Virginia A. Spiegel

It’s up! You can now read a sample chapter from Art, Nature, Creativity, Life with the theme Stubborn Is Good.

Sharon B., the influential Australian textile blogger, posted a lively review of Art, Nature, Creativity, Life on her blog.

Here’s an excerpt:
“The everyday becomes inspiring under Virginia’s hand. Art, Nature, Creativity, Life is well written and presented, the photography is exquisite, and the essays are woven together in a manner that leads the reader down an enjoyable path. The compilation is a well-rounded and balanced reading experience as there is not too much or too little of anything. The essays are not too sappy or sentimental, neither is it like a sporting coach giving you a pep talk. Virginia hit the right note for me.”

Art, Nature, Creativity, Life is available exclusively for a $25 donation to the American Cancer Society. But, hey, feel free to add a little more to help meet the goal of $30,000 for this Fiberart For A Cause fundraiser. As always, thank you.

What big teeth.

It’s Tuesday, so jump on over to The Garbage Day Project and see what’s beautiful, humorous or otherwise noteworthy with all that garbage in rural suburbia.

Today’s inspiration photo was a soybean combine parked in a field. It is a quintessential October morning today–misty/foggy, grey and warm.

If you like reading my blog, treat yourself to my new online book, Art, Nature, Creativity, Life AND benefit the American Cancer Society at the same time.

Today is Blog Action Day and in support I’m publishing another inspiration photo this week. This is from my local Jarrett Prairie Preserve. There is less than 4% of the original tallgrass prairie remaining; the Nature Conservancy is working to save what they can in face of ever-expanding suburbia.

The Blog Action Day project asks the question, “What would happen if every blog published posts discussing the same issue, on the same day? One issue. One day. Thousands of voices.” The issue today is the environment.

And don’t forget to visit The Garbage Day Project which asks every Tuesday, “What’s up with all the garbage?”

UPDATE: Thanks to Terry Grant, here are some of the many fiber artists participating in Blog Action Day:

Julaine Lofquist Birch

Jeanne Williamson

Deb Richardson

Joanie San Chirico

Bj Parady

Christine Thresh

Lynda Thompson

Alice from DellaJane Handdyes

Sylvia Weir

Susan Kaufman

Gerrie Congdon

The End of July

And I thought I was done with the July collages after July 31.
No, not quite. The End of July is on canvas over stretcher bars.
18″w x 14″h x 1.5″d. It has layer upon layer of paint, paper
(tissue, watercolor, rice) and ink.
The End of July is available for $350 (includes shipping).

End of July - Detail

If you like reading my blog, treat yourself to my new online book, Art, Nature, Creativity, Life AND benefit the American Cancer Society at the same time.

I answer that very question in the summer SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associate, Inc.) Journal. The issue finally made its way out of customs and includes my article, “Re-start your art through an artist’s residency.” SAQA is an organization to which all artists and patrons of art quilts should belong.

You can see from photos from my residency at Quilt, Inc.’s Great Expectations Creativity Center and at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts that I have found residencies to be an opportunity to take risks and create, create, create. Where else do you have 24/7 with nothing to do but think about and make art? Nirvana!

If you like reading my blog, treat yourself to my new online book, Art, Nature, Creativity, Life, AND benefit the American Cancer Society at the same time.