How nice to have a bit of excitement and quilts in a lovely exhibit.
Karen
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
A new exhibit
Last night, I went to the opening of an art quilt exhibit at the Carroll Arts Center in Westminster. I have eight quilts in this lovely exhibit. Four other artists are exhibiting as well. It was a nice opening with a good number of attendees for a Tuesday evening. The local paper sent a reporter and a photographer, who were each pretty busy doing their thing. Both seemed very interested in this unique (for Westminster) exhibit. I was a bit uncomfortable with the photographer shooting a bunch of photos of me (I am always the photographer). Imagine my surprise early this morning when my daughter called to tell me I was famous - my photo is on the front page of the Carroll County Times with a nice article on the exhibit. Here's the link to the article:
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Maybe some new work coming
Last week I visited the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore to see the exhibit All Things Round. This museum always inspires me, from the man who makes huge structures from toothpicks to the woven yarn structures made by a woman with Down Syndrome. Many pieces in the exhibit captured me and one stood out - The Golden Spiral by Greg Mort. He had several paintings there, all very moving, but this spiral captured me ... and seems to be calling me to create my own golden spiral.
Internet exploring revealed that this spiral can be created using logarithmic computations (which I resisted even though the math part of me was curious) or by using the Fibonacci Sequence. I am intrigued and have been pondering how to do this with fabric. The Fibonacci Sequence goes like this: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 where the last two numbers are added together to get the next number. To make the spiral, each number becomes a square. For more info on this, check out http://www.ehow.com/how_8493648_make-fibonacci-spiral.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask or http://www.ehow.com/how_10072695_construct-fibonacci-spiral.html or Wikipedia.
So, now I am playing with the "how tos". Do I piece the background first and then fuse the spiral parts on top? Do I make each square in total and sew them together? What color scheme do I want to use? I thought about some version of a color wheel or sequence. I am thinking about something earthy too. I'm thinking I may draw it out on paper first and get those curves worked out using a compass. I always did like geometry. So many options to explore.
This is exciting, especially since I have not decided on any other new work since the ACC show. I am collecting photos and thoughts on paths - those need to simmer a bit more. For now, I am going to explore this golden/Fibonacci spiral.
But first, I have a binding to attach to a cow quilt. It's nice to finish things.
Have you been to a museum lately? What spoke to you?
Internet exploring revealed that this spiral can be created using logarithmic computations (which I resisted even though the math part of me was curious) or by using the Fibonacci Sequence. I am intrigued and have been pondering how to do this with fabric. The Fibonacci Sequence goes like this: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 where the last two numbers are added together to get the next number. To make the spiral, each number becomes a square. For more info on this, check out http://www.ehow.com/how_8493648_make-fibonacci-spiral.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask or http://www.ehow.com/how_10072695_construct-fibonacci-spiral.html or Wikipedia.
So, now I am playing with the "how tos". Do I piece the background first and then fuse the spiral parts on top? Do I make each square in total and sew them together? What color scheme do I want to use? I thought about some version of a color wheel or sequence. I am thinking about something earthy too. I'm thinking I may draw it out on paper first and get those curves worked out using a compass. I always did like geometry. So many options to explore.
This is exciting, especially since I have not decided on any other new work since the ACC show. I am collecting photos and thoughts on paths - those need to simmer a bit more. For now, I am going to explore this golden/Fibonacci spiral.
But first, I have a binding to attach to a cow quilt. It's nice to finish things.
Have you been to a museum lately? What spoke to you?
Karen
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
A couple splendid days
Last week was mostly spent on the Eastern Shore. I spent two days with my friend Peg, just relaxing and catching up. We went out to breakfast one morning and had omelettes with wonderful home fries. Home fries are not, I repeat not, hash browns. Home fries have crunchy edges and are never mushy. So good.
My next three days were spent visiting my favorite spots on Chincoteague Island, VA, especially at the Wildlife Refuge. Yes, I have written about it before - it is one of my most favorite places on this earth. The Refuge is kept in a natural state and has very little human touches. Spring is always exciting there. The egrets and great blue herons return from wherever they were during winter. Hundreds of egrets were everywhere in the Refuge. I saw these egrets feeding Saturday evening on the wildlife loop. I was close enough to hear them, they sound a bit like a bullfrog, deep and low.
As I rounded the loop, I saw three Sika deer romping across the marsh. These are smaller deer that thrive on the island.
My favorite photo from Sunday is of this mature great blue heron. He was standing on one leg for a couple hours. One of my favorite critters on this earth.
Friday night was cloudy, windy and chilly but provided dramatic sky views and a long sunset.
After visiting my favorite homemade ice cream place, I headed home feeling fed by nature and started counting the days until I return in May. I was struck by all the different greens I saw while driving, but the camera was in the back seat, so no photos. Spring provides such a huge palette of greens, not easy to pick a favorite.
Now I am in catch-up mode: paperwork, some applications to complete, baking for the Easter festivities, straightening out the credit card debacle, etc., etc. Hope to sew Saturday.
Do you have a favorite place in nature that feeds you? When were you last there?
Thanks for reading,
My next three days were spent visiting my favorite spots on Chincoteague Island, VA, especially at the Wildlife Refuge. Yes, I have written about it before - it is one of my most favorite places on this earth. The Refuge is kept in a natural state and has very little human touches. Spring is always exciting there. The egrets and great blue herons return from wherever they were during winter. Hundreds of egrets were everywhere in the Refuge. I saw these egrets feeding Saturday evening on the wildlife loop. I was close enough to hear them, they sound a bit like a bullfrog, deep and low.
My favorite photo from Sunday is of this mature great blue heron. He was standing on one leg for a couple hours. One of my favorite critters on this earth.
Friday night was cloudy, windy and chilly but provided dramatic sky views and a long sunset.
After visiting my favorite homemade ice cream place, I headed home feeling fed by nature and started counting the days until I return in May. I was struck by all the different greens I saw while driving, but the camera was in the back seat, so no photos. Spring provides such a huge palette of greens, not easy to pick a favorite.
Now I am in catch-up mode: paperwork, some applications to complete, baking for the Easter festivities, straightening out the credit card debacle, etc., etc. Hope to sew Saturday.
Do you have a favorite place in nature that feeds you? When were you last there?
Thanks for reading,
Karen
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