Halloween Ha-Ha

In the spirit of Halloween, I thought everyone would enjoy this hilarious ghostly YouTube video...

Have a good one!

New Quilt

I'm about to start a new quilt. I have the photo all printed out, so now it's time to start the drawing and painting. Woo-hoo!

Carole Lyles Shaw

Friday evening I had the pleasure of attending the opening reception for fellow art quilter Carole Lyles Shaw's exhibit "Memories and Dreams 2006" at the Touchstone Gallery here in D.C. Carole's art quilts have been seen in numerous publications and exhibits and she has been in all of the Mazloomi exhibits of African American art quilters. She is quite an art quilting force. She also started the website africanamericanartquilt.com, which I've mentioned in an eariler post.

Her collages were both dreamy and vibrant, some incorporating photo transfer portraits of her family. My favorite was the rose-colored "sunrise" collage. When I saw it (and not the title), I thought of sunset at first. I interviewed her about her work and art quilting and you will be able to hear it on the next Sew Chick podcast. One thing we talked about that's not on the podcast is her transitioning to collage work. She feels that she is doing fewer art quilts and more collage work. Her creative priorities have shifted and collage work is what she is feeling right now. Art quilts only comprised two of the works that she had present and I told her that you can see how one medium influences the other in her work. After all, quilting is a form of collage.

My friend Nicole likes to say that as artists, we go through creative periods where we reach a point that we are "done" with a particular form of expression and we move on. Perhaps we might come back to it again in the future, but it's the current form of expression that works for us and allows us to "get it out." As artists, I feel that sometimes you to have to challenge yourself in order to propel yourself forward. It's what keeps you from stagnating creatively.

Cousin Jo is Outta My Hands!!!

Well everyone, Cousin Jo is shipped and gone and as of this morning, is in Ohio with Dr. Mazloomi. Folks have been asking me how do I feel about it being gone like that and to be honest, I am relieved, LOL! For a year I have been worried that I was going to have some kind of freakish occurence (which wouldn't be unlike me) that would damage it before it could make it to the exhibit.

Oh man, in that respect, I am so glad it's out of my hands now. Now I just have to look forward to it traveling to museums all over the country. It won't be coming here to D.C. until the very last stop (the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum in 2010). At least I'll see it in Baltimore first later on this year.

Oooooooweee...I am so excited!

Brand Spankin' New Podcast Episode!

Hey everyone!

A new Sew Chick podcast is available! I know, I know...it's about time, right? I talk about getting prepared for shows and the practicalities like shipping and insurance. I also talk about not rushing work to be ready in time for shows and creating a body of artwork to pull from.

Enjoy!!

Quilt Hint Photos...and a Cravat!

Glimpses of photo inspirations for upcoming quilts!!! These are my grandmom, my friend and his dog, and my best friend's dad @15. And, yes, he was wearing a cravat for his school picture.

Feel the excitement!!! Ooooooo!