Sue Reno Studio

Today's Feature: Cold Cave

2009-11-05T11:00:00.000-05:00

The final installment of Today's Feature spotlights "Cold Cave", a work based on numerous visits one of the largest tectonic caves in the eastern U.S. A cool wind blows up from the narrow cleft in the rock at the mouth of the cave even on the hottest summer day, and the brave and/or slightly foolhardy can venture in some distance and experience the utter and total darkness. Experienced cavers can explore the extensive labyrinth and despair at the graffiti left by the disrespectful. I went in once years ago, but today consider discretion the better part of valor, and now just content myself with a peak inside and the appreciation of the surrounding woodsy terrain.

*******************

The center (blue) image has been manipulated in a photo program, then printed on silk satin. The two pale images on the sides were printed on cotton, as were the two leaf panels. Other panels are from fabric I handpainted, and the fabulous bit of vintage damask on the upper right was sugar-dyed by my friend Deb Lacativa. The borders on the left and bottom are from a piece of ikat rayon I brought back from India in the 70's and have been hoarding for just the right moment, which finally came. It is embellished with couched yarns and handbeading with seed beads and larger glass beads . You can read more about it as a work-in-progress by clicking on "Cold Cave" under Labels in the right sidebar.

*********************

On the face of it, this work contains a lot of seemingly disparate elements, but I feel they all work well together and contribute to a whole that is larger than the sum of its parts, and that it successfully conveys the concept of a cold cave in the woods.

"Cold Cave" was selected to be exhibited as part of Images 2009 at the Robeson Gallery, Penn State University this past summer. Starting today, you can see it at the Isadore Gallery in Lancaster, PA.

***********************

I hope you've enjoyed my in depth look over the past few weeks at the work for this exhibit, and I especially hope that if you are in the area you will stop in and say hello at the opening reception tomorrow, November 6th, from 5 - 9 p.m. And my thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my posts and comment or email me--I greatly appreciate your encouragement and support!

Today's Feature: Royal Paulownia

2009-11-04T17:30:00.001-05:00

Today's Feature is "Royal Paulownia", another large-leafed wonder. If you've ever been out and about in the eastern or midwestern U.S. and found a really big leaf, it was probably a Royal Paulownia. The tree is not a native; it's an sometimes deliberate, sometimes accidental import from the orient. It self seeds rather enthusiastically, and often shows up along roadsides, recently cleared areas, and weedy gardens as a sapling that looks to be on steroids. The mature trees-and they are fast growers-sport cascades of purple flowers early in spring.
*************************
The top image is a heliographic print, and the one on the bottom is a cyanotype. The borders are pieced from silks brought back from Mysore, India, combined with handwovern Indian cottons. It was very heavily and closely stitched, except for the leaves, where the stitching for the veining is more widely spaced. I rinsed, then blocked and dried the work after the stitching, causing the wrinkling and patterning on the leaf surfaces; I then used a dry brush technique to enhance those textures with paint. The final step in the construction was handbeading with seed beads and semi-precious stones.

I am deeply honored that "Royal Paulownia" was selected to be a part of the exhibit "Connecting Colors and Cultures: First Kyrgyz-American Quilt Exhibit" which was held at the Museum of Fine Art in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. You can see it later this week in Lancaster, PA, at the Isadore Gallery.

Today's Feature: Sumac

2009-11-03T17:30:00.000-05:00

Today's Feature is "Sumac", named for the smooth sumac, or Rhus glabra (not to be confused with poison sumac). It's a very common wild plant here in Pennsylvania, and it puts on a magnificent display of fall color. There's a big patch of it in a wooded spot at the end of my street, and when the slanting fall sun hits it in the afternoon it's just spectacular.
***********************
The main panel is a heliographic print, done with textile paints on fabric and using the plant itself as a resist. I got very lucky with this one and captured the colors and leaf images just right on the first try. It hung on my design wall for months while I concocted and then discarded various schemes for enhancing it. I don't usually dither, so dropped the indecisiveness and jumped into a simple and elegant scheme of warm tones and rich textures. There's velveteen (which sucks up the light and doesn't photograph well), red and yellow silks, a bit of Seminole piecing, and just the right amount of embellishment with seed beads, larger glass beads, and semi-precious stones.

"Sumac" has done well for me on the show circuit; it was juried into Materials Hard and Soft, a fine craft exhibit in Denton, Texas, and it won an award at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas. It will be one of the works in my solo show, opening in a few days, at the Isadore Gallery in Lancaster, PA.

Today's Feature: Tall Blue Lettuce

2009-11-02T19:39:00.000-05:00

Today's feature of work that will be at the Isadore Gallery is "Tall Blue Lettuce", eponymously named for the plant, Lactura biennis, whose leaves form the prints. It is yet another example of easily seduced I am by an oversized leaf. I was stopped in my tracks while hiking one day by this six foot, rankly growing plant with foot long, hairy leaves and blue flowers, and hurried home to begin work on this interpretation.
********************************
The biennis in the name refers to its growth habit; as a biennal, it grows a rosette of leaves and a taproot in the first year, and in the second year it uses the reserves in the root to shoot up and produce blooms and seeds. It has a variety folkloric uses as a herbal remedy, not that I've tried any of them, and is very common over a wide range in North America. Once you've identified it, you spot it everywhere, especially in moister environs, and in your own backyard if you've been slack about the weeding (ahem).

The print on the left is a cyanotype on cotton, the one of the right is a heliograph, and for both of them I added the veining with hand embroidery using variegated threads. The borders were pieced with Seminole work, and it's extensively machine stitched in a variety of patterns. It's a big, cheerful, in-your-face kind of piece, not unlike the plant, and has proven very popular on the show circuit, winning an award at The Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza, serving as the cover quilt for an issue of The Professional Quilter Magazine, and as part of a feature article in Quilter's Newsletter Magazine.

Today's Features: The Fledgling and Tulip Poplar

2009-11-01T20:43:00.000-05:00

It's a two-fer today, the first of November, as I continue to highlight work that will be at my show at the Isadore Gallery, opening later this week. First up is "The Fledgling", my celebration of being in the right place at the right time with a camera handy. Every year we have robins nesting on a high beam underneath our deck, and it's entertaining to watch them grow. This bird had just fledged-left the nest-and made its first short flight to the adjacent locust tree. Once perched there, it was temporarily unable to go any further, and by sidling up slow and easy I was able to get some great photographs.

***************************

I messed with this image digitally a bit, then printed it onto a tightly woven pima cotton. The green background is a heliographic print made with leaves from the same locust tree. Visually, it serves as the vast unknown that the fledgling is preparing to launch into. The other borders, evocative of earth and sky, represent its parameters in the natural world.

"The Fledgling" was shown widely in quilt shows, including the touring exhibit of Sacred Threads.
******************************

Next up in the spotlight is "Tulip Poplar". I love these trees, with their tall, upright structure, distinctive leaf shape, and especially the flowers, which do resemble tulips a bit. I once lived where I could look down on a tulip poplar from a second story window, an ideal vantage point for appreciating the flowers.

The top two leaf images are leaf prints on silk, and the bottom ones are cyanotypes on silk. There's a lot going on here--different textures in the supporting fabrics (silk, corduroy, wool and hand painted cotton), a variety of stitching patterns, couched threads, and beadwork with seed beads and semi-precious stones. It all brings a sense of energy and movement to the work, as if the leaves were swirling in the wind on a fall day not unlike today.

Today's Feature: Skunk Cabbage and Possum

2009-10-31T17:30:00.000-04:00

In honor of Halloween, today I am featuring my quilt with the skull imagery, "Skunk Cabbage and Possum". It's one of the dozen major works that will be exhibited in my solo show at the Isadore Gallery in Lancaster, PA next month, opening on the 5th, with the reception on Friday, November 6th from 5-9.
********************************
I'm being a bit misleading to tie this in with Halloween, as it's not meant to be scary or macabre. I think of it as a optimistic work, about rebirth and regeneration. The artifacts in the cyanotype prints, a skunk cabbage leafs and a possum skull, were found on a hike in very early spring. Skunk cabbage leaves are some of the first to emerge in the woods, growing in damp spots near a source of water. As for the skull, I like to think that the possum had a long and happy sojourn on this earth until it was its time to shuffle off the mortal coil, and that its descendants are now shuffling about the same paths and climbing the same trees and eating pawpaws when they can find them.
************************
For this work, I first photographed the skull, from the top and from the inside, and the leaf, and after some digital manipulation I printed the images onto transparency sheets. I then used the transparencies as photo negatives in making the prints onto a silk/cotton blend. This process captures a lot of the detail in the artifacts. I used very close echo quilting to emphasize the edges.

For the top panel, I repurposed a vintage embroidered table runner, cutting, rearranging, painting, and beading it. There are vintage fabrics in the piecing as well, including that nifty fabric with the white ground and the rows of green motifs (positioned above the main prints) that was the leftovers from a house dress my mother made for herself in the 50's.

*************************

"Skunk Cabbage and Possum" has been exhibited in both art venues and quilt shows, including Sacred Threads.

Today's Feature: Margarita

2009-10-30T17:30:00.002-04:00

I am back in the garden today with "Margarita", named for the variety of ornamental sweet potato it features. It will be one the art quilts in my show at Isadore Gallery next month. I grow ornamental sweet potatoes in a planter on the front porch in the summer, and I am partial to Margarita, with its bright lime green leaves and enthusiastic sprawling habit. I made a cyanotype of the leaves and vines for the top panel, and a heliographic print for the bottom panel. I pieced it in a very straightforward way, to contrast with the sinuous vines, using Seminole patchwork in vivid colors. I used the quilting lines to add more vines, spilling out into the borders, then further highlighted it with paints.

Sweet potato vines are prone to attack by the Golden Tortoise Beetle, a fascinating little insect commonly called "goldbeetle"; their larvae have a unique protection method. They seldom decimate a plant, but leave a scattering of neat little round holes in the foliage, a form of patterning I find delightful and was able to capture in the prints.

****************************

"Margarita" has been exhibited in several quilt shows, including "Quilts, A World of Beauty" at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas.

Today's Feature: The Organic Garden

2009-10-29T17:30:00.000-04:00

For today's feature, part of the lead-in to my show at Isadore Gallery, we are leaving the woods and retreating to the pleasures of "The Organic Garden". One of my earliest memories as a very small child is of helping to plant peas by carefully dropping them one by one into the hoed rows. I've been gardening, in one form or another, almost continuously since then, and my efforts have always been carried out organically. Organic practices are fun, easy, economical, deeply satisfying, and allow me to accommodate the local wildlife of all sizes and persuasions. (The only drawback to this benevolent and inclusive attitude is the presence of a very large and destructive groundhog, but that's a story for another day.)
************************
Late one summer I was in the mood to celebrate the bounty, and went to the garden to harvest plants for cyanotype prints. The long print on the left side is a scarlet runner bean; top middle is seed heads from fennel; bottom middle is a volunteer cherry tomato; top right is more runner beans; and the bottom right is flat leaf Italian parsley. I echo-quilted the prints to give them some vibratory energy: The runner bean prints turned out especially nice, you can see the translucence of the flowers and the delicacy of the tendrils and baby beans. It's always a bonus for me when a leaf shows a bit of insect damage, although luckily the birds had kept the majority of the bean beetles at bay.
****************************
I handpainted some fabrics to get the nice tomato reds and leaf greens I wanted, and mixed them with commercial fabrics in Seminole -style patchwork. I really enjoy the process of making Seminole strips, and it can get quite intricate, but here I kept it to simple zig-zag shapes, used to suggest rows and blocks of crops. I also worked in the suggestion of the garden paths, the stakes and the fences, and the permanent straw mulch. (I use a loosely adapted version of the mulch system advocated by Ruth Stout in her seminal "The No-Work Garden Book")
**************************
"The Organic Garden" was exhibited in quilt shows and in Images 2007 at the Robeson Gallery, Pennsylvania State University.

Today's Feature: Reed Run

2009-10-28T17:30:00.001-04:00

While I'm on the subject of pawpaws, I thought I would talk about "Reed Run", which also uses pawpaw leaf images. Pawpaws like to grow in colonies, on hillsides, and near water, and all of these conditions are met along the edges of a small local stream, or "run", that meanders through land preserved by the Lancaster County Conservancy and drains into the Susquehanna River. This quilt is my attempt to interpret with textiles the transcendent experience of hiking the Reed Run trail.

The print on the left is a cyanotype on silk, and the print on the right is a heliographic print, done with textile paints on a heavily textured silk fabric. The heliographic print was enhanced with hand embroidery along the outsides of the leaves. I kept the color palette calm, and used large blocks of fabric for the piecing, to keep the energy level of the piece restful and tranquil. I added interest and movement with the intricate quilting stitching and the beadwork, including my signature cloud shapes at the top of the work.

********************************

The bottom of the piece has couched threads to suggest the curving banks of the stream, and more beadwork using large opalescent glass beads and semi-precious stones that stand in for the rocks and rills along the course of Reed Run. As with all fiber work, photographs can approximate but not equal the experience of viewing the work in person--if you are in the Lancaster (PA) area during the month of November, I hope you have the opportunity to stop in at Isadore Gallery and see it for yourself.

***********************************

Reed Run was exhibited at the Pacific International Quilt Festival, the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, and was at the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza as part of my special exhibit, "River Visions"

Today's Feature: November Pawpaw

2009-10-27T10:30:00.010-04:00

I'm posting each day leading up to my solo show at Isadore Gallery, and today's feature is "November Pawpaw". Pawpaw trees seem to be a recurring theme in my life lately, and a few weeks ago I fulfilled a decades-long desire by eating my fill of the fruits. I like the trees because of my child-like delight in their huge leaves, their botanical uniqueness in having the largest edible fruit indigenous to the continent, and the interesting way they grow in colonies.
********************************
This quilt, like so many others, began with a ramble in the woods. It was a fine day for mid-November, but mid-November nonetheless, and most of the leaves were down. I found a broken twig with leaves still attached, and I loved how tattered they were, showing the evidence of a summer's worth of insect and weather damage:

I hurried home and used the leaves for a cyanotype on silk. The sun was so low in the sky I needed to do a very long exposure, over an hour as I recall, as opposed to the 10 minutes or so it takes in high summer. Timing the cyanotypes is as much art as science, with experience as my guide; this time I was pleasantly surprised to see I had got it just right and the print was crisp and intricate, showing all the glorious degradation in the leaves.

*******************************

The left panel is the "wrong" side of a textured silk tweed fabric. The bottom panel is a mix of Harris tweeds and corduroy, chosen for their texture and the suggestion of tree bark. The top panel is pieced from handpainted silks and silk/hemp fabric, and is beaded with my signature not-too-subtle cloud shapes. The colors suggest the tonal qualities of the weak November sunshine.

******************************

The right panel is really special--it's an overlay of vintage crochet work I found at the flea market at Root's. It started life as a hand-crocheted doily, and what distinguishes it is that there are two different shades of crochet cotton used. I was raised in the Pennsylvania Dutch culture, with a very strong work ethic and thrift ethic, and I can readily imagine what happened here; the maker ran out of the primary thread and used what she had at hand to finish the work. My work on this piece was finished off with some couched yarn and hand application of seed beads, bugle beads, and abalone shell beads.

******************************

"November Pawpaw" has been to several quilt shows, and was included in the PA Arts Experience exhibit at the Lynden Gallery.

"Nature Quilts" at Isadore Gallery

2009-10-26T20:35:00.005-04:00

I am very pleased to announce that "Nature Quilts", a solo show of my botanical works, will be at the Isadore Gallery in Lancaster, PA, from November 5 -28. The show will feature a dozen major works from my series "The Woods" and "The Garden", as well as some smaller framed pieces. There will be an opening reception from 5 till 9 pm on November 6th, in conjunction with First Friday activities in Lancaster. I will be there all evening, and I hope that you will be able to attend as well.

As I was updating the exhibit information on my website, I was struck with how travelled these pieces are--they have been to a wide variety of venues all around the country and even internationally. This is a unique opportunity to see them all hanging side-by-side, in a lovely gallery space in historic downtown Lancaster.

Since the show will consist of twelve pieces, and I have (almost) 12 days until the reception, I would like to spend some time focusing on them individually. Today I am showing "Mystery Fern", which is also on the exhibition postcard. This piece began when I was out rummaging around in the woods and found a patch of ferns I couldn't readily identify. I made some cyanotype and heliographic prints, and adopted Mystery Fern as a working title until such time as I found a positive ID. I never did track it down precisely, but in the process realized that it was OK if it stayed mysterious; there is a lot about the natural world that is beyond facile understanding and classification, and that is part of what draws me back outside again and again.

The green painted panel in the upper left started out as a piece of bridal silk, and has a subtle embroidered pattern on it, and the panel in the lower left is on a silk/hemp blend that has a wonderful rough texture, so the photograph can't quite do justice to its inviting tactile qualities. The fabrics in the patchwork are a blend of a few commercial fabrics and a lot of silks and cottons that I custom painted to get just the right colors and gradations. The small digital prints on cotton are from a photograph I took of the fern fronds while the heliographic prints were drying.

"Mystery Fern" has been exhibited on five different occasions, including "Images 2008", a fine art/fine craft exhibit at Penn State University, where it won the Viewer's Choice award.

Watt & Shand #5 and #6 are Underway

2009-10-20T19:35:00.006-04:00

I am on track to having my most productive year ever. I've just finished piecing two tops, numbers 5 and 6 in the Watt & Shand series. They feature screen prints made from a photograph I took early in the construction project, when the historic building had been demolished except for the facade. The facade, which became a part of the new hotel/convention center, was supported by an elaborate, and beautiful in its own right, scaffolding. The solidity of the stone facade and the scaffolding was belied by the cavernous void behind it, and way the blue sky shone through the empty windows. I was transfixed, and decided on the spot to make a series of work documenting the project. (If you are new here, you can track back my work so far by clicking on "Watt & Shand" under Labels in the right sidebar.) Number 5 and 6 are meant to be companion pieces, although they could easily stand alone. At present they are roughly 36" x 46", medium sized by my standards. I'm quite happy with the way the design work and the piecing went, and look forward to doing the quilting, as the stitching adds so much dimension. And I'm already thinking about #7, so stay tuned!

Arts Orientation Center in Lancaster

2009-10-19T21:12:00.008-04:00

A steady stream of visitors and art lovers stopped in at the Arts Orientation Center, the new bricks-and-mortar home of the PA Arts Experience, during Art Walk this past weekend in downtown Lancaster, PA.

It's a wonderful setting for member's art, with galleries on the first and second floor of this beautifully restored building on Gallery Row.

The brick walls discovered during the renovation provide a great backdrop for the art.

Here's the view of the Center from the 3rd floor of the Prince St. Parking garage across the street, with the lights shining in the window. Come and visit, it's your gateway to discovering the thriving local arts community, including: exhibits of work by regional member trail artists; a Concierge service to design your own itinerary; information about member artists, galleries, museums, and other cultural venues; and arts related tours, packages & educational programs. Regular business hours will commence in November.

To add to the buzz, the PA Arts Experience was featured in an article in Sunday's Washington Post--read it here.

The Pawpaws were thick on the ground

2009-10-11T20:27:00.011-04:00

Twenty years ago I found and ate a wild pawpaw fruit while hiking, and ever since then, without being too fanatical about it, I've been looking to repeat the experience, checking various local pawpaw patches in the autumn. Today I hit the jackpot on the Turkey Hill trail, in a spot where the pawpaws were literally thick on the ground, and in the trees.

The timing was perfect, there were plenty that were ripe and ready to cut open and enjoy.

You scoop out the large seeds and eat the flesh, which should be slightly soft and not tart or bitter. The taste has elements of pineapple, kiwi, and banana, with a hint of honeydew melon. The consistency is even harder to describe; I've seen it called custardy, but it's firmer than custard, yet still melts in the mouth.

I picked a hatful to take home and left the rest for other hikers and the wildlife. Look at the leaves in the above picture--pawpaw leaves are huge and distinctive. I made them the focus of my "November Pawpaw" a few years ago:

We kept hiking to the top of Turkey Hill and enjoyed the views out over the Susquehanna River:

If you live on the east coast of the U.S. you may be familiar with Turkey Hill dairy products (and convenience stores of the same name). This is the area where the original family dairy farm originated and grew into the modern big enterprise.

This is a similar shot to the one I used as a basis for "View from Turkey Hill":

I hope you have a chance to get outside and enjoy the natural world wherever you find yourself, and Happy Trails to you.

Watt & Shand #4 is Finished

2009-10-08T21:13:00.006-04:00

I've just finished work on Watt & Shand #4. It was a pleasure to work on this one, it went together relatively easily and I'm quite happy with the results now that I can step back and look at it objectively. I'm sharing a few snapshots, above and below, and will do a full reveal once I get the photography done. The shiny bits in the photo above are the silks, they don't glare that much in person, but they do add a subtle shimmer.

I am on a roll right now with this series, and have begun work on several more. Below are two sneak peeks at prints that will be in #5 (or possible #6). I'm excited about the direction these are leading me.

If you are new here, you can track back the Watt & Shand series by clicking on "Watt & Shand" under Labels in the right sidebar.

Arts Orientation Center Sneak Peak

2009-10-02T11:25:00.006-04:00

Tonight is the "Sneak Peak" opening of the Arts Orientation Center, a bricks-and-mortar home for the Pennsylvania Arts Experience in beautiful downtown Lancaster, PA. It's a stunning space that has just been renovated to showcase the works of local artists, including myself (that's my Fireball on the center left of the card) and provide "a regional hub for the Arts and Culture". Here's the details of tonight's exciting opening:

Unfortunately, I will not be there, except in spirit. I am recovering from the a bout of H1N1, and will be doing my civic duty by continuing my self-imposed quarantine so as not to take a chance of spreading the virus. Happily, my work will be there, so if you have the opportunity to stop by, check out my River Hills Mushrooms:

Here's a detail shot:

Lancaster is becoming a thriving arts community, and there is LOTS to see and experience tonight at the First Friday event. Check it out, have fun, and come back again in two weeks for the fall Artwalk, when I plan to be back in action and at the Arts Orientation Center.

Bellefonte Exhibit Report

2009-09-27T20:34:00.012-04:00

I had a good day. I started with a quick stop at the Pennsylvania State Museum to pick up Big Root Geranium from the Art of the State exhibit which just closed, then headed up through the mountains towards Bellefonte. There was a light rain, and low clouds skirting the mountain tops that made for a scenic drive. I found the Bellefonte Museum; it's in a charming and beautiful 199 year old stone building with two large rooms serving as the main exhibit space. My Lavender in a Lightning Storm is hanging in the entry way, and there I am above with Daylilies at Dawn, which fits perfectly in a space next to a window. My three small mixed media pieces are above a fireplace, I neglected to photograph them in situ, but they are well placed.

I had the pleasure of meeting and conversing with Kimberly Davis, who I've known online. There she is above with one of her "Early Morning Club" panels comprised of small art quilts she composed daily in a series. I enjoyed learning more about her motivation and discussing working methods. Pop over to her blog to see more, and keep an eye on Kim, because she and her work are definitely going places!

Above is "Unconscious of Danger/Concealment as a Condition" by Ardeth Spence Christy. Isn't that a wonderful title for the piece? Ardeth was one of the stitchers for Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party, and it was a distinct treat to see some of her works in person.

Above is one of the flags from Benin, which is just fabulous on so many levels. Below is a detail showing how effectively the artist used the sequins. (All the pictures are clickable for larger views)

Here is another flag from Benin, an interpretation of The Tortoise and The Hare story. Look at the expressions, and the movement, and the color choices, and the tension that stems from the way it's crowded into the frame. I could live with this and never tire of it.

And then there are the molas....they are framed and under glass, so my photographs are not blog-worthy, but you can take my word for it that they are exquisite. (If you are unfamiliar with molas, a bit of background is here.) Amazingly, there were some vintage molas for sale, with some of the proceeds going to the Kuna Indians, and I can show you the ones I spent the grocery money on:

This frog makes me very happy. I'm going to get it framed, along with this one that depicts (I think, I need to do some research) a creation myth:

Many thanks and kudos to Pat House, for putting on a small gem of an exhibit, with a great concept and very diverse works that complement each other. I am really honored to be included. The exhibit is up until December 20th, so if you find yourself in the Penn State area stop by and enjoy it.

Watt & Shand #4 Update

2009-09-26T22:11:00.004-04:00

I have been working away very diligently on Watt & Shand #4. I've designed and pieced the top, layered and basted it, and begun on the quilting. I enjoy watching the texture develop as the stitching progresses--it adds another dimension to the images, and is one of the reasons I love working in this medium so much. Here's a few quick snapshots to show you how it's progressing. The one above includes a cyanotype, and below is a digital print.

If you are new here, you can track back this work, and the series, by clicking on "Watt & Shand" under Labels in the right side bar. Numbers 5 through 9 are in various stages of planning and execution, and I'm nowhere near to running out of ideas and inspiration.

I'll be taking a break from studio work to attend the opening reception of "A World of Stitches" at the Bellefonte (PA) Museum tomorrow afternoon. (You can read my previous blog post about it here.) If you are in the area, please stop by and say hello!

PNQE--Judge's Choice

2009-09-23T21:00:00.003-04:00

I made a quick trip to view the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza in the Philly area on Saturday, where my Fireball won a Judge's Choice ribbon, awarded by Sonya Lee Barrington. You can see I am feeling rather chuffed about it!

Also at the show was Sycamore, which always looks so much better in person--there's a lot of beading and detail that doesn't photograph easily.

I wish I had had more time to explore--there were a lot of great quilts on display, and a huge array of vendors. It seemed like a large crowd of attendees, as well, so perhaps it's a sign that the recession is easing up.

Ashley & Bailey Silk Mill - further update

2009-09-18T09:37:00.007-04:00

I've posted previously about the beautiful ruins of the former Ashley & Bailey Silk Mill, in Columbia, PA, and the plans to turn it into a tourist attraction. Various project approvals have come through, and site work has begun. The biggest visual change is the removal of the remnants of window glass. Compare this shot, above, with the previous pictures from last November.

Above is the view from the east, looking down the length of the building; below is the front view. I liked the way it looked with the reflections from the fragments of glass earlier, but I also like with the clean sculptural lines it now presents. And just like with the Watt & Shand facade, I'm really enthralled with the way it still reads as a structure, but you can see blue sky clear through it. I also like the areas where vegetation has claimed a foothold.

Below is the view from the west, where some of the post and beam framing still stands. You can read an article about the progress of the project in the local paper here; they've hit a snag upon finding ground water contamination but are moving ahead.

And finally, a view of the water tower at the back of the site, with migrating hawks circling overhead:As soon as I can free up some time, I plan to start a new series of works using these photos. Stay tuned!

Fox Grapes

2009-09-14T21:27:00.003-04:00

I am very busy right now with working on the Watt & Shand series, but I was seduced and temporarily waylaid by a huge fox grape vine I encountered while out and about. Fox grapes, Vitis labrusca, grow wild here in Pennsylvania, and the vines can ramble rather extensively. They cling with delicate looking but strong tendrils, which can be seen in the cyanotype print I made, above.

That print joins one I made several years ago, seen above during exposure. They will both join the queue of work I am passionate about producing but lack the time to address right now....I will pick out colors and fabrics to go with them, and the latent design will simmer in the back of my mind. It's good to have things like this to think about in the middle of the night or as a welcome distraction from the news of the world. I'd like to have some of the actual grapes to photograph--they are much smaller than a cultivated grape, but they are hard to find, as the birds and other wildlife make short work of them. They are similar in color to these concords, below, with a similar whitish bloom.

San Francisco - Coit Tower

2009-09-11T19:09:00.013-04:00

On our trip to San Francisco earlier this year, one day we took the ferry: Across the bay to the city: Where we took a cable car, made our way to Telegraph Hill and found the stairs to Coit Tower:

We climbed up, up, up, past pocket gardens and funky houses, and were suddenly startled by the raucous calls of the feral parrots in the trees:

Until at last we reached Coit Tower:

We took the elevator to the top, where we enjoyed the views of the city:

And the bay:

But best of all were the PWAP murals from the 1930's that were very controversial in their time, as they were thought to invoke socialist ideas and celebrate workers like these

fruit pickers: And flower pickers:

A street scene:

Canning industry workers:

And the huddled masses, yearning to break free of the Great Depression:

Bellefonte--Images from Benin and Panama

2009-09-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

Wow--I've just received some images representing the applique work that will be in the exhibit at the Bellefonte Museum (see yesterday's post). Above is an Mola from Panama, and below is a flag by Y. Brice from Benin. What fabulous work--now I really can't wait to go see the show!

Here's an updated press release with more information about the work done in Benin and Panama:

Bellefonte Museum for Centre County
133 N Allegheny, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Museum hours are 1 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday
and Sunday and by appointment

Announces the next exhibition:
“A World of Stitches”
September 27th to December 20th, 2009
Opening reception- September 27th, from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
(Free and open to the public)

“A World of Stitches: appliqué art from Benin, Panama and Pennsylvania” is a show of the particular craft of appliqué with examples from three very different cultures. The variety of design, motif and theme afford contrast while the basic craft demonstrates the universality of appliqué. The works in the exhibition are original creations by the artists and include images from the natural world, cultural themes and symbols from holidays and celebrations.

Appliqué needlework is an international craft; from American homes to tribal ceremonies, appliqué has been around a long time and continues to be popular. Remnants of clothing decorated with pieces of fabric to form designs have been found in the tombs of persons from ancient cultures. The technique has been used to create colorful flags for royalty throughout Europe and Africa. Appliqué designs on quilts and dance costumes were very popular in the Americas during the 18th and 19th Centuries. It is assumed that appliqué owes part of its origin to supply. When fabrics were all made by hand on simple looms or imported at great expense every scrap of material was valuable.

This exhibition includes examples of appliqué used to create decorative pieces and useful objects including coverlets, wall hangings, patches for quilt making, flags and clothing. Appliqué', which is a French term, is a type of decorative needlework that involves cutting pieces of one fabric and sewing or otherwise applying them to the surface of another. An image or design is obtained by superposing patches of colored material on a basic cloth.

In our country, women have been the appliqué artists and quilters but in other cultures men created the textiles and made the textile crafts. This continues to be true in Benin (West Africa), one of the three countries featured in this exhibition. In the Kuna culture of Panama women are the textile artists. Their designs are made using many layers of fabric.

The Kuna people live on the San Blas Islands off the northern coast of Panama. Kuna women make a unique kind of appliqué work called Molas. Images in the Molas are very detailed and depict every aspect of their lives. The fabric designs are done in bright colors on dark (usually red) background. Molas range in sizes but are usually made to fit on a shirt or dress bodice.

Works in this show by Brice Abraham Yemadie are done in rich colors using fabrics and sequins. These pieces demonstrate the appliqué tradition as it has evolved in Benin, West Africa. Y. Brice was born in Benin to a family of textile artisans whose roots go back to the Fon Kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin). The French artist Matisse admired this appliqué tradition and the influence can be seen in some of his works. Fon artists sold into slavery brought the appliqué tradition to the Americas.

By exhibiting examples from Benin (West Africa), Panama and our own community, we display contrasts and similarities and suggest possible origins of craftwork. Most importantly, the show demonstrates shared creativity of people from a wide variety of cultures and traditions. The exhibition curator is Patricia House.

Works in the exhibition:

Pennsylvania and environs appliqué artists,
Bonnie Buckwalter, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Aldeth Spence Christy, 1939- 2001, Maryland
Kimberly Davis, State College, Pennsylvania
Sue Reno, Columbia, (Lancaster), Pennsylvania
(Biographies of the American artists will be available at the exhibition)

Panama, Kuna Indians appliqué work by several Kuna community members

Benin (West Africa), Brice Abraham Yemadje, textile artist, Fon Community

Special appreciation is extended to Peggy Sloves and Maya Spence for lending art to the show and to the artists who loaned their works.

The exhibition is partially funded by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Borough of Bellefonte.

Accompanying programs will include craft classes for children and adults and on site activities for families visiting the show.

Bellefonte Museum Exhibit

2009-09-05T12:31:00.014-04:00

I am very pleased to announce that 5 of my works will be featured in an upcoming exhibit at the Bellefonte Museum for Centre County in Bellefonte, PA. Included will be Daylilies at Dawn, above, with a detail below:

The exhibit is entitled “A World of Stitches: appliqué art from Benin, Panama and Pennsylvania”and it is partially funded by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the Borough of Bellefonte. It will also feature my "Lavender in a Lightning Storm", below:

I think this is a really brilliant concept for a show, and am looking forward to attending the opening on Sunday, September 27th from 1 to 4:30 pm, so I can see the other work that has been selected by curator Patricia House. The exhibit will run until December 20th, so there will be plenty of opportunity to visit if you are in the area.

Also included will be three of my mixed media pieces, "Suddenly Spring #1":

" Suddenly Spring #2":

And "Suddenly Spring #4":

Here's the press release with more details:

“A World of Stitches: appliqué art from Benin, Panama and Pennsylvania” is a show of the particular craft of appliqué and related needlework from three very different cultures. The variety of design, motif and theme will afford contrast while the basic craft will demonstrate the universality of appliqué as a way to decorate personal or useful objects. “A World of Stitches” will open on Sunday, September 27th from 1 to 4:30 pm. The show will be at the museum until December 20th

Appliqué Stitchery is an international craft; from early American homes to tribal ceremonies, appliqués have been around a long time and they are still very popular. The exhibition will include examples of appliqué work on decorative pieces and useful objects including coverlets, wall hangings, patches for quilt making and clothing. Appliqué', which is a French term, is a type of decorative needlework that involves cutting pieces of one fabric and sewing or otherwise applying them to the surface of another fabric. It is a technique by which the decoration is obtained by superposing patches of colored fabrics on a basic fabric, the edges of the patches being sewn in some form of stitchery specially prepared appliqué may have embroidery work, additional decorations like ribbons, sequins or even mirror work.

By exhibiting examples from Benin (Africa), Panama and our own community, we demonstrate a common style of craft and suggest possible origins of craftwork and the shared creativity of people from a wide variety of cultures and traditions. The exhibition curator is Patricia House.

The exhibition is partially funded by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Borough of Bellefonte. Accompanying programs will include related craft classes for children and adults and on site activities for families visiting the show.

Pennsylvania and environs appliqué artists:
Sue Reno, Lancaster, PA
Bonnie Buckwalter, Bellefonte, PA.
Aldeth Spence Christy, (1939- 2001), Maryland
Kimberly Davis, State College, PA

Kuna Indians appliqué work - Panama (North America)

Fon Tribal Community appliqué work - Benin (Africa)

Columbine Update

2009-08-27T11:07:00.007-04:00

I've been working on the palette for Columbine, adding in these fabrics, above and below:

The shiny strips that didn't reproduce well in these quick photos are a Mysore silk, with a purple warp and a gold woof, that is just gorgeous. These strips join the ones I did earlier, below, along with the columbine prints I made. You can always track back this work in progress by clicking on Columbine under labels in the right sidebar.

While I've been hard at work accomplishing many things, other sentient beings in the vicinity have a different idea of time well spent:

This handsome boy is yet another in the series of Not My Cat; he likes to hang out here and get his belly rubbed. The locust tree is starting to drop just a few leaves--it's not fall yet, but a change is coming....