Virginia A. Spiegel

Hope

I had to go for the green! I have had enough beige for awhile and was thrilled to find these valiant daffodils trying to grow under a thick cover of leaves. Other nature notes: I saw my first long-tailed brown thrush yesterday and a honeybee. Spring is here in my book (never mind that the water in the bird bath is frozen this morning).

If you are wondering what the heck that “stringy” thing is in the background of the photo, visit The Garbage Day Project blog.

If you know me at all, you are asking, “What’s with the pearls?” Hey, I even had a manicure for my three minutes of taping for the PBS show, “QuiltingArts TV” at International Quilt Festival-Chicago on Saturday.

This photo was taken at my Open Studio table in the same area as the taping. Pokey Bolton of Quilting Arts magazine is the host and I thank her for inviting me to be part of this exciting series. Check the website for more information about when this second series of shows will begin airing.

Debbie Crane (artist, author and art teacher) and I were able to sit and talk with people at our Open Studio tables at Make It University! and then jump up and be taped. Debbie gave me the inside scoop about Arrowmont.

Julaine Loftquist Birch followed me in the taping and has many of her samples online on her blog.

Not only is it great fun to meet so many new people at the Open Studio area, but it is also a time to see some of my favorite mixed-media artists at work:

Bernie Berlin not only wrote Artist Trading Card Workshop: Create, Collect, Swap, but she also runs A Place To Bark (and Meow), a private no-kill rescue. If you visit this blog, you will know why she is one of my favorite people. Do support her work if you are able to do so. Her personal blog is here.

Lynn Krawczyk is a full-time engineer who also finds time to make art and curate Breaking Traditions art quilt exhibit each year. Read more about Lynn’s Open Studio experience on her blog.

Then and Now

I look forward to seeing you at my Open Studio in the Make It University! area sponsored by Cloth Paper Scissors magazine at International Quilt Festival-Chicago at the Donald E. Stephens Center in Rosemont, Illinois.

I will be there 10:30 - 12:30 both Friday, April 11, and Saturday, April 12.

I will have both my art books that have been featured in Cloth Paper Scissors magazine as well as Boundary Waters 26 on display.

Four artworks will also be exhibited at IQF.

Then and Now (shown above) is part of the Creative Force exhibit. Creative Force is a Studio Art Quilt Associate exhibit juried by Rebecca Stevens, Consulting Curator of Contemporary Textiles, The Textile Museum, Washington, D.C.

Boundary Waters #22

Boundary Waters 21-23 are part of the Sense of Place invitational exhibit. Peg Keeney is curator of this invitational SAQA exhibit and will be giving a curator’s gallery walk at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11.

The two exhibits are shown back-to-back and a double catalog is available at the SAQA booth near the exhibit or here. I will be at the SAQA booth from 4-6 p.m on Saturday.

The Patron Preview of all Collage Mania collages opens April 28. There will be over 220 collages from more than 95 artists available during Collage Mania on May 5 and 6 with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the American Cancer Society through Fiberart For A Cause. All the details are here.

Colleen Ansbaugh
Tropic
Colleen donated this collage which is 8” x 10”, mounted on a mat inside of a mat board frame. Materials include acrylic paint on canvas with hand dyed lace, combined with yarn and thread.

It is hard to see at this resolution, but Colleen has added wonderful texture with a variety of fibers and stitches. Colleen donated her collages for Collage Mania in memory of her Father and Brother, both passed away from cancer.

Sherrie Tootle
Full Circle 1

Patrons will be happy to know there is an equally vibrant Full Circle 2. This collage is 10″ x 7.” Materials include transfer dyed velvet; gold thread lace; gold netting; ribbon beads and metallic thread.

The collage is mounted on 8 x 10 140 lb. watercolor paper, dated and signed. Sherrie donated her collages in honor of the many women, men and children that battle cancer every day.

Onward

Spring is trying here. Tan is still is the predominant color at the nature center. But what a lot of tonal variation; I almost prefer it to green.

Even though the prairie is still sleeping, the meadow larks are back and singing their hearts out. A gorgeous bird with a liquid, musical song. I wasn’t able with my small digital to take a good photo, but go here to see a photo. Thank goodness for these enclaves of grassland as a refuge for these amazing birds.

And, of course, there is a new post on The Garbage Day Project blog today.