Virginia A. Spiegel

Chevron

Good news, bad news.  My old (can you believe 2005?), but trusty, Coolpix camera survived all the rigors of the Boundary Waters, but then I stepped on it changing clothes in the public parking lot.  So I am using our Nikon D50 until I can research and buy another carry-everywhere camera.

The good news is that it’s a great camera for details, including the chevrons and red coloring on this grasshopper’s legs.

Nature report:  One female hummingbird has left; two remain.  I found a shed snake skin in my garden.

Haiku count since July 14:  345

And, of course, there is a new post in The Garbage Day Project today. Those crazy garbage guys are already zooming by in the dark.

Terry, Della, Diana by Roxane Stoner of Eagle River, Alaska
Breaking Traditions:  With One Voice Exhibit Favorite Winner

The Breaking Traditions: With One Voice, an quilt exhibit focusing on all that is good in the world is now showing in Michigan. The exhibit, conceived and organized by Lynn Krawczyk, was also a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society through Fiberart For A Cause.  Generous artists donated their entry fees and raised $1085!

You can see all the artwork hung as one giant quilt here.

An online catalog, with artist statements, can be viewed here. It is inspiring to read all the stories of individuals and groups “doing good in the world.” The exhibit will travel and the schedule can be seen on the main Breaking Traditions page.

Roxanne Stoner, as Exhibit Favorite, has been invited and will be participating in the 2009 Invitational Reverse Auction of Fiberart to be held in March 2009.  The entire lineup of ten artists will be announced soon.

Boundary Waters 32

I am thrilled to be joining a list of stellar artists in the upcoming Art Quilt XIII: Lucky Break exhibit at the Chandler Center for the Arts.  The exhibit will run November 7 – December 31.   Diane Howell, curator, along with Eric Faulhaber and the staff of Vision Gallery always showcase the artwork beautifully in a gorgeous gallery.

Boundary Waters 32 is 21″h x 66″w.  It is like the other work in the Boundary Waters series in that it is constructed of white cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, and thread, but different in that it is stitched to within an inch of its life.

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is known for its cliffs and rocky outcroppings, worked in endless layers by erosion, volcanic activity, and glaciers. Huge sheet of granite were broken, tilted and folded beginning over 2.7 billion years ago.  The end result is the wonderful landscape my sister and I are privileged to enjoy as we paddle along:  long narrow lakes, jagged shorelines and towering cliffs.

Small World

You knew it had to be a photo from the Boundary Waters today. A depression in a log fills with water and offers much to study.

Haiku count since July 14: 320 (230 plus 90 in the Boundary Waters)

Tender yellow leaves
Shy in the wind, flirting and
Turning. Bashful dance. 

A very fiber-ish report today on The Garbage Day Project.

Well, another wonderful canoe journey ended and reality is back in force. My sister and I were out ten days in the glorious Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  

We were, once again, humbled by the beauty and power of nature. Highlights included meeting a bull moose, up close and personal, on a portage;

witnessing a silent “storm” of huge black, lavender, red, and blue clouds;
watching otters play and follow our canoe; and having many fine days of camping and paddling. Of course, we also experienced all the weather that the Boundary Waters is famous for including lakes with surf, huge winds, and days of rain.  It’s never boring! 

Some things that caught my eye this trip (and are percolating away for possible future art) were:

Water Reflections

Granite polished smooth by ice

Logs with marks of man and nature