Women Who Come to the Table

"Women Who Come to the Table: Selected Works from Dinner at Eight Artists," is available to purchase on Amazon!  
Join the creative team of Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison as they look back on six years of the Dinner At Eight Artists collaboration, including the current exhibit "Reflections.". In this book, sixty-five juried artists “come to the table” to share gorgeous and thought-provoking images. Their more than 200 art quilts have traveled to numerous shows and have been seen by thousands internationally. Read their personal commentaries about the challenge of working within the framework of a theme and specific size. Accompany Jamie and Leslie as they take you to scenes from their artist dinners and invite you to try an artist-inspired recipe for a dish to bring to your own table.
Self published, designed by Loris Bogue, and written by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison.   Click here for the link to purchase the book on Amazon.Also, the book is now listed on Goodreads, if you have an account.

Reflections at Quilt Festival in Houston!

Here's the sign for our amazing exhibit, "Reflections.".  All of the photos were taken with my iPhone.

The exhibit was well received, and crowded with show attendees strolling around and taking pictures

The other side of the pipe and drape from above

Looking at the short wall from the front

The back of the short wall

Another view of the golden wall

Leslie!

Selfie in front of the '8' - fabulous exhibit!  Shout out to the artists!

Leslie and me with Yvonne Porcella

Women Who Come to the Table.  6 years of exhibits, including Reflections. 65 artists and over 200 art quilts - book available on Amazon.  Click here to see

Everything Houston!

We are delighted to share what some of our "Reflections" artists are participating in at the International Quilt Market and Festival this year!  Quilt Market begins on Friday, October 24th with School Houses - which is where fabric designers introduce their new lines, and new products are shared by designers, new books on the market, and make and takes. Quilt Market begins on Saturday, October 25th from 9:30 to 6:00pm, and continues to Sunday, October 26 and it closes on Monday, October 27th at 4:00pm.  This is a trade show and only open to shop and online retailers.

QUILT MARKET

School House

Friday, October 24

11:15am - Desiree Habicht, Fabulous Folded Bags - Room 362A

12:25pm - Victoria Findlay Wolfe - C&T Publishing - Room 362A

2:10pm  - Jamie Fingal, Heart and Soul Sisters, Room 352E

3:10pm - Victoria Findlay Wolfe  - Sizzix - Room 262D 

What's Happening at Quilt Market

Jamie Fingal - booth inside Hoffman Fabrics Booth #409

Open Studio

Sat/Sun 9:30-11:30 and 1:30-3:00 and 4:30-6:00

Monday 9:30-11:30 and 2:00-4:00pm

Desiree Habicht - fabric line with Quilting Treasures

Desiree's Designs - Booth #2012

Yvonne Porcella - in Mistyfuse booth #1152 selling her book

Lesley Riley - Sunday book signing C&T booth #2336

Victoria Findlay Wolfe

Demos -Sizzix Booth #124

Sat 10-12, Sun 3-5, Mon 10-12

The International Quilt Festival begins on Wednesday, October 29th with Preview Night, open to IQA members at 5:00pm, and open to the public at 7:00pm and is open until 10:00pm.  Thursday thru Saturday 10:00am to 7:00pm and Sunday 10:00am to 4:00pm.  This is Festival's 40th Anniversary year, and there are many festivities on the agenda, with over 2,000 quilts on display, classes, vendors and so much more!

EXHIBITS

500 TRADITIONAL QUILTS

Sarah Ann Smith - Haleakala Sunrise and Nourish the Body, Nourish the Soul.  Both are Hawaiian-style.

TWELVE VOICES FROM ONE

Sherri Lipman McCauley -  - “Graffiti” and “Drips”

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

Sue Bleiweiss - Eat Dessert First

Cindy Cooksey - Teriyaki Beef on-a-stick

Yvonne Porcella - Shake and Bake

Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison - jurors

LIFE BEGINS AT FORTY

Lyric Kinard

SAQA SILVER EXHIBIT

Yvonne Porcella - Juror

Jeannie Palmer Moore - Silver Cake

YVONNE PORCELLA ONCE AND AGAIN

Solo Retrospective exhibit 32 pieces circa 1976 to 2014

FESTIVAL AWARENESS PROJECT: IT'S RAINING CATS AND DOGS

Jeannie Palmer Moore - Best Friends & Izzy & Winston

WORLD OF BEAUTY

Sue Bleiweiss - Tutti Frutti City Skyline
Hollis Chatelain - Source of Life, and Healing Waters
Diane Doran - Sunrise Serenade, and California Dreaming

Sherry Kleinman - Waiting Expectantly and Geisha 
Jeannie Palmer Moore - Marilyn II

Victoria Findlay Wolfe - LACE, by me, quilted by Lisa Sipes

Kathy York - Out of the Box, and Suburbs

INSPIRED BY LIBBY

Yvonne Porcella - Libby The Real Start of Texas

RUBY JUBILEE

Yvonne Porcella - I'm Misty for Red
REFLECTIONS by Dinner at Eight Artists
Natalya Aikens - Specular Reflection
Sue Bleiweiss - Reflections
Deborah Boschert - Waning Crescent Mediation
Hollis Chatelain - Golden Girl
Cindy Cooksey - Saffron in the Park
Jane Davila - Willow Meditation
Diane Doran - Intertwined
Barb Forrister - Groovin' on a Sunder Afternoon
Linda Frost - Tumbled Stones 
Terry Grant - The Moon is a Mirror
Desiree Habicht - Reflections of our Fathers
Cathie Hoover - Quelle Vie! (What a Life!)
Stacy Hurt - Let it Go
Lyric Kinard - Haiku *above
Susan F. King - The parable of the Dragon & the Sheep
Sherry Kleinman - In Still Water
Susan Brubaker Knapp - Gazing Globe
Kristin La Flamme - Selfie
Sherri McCauley - Aging On
Jeannie P. Moore - Marilyn
Yvonne Porcella - Primarily Water 
Wen Redmond - Amazements of Tender Reflections
Lesley Riley - Read & Reflect
Carolyn Ryan - There and Back
Julie Schlueter - Facets of Life
Sarah Ann Smith - Eli, Cross Country 2013
Cynthia St. Charles - Cotonwood Reflection
Larkin Van Horn - Troubled Water
Terry Waldron - Medieval Reflections
Victoria Findlay Wolfe - Reflect Upon Your Blessings
Kathy York - The Deep End
Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison, curators

Dinner at Eight Artists book, available on Amazon 

DEMOS

Victoria Findlay Wolfe

The Quilt Show booth on Saturday at 11:00am

FACULTY
 Hollis Chatelain
#111, Let's Talk Quilting - Monday, Oct. 27th, 9 AM - 5 PM, 

#311 Let's Talk Quilting - Wednesday, Oct. 29th, 9 AM - 5 PM

#212, Painting Images with Dyes - Tues., Oct. 28th, 9 AM - 5 PM, 

#508, Painting Images with Dyes - Friday, Oct. 31st, 9 AM - 5 PM
#413, Upcycle Your Jeans into Art - Thursday, Oct. 30th, 9 AM - 5 PM

Lesley Riley
 #126, TAP That Journal - Monday 9-5

 #249, Designing a Business 1 Tuesday (9-12)
#270, Connect to Success (2-5) co-teaching with Jo Packham

Wed - One-on-One coaching appointments
 #432, Navigation: Charting a Course to Your Soul - Thurs  (9-5)

 #524 Fragment Fabric Journal - Friday (9-5)

Saturday - One-on-One Coaching appointments

Sarah Ann Smith
#128 Let’s Machine Quilt,  Monday All-Day (9-5)
#254 How Did She Do That?  Lecture, Tuesday 11-Noon
#339 Birch Pond Seasons, Wednesday All-Day (9-5)
#460 Machine Quilting Forum, Thursday, 9-Noon (I believe this 5-teacher event is sold out already)

Leslie Tucker Jenison
#512 Painting with a Twist and Shout - Friday  (9-5) with Jamie
#719 Fifty Shades of Groovy - Saturday (9-5) - Leslie

Jamie Fingal
#512 Painting with a Twist and Shout - Friday (9-5) with Leslie
#712 Coffee on the House - Saturday (9-5)

LECTURES
Yvonne Porcella
Thursday Oct. 30 11AM #464 Title 341 Third Street—Living a Creative Life

Yvonne Porcella A Memoir - Defining Why  (new book) will be available at QM and QF, distributed by Mistyfuse.com

Teacher Appreciation noon luncheon Oct. 30 and author autograph signing Juror for Stitch In TIme Fashion Show Oct 31 noon luncheon #565

Sarah Ann Smith
How Did She Do That?  Tuesday, 11-Noon (usually in large rooms near the main Ballroom)

OPEN STUDIOS (near the Food Court)
Deborah Boschert - “Unique Edges for Art Quilts” at Open Studios on Friday, October 31 from 4 to 6 and Sunday, November 2 from noon to 2. 


FIBER ON A WHIM -

Whimsies-To-Go event in Houston. Booth #144 will be running 20 one hour make and takes/workshops throughout Festival. Each workshop has a $10 kit fee so that we may provide you with everything you need!
Wednesday October 29th 6-7PM Mixed Media Card by Kristin Rodriguez 7:30-8:30 Vintage Domino Necklace by Janelle Girod
Thursday October 30th 11A-12P Girlfriend Art People/Magnet by Maggie Winfield 12:30-1:30P Manipulated Pincushion by Cheryl Sleboda 2-3P What's in Your Closet? by Kristin Rodriguez 3:30-4:30P Light Up Trading Cards by Cheryl Sleboda 5-6P Texture: Surface Design for Beginners by Sarah Ann Smith
Friday October 31st 11A-12P Texture: Surface Design for Beginners by Sarah Ann Smith 12:30-1:30P Manipulated Pincushion by Cheryl Sleboda 2-3P Day of the Dead Inktense Postcard by Vickie Meredith Lord 3:30-4:30P Girlfriend Art People/Magnet by Maggie Winfield 5-6P Mixed Media Needlecase by Kristin Rodriguez
Saturday November 1st 11A-12P Day of the Dead Inktense Postcard by Vickie Meredith Lord 12:30-1:30P Burlap Artscape by Janelle Girod 2-3P Stacked Art: Silk Carrier Rods by Janelle Girod 3:30-4:30P Manipulated Pincushion by Cheryl Sleboda 5-6P Bloomin' Cocoon by Janelle Girod
Sunday November 2nd 11A-12P Light Up Trading Cards by Cheryl Sleboda 12:30-1:30P Burlap Artscape by Janelle Girod 2-3P Mixed Media Needlecase by Kristin Rodriguez

Women Who Come to the Table - Introducing our Book!

We are so happy and thrilled to announce that our book "Women Who Come to the Table: Selected Works from Dinner at Eight Artists," is available to purchase on Amazon!  
Join the creative team of Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison as they look back on six years of the Dinner At Eight Artists collaboration, including the current exhibit "Reflections," that will debut at the International Quilt Market and Festival in Houston. In this book, sixty-five juried artists “come to the table” to share gorgeous and thought-provoking images. Their more than 200 art quilts have traveled to numerous shows and have been seen by thousands internationally. Read their personal commentaries about the challenge of working within the framework of a theme and specific size. Accompany Jamie and Leslie as they take you to scenes from their artist dinners and invite you to try an artist-inspired recipe for a dish to bring to your own table.
Self published, designed by Loris Bogue, and written by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison.   Click here for the link to purchase the book on Amazon.

Reflections - Houston Bound!

"Reflections."  

A mirror image. A response to a thought or word. A memory. What glints back at us as we gaze upon the water. The throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it.  What will your reflection reveal about you?

Venue
International Quilt Market - October 25-27
International Quilt Festival - October 30-Nov 2
Houston, Texas

Sponsored by Havel's Sewing

Artists
Natalya Aikens - Specular Reflection
Sue Bleiweiss - Reflections
Deborah Boschert - Waning Crescent Mediation
Hollis Chatelain - Golden Girl
Cindy Cooksey - Saffron in the Park
Jane Davila - Willow Meditation
Diane Doran - Intertwined
Barb Forrister - Groovin' on a Sunder Afternoon
Linda Frost - Tumbled Stones 
Terry Grant - The Moon is a Mirror
Desiree Habicht - Reflections of our Fathers
Cathie Hoover - Quelle Vie! (What a Life!)
Stacy Hurt - Let it Go
Lyric Kinard - Haiku *above
Susan F. King - The parable of the Dragon & the Sheep
Sherry Kleinman - In Still Water
Susan Brubaker Knapp - Gazing Globe
Kristin LaFlamme - Selfie
Sherri McCauley - Aging On
Jeannie P. Moore - Marilyn
Yvonne Porcella - Primarily Water 
Wen Redmond - Amazements of Tender Reflections
Lesley Riley - Read & Reflect
Carolyn Ryan - There and Back
Julie Schlueter - Facets of Life
Sarah Ann Smith - Eli, Cross Country 2013
Cynthia St. Charles - Cotonwood Reflection
Larkin Van Horn - Troubled Water
Terry Waldron - Medieval Reflections
Victoria Findlay Wolfe - Reflect Upon Your Blessings
Kathy York - The Deep End

Jamie Fingal
Leslie Tucker Jenison
co-curators 

A 33 piece collection of art quilts, made specifically for this exhibit.  24" wide by 60" high 

The following artists will have their work from the 'Reflections' exhibit featured in the Fall issue of Quilting Arts Magazine:  Cynthia St. Charles, Hollis Chatelain, Terry Grant, Cindy Cooksey, Kristin LaFlamme, Barb Forrister and Yvonne Porcella!  

Here is the link to the magazine on Quilting Daily

Artist Profile Series

Questions for Curators: Jamie Fingal

Jamie Fingal

1.  What are your goals for yourself as an artist?  Design quilts, patterns, fabric, stencils, curate quilt exhibits, collaborate with other artists 2. What changes do you see coming to the art quilt world? I see a sort of union happening between fiber artists, traditional quilts and the modern quilt movement, with the acknowledgement of how similar we really are with fabric and thread.
3. Curating these exhibitions has to be an awful lot of work. What motivates you to do it?  The work always shines through, and seeing what artist create with fabric and thread is something to be shared.  We both enjoy the process, and working as a team is always better than working alone. 4.  What did you do in your former life (before Dinner @ Eight)? I made quilts, entered juried shows, painted watercolors, Girl Scout artist, and put together quilt exhibits, and worked with friends on public projects.

5. What do you enjoy most about putting this exhibit together each year?  One of the best parts for me is bringing everyone together at the table for the Friday night dinners.  I miss Festival in Long Beach so much, because of this one amazing thing.  We'll always have Houston! 6.  What is most important to you in curating a show like this?  To show amazing work, with all kinds of styles, colors, and subjects. 7. How do balance time spent creating and promoting your exhibits, and time for your individual creative endeavors?  Through the deadline process. For example, the artists profiles, I give myself a deadline to get them all done in a certain amount of time, in between my current schedule. That is pretty much how everything works right now. If I can't do something, Leslie can step in to help me, and vice versa.  Social media helps us to promote our exhibits, and we can both do that. This is when technology really works well. 8. How did you two meet?  We connected through an online group - the Quiltart list in 2002.  We met in person at the Tiara Parade at Festival in Houston in 2003. We were part of the Journal Quilt Project.  Through a series of dinners, tiara parades, exhibits and online conversation we became very good friends.
9. Do you ever totally abandon a project and if so, at what point do you know it’s a lost cause?  When I know that it will not photograph well.

10. What grabs you first, color or composition?  Color and Contrast 11. When did you start quilting? 1981

12. How long does it take you two to decide on a theme each year?  a couple of months.  It's not a constant thing.  We run a few ideas via texting or email.  We think of how broad or narrow the theme is. How it would translate. 

Bonus Question
How do you gently tell someone that their work wasn't accepted without causing them to feel defeated and quit. How do you also encourage them to keep going and try again?  These are the letters we don't like to send.  It is important to us, that we word them for each person, not just a form letter.  And anyone can ask us why their quilt didn't make the cut, and we will give a thoughtful critique. 

Questions for Curators: Leslie Tucker Jenison

Leslie Tucker Jenison
Co-Curator

1.    What was your dream job when you were a kid?  Did you ever think you would be a fiber artist?  -My dream job was to be a registered nurse.  I practiced nursing for many years, always in some aspect of women’s health & community health education for women and families.  My avocation was to be an artist.  I was an enthusiastic painter as a young girl and I was fortunate to return to painting, then quilt making and surface design.  How lucky can one woman be?!

      What are your goals for yourself as an artist? To make work that is meaningful to myself, to always push myself artistically, to work with intent.

      What is your aesthetic in art? Layered, abstracted.

     How do you balance it all!  How does anyone?  We are “all bozos on the same bus” when it comes to figuring out that balance.  It helps that we are both “empty nesters” who have supportive husbands.  My family responsibilities changed after the deaths of my mother and sister in 2001 and 2003.  Between our move to Texas in 1997 and 2003 I spent nearly half my time in Kansas.  Now, each day when I walk down the hallway to my studio I thank my mother for giving me back the gift of time to make art.  I know she would like that.

What keeps quilting fresh, for you?  I continually try to push myself out of my own comfort zone.  That keeps it somewhat scary and fresh for me!  Also, I have returned to some of my earlier roots in making a few useful quilts and doing more hand-stitching.  Sometimes, what is old is new again.

What grabs you first, color or composition? -Ah, this is a tough question but I will go with color.  That said, if the composition isn’t working the color loses its “flair”.

 When did you start quilting?  I started quilting in my mid-20s (late 70's).  Although I grew up observing my paternal grandmother making quilts I was not interested-enough at the time to learn from her.  I was inspired, then mentored, by a fellow nurse in the Labor and Delivery unit I worked in.  Those early years were not all that productive, between working a full and part-time job and raising babies..

      When do you do your best work – under a deadline with pressure, or relaxed and no deadline?  I tend to have both of these going….I need to ruminate about the method of interpreting my idea.  Then, I wait until I’m backed into a corner and seem to perform best under a bit of pressure.  I can’t tell you how much I wish this were not my method.

     Do you ever totally abandon a project and if so, at what point do you know it’s a lost cause?   I will “walk away” from a project, sometimes for months.   Sometimes it stares at me from the design wall and finally I can figure out where to go next.  There have been many pieces that have been cut into smaller parts, sometimes painted over, because they just didn’t work.  You have to know when to walk away.

      Where do you see dinner@8 in 5 to 7 years?  Goals?  Dreams?  I really don’t know!  I think Jamie and I are both committed to continuing as long as there are artists willing to submit work for consideration.  We have some good years ahead, in my opinion!

         How did your collaboration come into being?  Jamie and I had both curated shows in the past.  She approached me to co-curate an online exhibition, then asked if I would be willing to co-curate Edges with her.  We decided it was a great collaboration and we really have fun together.  We are so crazy when we travel together!  After we arranged a couple of artist-dinners for the entrants and we tend to eat at 8 pm…the rest is history.

1.    What do you enjoy most about putting this exhibit together each year?  I believe it challenges us to see the work for its own merit as well as whether it will work in the collective body  of the exhibit.  Often, we disagree and then we are required to “justify” our position to the other!  I think this is good for both of us!

Bonus Question-- 

1    What has been the best part of the press and awards tour for Tim's Vermeer?  Thank you for asking!  For me, the best part of this adventure, hands-down, has been all the amazing and interesting people we have had the pleasure of meeting.  It seems that so many people have been inspired by Tim’s project.  At this time last year the 5 Jenisons were sitting in a small theater in Telluride holding hands nervously as the film premiered.  We couldn’t have imagined how people were going to respond to it.

Artist Profile: Jamie Fingal

Jamie Fingal
co-curator

Orange, California
www.JamieFingalDesigns.com

1.  Describe your signature style in 5 words: Fun, bright, sassy, complicated, whimsical

2.  Do you ever work in another medium and, if so, what is it and what appeals to you about it?  I enjoy painting with watercolors, collage with paper and fabric, and decoupage.  I believe in working in these other mediums helps me in my journey as a fiber artist.

3.  What's coming up for you in your artistic world?  So excited that my second line of stencils were launched this month with StencilGirl Products, going to be a guest on QATV and Teaching at Quilter's Take Manhattan in NYC in September, Article in Quilt Scene, Second fabric line coming out at Fall Quilt Market, and teaching at Festival. Life is good.

4.  Do you have any studio rituals?  I thank my Dad, upon entering my studio for his generosity.  If he were here, he would love it, almost as much as I do. I open the truck door and turn on the music!  The day begins.

5.  Who has inspired you on your artistic journey?   Yvonne Porcella, Freddy Moran, the artists in our exhibits, and Leslie Tucker Jenison with our text messages and critiques.

6.  What are the 5 essential things in your studio that you cannot live without?  Havel's Scissors, Mistyfuse, BERNINA sewing machines, iPhone, Iron

7.  What is on your design table right now?   Prep work for step outs for QATV

8.  How do you juggle your artistic life, family, friends, etc?   I think that having my studio outside my house helps me to stay balanced.  It's a job that I go to Mon-Fri and have the weekends off for family.  I still enjoy cooking dinner every night.  I try to have lunch with friends at least once a week.

9.  Do you have any studio companions (human or otherwise)?  I have a Godzilla squeak toy that my husband gave me before we were married.  And a red knitted beaver who guards the stash. Barbies and a talking Ken, which every girl needs.

10.  What was the biggest challenge in creating your piece for Reflections?  First idea didn't photograph well, but found that out early on.  Second piece was a bit of a challenge in sewing it together with 31 pieces.

Artist Profile: Leslie Tucker Jenison

Leslie Tucker Jenison
co-curator
San Antonio, Texas
www.LeslieTuckerJenison.com/

1.  Describe your signature style in 5 words: Depth, Layered, Stitched, Narrative, Collaged

2.  Do you ever work in another medium and, if so, what is it and what appeals to you about it?  I work with paper, and love to combine it with cloth, paint, and stitch.  I am also a painter.  Having other artistic outlets is a lovely way to stay creative all the time.

3.  What's coming up for you in your artistic world?  I’m taping some episodes of QATV, traveling to Ohio to study with Nancy Crow, I’m dyeing fabric like crazy, working in my studio to finish several quilt and mixed media projects.

4.  Do you have any studio rituals?  Yes.  I always thank my mother when I walk down the hallway into my studio before I begin my work day.

5.  Who has inspired you on your artistic journey?  I have many people who have inspired me along the way at some critical junction.  My paternal grandmother inspired me to quilt, Virginia Robertson was my first quilt instructor, Jane Dunnewold & Hollis Chatelain have been wonderful mentors.  I am always inspired and entertained by my wonderful co-curator, Jamie Fingal.

6.  What are the 5 essential things in your studio that you cannot live without?  My wonderful BERNINA, my silkscreens, my paint and dye, my fabric & paper, and my “thinking couch”.

7.  What is on your design table right now?  A mess (LOL)!  I’ve been working with some small cloth & paper collages for a project called “Tea Flora-Tales” inspired by Cas Holmes of the UK.  I plan to take them along with me when I travel over for the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham in a few days.

8.  How do you juggle your artistic life, family, friends, etc?  It is less complicated now that we are empty nesters.  My husband is very supportive of my work and I have plenty of creative time to be in my studio.  We have been traveling a tremendous amount this year and that has presented a challenge to productive periods in the studio.

9.  Do you have any studio companions (human or otherwise)?  Oh yes.  My Miniature Schnauzer, Bizzi, is my constant companion.  She naps on the thinking couch!

10.  What was the biggest challenge in creating your piece for Reflections?  Figuring out how to create an obvious reflective surface that gave it the feeling of reflected light in an urban setting.

Artist Profile: Cathie Hoover

Cathie Hoover
Modesto, California
www.CathieHooverStudios.com

1.  Describe your signature style in 5 words: appliquéd, colorful, unusual, amusing, polished workmanship.

2. Do you ever work in another medium, and if so, what is it and what appeals to you about it? No

3. What's coming up for you in the artistic world? My plan is to publish my second pattern, and publish a book in 2015 on my techniques.

4. Do you have any studio rituals? No. When I enter my studio to work, I get to work.

5. Who has inspired your artistic journey? Jean Ray Laury, Roberta Horton, Michael James, Yvonne Porcella.

6. What are five essential things in your studio that you cannot live without? Great lighting, several Berninas, my 35 year old fabric stash, a great tools.

7. What is on your design table right now? Another intersecting rings quilt that will be on the cover of my second pattern.

8. How do you juggle your artistic life, family, friends, etc.? Sometimes I do not juggle them well at all! My family loves what I create, but they do not always appreciate the time and effort it takes to create original quilts. My friends are quilters and understand the same language I do!

9. Do you have any studio companions (human or otherwise)? No animals any more. I have taught a new friend the basic of quilting and she is now hooked. Perhaps we might be able to work together in the future.

10.  What was the biggest challenge in creating your piece for Relections? I have hundreds (possibly thousands) of photographs from my childhood and parenthood. It was very difficult to sort through all these photographs and select the ones that held the essence I wanted for "Quelle Vie." Several were deleted when I realized some photographs needed to be larger than I had originally planned. The quilt's size, 24" X 60", can only hold so many photos! The "ah hah!" moment came when I chose the photograph of me sitting on a granite throne - a focal point was chosen.

Artist Profile: Terry Grant

Terry Grant

Portland, Oregon

www.andsewitgoes.blogspot.com

1.  Describe your signature style in 5 words: representational, graphic, unembellished, quiet, warm

2.  Do you ever work in another medium and, if so, what is it and what appeals to you about it? I love drawing and have been teaching myself to draw and paint on my ipad, using ipad apps.

3.  What's coming up for you in your artistic world? I am participating in a show and sale locally in early October and the Open Studios Tour late in October. I currently have work showing in two local shows, and have work accepted for another.

4.  Do you have any studio rituals? Before starting a new project I always clean the studio and put everything away so I can start with a clean slate and no leftover baggage from previous works.

5.  Who has inspired you on your artistic journey? Giotto, Leonardo, Vermeer, Michelangelo, van Gogh, Renoir, the Egyptians, the Amish quilters, Lautrec, tribal art, etc. etc. etc

6.  What are the 5 essential things in your studio that you cannot live without? Scissors, thread, my sewing machines, my stash, a tall glass of ice water.

7.  What is on your design table right now? Small pieces for sales this fall.

8.  How do you juggle your artistic life, family, friends, etc?  Family first, then art, then everything else.

9.  Do you have any studio companions (human or otherwise)? NPR on my radio

10.  What was the biggest challenge in creating your piece for Reflections? cutting all those little triangles

Artist Profile: Julie Schlueter

Julie Schlueter Orange, California www.fiberdose.blogspot.com
1.  Describe your signature style in 5 words:
Experimental, curiosity-driven, colorful, textural, changing.

2.  Do you ever work in another medium and, if so, what is it and what appeals to you about it?
No.

3.  What's coming up for you in your artistic world?  Working with a fine art nonprofit group.  Learning from two wonderful curators.

4.  Do you have any studio rituals?  Not really.  I try to play.  Life is too short not to play.

5.  Who has inspired you on your artistic journey?  Many, Jane Dunnewold, Nancy Crow, Ruth McDowell...

6.  What are the 5 essential things in your studio that you cannot live without?  Sewing/felting machine, beautiful fabrics with great color and texture, amazing threads, hand stitching threads and needles and, of course, scissors.

7.  What is on your design table right now?  Some handwork play.

8.  How do you juggle your artistic life, family, friends, etc?  Unfortunately, my artistic life gets pushed to the back.  I used to be more prolific.  I keep thinking once I get organized I will spend more studio time playing/working.

9.  Do you have any studio companions (human or otherwise)?  Just me, and beautiful fabric and thread.  Anything else is too distracting.

10.  What was the biggest challenge in creating your piece for Reflections? Thinking of the design.  Once I got that set, it was all fun from there.