Art Quilt added to the Visions of the Susquehanna River Art Collection

In Dreams I Flew Over the River

I am very happy to announce that In Dreams I Flew Over the River is now a permanent part of the Visions of the Susquehanna River Art Collection, housed in the Zimmerman Center for Heritage.  It's been on loan to the collection for several years, while funds were raised for its purchase.

That purchase is now complete, thanks to the efforts of Rob Evans (l), Curator, Mark Platts (r), President, and Betsy Buckingham, Development and Outreach Director.

I truly can't imagine a better home for this artwork.  The goals of the Zimmerman Center are perfectly in tune with my goals and aspirations in creating my river-themed pieces.  The Center has recently been designated by the National Park Service as a Visitor Contact Station for the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, adding to its prestige and visibility. The other works in the Visions of the Susquehanna River Art Collection are magnificent and significant, and I am both proud and humbled to have my work join them. If you find yourself in the Lancaster/York County part of Pennsylvania, be sure to view the Collection, hike the trail, and check out the other attractions that comprise the Susquehanna Heritage.

Above is the Zimmerman Center building, with its great view of the Susquehanna; below is a fisheye image of the river with choppy ice forming.

Below is another fisheye image of some cattails growing on the banks of the river:

And here's a panorama of the Susquehanna, with chunky ice and swooping clouds.  Click to enlarge for maximum appreciation:

Did you know--In Dreams I Flew Over the River began as a literal dream?  I've lived near the Susquehanna most of my life, and it apparently features heavily in both my conscious and subconscious mind.  I woke from a dream one day with this imagery and theme very vividly apparent, and was driven to stop everything and make this art quilt.  You can track back the story by clicking here.

As always, thanks for reading and commenting.

James Webb Space Telescope - Artwork in Progress

I've started on the art quilt I am constructing in response to my amazing visit last month to the James Webb Space Telescope at the NASA Goddard Space Center.  If you missed it earlier, you can read all about it in Part 1 and Part 2.

I finished hand stitching the silk hexagons that comprise my "mirror".  It was very satisfying work.

I chose one of the photos I took at the Artist Event, edited it, and switched it to a greyscale, negative image.  I printed it out on an acetate sheet in preparation for printmaking on fabric.

I often work with the cyanotype process.  It was developed in the mid 1800's as one of the first photographic processes.  Anna Atkins used it for scientific illustration of botanical specimens, a technological marvel of its time.  I liked the idea of using this older technology in my work about  cutting-edge technology, as a way of expressing the continuity of scientific progress.  

Here I began by coating cotton fabric with the cyanotype chemical solution and letting it dry in darkroom conditions.  I masked the fabric with the acetate transparency sheet, then exposed it to sunlight (UV light) for a timed exposure.  After exposure, I rinsed the fabric to develop the Prussian blue color on the print. 

 I also used the same image to make prints with a UV developed dye in several different colors.

This was a "don't try this at home, kids" type of situation.  Ideally I do my printmaking in the summer months, when the sunshine is reliable and the temperatures are warm.  Working in November with the sun low in the sky and cooler temperatures was challenging, but this was not my first time at this particular rodeo, and I lucked out on some decent weather.  I caught a few sunny hours mid-day to enjoy a frenzy of printmaking:

 And I was happy with the results.  These prints will be individually layered and stitched as a step towards assembling the larger work.

Stay tuned!  And as always, thanks for reading and commenting.