Virginia A. Spiegel

You will notice comments are allowed once again. New technology for screening spam is supposed to help. I’m giving it a try. It has been awhile since I reported on what’s up in the studio, so let’s jump right in.

This is how far the series (more than 30 small artworks) for a possible Quilt National entry reached and then I was done. I think, with my summer schedule, that a QN entry won’t be happening this year. The collages in this Third Thoughts series were interesting, but they never developed the cohesiveness or, perhaps, the inner compulsion, that I require in any long-term series.

I have found several small pieces that I might want to expand into their own series. Although I can’t say more at this moment, you will be seeing more of these unique artworks in a interesting venue. If you missed what this series is all about, here is a blog post about them.

So what have I been working on? Something that still hold sway over my creative life - the Boundary Waters series. I finished Boundary Waters #31 and then …

Boundary Waters #32 (Fault Lines) - Detail of work-in-progress

started a nice big piece - Boundary Waters #32. This piece is related to the two Boundary Waters cliff pieces, but it much more abstract (and colorful). It is about the great fault lines in the rocks that caused the impressive cliff faces and jagged shorelines of the Boundary Waters lakes. Just finishing touches remain.

Ripe

Of course, there’s a new post today on The Garbage Day Project blog.

The winners of the last ten ATCs for artists donating collages to Collage Mania are:

Kathleen Angel Lee
Nellie Durand
Miriam Gogarty
Melanie Hulse
Susan Lenz
Lesa Bame
Diane Lochala
Wanda Stivison
Kristin Powers
Jeri Pollack

And Edie Clark is the winner of the $100 gift certificate to Flourish!, a complete online resource for art quilting supplies, for donating $50 or more to subscribe to Art, Nature, Creativity Life. There have been 51 donors at this level to date.

I thank Jane Davila of Flourish! for her ongoing support of Fiberart For A Cause.

July 3

Today opens the online portion of the 10th International Collage Exhibition/Exchange, featuring the artwork of 159 artists from around the world. Included are artists from 28 states in the US and Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and Romania.

One collage from each artist will be offered for sale at an exhibition in New Plymouth, New Zealand, but you can also buy it online on the Virtual TART site here.

One collage is also part of a month-long exhibition on the Virtual TART site during April and then becomes part of the collection of the Amarillo Museum of Art in Texas.

The International Collage Exhibition/Exchange is a labor of love by artist Dale Copeland and I appreciate the opportunity to participate.

You can see all of my July collages here.

Boundary Waters 31 (North)

Kim Ritter and Judy B. Dales have invited me to participate in New Focus’ 08 to be held at the Coos Art Museum in Coos Bay, OR from December 2008 through February 2009.

Artwork for the exhibit can be no larger than 12″ x12.” I am always happy to work in a small format and this was a good piece to work on during the Invitational Reverse Auction as I could stop and start pretty easily. My inspiration came from my photos of the lovely moss and lichens built up on the north side of trees in the Boundary Waters.

It’s also a little joke in that I had always heard that if you are lost in the woods, you can find north by seeing which side of the trees have moss. My experience on testing this theory is that if the woods is thick enough for you to become lost, the trees usually have moss on all sides!

Boundary Waters 31 (North) - Detail

More information will be posted closer to the exhibition opening.

Exhibit postcard featuring Boundary Waters 9 - detail.

What fun! The opening of the Blue exhibition at Translations Gallery in Denver, CO will feature blue M&Ms, blue punch and the Blues for music. The opening is March 21, 5 - 8 p.m. More details here.

Four of my Boundary Waters series pieces are included in this contemporary art exhibition about the literal, abstract, and non-objective representations of the color blue, its symbolism and color theory. Thirteen artists will be displaying their ideas on the color blue in unique art forms including mixed media, silk, collaged canvas, and furniture.

Artists include: Bob Adams, Katherine Allen, Deborah Fell, Ali Pate, Jo Fitsell, Jason Pollen, Betsy Sterling Benjamin, Kevin McCarthy, Anne Bossert, Sue Hammond West, Angie Nordstrum, Cory Cason and Luanne Rimel.

Translations Gallery is Denver’s contemporary fiber art gallery. Visit their main webpage here.