Virginia A. Spiegel

Moroccan Mirage by Laura H. Osbun
6×8″ mounted to 8×10″ on 140 lb. watercolor paper 

This beautiful art quilt by Laura H. Osbun is just one of the 166 already donated to Collage Mania.  To be held May 5 – 7, Collage Mania’s goal is to raise $20,000 for the American Cancer Society in just three days.

According to Laura, 

Ever since my art history classes in college many years ago, I’ve been fascinated with Moroccan architecture and its splendid arches. It was those arches, drawing me in, that were the inspiration for my Collage Mania piece.
 
I pulled out my stash of fabrics and picked some that would work as the walls and also an assortment of colorful fabrics that would fit the theme. The fabric I used for the sky was one I painted and I was pleasantly surprised when the light areas worked so well as clouds.
 
The construction of the piece was a sort of reverse applique with the help of an adhesive fusible. The fun part was doing the free motion stitching around the arches and other parts of the buildings and also using watercolor pencils to draw shadows inside the arches to give them depth.

When I first learned about Fiberart For A Cause, I knew it was something I wanted very much to participate in as I had lost my son, Christopher, to leukemia and this would allow me to contribute in my own small way. I made this piece in his memory because the creative process of it brought me enJOYment….joy….something he filled me with during his short yet remarkable life. 

It’s not too late for YOU to participate as an artist donor.  April 1 is the deadline for jpeg submission to Karen(at)KarenStiehlOsborn.com

All proceeds go directly to the American Cancer Society through Fiberart For A Cause.

Used

I use Createx Multipurpose paint for “making” my fabric.  These plastic squeeze bottles are great.  The bottles start out pristine, but, by the end, they have become little works of art themselves.  The funny thing about my paint this time is that I was sure I would run out after about a week, so I had Joe send a Priority flat rate box stuffed full.  If you combined all the paint I had left in various bottles at the end, it was almost exactly that same amount.  But I know if I hadn’t had him ship me more, I would have run out.

If you have questions about the paints and how I use them, please click here to visit a previous Creative Process post.

Whose Woods? by Rayna Gillman
Dyed, batiked with soy wax, screenprinted, stitched.

Rayna Gillman has donated this 17×39″ art quilt to the Invitational Reverse Auction of Fabulous Fiberart to benefit the American Cancer Society. This artwork, along with nine others, will be available beginning Tuesday, March 24.  Preview week of all the artwork will begin Thursday, March 19.  

100% of the proceeds of the Reverse Auction are donated directly to the American Cancer Society through Fiberart For A Cause.

Rayna, author of Create Your Own Hand-Printed Cloth, is a nationally known artist and surface design teacher.  She has been a featured artist on HGTV’s Simply Quilts and on the PBS series, Quilting Arts TV. 

Rayna shares her inspiration for this artwork:

It doesn’t matter what time of day or what season: the woods behind my house are my joy and an unconscious inspiration that emerges, unplanned, in my work.

The First Bluebonnet

Photo by Leslie Jenison

I want to start by, of course, thanking my patron saint, Karey Bresenhan (in the back in pink introducing Carol and me during Open Studio Day).

Karey  has opened her heart and her home and created a place where artists can go to create with the inspiration of nature close at hand.  This was my second residency due to Karey’s generosity and, as for the first, it came at a time when I was out of fabric, out of ideas, out-of-sorts, and looking for a new direction.  I can’t say have settled on a new direction, but I have all this gorgeous fabric to inspire me and all my great memories of this special month to carry me forward in my new adventures.  THANK YOU, KAREY!

Photo by Mary Ann Littlejohn

This is the delightful Carol Moore, my friend and fellow resident for the month.  I met Carol and her dynamo Mom, Ruth, when “Team Toronto” came to Houston for Fiberart For A Cause at the International Quilt Festival.  Her work is sensual, meticulous, and of her place.  

Carol is a fulltime psychotherapist, but one day she will be FREE to be a fulltime artist and we will all benefit by seeing more of her artwork.  The artwork she is standing in front of was juried into the upcoming International Quilt Festivals as part of the “Oh Canada” exhibit. It is created from layers and layers of sheer black fabrics – hard to photograph, but something to see in person!

The guest house where Carol Moore and I stayed is on the left.  It has all the comforts of home and is delightfully decorated.  On the right is the Artist-in-Residence studio where Carol worked.  It is famous for its floor-to-ceiling design wall.  When the sun is shining, the French doors on two sides make it into a beautiful sunroom filled with light.

This is the Creativity Center where I painted. Nirvana.  I can’t think another place I could have tackled that much fabric and had a chance of success. Thanks to Pam Kersh, Property Manager, as well as Hollis, JR, and Dora for setting it up and being so convivial throughout our stay.

Few artists have the time to actually step back and think about the big picture of their art, their place in the art world and life in general.  It is a gift to be able to do so.  I did a lot of thinking here. And wrote some pretty decent haikus.

My daily walks out on the many acres of the “Franch” are as precious to me as the fabric I created. The morning were especially beautiful and quiet. It’s not only that anything that didn’t look like snow and ice in February was a daily miracle to me, but even more that I have fallen in love with the quiet and restful beauty of this particular place.

Open Studio Day 
More than 75 guests came to enjoy Karey’s hospitality, many staying overnight.  It was a gala day with a wonderful lunch catered by one of my fav La Grange restaurants, Fishes and Loaves; tours about the property; and artists talking and sharing. Of course, Carol and I were happy to share our studio work with everyone.  The weather was beautiful, the setting bucolic, and the day a treasure.  

I thank Karey and her staff for making it all happen like magic and everyone who took the time and effort to share the day with us.

Photo by Mary Ann Littlejohn

All 48 of the 2008 Journal Quilts (juried by Jeanne Williamson and me) were displayed in the Creativity Center.  It was a special treat to see them in person and hung as a group.  Vicki Mangum, Manager of Special Exhibits, and  Terri Winsauer, Piece Corps Coordinator and IQM/IQF Volunteer/Staff Assistant Coordinator, from Quilts, Inc. came early and hung the exhibit with technical help from Pam, Hollis, and JR.  Vicki returned for the day of the party and checked everyone in.

 Of course, there were flowers everywhere for the day.  Some were even provided by Mother Nature as bluebonnets and more started to bloom about the property.

Photo by Frances Holliday Alford

Another view, during lunch, of the Journal Quilts and some of the guests. 

Photo by Jamie Fingal

Here’s another view of the party with everyone doing what they do best – talking and sharing. Judy Murrah (in the black and white striped top), Vice President of Education and Administration, as well as Kim DeCoste, Education Manager (in blue shirt at far left end of back table), and Ann Graf, Administrative Assistant, at Quilts, Inc. were all in attendance.

Those who traveled far to attend include Jamie Fingal from California, Iris Karp of New York,  Karen Stiehl Osborn from Nebraska, and Kay Sorensen from Wisconsin.  Many Texans, such as Sylvia Weir and Jeanelle McCall, drove long distances to participate.

Photo by Diane Ferguson
Could I finish my wrap-up without mentioning the cows with their cute-as-a-button calves? I thought not.

Photo by Karen Stiehl Osborn

I will close out Residency Week on my blog with this obviously happy photo.  This photo was taken by Karen Stiehl Osborn who will join me for a month-long residency in March 2010 at the Great Expectations Creativity Center.

Hey, thanks for hanging in there through three days on this topic!  Today is nothing but stacks and stacks of fabric. And believe me, this is just a sampling of the approximately 400 pieces.  Enjoy!  Tomorrow I will wrap up Residency Week with a look at some of my favorite things from this residency and the big party that was Open Studio Day.