New Work - The Longest Day

The Longest Day

I am happy to share my latest work, The Longest Day. It's a celebration of the summer solstice, with an emphasis on observing it near the Susquehanna River.  It joins the other works in my ongoing series The River.

The Longest Day, detail 1

 The center panel, which was made independently and attached to the supporting quilt, is made from luxurious silks and wools.  It is needlefelted, hand embroidered, and heavily hand beaded.  There's a lot of textural richness there that could only be achieved through textiles. I greatly enjoyed the process of stitching and beading it, slowly over a period of time.

The Longest Day, detail 2

 The supporting quilt features cyanotype prints, from photos I took of the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Columbia, PA.  They are framed by patchwork made primarily from Mysore silks.

The Longest Day, detail 3

 The composition is framed again by digital prints of the same bridge.  The entire piece is heavily machine stitched.

The Longest Day, detail 4

It's a complex piece, with a lot of interplay between the various visual and textural elements. The size is 77" high by 49" wide.  I'm thrilled with how well it all came together--now the challenge is to find a good venue to display it.

You can track this work back as a work in progress by clicking on The Longest Day under Labels in the right sidebar. 

As always, thanks for reading and commenting.

The White Cliffs of Conoy, Redux

Spring is slow in arriving this year, so I had to bundle up for my bike ride on the trail to the White Cliffs of Conoy.  The "cliffs" are 60 ft. high mounds of dolomite and limestone mine tailings.  They provide spectacular views of the Susquehanna River along the Northwest River Trail in Lancaster County, PA.

I visited when the trail was first opened to the public a year and a half ago.  I took fisheye lens photos on that hike, which you can see here.

 The bright blue sky and wispy clouds were the perfect backdrop for this day's photography of the cliffs.

 The Susquehanna was a bright blue as well.

Some of the trees were just beginning to leaf out.

 There are picturesque old ruins from mining company buildings along the railroad tracks.

 These arches lend an almost classical feel to the landscape.

A reminder that nature is not always benign:

But it can be magnificent  I saw a bald eagle swoop down, pluck a fish from the river, and fly off with its meal.  I had just enough presence of mind to get a few quick iPhone shots.  In person the eagle's head and tail feathers gleamed, and it moved with incredible speed and grace:

I chose this image as my inspiration for week 42 of my ongoing self-directed project, 52 Ways to Look at the River.  

Week 42 Image, 52 Ways to Look at the River,

 I used the image to make this wool and silk, needlefelted and stitched panel, 6" x 12":

Week 42 Panel, 52 Ways to Look at the River,

You can follow along with each week's reveal on your platform of choice:
Facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/suerenostudio
Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/suereno
Tumblr: http://suerenostudio.tumblr.com
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/people/suereno/
Instagram: sue_reno_studio

I've added a "52 Weeks" tab at the top header so you can track the project back to the beginning.

As always, thanks for reading and commenting.

Work in Progress - The Longest Day, update 3

What began as a small needlefelting demo piece, one of the step outs I made when I taped a segment for Quilting Arts TV, has morphed into a large quilt.  I began to border the embellished panel with patchwork strips, then decided it would benefit from cyanotype imagery.  Plus, I really enjoy making cyanotypes.  I began with some pictures I had taken of the Veterans Memorial Bridge, which spans the Susquehanna between Columbia and Wrightsville, PA.  I enhanced the images and made them grayscale, above, and then negative, below:

I printed the images on transparency sheets and used them to make exposures on treated cyanotype fabric.  These were layered, had a preliminary round of stitching, and then fitted into the patchwork.

I bordered the whole works with more of my photographic imagery that I had commercially printed onto cotton sateen.  It's a complex composition, but I'm excited about how well all the elements contribute to the aesthetic of the whole. And the intensive quilting that ensued since this photo was taken has further unified the piece and added texture and movement.

You can track "The Longest Day" back as a work-in-progress by clicking on it under Labels in the right sidebar.

As always, thanks for reading and commenting.

Conowingo Dam and Port Deposit, MD

Having crossed most of the local must-see Susquehanna River sites off of my list, this week I ventured a bit further afield to the Conowingo Dam and Hydroelectric Plant in Maryland.  The top of the dam is also the roadbed, and is a bit of a thrill to drive across.

The architecture of the dam and adjacent structures and floodgates is similar to that of the Safe Harbor Dam further upriver, which I visited back in week 16  I like the contrast of all the arches and the angles.

The banks are landscaped in a utilitarian fashion, and are a draw for fishermen. I saw several in waders deep in the water, despite the unseasonably cold temperatures.

The area is also a boon to birds, especially great blue herons and bald eagles, and I saw birdwatchers with big scopes and impressive camera setups. Drones are sensibly banished.

The concept in this sign was new to me, and I had to look it up.  Apparently vultures are sometimes prone to attacking the rubber and vinyl components on cars, and no one is certain of the cause behind the behavior.  I didn't see any vultures on my visit.

Back across the bridge and a few miles down river, I came to the historic town of Port Deposit, MD.  Their welcome sign is pretty fabulous. Beginning in colonial times, and continuing well into the 20th century, the granite quarries produced material used in all manner of buildings up and down the east coast.

Today the historic architecture of the town is contrasted with a long swath of modern town homes/condos all along the riverfront.

The Conowingo Dam is the last obstacle in the river before the Susquehanna meets the Chesapeake Bay 9 miles downstream, so these docks will soon be bustling with boats as the season gets underway.

For my inspiration image for week 41, I chose this view of the Conowingo Dam:

Week 41 Image, 52 Ways to Look at the River

Here's the corresponding fiber art panel for week 41.  The panel is 6" x 12", needlefelted with silk and wool, appliqued and stitched:

Week 41 Panel, 52 Ways to Look at the River

You can follow along with each week's reveal on your platform of choice:
Facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/suerenostudio
Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/suereno
Tumblr: http://suerenostudio.tumblr.com
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/people/suereno/
Instagram: sue_reno_studio

I've added a "52 Weeks" tab at the top header so you can track the project back to the beginning.

As always, thanks for reading and commenting.

52 Ways to Look at the River, Update 6

Weeks 1 - 40, 52 Ways to Look at the River

  I am up to week 40 in my year long, self directed project, 52 Ways to Look at the River.  Every week I travel to a locale along the Susquehanna River and take a picture.  That image provides the inspiration for a fiber art panel.  The panels are 6" x 12", and are mainly needlefelted with wool and silk, with added detailing by stitch and applique, and occasionally beadwork. .  In the photo above they are informally pinned on a foam board; the final presentation will be different.  At this point I am leaning towards doing a triptych.

Here are the panels I have made since the last update:

Week 33, 52 Ways to Look at the River

Week 34, 52 Ways to Look at the River

Week 35, 52 Ways to Look at the River

Week 36, 52 Ways to Look at the River

Week 37, 52 Ways to Look at the River

Week 38, 52 Ways to Look at the River

Week 39, 52 Ways to Look at the River

Week 40, 52 Ways to Look at the River

So, what have I learned since the last update?

*Traveling for the photo shoot each week is a Big Commitment.

*Luckily, the rewards of traveling each week and making the corresponding panel are huge.  Even though I've lived near the Susquehanna for most of my life, and frequently hike nearby, I am gaining a new perspective and appreciation for its beauty.

*I continue to be very thankful for the efforts of the landowners and all the volunteers who work to ensure that the river, the trails, and the overlooks are so accessible to the public. It's a world-class resource, and it's right in my backyard.

*There's a natural arc in art making, for myself and many others, starting with the excitement of the idea, absolute panic on how to execute it, soldiering through the tricky bits, and ultimate triumph at having produced something that comes close to the vision.  It's a long arc for my larger works, but here I am cycling through it each week.  The weekly repetition of the process is honing my approach and building my confidence.

*I should treat myself to more blue silks.

This past week I traveled to Pinnacle Overlook, an iconic and very recognizable spot, and the scene of my first Lancaster County hike many decades ago.  There's a huge rock outcropping that provides a view upriver:

 And shows off the graceful curve leading into Lake Aldred:

 I've often clambered out onto the edge of those rocks, but this trip I was by myself, the day was damp and dreary, and there was no one around to hear me if I misstepped, so, discretion being the better part of valor,  I took my inspiration photos from the safer, fenced area:

 For anyone following along intently at home, here's a snapshot of signage that shows the area.  I've been to most of the highlighted spots on my quest so far.  Pinnacle crossed one of the last "must-haves" from my list, so I'm footloose and fancy free about my next destinations.  Stay tuned!

You can track back this project by clicking on the "52 Ways to Look at the River" tab at the top.  I also invite you to follow along each week on your platform of choice:
Facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/suerenostudio
Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/suereno
Tumblr: http://suerenostudio.tumblr.com
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/people/suereno/
Instagram: sue_reno_studio

As always, thanks for reading and commenting!