Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Interwoven III - 18 Hands Gallery


October 22 - November 4, 2011
249 W 19th St, Ste B
Houston,TX 77008

Opening Saturday, October 22nd,  6-9 PM

Come by, meet the artists
and enjoy light refreshments

 
Join us in a celebration
of the local and regionalfiber community.

Participating artists:
 
Noreen Borys, Sheila Burke, Marian Carlson, Beth Dewey, Tatiana Ermakova, Lynn Sorelle Forster, Sony Hartley, Margery O Hedges, Veronica Helton, Susan Fletcher King, Scharine Kirchoff, Charlene Kolb, Linda Lewis, Leisa McCord, Carmen McGee, Janice Daniel McKeehan, Sheryl Means, Tammy Minnich, Leila Reynolds, Olga Starostina, Olga Tarasova, Sandra Elbel Taylor, Linda Thiemann, David L. Vollmer, Doerte Weber, Lynn S. Williams, Hope Wilmarth, Gerry Woodhouse

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Beach Retreat

Recently we all spent a couple of days at Connie’s new beach house.  Connie (and Mike) are always great host/hostess so a good time was had by all.  As housewarming gifts, we each made a placemat with a “beach” theme.  It was fun to watch her grandchildren critiquing them and picking a favorite.

Placemat-Linda's-WEB

Linda Minton

 

Placemat-Liz - web

Liz Broussard

 

Placemat-Mary Ann-web

Mary Ann Littlejohn

 

Placemat-Nancy's - web

Nancy Dickey

 

Placemat-Susan-web

Susan King

Friday, August 12, 2011

Round Birthday "Postcards"




Each year FiberVoices members exchange fabric postcards for our birthdays. Last year Connie distributed a round version (non-postal) with grommets on the top and bottom that allow each one received to be attached to the next one and be hung on the wall. So this year I thought I would do the same. I wanted to try the technique of layering fabrics, sewing a line drawing through all the layers, and then cutting away the top layers to reveal the colors underneath. Then I added some hand embroidery for details. I drew different motifs so each of the six of us would have an individual design.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

New Book to celebrate the Opening of The Space Between

The Space Between, co-curated by Leslie Tucker Jenison and Jamie Fingal, will be premiering at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, California. The dates are July 29 -31, 2011. If you are not able to be there, you can still enjoy a bit of what the show has to offer by checking out this link: http://www.blurb.com/books/2327096.

This book (catalog) was created by Loris Bogue who is also one of the artists that participated in the show. Be sure to take a look. Instead of showing my piece here, you have to take a peak in the book!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Opening at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft


Tonight was the opening for a new exhibit at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. This was the tenth anniversary of the Center, and artists from the 10 years of their Artist In Residence program were invited to submit work for this - the tenth anniversary. Lots of fun eye candy. There was fair representation of all craft disciplines - from fiber to ceramics to wood to metal. Something for everyone. The show will continue through September 3, 2011.

In addition, there is a show called "Creatures From the Deep" by Arline Fisch. This is running through July 30 in the HCCC small gallery. This is one that I really wanted to see and enjoyed because of my penchant for sea "critters". This was a new way to depict these amorphous life forms. Read below from HCCC:

Creatures from the Deep showcases Fisch’s use of knitting and crocheting techniques to create larger-than-life sea creatures made of wire. HCCC is pleased to host the touring version of this exhibition, which has transformed the small gallery into a tranquil underwater world, with floating jellyfish of different colors and shapes.

The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is located at 4848 Main Street - easy parking and open Tuesday through Sunday. Worth a trip!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Retreat!

We had a wonderful retreat in Tomball last month, at The Quilter's Cabin, owned and operated by Diane Anderson.  Here are a few pictures we took ...

Susan working on a deconstructed screen print.

Liz, Connie, and Mary Ann.

Connie was very prolific for the week!  Painting and soy-wax batiking.

A pre-screen (for deconstructed screen printing) by Linda
Another of Linda's pre-screens.
Linda's series of 4 prints.
Liz working on her free-motion quilting project.
Mary Ann and some of her soy-wax prints.
One of Susan's pre-screens.
One of Susan's deconstructed screen prints.
Susan made this tiny pre-screen, which Linda coveted.
Susan on the back porch.
Susan used some natural elements to create this series of prints.
Linda enjoying the gorgeous weather on the back porch.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

The Space Between - Interview with Susan Fletcher King

I am so excited to have been juried into the invitational exhibit "The Space Between" - co-curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison.

You can read my interview here. Be sure and read about the other artists on the Dinner at Eight artist blog. This is a great way to get a little peak into each artist's personality.

Happy Discovery

I’m Ready for My Close-up, Mr. DeMil has a base coat of Pepto-Bismol pink acrylic and layers and layers of multiple colors of Crayola crayons. Of course, ironing between the applications of color is necessary to set the crayon into the fabric and allowed me to decide if more color is needed.
Highlighting was necessary to visually separate the upper back from the neck. With light peaches and pale pinks in hand, I went to the ironing board with the fabric in order to save some steps. My happy discovery was to find that when crayon is applied to hot fabric, the color instantly melded into the surface. There are no harsh edges from the coloring strokes and very quickly the artist can tell if more/different color is needed.
From now on, methinks heating the fabric before applying crayons is the way to go!
Background is a snow-dyed silk from my dear friend, Nora Jones of Fort Collins, Co.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

The Space Between - Linda's interview

The Space Between - Interview with Linda Teddlie Minton


I was so thrilled to be juried into the invitational exhibit "The Space Between", co-curated by Leslie Tucker Jenison and Jamie Fingal.  And today was my "day in the sun", when I was the featured artist on their Dinner at Eight Artists blog.  Please take a look, then be sure to read about the other artists too ... we are all just fascinating!   ;^)
Susan Fletcher King's interview is scheduled to be posted on April 26, so be sure to check back then.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

An April Fools' Meeting

We had our April 1, 2011 meeting at Nancy's house, which feels very "out-in-the-countryside", and is so beautifully decorated.  I thought I'd finally post some pictures, since we are getting ready to launch our official website soon.

Connie made this art quilt for her kids at the beach.
Just one example of the deconstructed screen printing that Nancy has been playing with.
A work-in-progress by Mary Ann ... an abstracted cart wheel,
from a photo taken by her husband.


Nancy was our gracious hostess for the day.
Even her Copper Pennies dish was served
with an Easter Bunny theme.
Mary Ann and Susan, getting ready to dig in.
Luscious dessert, YUM!
Connie and Liz share a laugh.
My favorite pic of Susan.
Pic-of-the-Day -- Nancy at cocktail hour!

Friday, March 11, 2011

Gossip Challenge

Connie Fahrion started this challenge based on the old game "gossip" or "telephone". She chose a photograph she took while on a winter-time retreat at the childhood home of Liz Broussard in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.  Bayou Teche, runs along the back of the property. The size she chose was 6” x 18” landscape orientation
Connie-Bayou Teche
Bayou Teche

After her initial interpretation, she passed her quilt to the next person in the rotation through the group.  Each person only saw the piece immediately before her and did an interpretation on it. 

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Connie Fahrion

I decided to work with squares and rectangles to flesh out tree trunks and leaves using silk fabrics on a cotton Ikat-like fabric.  I based my composition on another one I created of the same scene worked with dyed and painted coffee filters and thread trash.
 
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Liz Broussard

Because I was so enamored with Connie's piece, it was difficult for me to not duplicate it!
I went with a literal translation of a stark, dreary winter's day on the bayou.  Several layers of chiffon and netting were burned to create barren trees and blowing leaves.
 
Thinking  of Fall Susan 029
Susan King, “Thinking of Fall”

I had a vague impression of swampish trees and leaves and perhaps cool temperatures from looking at Liz Broussard's piece.  Liz was also very specific in pointing out the one or two spots of red that she put in her piece.  Based on that, I interpreted my piece with red autumn leaves pushed directionally in a cool wind.
 
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Nancy Dickey, “Autumn Melody”

I wanted to capture the "feel" of Thinking of Fall so I based my design on Susan's mottled tan background, her top left to bottom right sweeping movement, and her red (leaves) color. Her addition of tiny gold beads added detail so I quilted in the small areas of my checkered background. I interpreted Susan's thin wispy twig branches by couching Razzle Dazzle for my long delicate wind currents.
 
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Mary Ann Littlejohn, "Morning Song"

When  I saw Nancy's work, I felt the melody flowing across the piece and associated it with written music and the treble clef.

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Linda Teddlie Minton "Summer Wind"

Mary Ann's musical theme brought to mind some old children's illustrations of Wind.  I picked out her baby-pinks and blues to repeat in my piece.  This was a challenging piece for me, because of the unusual size and shape, but I loved the results from the whole group.

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Cheryl Johnson

Linda's was so wonderful I almost had too many ideas.  I didn't know the title at the time but I wanted to carry over movement and some of the color she created in her piece.  I asked myself what could move around on the wind and came up with the bubbles.   After all who doesn't love seeing what shape and color their bubble will come out.