Virginia A. Spiegel

Autumn Sunflower

The inspiration photo this week is the husk of a sunflower head after the bluejays finished with the seeds. I picked it up off the ground because the interior was still pristine white and very soft.

I was surprised to see the sunflower seed spiral pattern was reiterated in the structure of the head itself. Spirals in nature are based on the Fibonacci sequences, a series of numbers in which each succeeding number is the sum of the two previous numbers. Pinecones, pineapples and some seashells also demonstrate Fibonacci-based spirals.

Of couse, there’s a new post today on The Garbage Day Project. It’s a very seasonal post.

If you enjoy reading my blog, treat yourself to Art, Nature, Creativity, Life. It’s an ongoing online book available exclusively by donation to the American Cancer Society.

Boundary Waters 25 - detail
I have been busy, busy with several projects for Fiberart For A Cause, but, with November here, I will be spending more time in the studio. I will be posting less as cold weather is my most productive time.

As always, it is a bit nerve-wracking to feel a series winding down. Is it time to close it down and move on or dig deeper? Luckiy I have a few Boundary Waters pieces to finish up before I need to face that question in a more serious way. (Of course, I actually think about very little else!)

Boundary Waters 25 and 26 are in the home stretch and are two pieces inspired by the cliffs we camped near on our last trip. The first beginnings of Boundary Waters 25, along with a photo of the cliffs, appeared in my The Mysterious Ways of Inspiration post.

Boundary Waters 25 (detail above) is a piece that just kept evolving, as you can tell by the complexity of the detail above in comparison to the first thoughts on my design wall.

Boundary Waters 26 is a lovely piece that went together with ease. That’s the joy of a second piece following right behind one that took all the angst. Here is a detail of Boundary Waters 26:

Boundary Waters 25 and 26 should be up on my website early next week. I’ll let you know when I post them. If you would like an advance look, just let me know that you would like to be added to my Patron and Art Friends mailing list.

If you enjoy reading my blog, treat yourself to Art, Nature, Creativity, Life. It’s an ongoing online book available exclusively by donation to the American Cancer Society.

Interrupted Line:RED by Jack Brockette

I am honored to be this month’s guest curator of the virtual exhibit, Passion, on the Studio Art Quilt Associate’s web site.

My statement for the exhibit:

“I thought I would choose a gallery of work that in some way reflected my Midwesterness - the blue of the sky, the long horizon line, our obsession with the weather. But, no, the artwork that kept calling to me were those that were bold, dynamic and RED. I chose pieces for this gallery not just because they included red, but because they were opinionated, confident and passionate.”

I curated three complete shows before finalizing “Passion.” Doing so made me realize that with a finite set of works there is a finite number that will work together and make a cohesive statement. In this case, I was seduced by Jack Brockette’s red work and was compelled to build an exhibit around it.

My Cliff Study will be at Iris Karp’s Attached, Inc.’s booth #861 during International Quilt Festival now - November 4 in Houston if you would like to see it up close and personal.

Cliff Study

Iris will be giving out this handout during International Quilt Festival. Yes, it’s a great little promo in white at the bottom for Art, Nature, Creativity, Life.

Sue Bleiwiess of the online mixed-media zine, Fiber&Stitch, will also be giving out the handout as part of her Make It and Take It Sessions.

Thank you, Iris and Sue, for going the extra mile on behalf of “Art, Nature, Creativity, Life” at International Quilt Festival.