Category Archives: Event

Falling into October

For the past few days the temperatures here have been around 90°F, we don’t have AC but my studio stays cool. Today looks to be finally cooling off a bit.

The coming of fall had me working on another Stir Crazy Member Challenge for Visions Art Museum, which will be published for members the first week in October. VAM offer so much inspiration and because we have had to spend more time in our homes, they have added a great deal to their online menu. I have “attended” wonderful artist’s talks with shows of their work, as well as, Q&A after. The online quilt shows are fun to go through at your own pace. VAM is changing their name to address better what they are about – it will become VMOTA/Visions Museum of Textile Art. I think it is a great museum to support. I’m not paid to create these challenges, and as far as I know none of the other artist are either.

When I make the video public, I’ll share it in an October post, until then here is a sneak peek of the project.

I’m also scheduled to teach at Visions on October 3rd. My first live class in some time (We were planning to hold this class before you-know-what struck). Hopefully enough people will sign-up to make the class happen. Masked and distancing, we’ll be using fabric, fiber, and a little paint to make a set of hummingbird note cards. They were so much fun to design and I love that the makers can make them their own as they construct each of their cards.

Example – fabric & fiber Hummingbird notecard

Our old house kitty, Kona, has finally figured out that she can come and go “outside,” into her little resort. During the daytime it’s attached to my studio and now I can stay in the studio playing/working instead of stopping to take her out onto the kitchen deck FOR HOURS. We’ll see if I actually get more done!

When it get too hot she comes back to her inside hammock. Hashtag – veryspoiledcat

Right now I’m using some of the background fabrics I painted last week and will share more about them next time.

‘Tis the Season…

… for leaky roofs! We don’t get a lot of rain here but when we do there are always surprises, but that’s another story, I’ll spare you.

Last post I mentioned Susan Lenz because we each had pieces in the Visions Art Museum Day of the Dead exhibit. Not too long ago I sent Susan some vintage pieces that came to me via VAM. She has already used them in one of her art quilt pieces. Not only a talented artist, Susan is a wonderful writer and story telling. If you haven’t visited her blog, I would highly recommend it.

It’s always the season for creating art whether there’s rain, shine or snow! Yesterday I had the pleasure of teaching my Fabric and Fiber Collage class at VAM. The participants were a fun group and their collage pieces were inspiring to me! I seem to always learn something from the students. Here is a bit from the class…

Sometimes a loop can make all the difference.

The Director of VAM, Laura Mitchell, as she put it, “…in her happy place!”

The flower center for one person may make great petal tips for another.

One dragonfly or more? It’s up to each participant to decide for their piece.

It’s fun to share thoughts and ideas with each other.

Some were artists when they entered the gallery, everyone was when they left.

Not shy, just letting her lovely layers take front and center.

There were some wonderful surprises – This flower center for example.

Teaching, the prep, and all, can be exhausting, but seeing results like these makes it worth it! Thank you to each of the participants.

Museum Visit

The Day of the Dead exhibit is over but I did get there to see it and the other four fantastic exhibit on display at Visions Art Museum (in partnership with New Americans Museum).

When I walked in the first thing I noticed was actually the piece next to mine, it was so unique, the look of texture was striking …

I was surprised to discover that it was by artist Susan Lenz, whose work I admire. Even though we’ve never met, we chatted a bit (via blog comments and PM) about entering, and she has given me permission to share it here. I’m sorry none of my pictures do it justice.

This was in the *Spotlight Gallery* (You may be able to tell!)

It is always exciting to have work exhibited and Visions Art Museum is a beautiful museum. It is feels intimate and inviting, and there are amazing and beautiful artist made one-of-a-kind gifts in their gift shop.

Next up – I’m teaching a fabric and fiber collage class at VAM in December!

Thanks for stopping by.

October Happenings

This month has flown by and I hope it’s not because at the end I’ll be a year older, haha!

I taught a fun painted leaves class early in the month. My Unmasking the Soul piece is hanging at VAM but I haven’t made it there yet. On the 12th I gave a presentation to a local quilt guild. I always seem to forget to have someone take photos with my camera.

Painting Fabric Leaves class at Visions Art Museum

Then I spend about a week and a half recovering from mosquito bites on both of my feet, my face, and arm. So I couldn’t wear shoes which meant instead of walking I worked on the project series I mentioned in my previous post (which I meant to post a week ago!).

I finished my little melted felt cups project. It’s a four part series and different from what I usually do, as it’s more a craft type project but it was fun and uses different fiber art and techniques. Who knows, I may even add these to an art quilt some day.

The series starts with the felt cups in part one, then part two is how to make the fabric envelope, part three is adding beads to the felt cups, and part four it painting leaves and applying the elements to the envelopes.

If you do watch the series and enjoy it, I hope you will give it a thumbs up, subscribe, and tap the bell there for new videos.

Thank you, I truly appreciate you stopping by.

San Diego Quilt Show!

Wild busy setting up my booth (Quilt Sales), with great helpers at the San Diego Quilt Show that will be open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We have over 129 quilts for sale… and one pillow! New and antique in most every style. We’ve already sold some quilts and we aren’t officially open!

We set up for two days before the show actually opens and as with every year I’m blown away by the fact that our membership is an all volunteer organization.

My Mister has helped with the show for years and this year he handled moving storage (with our son, who has also been sucked into the vortex for many years!) and driving the truck. It was a pretty big truck but looks tiny in the yet to be filled space!

On another subject – I’m happy to be scheduled to teach my leaf painting class once again at Visions Art Museum on October 5th… the perfect class to “fall” into!

I have much to post but making art keeps getting in the way!

More Painted Leaves

Back in June I had the pleasure of teaching my How to Paint Fabric Leaves class at Visions Art Museum .

The class was full, with fifteen willing participants, who surprised the heck out of me. They were so enthusiastic and by the end of the class were experimenting and coming up with their own original leaf designs.

Besides the leaf earrings I was wearing… near the end of the class I shared several projects that began with the painted leaves. I’ll share more about those projects in future posts.

One of my favorite projects is beading the leaves and applying pin backs or magnets. Here are just a few works in progress… They’re additive!

I’m looking forward to teaching the class again as well as other leaf project classes. The online lesson for How to Paint Leaves on Fabric is at Curious.com.

Quilt Show

Well, it has been a long time since I posted but here I am again. We recently made it through the 2017 San Diego Quilt Show (the 36th Annual) and what an inspiring show it was. I’m always amazed this show is put on by an all volunteer non-profit organization and I’m proud to be part of it. Of course, the people who enter their incredible quilts are to be thanks too. Here are a couple photos. I headed up the Quilt Sales booth again this year and with the help of a couple terrific members the booth looked great. I’m happy to say we sold over half of the quilts entered in our booth this year and a pillow! The show souvenir booth is on the opposite side of the sales booth and there we offer show year pins, tote bags, San Diego fabric and this year I was able to offer my felted soaps, glass patchwork (aka mosaic) items and hand painted fabric.

In foreground Quilt Sales booth ~ Photographer Cameron Scott

Quilt Sales booth from the floor. Photographer Cameron Scott

A Good Kind of Exhaustion

If you have ever helped put on a major event you’ll understand how one feels joy and exhaustion at the same time. Joy that so many visitors and participants come together to experience quilt making and fiber art, and exhaustion for being part of, in this case, an all volunteer organization in an almost 55,000 square foot room! Thanks to the quilt makers who entered their quilts for display, without whom there wouldn’t be a show.

The 35th Annual San Diego Quilt Show was the event and I was fortunate to be asked once again to display my Photograph of Fiber series. I’ll share photos of my exhibit and more quilts in future posts. I was also the chairperson for the Quilt Sales booth where we offered quilts: old and new, tops and blocks, along with other quilt or fiber related creations.

Being a bit of a control freak, I set the booth up by myself (with some help from my Mister). Plenty of people offered to help but nooooo! So I’m still feeling tired but very pleased with the booth. Many visitors purchased quilts for themselves or gifts for someone they love.

I’m amazed that some of our members are fifteen plus years older than I and they worked their butts off, had fun and stayed positive… I think there may have been a lot of coffee involved! I also discovered that being on the receiving end of hundreds of kind comments can be exhausting too!

It was a beautiful show and the volunteers who helped to make it happen are awesome and should be proud. I’m looking forward to next year when San Diego and postcards will be the theme. So if you are reading this and participated in the 2016 show (especially in the Quilt Sales booth)… Thank you and I hope to see you next year!

Something New and a Little Green

I was gifted an herb planter set for Mother’s Day (from my Mister), and even though they were in a sunny window, it wasn’t going well until I placed them outside in the (filtered) sun. At first I thought – In jars without drain holes, bad idea but… Now they are very happy and I don’t feel like a plant killer! Hopefully the cilantro (the one I most wanted) won’t bolt.

I’m not a watercolor on paper artist but because I made the mistake of leash training Kona, I seem to be spending more time out on the kitchen deck, so I decided to try my hand.

I admire anyone who can paint Plein Air… I’m intimidated by it!

herbs watercolor — Painted on Watercolor Postcards stock (it’s tiny)

Back in the studio where I feel more confident… Here is a little detail of my most recent Photograph on Fiber series piece. It will be on display at the San Diego Quilt Show August 30 (evening Preview Party) through September 3, 2016. After the piece professionally photographed I’ll share it on the blog.

still moring detail — Hand painted whole cloth, stamped using hand made stamps, and machine quilted.

As I was writing this about twenty green parrots flew over… such a perfect ending!

Special Exhibit!

I’m happy to say that pieces from my Photograph on Fiber series will be one of the Special Exhibits at the 2016 San Diego Quilt Show. That link has all the information about the show.

If you don’t already know, these pieces began as a collaboration with my son whose photograph of a lone leaf inspired my fiber art. I figured out a way to incorporate the actual photograph and my fiber art quilt into one work of art. Some of the more recent pieces have been inspired by and include the work of other photographers (Always used with permission) and in one case* the photo was taken by me (*Gathering Evidence).

The original construction which included, in part; adhering the photograph to the acrylic sheet and drilling the holes, got to be too much for me. More recently I have had the photographs mounted to the acrylic and holes drilled professionally (a company I would highly recommend – ArtisanHD)

Working on this series has allowed me to paint and stitch fabric & fiber and stretch as an artist and designer and of course, exhibit my artwork. I developed an easier version and teach that as a course online at Curious.com , where you’ll find more of my lessons, as well as lessons and courses on just about anything you may be curious about.

So if you are in the San Diego, California area August 31 – Sept 3, 2016, treat yourself to a colorful few days of quilts, fiber art, classes, and much more! I’m Chairperson for the Quilt Sales booth so stop by and say “Hi” and be wowed by the wonderful quilts.

Quilting Away,
A

Fiber Designs by Ann

Fiber art Design, Instruction, Sales