & Shand series, and why it excites me, by clicking on Watt & Shand under Labels in the sidebar at the right.

I had a few extra cards that I mounted on matboard, see # 16 above and #18 below, and am offering for sale at $45 each, postage included. I've added these and two others to my Sue Reno Studio Sale site, under "Digital Prints". You can Email me to arrange for purchase. Thanks!

QHC 2009 Acceptance

More exhibit news--two quilts will be going to the Quilter's Heritage Celebration right here in Lancaster, PA, April 2-5. "Mystery Fern" will be shown in the Wall Quilt division.

And Sycamore will be in the Pictorial division.

I've been attending this show almost without fail since it began--I might have missed a few years when I had babies--so it's always a thrill to be a part of it.

The Fledgling flies off to Tennessee

I've shipped off "The Fledgling." It will be appearing as part of a special Sacred Threads exhibit at A Mountain Quiltfest in Pigeon Forge, TN, March 11-15. This is my first experience with this show; I'd love to hear from anyone who has the opportunity to attend. It looks like you could combine it with a trip to nearby Dollywood--what's not to like?

Sacred Threads is an exhibit and an philosophy I'm so proud to be a part of--

(from the website)"Sacred Threads is an exhibition of quilts exploring the subject themes of spirituality, joy, inspiration, peace/brotherhood, grief and healing. This biennial exhibition was established to provide a safe venue for quilters of all faiths who see their work as a connection to the sacred and/or as an expression of their spiritual journey.

The objective is to create a dignified exhibition of artwork that touches on both spiritual and personal levels all those who view it. We want to share with others the experiences of quilters whose stories may be a source of healing and strength."

And what's not to love about that?

Watt & Shand #2

I've finished Watt & Shand #2 and am excited to share it here. It's 40" high by 29" wide; it has digital images and cyanotypes, silks, cottons, and handpainted fabrics The border fabric on the sides was custom printed from my image by Spoonflower.

There are detail shots in yesterday's post, and as always you can track it back under Watt & Shand in the Labels sidebar.

I'm very happy with the way I've captured the vibe of this stage of the construction project, and I'm starting to think about the next one in the series. It's been a very productive time for me so far this year!

Watt & Shand #2 in Progress

Watt & Shand #1 is essentially finished, it just needs a sleeve, a label, and photography, so I have moved on to the second one in the series. This one combines digital images with cyanotypes.

The images for this one come from photographs taken in January of 2008, when the facade was still supported by scaffolding, and someone brilliant made the decision to decorate the scaffolding with bright orange banners. I was enthralled with the total visual effect of the stone, the metal scaffolding, and the textiles.

You can see the framework of the new convention center beginning to take shape behind the facade.

If you are new here, take a moment to click on Watt & Shand in the labels sidebar to the right, and track back how this series of works is developing.

And thanks for stopping by!

"Celebrate Spring" IQA 2009 Acceptance

I'm pleased and honored to announce that Prickly Sow Thistle has been accepted into Celebrate Spring!, debuting at the International Quilt Festival in Chicago, IL, April 17-19. Only 39 quilts were juried into the exhibit. This quilt is currently hanging in my studio; it's a personal favorite because it is so bright and cheerful and has such a positive energy.

The images on the three panels are cyanotypes, and there's a heliographic print along the right side. I handpainted the other fabrics, with the exception of two small strips of an Indian handwoven plaid. There's hand beadwork on the leaves and flowers. It's not a complex work in terms of the number of pieces, but I think I got the balance of colors and design elements just right, and there are couched threads that add a sense of movement to the overall effect.

I am intimately familiar with several types of thistles and their prickles, having had to weed them out of the garden beds from time to time, and I realize that some (but not the prickly sow) are classified as noxious weeds, but I can't help but admire them. They are glossy and frilly, and grow with such enthusiasm!

The flowers are pretty as well, and turn into fluffy seeds that are spread by the wind--the secret to their success--and relished by finches.

Here they are en masse, at a construction site. They are aggressive colonizers of disturbed ground, growing quickly on crappy subsoil, and do their part to prevent soil runoff.

I seldom meet a weed without redeeming qualities.

Materials Hard & Soft Exhibit Photos

Sumac is currently at Materials Hard & Soft, a fine craft show in Denton, TX. They've got selected entries from the show up on their website in pdf form here. It's a really interesting set of images; I wish I could see the show in person.

I'm reminded how lucky I am to be engaged in creating fiber art/quilt art. Not only do I love what I do and find it endlessly fascinating, I'm able to find exhibit venues in both the fine craft/art world and the quilt show world. Two very different kinds of experiences, like comparing apples and oranges, but both very good.

Rock Hill Bridge

When I was out and about this past weekend, I traveled on the two-span truss bridge carrying Rock Hill Road over the Conestoga River. It is a single lane bridge, similar in style but far superior in condition than the Pequea Creek Bridge I featured earlier. It's rated at a 6 out of 9; bridge buffs can read all the specifics here, and zoom in on it on Google maps here.


The decking is an open gridwork, so you can see the river below as you walk across:

It was repainted not too long ago, and I love the minty green color.

Here you can see a glimpse of the historic Rock Hill Tavern at the far end.

I am becoming increasingly enamored of these kind of geometric shapes, especially when juxtaposed with the woods and the water. I'm thinking about ways to incorporate these images into artwork.

February Thaw

Just in the nick of time for those crazed by cabin fever, the sun came out and the southerly breezes blew, and we got outside for a ramble. No deep woods hiking, because of the lingering ice and muck, but a return to the Pequea Silver Mine Park, where some paved paths made for easier and safer walking.

There are several truly magnificent sycamores there, which always look their best with bare branches and bright sun, above. I also spotted a small clump of river birches, with fabulous bark texture:

There was a smattering of waterfowl; it seems the larger flocks are already on the move, but these stragglers (or permanent residents) were enjoying the open water as the ice recedes:

I like the sweeping curve of the ice in this picture, with the angular contrast of the red barn in the background:

After the walk, we stopped at the nearby Springhouse Brewery for a tasting and a growler of their delicious limited edition Kerplunk Imperial Chocolate Stout, made with locally produced Wilbur Chocolate.

A good day, and a good way to shake off the winter doldrums.

Mid-Atlantic acceptance 2009

I'm pleased to announce that two of my quilts will be exhibited at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, VA, Feb. 26 - Mar. 1. It will be the first time Sycamore is on exhibit, and I'm excited to send it out into the world.

It's a large work, 69" wide by 45" high, and a lot of intricate work went into it, including some extensive beadwork. You can track it back as a work in progress by clicking on "Sycamore" on the Labels sidebar at the right.

Also going to Mid-Atlantic is White Mulberry. Both quilts have good colors and a good energetic feel for a springtime show.

Cold Cave is Bound

I got the binding on Cold Cave, then sat down to start sewing on beads while I watched the Super Bowl. I'm not ordinarily a big football fan, but I make an exception for the Steelers. I'm so glad I watched the game, it was extraordinary; plus I got some beading done.