Sorry to be gone so long. I got caught up in fall vending, and then in December I had to go out of state for a month due to a family emergency medical situation. From January to early May, I had one health setback after another and didn’t feel super creative. I even missed participating in this year’s International Freeform Fiberarts Guild challenge. But I’m on the mend and I’m doing better, so I’m happy about that.
I did manage to make a few new pieces for local shows. January’s First Friday show (1/06/17) at Stoneworks Studio and Gallery was the annual Black & White show. Since I was out of state during December without access to my studio or supplies, I decided on making a simple line embroidered portrait of singer and artist Patti Smith, which I framed once I returned home prior to the entry date.
Horses, hand embroidery, 2017. Portrait of Patti Smith.
I wasn’t able to enter February’s show due to health issues. March’s First Friday show (3/03/17) theme at Stoneworks was Color It Red. Personally, I was seeing red over the current administration’s attitude toward women’s rights and women’s access to healthcare. I created a small studio quilt mounted on a red plastic hanger. The machine quilting along the border represents barbed wire, in keeping with the imagery of No Trespassing and Private Property.
Seeing Red, studio quilt, 2017
April’s First Friday show (4/07/17) theme was Time. Due to ongoing health issues, I entered a piece from last year, which I created for the 2016 annual International Freeform Fiberarts Guild challenge. I called it Springtime in California for the show.
California Wildflowers, 2016
March’s First Friday show (5/05/17) at Stoneworks was the annual portrait show, Face It. I still had very little energy for creating anything very involved and time-consuming. I decided to make a quick, off-the-cuff improvisational portrait quilt. I did it very quickly and intuitively, completing the entire top in six hours. I entered it in the show, forgetting that there would be a People’s Choice Award with a cash prize. Even if I would have remembered, I would not have expected my piece to win compared to the other entries.
Abby Normal, studio quilt, 2017
When I arrived at the gallery on Friday night, I saw sheets of paper with stickers on them under each work of art. I had just woken up from a nap and was still half asleep, so it didn’t click with me right away that it was the voting method for the People’s Choice Award. Mine had the most stickers, and I was quite shocked to win the award! I was very pleased nonetheless, and my friend Lucy purchased Abby Normal. It was a very good evening.
I’m back to creating new clothing out of old, and I’m working on new work for the June show. The theme is flying. I have a few ideas.
I promise to update more often. Sometimes life gets in the way of our art.
