Virginia A. Spiegel

Joe Working (In An Election Year)

Talk about following the muse. One morning my husband reluctantly donated three shirts to the “rag bag” as they had all developed holes in exactly the same spot on the right-hand sleeve.  We were really puzzled until we realized that it was the spot where he rested his arm on his desk to move his computer mouse.  

The minute I touched the shirts and we realized how he wore out his “work” shirts, I knew I had to do a piece (or actually three) using the shirts.

First there is the irony that this is the “heavy lifting” that an engineer must do.  The blue shirts echo the blue collar work his Dad did in a factory. And isn’t it ironic that I had to look up in my encyclopedia of needlework how to do mending when I grew up in a family where mending socks was still done.

Also notice the red, white, and blue theme for this election year.  I’m also making a statement through the “mending” of the holes of the delicate peace maintained with great love and care in our household of two individuals with very different political views.

I’m continually amazed by the power of fabric and stitch to “talk” about important (and personal) issues and how seemingly random events can lead me to inspiration and action.

Joe Working (In An Election Year) – Detail

Float 2

This is a big painting (36×48″) and, obviously, a companion piece to Float. 

Float 2 – Detail

You would think I would jump right back into the Boundary Waters series after being so inspired by my latest trip.  But I have found it best to let things brew for awhile and these pieces do show I’m still thinking about power and beauty of Nature.

The following painting is a piece of painted fabric mounted on 28×18″ stretcher bars.  I added screenprinting and a freehand feather after it was on the stretcher bars:

Feather

Feather – Detail

Part II on Wednesday of What I’m Working On will feature 3 new fiber works.

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.