Merging Visions 2016

Every April, the Denton Poets’ Assembly teams up with VAST (the Visual Arts Society of Texas) in a collaborative exhibit called “Merging Visions” in celebration of National Poetry Month. 

All poems and artwork are originals created by members of the two groups. Some of the poems are created with the artwork as inspiration, and some are inspirations for the artwork.   

The 9th annual Merging Visions Exhibit will be held at the Patterson Appleton Arts Center, 400 E Hickory St, Denton, TX 76201. The exhibit will be free and open to the public 1 pm - 5 pm Tues.-Sun., April 15 through June 5, 2016. 

"Dragonflies at the Pond" is inspired by a poem by Richard Schinzel for the Merging Visions Exhibition. I hand-dyed cotton sateen for the background and added dyed cheesecloth to represent the pond's edge. The dragonflies, water bug, cattails and lotus are fused to the background. 21x31"

"Cedar Waxwing" is my second entry for the Merging Visions Exhibition. The poem Invisible Threads by Beth Honeycutt describes a bird sitting in a snowy nandina bush. I combined three photos and "painted" things with photoshop before having it inkjet printed on cotton sateen. 13.5x18"

Dallas Quilt Show 2016, 35th Anniversary

The Dallas Quilt Show 2016 has ended. You can see photos of the big winners here.

My personal favorite was the also the People's Choice winner.

Extraneous Female: Escapement Mechanism by Rebecca "Becky" Prior

My “A Day at the Zoo” Block Challenge

The Block Contest is a judged exhibit which features blocks made by members of the Quilter’s Guild of Dallas, who are given challenge rules and a theme which they must follow in the design and construction of their individual blocks. This year’s contest theme was “A Day at the Zoo.” 

Each participant was given a packet with a background fabric and other pieces of fabric to be used in the block. The original designs may be pieced or appliquéd, or a combination of the two. After the 2016 Dallas Quilt Show, the blocks will be assembled into a quilt. This quilt then becomes part of the Guild’s “Keeper Quilt” collection and will be displayed at future shows.

  

I was thrilled that my block won First Place.

Each year, the show chair selects a special “theme” for the show, and the "Show Chair's Theme" category includes quilts that reflect that theme. For 2016, show chair Judy Kriehn chose “Words and Letterforms.”

My entry to the Show Chair's Theme was "Art Does Not Have to Match Your Sofa". 38 x56" 

It won an Honorable Mention and the Past Show Chair's Choice Award.

The large words in acrylic paint express my feelings about “matchy art.” Fabric marker and stitching accent the smaller message. It says “Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art. – Andy Warhol.” The sofa itself comes from the underlining of an actual sofa then shadowed with oil stick paint. 

I entered "Red Fish" 17 x 19.5” in the Pictorial Category. 

 I entered "Blue Fish" 17 x 19.5” in the Pictorial Category. 

I entered "Dragonfiles at the Pond" - 20.5 x 31.25” in the Art Quilt Category.

I'm so inspired by all the beautiful quilts I saw at the show. I'm so looking forward to spending some time in the studio!

Dragonflies at the Pond

Dragonflies at the Pond is one of my entries to the Merging Visons Exhibition.

Dragonflies at the Pond, 31 x 21"

It's based on a poem, Dragonfly at the Pond, by Robert Schinzel.

The background is a piece of cotton sateen that I wrapped on a pole and dyed with turquoise and bronze dye. The gauzy middle is dyed cheesecloth. I thought about transferring a laser copy of a dragonfly with gel medium but changed my mind.

I was encouraged to add lotus flowers to the mix.

And a waterbug. This is what it looked like before I quilted the appliques.

The wings were made by stitching through organza that I misted with water and stuck to Sulky Solvy. When the stitching was complete, I washed the Solvy away with water.

 After I cut out the wings, I stitched them at the top so that would be loose at the bottom.

I added the shadow of the waterbug with fabric marker.

Every April, the Denton Poets’ Assembly teams up with VAST, the Visual Arts Society of Texas, in a collaborative exhibit called “Merging Visions” in celebration of National Poetry Month. 

All poems and artwork are originals created by members of the two groups. Some of the poems are created with the artwork as inspiration, and some are inspirations for the artwork.   


The 9th annual Merging Visions Exhibit will held at the Patterson Appleton Center for the Visual Arts, 400 E Hickory St, Denton, TX 76201. The exhibit will be free and open to the public during regular art center hours, Tuesday-Sunday afternoons. The opening reception -- also free and open to the public -- will be held on April 23rd from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

In Progress...

I looked around my studio and noticed a bunch of unfinished projects. Some getting too close to the deadline.

I started this little (10x15") acrylic ink piece in Judy Coates Perez' surface design class at IQA Houston last fall. I sponge-painted the background and cut freezer paper stencils for the coffee cups. I used a dry brush to paint around the edges of the cups and added detail with fabric markers and a white Prismacolor pencil. I still need to quilt this one.

I found this felted wool bag in a thrift shop. I'm looking for the right handles for it.

I stenciled dandelion leaves on this 18x18" piece of dyed sateen. 

After I quilt it, I'll stencil the words below...

and embroider some dandelion puffs.

This will be "One Fish" in my fish series. 

Lots of coral and sponges need to be added to the sea floor. 17x19.5"

Here's my entry to the Dallas Quilt Show's Words and Letterform category. 

Still need to bind it, label it and sew on the rod pocket. 57x39"

I painted sateen with thickened Procion dye in 1992 for a kimono. 

This will be the third small "Just Crabby" quilt made with the upcycled Kimono fabric. 18x18".

This was the back of the kimono, I'm still wondering how to finish it. 28x50"

This is a manipulated photo of Lorraine Kuehnel's cat Hazel. She is a grey kitty. I added the color and had her inkjet printed on muslin. I need to quilt her next. 18x18"

"Dragonflies at the Pond" is inspired by a poem of the same name by Richard Schinzel for the Merging Visions Exhibition. I hand-dyed cotton sateen for the background and added dyed cheesecloth to represent the pond's edge. The dragonflies, water bug, cattails and lotus are fused to the background. 

Next, I'll quilt all of the appliques. 21x31"

"Cedar Waxwing" is my second entry for the Merging Visions Exhibition. The poem Invisible Threads by Beth Honeycutt describes a bird sitting in a snowy nandina bush. I combined three photos and "painted" things with photoshop before having it inkjet printed on cotton sateen. 13.5x18"

Time to step away from the computer and get busy!

Exhibition of 2015 Calendar Art at Chestnut Tree

If you haven't had a chance to go to the Chestnut Tree Tearoom and Bistro on the Denton Square this fall you should go. Their remodeled space has lots of room for artwork. The VAST Exhibition of 2015 Calendar Art is on display through January 9.

My Red Fish quilt is in the calendar and on display. 17x19.5"

Blue Fish is also hanging at Chestnut Tree. 17x19.5"

"Aquarius" in ArtQuilting Studio Magazine

My little art quilt "Aquarius" is in the winter issue of ArtQuilting Studio magazine!

What a nice surprise.

Paint Chip Challenge II

Members of the "Not Your Grandmother's Bee" were challenged to create something outside our color comfort zone. We were asked to choose a paint chip without seeing the colors on the front. 

I created "Luna Rising". 
The bottom is a test sample dyed with shaving cream and dye spread with a credit card on white fabric. I hand-dyed the blue background and the vertical strip. I transferred a black laser copy of the Luna moth and crystalis with gel medium onto hand-dyed green fabric. The yellow strip and blue squares are scraps of antique kimono. The moon is made of concentric circles of bridal tulle. I cut a stencil for the vine and painted it on with white acrylic paint.

 Marie Mitchell created this darling bag.

Carla Hamm will finish her jacket with beads.

 Kathleen Francis used three paint chips for color inspiration on her bug jars.

 Tammy Becker will complete her trees with beads and buttons.

 Charlotte Rutland created this darling bird.

Debbie Coates created this mug rug.

Jessalyn Matthews Frank is creating her own version of a Parchesi board. 

Grace Johnson created this MuMu.

Donna made this pillow.

Linda Creagh made this quilt for her great-granddaughter.

Ice Plant by Nelda Johnson

The words "ICE PLANT" were done with shaving cream dye and a stencil.

Ice Plant is 19" x 20" and has a pocket on the back for the paint chip.

Here's a link to our first Paint Chip Challenge May 2014.