Virginia A. Spiegel

Tuesday is just around the corner, but you can still have my book shipped free to you even if you live outside the U.S.  What a deal!  All the details, including a “click-through preview” of Wild at the Edges: Inspiration from a Creative Life, is here.

The book might seem a bit pricey in hardcover, but I’m willing to make only $4 profit on each book and have limited distribution so that Blurb can take care of all the billing and shipping.  Just one of those tough choices that frees up more time for the studio.

Need a testimonial?  Here is what artist Carol Larson had to say about Wild at the Edges:

The spectacular artwork, combined with the enlightening text, the wondrous haiku and the beautiful photography all combine to make this book a treasure for anyone who loves nature, art or life! Additionally it is such a powerful lesson for women about life on the edge, facing the fear and truly living in the moment. What an inspiration, Virginia!

Thanks, Carol!  Read more reviews here.

If you have any requests for a book you would like to see me create, let me know privately or by leaving a comment.  I have created eight Blurb books so far, but mainly from Boundary Waters trips.  They are books I return to again and again.  I hope you will say the same about Wild at the Edges.

Happy Weekend!

The Beneath the Surface exhibit premiers tonight at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, CA.  This juried invitational was co-curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison.

You may order the catalog here OR Jamie and Leslie will be signing and selling the book throughout IQF.  All the details are here.

Each artist is given a page for a Q and A as well as a page featuring their artwork.  It’s the kind of catalog that I appreciate as an artist as it allows me to share something about myself and my artwork.

My artwork for this exhibit was quite a departure from my usual way of working. As I stated in an earlier blog post, “I am admittedly in love with it because it is a perfect manifestation of my intent, my message, and my theme.”   Read more about that as well as my artist statement for the artwork here.

Knowing (Boundary Waters 52)

What a great idea!  Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison, co-curators of the Beneath the Surface exhibit, have started a blog featuring a Q&A with each artist.  My interview is up today here.  I reveal my book addiction, why I’m seldom in the studio in the summer and other juicy details.

Beneath the Surface will premiere at International Quilt Festival – Long Beach, CA fromJuly 22-25, 2010. The exhibit is sponsored by Moore’s Sewing Centers and Brother International.

More information about Knowing (Boundary Waters 52) including an artist’s statement and working process are here.

Lura Schwarz Smith and Kerby C. Smith are celebrating the release of their new book, Secrets of Digital Quilting: From Camera to Quilt. What an intriguing title! My interview with Lura and Kerby is now on Valley Fiber Life online magazine.

The book is available from Lura (autographed copies) and C&T Publishing.

One of Lura and Kerby’s digital quilts was recently juried into Quilt Visions 2010, one of 40 artworks selected from 600 entered.

The winner of 500 Art Quilts from my review/drawing is Heather.  I very much enjoyed the comments with links to inspiring artists/artwork.

My review in brief: Beautifully designed and beautifully printed, 500 Art Quilts will definitely entice those unfamiliar with art quilts to learn more, inspire those new to art quilting, and be a must-have addition to the library shelves of any fiber art enthusiast. The book is available at your local bookseller, Amazon, and B&N. Topping out at 432 pages, 500 Art Quilts is an uber-bargain with retail around $25.

And to wrap up our little potpourri of publications, this article, Quilting and Alpacas:  A Wonderful Combination, came about because an e-mail from quilter Nancy Danielson had a signature line that included the name of her business, M&M Alpacas. It’s not every quilter who also has alpacas in her backyard.

If you are tired of books full of projects and are more curious about the inspirations and motivations of an artist, then my book is for you.  Wild at the Edges: Inspiration from a Creative Life is stuffed full of artwork, photos of nature and my studio, essays, photos, and poems. But don’t take my word for it, here are comments from some of my readers:

It is such a RICH book. (I love this comment as this was exactly my intent in creating the book — to have something new to look at, read, or study each time you opened it).

Your spectacular artwork, combined with the enlightening text, and the beautiful photography; this book is a treasure!

I realized how powerful (at least to me) your art is when coupled with the photographs. You really should do an exhibit of both!

If the special preview doesn’t work for you, just click on the link above the preview to be taken right to all the details.