Virginia A. Spiegel

Above is a piece I am working on for the Surface Design Association’s member show. This is about the fourth layer – red hemp string stitched down over the other layers.  Terrible angle for a photo, I know, but I had the end of it under the needle.

This is only a background for more stitching, painting, and screenprinting. The theme for the exhibit is Merge and Flow. I am working with photos from the Boundary Waters printed on organza and fused to other painted fabrics.  My artist statement will be about how the Boundary Waters has merged with my own life in totally unexpected ways.

This is my work table’s “compost pile.”  I am almost done with ten mixed-media collages for a fundraiser to be announced in November which is why I’m not showing more of the work-in-progress here.  Safe to say, though, that they are in the Palimpsest series vein.

A “sister” to this photo was chosen for the exhibit Eye of The Quilter:  Inspiration to be held at International Quilt Festival – Houston, November 4 – 7, 2010.

The theme for the exhibit is Reflections. My artist’s statement:
This photo reflects my artwork in that it appears to be pretty simple, but is actually quite complex. The photo captures the sun reflecting off the black water of a lake sliding toward darkness. The water changes by the minute, by the second; the colors shifting and flashing. My sister and I are alone on this wilderness lake and celebrate that fact. This photo represents freedom, peace, and the the most beautiful kind of silence.

My sister and Mom were here this weekend to assist in hanging this changeable Inspiration Wall in Studio B.  Ingredients:  A box of recycled clipboards with funny labels on them that I acquired for free, a willingness to stand on the Ikea dresser, a long level, and a fair amount of math by three women armed with hammer and nails:

Formerly Present 3 under the needle.  Its texture comes from the surface design and the stitching.  This is quite a difference from the last pieces in the Boundary Waters series.

Here is the progression, in reverse,  so far:

Formerly Present 2
With 500 yards of thread used in the stitching to create a natural grid to contrast with the surface design.

Formerly Present 1

This week I’m still enamored of collage and multi-tasking as much as last week.  On deck this week are some collages incorporating paint, paper and wax in two different forms.

First up is a small series, Red Square, which are collages on artist canvas board mounted to a larger canvas board.  I have several mounted on white as shown here

and a few with the backing canvas board painted and waxed.   I like them both – totally different looks.

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As soon as the weather turns cooler, I am fired up to create.  It is as though a switch is flipped and I am ready to go in the studio and work.

I’m working on both mixed-media collages and small art quilts at the same time.  Here is a detail from small art quilt in progress:

As always, I find that after a very textured “run” of artwork, such as Boundary Waters 48, I turn to a more simplified and painterly look.

And here is a collage, part of a series called Survivor, that is done except for mounting on watercolor paper:

I see more and more barns falling down every week, but, of course, it’s also about something more:  Standing firm in the face of adversity. The barn is from a photo, made into a linocut, and then a rubbing was done on rice paper with inked details.

Here is the next set of collages, entitled Red Leaf, in progress:

I’m going to be unveiling all my new artwork during my birthday celebration.  Be sure to mark your calendar for October 13 and 14. There will be bonuses, special offers, and more as my once-a-year thank you for all my art friends and patrons.