...and a rejection

I received a rejection on the submittal of Tipping Point that I mentioned a few posts back.  I was disappointed but not surprised.

Onward - back to the studio tonight.  I have not had much free time with family in town, and spent the studio time I did have trying to finish another grandchild's quilt.

No more excuses.  Color Prints #4 is in pieces on the wall and calling out to me.

Baby Steps - A submittal

This weekend I made a small toward my goals this weekend; specifically the goal about tracking calls for entry.  I went to the website Fiber Art Calls For Entry and discovered a small private show being organized fairly near where I live. It seemed like it was meant to be.  The deadline is October 20, but in a totally uncharacteristic move, I rephotographed my proposed piece in the wonderfully overcast but bright light yesterday, filled out all the forms, paid the fee and sent in my entry.  It almost doesn't  matter if it's accepted, I just feel good about taking the steps and proving to myself, that it's really not that hard!

There was no particular theme for the show, so who knows if my piece will fit in - I entered "Tipping Point," which just came back from the last show.  Stay tuned for a report on the results.

The wavy edges are really driving me nuts, so if it is accepted for the show I'm going to have to wet it down and block it.  It did not seem that it was that bad before!

Long Absence

Life sometimes gets in the way of art, and bloggers go silent for months.  I get frustrated when it happens to my favorites, but I understand.  Somehow blogging just didn't come to the top of my priority list recently.  But I may be having a few extra visitors soon, so I thought I'd better catch up.  As far as art quilt news, here's the finished Tipping Point on display at the Whatcom Museum.

It's just a quick iPhone shot, because, as usual, I was rushing around at the very last moment getting the hanging system to work and didn't remember to snap a photo before heading over to the museum.   

Sadly, I missed the opening artist's reception at the beginning of July, due to one of the reasons I have been away; my younger brother had a very bad stroke and I went to L.A. and later to D.C. to spend time with him and support his family.  He's doing well, now, though has a long road ahead to recover.  

I have to say the thrill of seeing my work in "the museum" was everything I'd hoped.  I went alone on my lunch hour, and perused the exhibit without immediately searching the room for my piece, but finally it appeared!  Being an open call, there was a wide range of work displayed, an I felt that mine compared positively as far as the level of professionalism.   As you can see there is a slight ripple in the bottom edge and the upper corners don't lay flat.  Hanging systems are something I have not spent enough time on.  

The title of the exhibit is "Nature in the Balance," and several themes were suggested -

What is happening to the Earth?

Why is it happening?

What are your visions of the future?

How can people make a differerence?

I chose "What is happening to the Earth," and my artist's statement (100 word limit) was:

This piece explores the complexity and interconnectedness of our planet’s ecosystems, oceans and atmosphere.   Many climate scientists refer to the possibility of a “tipping point,” when the combined effects of warming, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, and pollution on the planet have accelerated and reinforced each other to a point where no human action can bring them back into balance.  I suggest we are perilously close, if not already at that point.   I tried to interpret this theme abstractly by using a variety of different but related patterned fabrics to represent the variety and diversity of life on the planet.

Quilt for Nature in the Balance

The call for entries to this show came out in about December I think - or anyway, many months ago.  Climate change, generally, is the theme.  Open without jurying to any Whatcom Museum member.  How could I not?  Well, of course I procrastinated until the last possible time.

No, I don't want to say procrastinated.  With spring finally here and 1,200 sq. ft. of veggie garden to plant, and trees and flowers to maintain, and a two week jaunt across France to plan, I didn't procrastinate as much as prioritize.

But I was determined to make this happen, and I did.  I didn't take time for in-process photos, so all I have to show is the end result, but here it is.

Tipping Point

So, per usual, it's my bad photography, not a crooked bottom.

This is all pieced.  I had let myself forget what a challenge I had piecing curves at the workshop.  In my mind's eye, it was going to be assembled strip by strip - with only the slight curves of each strip.  That didn't happen.  As I assembled colors and textures on the wall, I found that I couldn't really piece one strip at a time and still expect the globe to be round.  So I assembled the top of the sphere first, including the black bar.  Then I made the bottom strips and attached the bottom of the globe to them.

All that was left was two really nasty inset seams where the "sky" segments met the "water-with-globe-attached" pieces.

It does not have to go to the museum until June 18, so I still have to attach a hanging sleeve and some sort of slat.  Artwork is supposed to be ready to hang, with proper hanging devices including wire.  So I guess I will include a wood slat in the sleeve.

And in five more days, we are off to France!!!