Totems Challenge

Our latest challenge was presented by Sheryl Schleicher and was due at the September meeting.  The theme of the challenge is Totems.  Each person was to select an animal that had traits that represented her or had traits she wished to have. 

This is a collage of the work members brought to the annual retreat:

And the individual quilts:

Lettie Blackburn chose the loon.

For those with a Loon totem,
imagination and dreaming abilities are powerful.
Images and visions will be very lifelike
and you must separate the real from the unreal.
Loon will help you see the truth.

The Loon awakens the imagination
and reminds us that all hopes, dreams and wishes
can become realities.

Dianna Callahan identified with a meerkat. Her piece is called "The Sentinel" and represents the vigilance the members of a meerkat clan exhibit to keep each other safe.

Donna Olson's totem was no surprise.  She chose a crow - or it chose her! 

Donna completed two 12 x 12s for the challenge.

Cathy Jeffery's totem is an owl.

Carol Bormann tells us "the giraffe has the ability to know the future and understand the past while walking in the present moment. It teaches us how to increase our perceptions by viewing life from all angles. Developing these characteristics is taking me a lifetime."

Roberta Ranney identified with the lynx - the keeper of secrets and mystical knowledge.

You know the secrets
So very well,
The Dreamtime and the magic,
But you'll never tell.

May I learn to hold my tongue,
Observe like the Sphinx,
Powerful, yet silent,
The medicine of Lynx.

Lily Kerns found a book of prayers about various animals and strongly identified with the goat.  According to the prayer, the goat needs freedom and a little giddiness of heart.

Emmie Seaman says "I chose the Flamingo because it is heart healing, psychic,

a people person and flirtatious.  Since a totem can be more than one I made the second quilt with the flamingo nestled in a poppy as it is my favorite flower and my garden is a riot of red poppies every Spring."

Sheryl Schleicher chose a horse as her totem.  Her work is expressed entirely in fine quilting.

Diane Steffen portrayed her new dog Louie.  Louie is a min pin who has captured her heart.

The dog totem is a great spirit booster and symbol of the small becoming great. Study the quality of the breed of dog that has entered your life. Is it hunter, protector, companion, or playful? Each quality gives insight into the quality needed for your own life. People with this totem have a great spirit and ability to love as best friends.

Merrilee Tieche was inspired by the jaguar. 

"Jaguar enhances spiritual and psychic vision with a keen sense of awareness, pinpointing strong intuitional abilities. Jaguar shows how to embrace the gifts of the Spirit with composure, tenacity, fortitude with a complete integration of lessons learned and applying them in daily life. Are you integrating ideas and thoughts like you should? Jaguar will aid in this transition of self-actualization. He shows how to move silently, stealthily knowing when and how to react, shows empowerment, teaches how to maneuver and understand things unseen. He cuts through the illusion of separation and shows how the hurtful lessons of the past can be transformed into a higher clarity of purpose with a higher sense of self and connectedness. Jaguar's wisdom will show clarity in the chaos in the soul process of integration and shifting perspectives with balance and grace. "

Maureen Ashlock chose the horse as her totem and provided this information:

"Majestic"

The Horse Totem

Freedom and Power

Grace and Strength

Joy and Perseverance

Creativity and Expression

The next challenge is from Roberta Ranney.  She asks that we produce a work inspired by a song written by her husband called Peaceful Waters.  The work will be due at the October meeting of UT.

The Gallery at Lumberyard Art Center

Our exhibit was hung yesterday in the gallery at the Lumberyard Art Center. Following are photos after we finished.

As the gallery is approached one will see Lettie Blackburn's "Jack in the Pulpit" in the doorway on a easel. Upon entering the gallery, our "Good Grief" quilt in prominently displayed in the center of the room with a wall of art quilts behind it. 

I should have written down the name of each piece and the artist but I forgot. Oh well, enjoy.

 The art center really was an old lumber yard. This is the back half that is still awaiting renovation into a theatre.

 And this is the front half that is finished and in use. A very delightful facility.

Our exhibit opens this Friday, September 16 and will be there until October 8. Information is on our preceding post.

Lumberyard Art Center

On September 16, 2011, nine members of Uncommon Threads will open an exhibit of their art quilts at the Lumberyard Art Center in Baldwin, KS. Unfortunately that opening will conflict with our retreat so none of us will be there. I'll post pictures after we hang the show so you'll know what it looks like.
the exhibit is up until October 8, so if you're in the area, stop by. You can read all about it in the LAC newsletter and also learn about LAC at their website

BitterSweet Challenge

Our latest challenge was revealed at our July meeting. The theme was "Bittersweet." The following picture was chosen by Emmie Seaman who said we could be inspired by the picture/design, the colors, or the word bittersweet.

Here is a mosaic of all of the 12 x 12s. Then they follow individually.

 

Mother's Day Gift - Maureen Ashlock

These Lilies were given to me  by my Grandsons on Mother's Day and they bloom around that day each year. I  collaged three photoshop pictures  together to make the 3 D design.

Bittersweet - Lettie Blackburn

Since I love both painting and art quilting, I decided to combine them...

and 12x12 is a good way to experiment!

Jake - Carol Bormann

The image, based on a photo by Susan Brown, shows her son immersed in a ball pit. The colors of the balls were altered to mimic the cluster of bittersweet. The technique is photo transfer and appliqué with quilted accents. 

I really enjoyed this challenge. Actually, I have had a lot of fun with exploring new avenues with all of our challenge pieces. The process is a great idea.

Butterflies and Bittersweet - Dianna Callahan

Emma - Cathy Jeffery

It is so bittersweet to have a kitty for 18 years and have to say goodbye.

Bittersweet At Night - Kathy Kansier

My 12 x 12 Bittersweet quilt portrays a basket of Bittersweet branches.  I think of the plant as one often used in folk art and it seemed right to show it in this way. I arrived at my title because I stayed up all night making this the night before it was due.

Bittersweet - Lily Kerns
My "Bittersweet" piece will serve as a class sample for five different classes:  "Stained Glass Techniques";  "Abstracting from Nature";  "Designing for Foundation Paper Piecing"; and "Almost Mondrian".  I will also adapt it for an Ozark Garden block.

Bittersweet - Donna Olson

Waiting - Roberta Raney
"My bittersweet quilt is a photo of my mother in 1952 superimposed on a picture of bittersweet.  My mother is wearing my father's Army jacket as she awaits his return from Korea.  He died in Korea shortly after this picture was taken."  I must say this little quilt is much more bitter than sweet but 'tis what it is.

Pixeled - Sheryl Schleicher
I laid a grid on the photo and then did an abstract pixel of each square using the grunge fabrics.  It was a lot of fun to do and definitely a technique I will use again just for the sheer fun of it.  Fun to quilt, too!

Bittersweet Abstract - Emmie Seaman
The background is a mosaic of torn and cut squares and rectangles of fabric, then quilted to hold them down. The two blue lines and the circles are fused on top with some decorative stitching and beads added.

Bittersweet Memories - Lucy Silliman
I returned to a style of design that I used for many of my pieces that went to judged shows.  Since I’ve given up showing, it’s a little bitter, but sweet in that I’ve moved on to other things.

Blue Grid  - Diane Steffen

Night Shade - Merrilee Tieche
I believe the 12 x 12 format is perfect for trying out new techniques as well as inspirations.  Nightshade incorporates several layers of paint, writing and fabric, giving the 2 dimensional surface more depth.

Entering Juried Exhibits

ENTERING JURIED EXHIBITS




The basics:

1. Have a body of work ready to exhibit (4-12 pieces)

2. Determine a yearly budget for entry fees, insurance, shipping, and travel.

3. Decide which types of shows you will enter.

4. Locate calls for entry.

5. Prepare a calendar for the exhibit year.



1. You will need a cohesive body of work that shows your current style and technique. Choose a theme or technique that may make your work unique from that of others. Highlight what you love to do best and you are expert at doing. Don’t be discouraged if a juror doesn’t pick your art piece for the exhibit. The next juror may give you an award in an upcoming show.

2. Be prepared to pay to enter and don’t expect to win awards. To pay an entry fee, then to pay insurance, and shipping and handling both ways if your work is accepted, will easily cost $50. If you travel very far to drop off the entry, then attend the reception later, your cost will be considerably more. Your non-refundable entry fee alone will run $15 - $40 for anywhere from one to three works. If you are paying $30 - $40 you will want to enter the maximum number of pieces, although it is rare for an artist to get all three accepted since there will be so much artwork for the juror to choose from. Ship your work where it is convenient for you unless the call for entry tells you specifically to send UPS. The post office may be a more convenient option than UPS or Fed x.

3. There are always several local galleries holding periodic juried exhibits. You can drop off, pick up, attend receptions and view the exhibits easily. If you decide to exhibit farther away, you may choose gallery shows that will run for a month. You can choose to exhibit in Expos and fairs that run only a few days, or shows that travel up to a year. Other opportunities are group exhibits and solo exhibits.

4. To learn about where to exhibit, contact a local group or get info from your art friends, search the internet to get on some mailing lists, or search the exhibit entry section of topic related magazines. When you find an entry that you like, read the form thoroughly to determine if your work can qualify and if you can meet all of the deadlines and comply with criteria. Most current methods of entry for non-local exhibits are sent on CD or e-mail. Locally, you will just drop off the form with the artwork. Be sure to always keep copies of all paperwork.

5.Keeping track of even a few shows may require you to have a running calendar. For example, during August, you may have an entry deadline for one show, a ship date to another, a reception, or a work return date, etc. Most shows cover a three to four month span from the date of entry deadline to the date the shown work is returned to you. If a work isn’t accepted in a juried exhibit, you can then enter it in the next upcoming exhibit. Remember, some shows may have so many entries that the juror will only pick 20% of them for exhibit. It is very important that you don’t commit a piece to a new show while it is still in a current one. Also, if the piece sells, you won’t want it entered into a new show.


If the artwork doesn’t sell, plan on showing it as many times as you want over a two or three year period before “retiring” it, gifting or donating it. Remember, it is unlikely that the same people in Lowell will see the piece again in Wichita or Springfield.

Dianna Callahan

12 x 12 Notan

This June 12 x 12 theme was "Notan" chosen by Lucy Silliman.

And here they are individually:

Lettie Blackburn "Branch Shadows"

 Roberta Raney "Whirligig"

Dianna Callahan "Broken Trails"

Sheryl Schleicher " Quilted Mylar"

 Cathy Jeffery "Tango"

Lucy Silliman "Crab Walk"

Emmie Seaman "Midnight"

Merrilee Tiech "Tsunami"

Kathy Kansier "Angels"

Inspired by her twin Grand daughters Isabelle and Gabrielle

Carol Borman "Metamorphosis

The life cycles of the butterfly include changes in form and environment. This metamorphic "cycle" begins with the caterpillar resting on the lower "ledge." As each butterfly passes from the inner white square (birth) to the outer black border (end of life) the values transform to constrast with the new background.

Donna Olson "Petroglyphs"

Lily Kerns "Purs-agami" 

This functional purse was designed in Corel Draw using a Reverse Notan proess.It is one rectangle of fabric, folded stitched and embellished

Maureen Ashlock "It Takes Two"

Lucy Silliman "Snake In The Grass"

Diane Steffen "Wood Block"

The next theme, due in July, is a photograph of bittersweet chosen by Emmie Seaman. The design, colors, or name "bittersweet", may be used. Good Luck to all.