Virginia A. Spiegel

A “sister” to this photo was chosen for the exhibit Eye of The Quilter:  Inspiration to be held at International Quilt Festival – Houston, November 4 – 7, 2010.

The theme for the exhibit is Reflections. My artist’s statement:
This photo reflects my artwork in that it appears to be pretty simple, but is actually quite complex. The photo captures the sun reflecting off the black water of a lake sliding toward darkness. The water changes by the minute, by the second; the colors shifting and flashing. My sister and I are alone on this wilderness lake and celebrate that fact. This photo represents freedom, peace, and the the most beautiful kind of silence.

My sister and Mom were here this weekend to assist in hanging this changeable Inspiration Wall in Studio B.  Ingredients:  A box of recycled clipboards with funny labels on them that I acquired for free, a willingness to stand on the Ikea dresser, a long level, and a fair amount of math by three women armed with hammer and nails:

Green
Two photographs that I took at a Coast Guard yard in Homer, Alaska have been accepted to the Eye of The Quilter exhibit to premier at International Quilt Festival – Houston.

Coordinator of the exhibit is Wilma Hart, Vice President of Corporate Projects for Quilts, Inc. Ms. Hart is herself an avid photographer and stated, “Photographs have the power to invoke a lot of feelings in their viewers— everything from unbridled joy and intense anger to sheer wonder and heartwarming poignancy.”  Of course, photos have long served as inspiration for quilters and other artists.  (Case in point:  my latest Boundary Waters photos.)

I don’t want to spoil the surprise of the photos that will be shown, but above is another photo from that same location.  I am always interested in color, in numbers, in texture. The yard was an amazing and inspiring conglomeration of buoys, chain, metal and concrete.

International Quilt Festival – Houston is October 15 – 18, 2009 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.  More information here.