Virginia A. Spiegel

The very unique and wonderful Sightlines exhibit will be shown at International Quilt Festival in Cincinnati this week.  Based on an exhibit design by tACTile group, the exhibit features fourteen artists who each made five to eight artworks spanning ten feet. Each artist’s work includes four small linking pieces and a line runs throughout all the artwork in the exhibit. I was honored to choose the fourteen artists for Sightlines.

Whether you are going to IQF or not, I can highly recommend the catalog.  The publication of this catalog was supported by a generous donation from Herb Anhaltzer, “in memory of Mary Anhaltzer, who wanted to put art quilts on the map.”   In 1999, Mary opened “Thirteen Moons Gallery, the first and only gallery in Sante Fe (and quite possibly the country) to focus on the hot “new” medium of the art quilt.”

Each artist has a four-page spread with an image of her complete installation, detail image, artist statement, and artist bio. The artists include: Britta Ankenbauer, Regina Benson, Shelley Brenner Baird, Yael David-Cohen, Linda Colsh, Sue Dennis, Anne Helmericks-Louder, Fulvia Luciano, Wendy Lugg, Kathy Nida, Pat Owoc, Mirjam Pet-Jacobs, Jayne Willoughby Scott and Leni Levenson Wiener.

There is also a foldout section that shows the entire Sightlines exhibit in a linear format – really a fantastic addition to the catalog.

I emphasize in my curator’s statement that I didn’t want artists who conceived of the sightline as a gimmick, but rather those who would be able to subsume it under a larger philosophical statement.  The artists succeeded beyond my wildest hopes.  Check out the catalog, designed by Deidre Adams, here on the Studio Art Quilt Associates’ website or buy it at the SAQA table at International Quilt Festival.

My book will be at IQF thanks to Cathy Neri of Quilting Books Unlimited.  Quilting Books Unlimited will be in booths 727/729.  Cathy will have Wild at the Edges for a special show price of $20.  That’s less than you can buy it on Blurb and way less if you take into consideration that there is no shipping.  So stop by and see Cathy at Quilting Books Unlimited during IQF.

The Blurberati at Blurb Book are in the holiday mood.  They are offering $10 off orders of $29.95 or more – codes and fine print below.  Here’s a preview of my book:

Wild at the Edges: Inspiration from a Creative Life by Virginia A. Spiegel | Make Your Own Book

USD $ coupon: CHEER
GBP £ coupon: CHEER1
EUR € coupon: CHEER2
CAD $ coupon: CHEER3
AUD $ coupon: CHEER4

* Offer valid through December 31, 2010 (11:59 p.m. local time) and is applied toward the product total only. Offer discount of US $10.00, GBP £6.00, EUR €8.00, CAD $11.00, or AUD $12.00 requires a minimum order of at least US $29.95, GBP £18.95, EUR €24.95, CAD $30.95, or AUD $35.95 shipped to one address. This offer is good for one-time use and cannot be combined with other promotional codes or used for adjustments on previous orders.

Once you are on Blurb, go ahead and search on fiber art for many books that would make great holiday gifts.

Tuesday is just around the corner, but you can still have my book shipped free to you even if you live outside the U.S.  What a deal!  All the details, including a “click-through preview” of Wild at the Edges: Inspiration from a Creative Life, is here.

The book might seem a bit pricey in hardcover, but I’m willing to make only $4 profit on each book and have limited distribution so that Blurb can take care of all the billing and shipping.  Just one of those tough choices that frees up more time for the studio.

Need a testimonial?  Here is what artist Carol Larson had to say about Wild at the Edges:

The spectacular artwork, combined with the enlightening text, the wondrous haiku and the beautiful photography all combine to make this book a treasure for anyone who loves nature, art or life! Additionally it is such a powerful lesson for women about life on the edge, facing the fear and truly living in the moment. What an inspiration, Virginia!

Thanks, Carol!  Read more reviews here.

If you have any requests for a book you would like to see me create, let me know privately or by leaving a comment.  I have created eight Blurb books so far, but mainly from Boundary Waters trips.  They are books I return to again and again.  I hope you will say the same about Wild at the Edges.

Happy Weekend!

If you are tired of books full of projects and are more curious about the inspirations and motivations of an artist, then my book is for you.  Wild at the Edges: Inspiration from a Creative Life is stuffed full of artwork, photos of nature and my studio, essays, photos, and poems. But don’t take my word for it, here are comments from some of my readers:

It is such a RICH book. (I love this comment as this was exactly my intent in creating the book — to have something new to look at, read, or study each time you opened it).

Your spectacular artwork, combined with the enlightening text, and the beautiful photography; this book is a treasure!

I realized how powerful (at least to me) your art is when coupled with the photographs. You really should do an exhibit of both!

If the special preview doesn’t work for you, just click on the link above the preview to be taken right to all the details.

I love Blurb books for a variety of reasons, not the least because they offer specials periodically. If you have been thinking about ordering my book, Wild at the Edges: Inspiration from a Creative Life, now is the time.  Blurb is donating Free Ground/Economy shipping on all orders placed by March 22.

Just enter the promo code below at checkout and your book will be in your hands in about a week. Be sure to use the appropriate currency, based on your location.

USD $ promo code: WESHIP
GBP £ promo code: WESHIP2
EUR € promo code: WESHIP3

Here are the caveats: Offer valid through March 22, 2010 (11:59 p.m. PST). Offer covers Ground/Economy shipping costs for up to $7.99, £3.99, or €5.99 up to five books in one order, shipped to one address. This offer is good for one-time use and cannot be combined with other promotional codes or used for adjustments on previous orders.

Need MORE reasons to click over and check out my book?
1.  Check out the price.  Since I retired FFAC, I have reduced the price on Wild at the Edges as I donate to the ACS in other ways now. Wild at the Edges is offered in both soft and hardcover. If you can do the hardcover, it is well worth it.
2.  RAVE REVIEWS!
3.  Self-publishing is great for a book like Wild at the Edges.  NO projects, but a quirky, personal sensibility. I choose each photo and placed it to enhance each essay or poem. Reading Wild at the Edges is meant to be a journey, one that you can savor, study and enjoy in small moments of time.
4.  I have heard from many readers that Wild at the Edges is a great gift for artists of all types.  Many of the essays focus on what it means to be an artist –  the disappointments and the triumphs.