Everything Houston by d@8 Artists

Quilt Market

Colorful Fabric Collage Book Signing in the F&W booth #634 to promote Sue Bleiweiss' new book on Sunday, Oct 25 at 2:00pm

Deborah Boschert, Jamie Fingal, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Kathy York

Faculty at Festival

Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison

Oct 28 9-12 It's All Ornamental

Oct 30 9-12 Painting with a Twist

Jamie Fingal

Oct 29 Twirly Whirly Swirls

Judy Coates Perez

Oct 28 Painting with Tsukineko All Purpose Inks

Oct 29 8am Lecture - It's All in the Process

Oct 29 3-5pm Mixed Media Miscellany

Oct 30 Tea & Ephemera

Oct 31 Techniques with Acrylic Inks

Quilts in World of Beauty

Sue Bleiweiss, Tutti Fruitti Alleyway - Art Whimsical

Susan Brubaker Knapp, Fall Color, Art Quilt - Miniature
Suzan Engler, Hay Rake Retired, Digital Manipulation Category
Susan Fletcher King,  The Parable of the Dragon and the Sheep - Painted
Jeannie P. Moore, Family Tree - Art Pictorial
Jeannie P. Moore, Cockatoo in Paradise - Art Naturscapes
Andi Perejda, Arroyo Grande Album (award) - Traditional Applique
Barb Forrister, Parrotise, Innovative Applique
Judy Coates Perez, Pink Bird (award)- PaintedHeather Pregger, Tuning Fork #22: Dark Waters in Art - Abstract, Small
Heather Pregger, Tuning Fork #26: Green Flash in Art - Minature

Sarah Ann Smith, Pink Lilies - Art Quilts Small

Kathy York, Two Deer - Whimsical

Kathy York, Mod Seven - Group

Special Exhibits
Butterfly Whirl
Deborah Boschert, Winged Return
Jeannie P. Moore, Fluttery

Digital Alchemy: Quiltmakers and Spoonflower.curated by Jane Dunnewold

Wed Redmond

National Parks Celebrating 100 Years

Sarah Ann Smith, Acadia National Park - Snowy Owl

SAQA - Balancing Act -
Deborah Boschert, Waning Crescent Meditation and Waxing Crescent Endeavor

Kathy York, Fifty, Female and Fearless AND Balance

SAQA - Wild Fabrications

Kathy York, The Long Necked Cats and the Long Legged Bird

Tactile Architecture
Sue Bleiweiss,  Tutti Frutti Treetops

What's for Dinner?
Sue Bleiweiss, Happy Hour
Barb Forrister, 3D Flowers and Quilted Vase
Jeannie P. Moore, Green Eggs and Ham
Heather Pregger, A Finnish ("Fin"-ish) Repast

Ann Turley, Birthday Dinner

Kathy York, I Could Have Been a Bear

Fiber of a Whim Booth #2723

Sue Bleiweiss: Friday 10/30 at 11:00 Juror walk through for the SAQA special exhibit Balancing Act (in front of the exhibit)

Deborah Boschert, Friday, October 30 at 5 pm and Saturday, October 31 at 12:30 pm, Small Stitched Landscapes
Barb Forrister, Fiber on a Whim Booth 2723, Thurs Oct 29th 3:30-4:30 and Sat. Oct 31 2:00-3:00, Artful Coloring,Fri. Oct 30, 11:00-12:00, Fiber Art Flowers

SAQA Booth Volunteer #319
Sue Bleiweiss, Friday 10/30 2:00 - 6:00

Demos
Mistyfuse Booth #826
Barb Forrister - Oct 29-31

Sue Bleiweiss: Monday 10/26  2:00 - 4:00

Sue Bleiweiss: Thursday 10/29 10:00 - 1:00

Affinity 2015 - The Book

Our newest book for this year's theme "Affinity" was designed by Loris Bogue.  She did a fabulous job! 40 artists, 40 art quilts,  It is available on Amazon.  Click here for details

Curators Q&A

This is based on a group of questions that the artists in the 'Affinity' exhibit were curious about.  We didn't use them all, but felt that these were the top questions.  We answered these questions individually, and didn't collaborate on anything.  Pure and simple.  
Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison, co-curators

You’ve been doing this thing for a while. What do you know now, that you wish you had known at the beginning? 
Jamie:  Two words 'Art Call.' I wish we had used this program from the beginning instead of having to deal with CD's and checks.  It is a huge time saver. 
Leslie: The first thing that comes to my mind is “Art Call”.  Putting the call for entry guidelines on the Art Call site and being able to ask for whatever information we need and get the images loaded there has been such an enormous time-saver for Jamie and me!  It also enables us to jury the collection of pieces from two different states.

When you select a theme, how many contenders are there before you decide?  Does the text come first or second?
Jamie:  We bounce back many words over a period of about three months, until we decide on what we think will be a broad interpretation. It's hard, because we don't really want to duplicate a theme that is already out there.  We are very mindful of this. Then we come up with the text that one of us starts, and the other finishes.  We take turns doing this.

Leslie: There are always a “handful” of ideas that we are tossing around and sometimes we are right down to the wire before we make a decision.  We want the theme to be fairly broad in scope in order to allow for representational and abstract works.   The story and/or text comes later.

it is fascinating for me to see the evolution of your work, of the curators exhibits and the evolution of your business in the fascinating field of our quilting world. I don't know how you do it! 
Jamie:  For me, it's all about being really organized.  Like for me putting together the artist profile series, I give myself a date that they all have to be done by, because of my schedule. Google Blogger allows me to schedule all of the posts, so that makes my job way easier. I just have to remember to post each one on FB Monday through Friday. Making quilts is a huge priority for me, like spending as much time as I can in my studio.

Leslie:  Well, that could be said for all the artists that have submitted work for consideration over the years.  It has been very exciting to see the arc of an individual artist’s work.  It truly inspires the two of us. 

What has been the highlight of your career as a Dinner@8 Curator?
Jamie: The part where I get to see first hand how an artists work has evolved over the years.  It gives me great joy. Working with Leslie is the greatest.  I think also having some pieces from our exhibits be featured in Quilting Arts Magazine is huge.

Leslie: For me it is seeing the artists’ work recognized on the covers of various Quilting Arts magazines and featured in an episode of Quilting Arts TV.  We are as thrilled as we can be! 

What has been your favorite of all the Dinner@Eight themes?   
Jamie: I am not sure that I have a favorite one. The quilts have been quite powerful in every exhibit that we have juried. I did love the scroll series, and how amazing it was to see the first exhibit in this size.  They were very dramatic all lined up front and back on the pipe and drape.  I can't wait to see Affinity.

Leslie:  I have enjoyed all the themes but the current one is always my favorite!  Each year I’m thrilled and inspired by the work.  Changing the dimensions every 3 years has presented a new set of design challenges for the artists and they never disappoint. 

The two of you travel quite a bit. How do you manage to make time for both family and art?  Jamie: Family comes first, and I do devote Monday through Friday to my studio time. Come home and make dinner.  Weekends are family time. The only work that I do at home is drawing in the evenings.

Leslie: This is a tough balance but it is certainly easier now that our children are grown and independent.  Neither of us traveled to teach very much before that transition.  Also, both of our husbands are incredibly supportive of our work as artists so that makes it easier!  But, there is a balance and it shifts constantly.  Protecting studio work time is challenging when there is more travel away.

What is the single most thrilling adventure you have embarked on in your art career? 
Jamie:  That's a hard one, but I think that doing a public project for our local library was pretty significant for me personally.

Leslie:  For me it was the happy collision of dyeing, printing, digital photography transferred onto cloth, and quilt making.  It brings all that I love together in one medium.  What could be better?  I get to do what I love every day and I couldn’t be more thankful.

What artists inspire you?

Jamie:  Just to name a few - Kandinsky for his abstract work, Monet, for just the beauty of his gardens, Mary Cassatt, of mothers and children, Van Gogh for his starry starry night. Oh my.

Leslie:  The list is long.  I admire Mary Cassatt and Georgia O’Keefe:  true pioneers in their era.  Henri Matisse found a way to continue expressing himself as an artist despite his physical limitations and impaired vision.  I love Robert Rauschenberg and Gerhard Richter.  The list is much longer than this!

Do you take a lunch break or work straight through a project?
Jamie:  I always take a lunch break, and sometimes coffee is involved.  A great time to just lay on my polka dot couch and read or close my eyes for a bit, or even take a nap.

Leslie: I try to “come up for air” periodically because my body demands that I move around and stretch.  So taking breaks is important.  If I don’t do it when I’m printing or quilting I pay for it later! 

Where would you like to go from here?  The Dinner at Eight has so many possibilities.  It is intriguing to think of what the next step will be. 
Jamie:  We are going to keep going, raising the bar each year with outstanding work, and finding new artists to add to the invitational list. If you are interested in having the opportunity to jury your work into one of our exhibits, you will need to send us an email with your website and/or blog url, so we can look at your work. This does not guarantee you a seat at the table.

Leslie:  The Dinner at Eight project has so many possibilities.  It is intriguing to think of what the next step will be. I hope we continue for a long time to come as it continues to excite us and we seem to have plenty of artists who feel the same way.  Let’s see what happens, shall we?

Eventually what would you like to leave behind as your legacy? 
Jamie:  That I did it well, with grace, joy and was easy to work with. I hope that whoever owns my artwork that those pieces still give them joy, and every child that visits the library in Orange is delighted with the three quilts that are on the wall.

Leslie: If I can leave behind a body of work that has challenged me and given me joy, and it happens to do the same for people who view it….that is enough.

How much time to each of you daily spend creating art? 
Jamie:  I lump it in altogether with writing articles, blogging, working in my studio, quilting, curating, drawing - a full time job Monday through Friday.

Leslie: When I’m not traveling I’m in my studio 6-8 hours a day, and sometimes more if I’m pushing a project toward a deadline!

When traveling, do you take photos strictly for inspiration and if so, and do you use and reference many of these photos?
Jamie:  I think it really depends on what the subject is.  I use my iPhone most of the time. there are many things I find inspiration in, but I don't take any pictures of them.  I think after going through my parents 36 slide carousels changed me about picture taking. I take less.  However, I do have an obsession with Instagram and post all kinds of photos on it daily.

Leslie:  I am ALWAYS taking photos!  I really love to look at stuff and think about it later when I review the photos.  Often, I use photos as a basis for making paintings, drawings for thermofax screens, or digital transfers that become embedded in my quilts.

What other creative interests do you have besides art quilting? 
Jamie:  making my own fabric with stencils, designing stencils, drawing and just self published a coloring book this summer!  I love to garden, and cook and read books. My husband and I love to entertain, so we do that on the weekends.

Leslie: I love to cook and consider it another art form.  I love to garden and find a great deal of inspiration in it for my art.  I am an avid reader and birdwatcher.  I love reading cookbooks like some people read novels.  And  am a painter.

Do you treat your art quilting like a job and try to spend certain amounts of time "on the clock"? 
Jamie:  It's a job to me, but I love what I do, so it doesn't seem like a job.

Leslie: I think it is a level of obsession.  I guess one could view it as a job because I certainly spend a lot of time at it.  It sure doesn’t feel like work most of the time unless I hit a creative “block”.

How did you come up with the 40x40 size? 
Jamie:  Funny you should ask.  Last year at Quilt Festival in Houston, Leslie and I went around to all of the exhibits looking for the perfect size.  Yvonne Porcella was having an exhibition of her work, and we noticed that several of her pieces were 40x40 and how great they looked on the pipe and drape.  Stunning.

Leslie:  We shift gears every 3 years and it was time to do something different!  We tossed several other sizes around but we wanted it to be square and we decided to go bigger!

How do you stay organized with all the many responsibilities you're juggling? 
Jamie:  Daily 'to do' lists, reminders on my iPhone, a white board in my studio and a huge calendar.  I need to see what I have coming up and I like to be able to cross things off the big list.

Leslie: I have had to adjust my system of organization pretty significantly in the past 2 years because my previous system was no longer effective.  I added a big whiteboard in my studio and I constantly shift things around on it so the priority items are on top.  Other ideas and tasks get written on the lower portion.  Being able to see it all the time is very helpful.  My studio is getting remodeled and I’ll have a gigantic chalkboard wall!

Artist Profile: Jamie Fingal, co-juror

Jamie Fingal,
Orange, California
co-juror www.jamiefingaldesigns.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you? It was a bit of a challenge for me, because I work smaller.  But, I really liked making a square quilt.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it?  My design area is in the middle of my studio with views of my stash wall on one side and an inspiration wall of quilts on the other. My work table was custom made by my handyman - and it is big 6x8 feet, which came in handy for working on my Affinity piece.  The table is covered with wool blended felt, and two Holy Cow Goddess Sheets by Mistyfuse.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on?  It was really big, and it gave me the opportunity to work on a concept I had previously developed for a class based on a quilt that was 18x24.  I could expand my vision to 40x40.  A total a-ha moment.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it?  I go shopping in a mall and/or antique store.  I want to bathe in the colors, patterns and textures.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time?  I work on many projects at the same time, and I really thrive working this way.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work?  I hope it gives them joy.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts?  the best parts are designing, fabric selection and putting it together.  Hand sewing a sleeve on the back is my least favorite part.

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to?  I am a Juried Artist Member of SAQA, belong to the Quilt Alliance and IQA.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why?  I am a member of the vibrant colors club.  Jewel tones, black and whites.  It makes my heart sing to work with these colors. I also have an affection for the combination of red, black and white.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey?  Being published for the first time in Quilting Arts Magazine, and so honored for each article since then. Being a guest on Quilting Arts TV and The Quilt Show.  The formation of Dinner at Eight Artists in 2009. Taking the risk to enter my work in national quilt exhibits. Being a fabric designer. The many amazing people that I have met along the way.  My dream studio where I spend a majority of my time doing what I love will be featured in the Winter issue of Where Women Create!

Artist Profile: Leslie Tucker Jenison, co-juror

Leslie Tucker Jenison

San Antonio, Texas 
co-juror www.leslietuckerjenison.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  I love the size!  I’ve been “working bigger” for the last couple of years so this streamlined perfectly with my current work.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it?  My design area is currently in flux:  I’m in the middle of a studio remodel so I’m in temporary digs upstairs but it seems to be working out.  I have a wonderful adjustable-height table.  It works well as a print and cutting table, and it lowers to a traditional height for use when I am stitching or painting.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on?

This quilt is one of my first truly free-cut abstract pieces.  I’m using my rotary cutter in a new way and it pleases me to see the quality of the lines I’m able to draw with it.  I’m shifting and rethinking the way I look at my piecing.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I try to shift gears and work on something else,  & often I will jump to a different media such as painting.  This usually allows the ideas to bubble to the surface for the piece on the design wall.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I always have several things in various stages of development.  It makes it easier for me to side-step if I hit a wall during the design process.  Generally, though, I focus on one thing at a time.  I like to have small bits of handwork for traveling.  Someday I might even put all these together!

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? For me, a successful piece is one that draws the viewer in from a distance and beckons them to come closer and closer.  Each piece I make tells part of my personal story:  much of it about my experiences or observations.  I always hope the work starts a dialogue with the viewer, and I think the viewer can decide what it means to her.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? Oh!  There are so many things I love about what I do!  Each part of the process is important to me:  the dyeing and printing, the design and construction, and the quilting.  I love working on quilts because I think of them as “2.5-dimensional” objects.  We have an intimate relationship with textiles.  After all, it is the second thing that touches our bodies from birth!  So we, as humans, relate to textiles in a universal way. Least favorite thing is blocking and getting a straight edge on a large quilt.  It’s hard (for me, at least)!

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? I am a juried artist member of SAQA and a board member of the Quilt Alliance.  I also belong to IQA, Art Cloth Network, and I serve on the board for our local chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why?  Oh goodness.  I think I go in cycles with color or neutrals.  At the moment I’m really in love all of it in the form solids:  both color and neutral.  I am playing with them like paint.  My favorite color is orange & even though I don’t use it a great deal in my work it brings me deep joy….!

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? Some of my closest friends have been made because of this amazing subculture of artists.  I don’t know if that counts as a milestone but for me it is one of the most important things related to making quilts.  I’ve been fortunate to be honored with a few awards along the way.  The biggest surprise was winning first place in the digital category in World of Beauty in 2012.  My work has been part of several books and a few magazines.  I can’t express how honored & humbled I feel about all these things and I don’t take any of it for granted.  I have to mention that I am seriously excited about the modern quilt movement. I identify as a contemporary quilt maker because I think it better encompasses everything I create and this movement  is bringing in so many young artists.  Their energy is contagious and I love being around it all!

Artist Profile: Jane Dunnewold

Jane Dunnewold
San Antonio, Texas
www.complexcloth.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  Or if this is your first time with us, how did you like the size? No challenges except to make sure it was the right size! Liked it fine.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? It's large and long - 48" x 16' and all the storage is underneath on rolling carts, which makes access easy. The space is also large with 32' of pin up board - a real luxury.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? I have been working on "assemblage" type pieces using vintage textiles so it was fun to return to my basic surface design roots.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I never rush. I think about it right before I go to sleep and "invite" an answer to manifest. If that doesn't work I do something else until the correct resolution comes to me.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I have several things going at once, but always focus on one piece through to completion if I can. Partly because I don't want to leave all the finishing to the end, since I find it to be the most tedious stuff.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? Thought-provoking pleasure.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? I love imagining and seeing the piece come to fruition. I don't care for the finishing.

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? SDA, SAQA, several museums.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? No. In order to stretch I've tried working achromatically, and did a series of 40 pieces that were mainly gray, white and black. I use color based on what it symbolizes for me, more than based on a palette.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? My books, some of the good shows I've gotten into. The Quilt Japan Prize in 2002. Being President of SDA so that I could "give back" trite as that sounds.

Artist Profile: Valerie C. White

Valerie C. White
Denver, Colorado
valeriecwhite.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  Or if this is your first time with us, how did you like the size?  This was my first time participating with the Dinner at 8 artists group. I appreciated the opportunity and challenge, the 40x 40 orientation  was comfortable size.  

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it?

My wet bench is a fairly decent size 8 feet x 4 feet and level with my waist, I can work for hours without my back hurting.  Several layers of heavy felt cover a plywood board, the last layer is duck cloth.This allows me to pin my cloth directly onto the table providing a great surface for printing and painting.   

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on?  I felt this work allowed me to share both a serious and playful side of myself. Knitting is how I relax these days, I love the feel of beautiful yarn in my hands... as well as my love of Trees and Roots. 

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it?   Problems are not always a bad thing, a design block forces me to discover and explore unexpected options for the work.  When I'm really stuck I will ask for the support of my critique group.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? It depends, if I'm creating backgrounds for later work I might have a few going at the same time. For this exhibit I worked and focused only on the single piece. 

6. What do you hope people take away from your work?  It is my intent to entice the viewer to consider a fresh and new appreciation for objects we take for granted namely "ROOTS" perhaps seeing roots in such a literal manner could foster new respect for the earth.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts?  I'm always excited to begin and also to end.. To see the work fully realized is rewarding.  My favorite part of the process is the quilting...Nothing is more expressive than a single line, the depth and texture of  both machine stitches and handwork are unparalleled. I must admit attaching sleeves and hardware to hang the work is my least favorite part of the process.

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to?  I belong to a host of organizations that support Fiber artists.... SDA, SAQA, FRCQ  Colorado Quilt Council, Wa Shonji Quilt Guild and the Denver ART Museum.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why?  It's a funny thing about my preferred color palette, when asked "whats your favorite color"  my response was always " I relate to color like my children I do not have a favorite"   then I took a really good look at my work and  saw orange every where!!!!  It's a challenge for me to make a quilt that does not include the color orange. Orange make me happy.A split Complementary color scheme which includes a variation of orange is always a good starting place for me. 

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? There have been many blessings along the way, my most treasured experience to date is having work juried into the exhibit “Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela.” in Johannesburg. South Africa.     Seeing the exhibit in South Africa will always be one of the highlights of my life. 

Artist Profile: Lauretta Crites

Lauretta Crites


1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  Or if this is your first time with us, how did you like the size? I'm a first timer so it wasn't a change for me.  I have always admired the long narrow format you've used and hope I get to try it sometime. I liked the size but found working square a bit challenging, my subject kept trying to center itself in the frame as much as I tried to push against that. 

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? I LOVE my worktable! I designed it myself after years of makeshift. Its a roomy 45" x 96" and its 38" high. There is a bottom platform that is on casters and holds racks of pull out wire baskets containing the bulk of my fabrics. The fabric provides extra weight to balance the cantilevered top. The cantilevered top allows me to pull stools up and draw on that side of the table without bashing my knees on the wire baskets. Perfection!

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? This project has more hand work on it than I usually do, but the dandelion seed head just seemed to beg for it. 

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? Deadlines are my first way of dealing with blocks, if a quilt is for a challenge then it won't have the same impact past the deadline and I use that to push on. The other way I deal with blocks is to ask myself "what am I afraid of ?" blocks are often just fear rearing its ugly head. If I can articulate the fear "I'm afraid I'm going to ruin it", I'm afraid they won't like it" or whatever it is, admitting it gives me a chance to re-frame and give myself some TLC and encouragement to continue.  

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I usually have more projects going on at one time than I like. I really prefer to start a project and stick with it, there is a momentum with that. Once a project is interrupted I find it hard to get back to it. 

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? That there is incredible beauty in the everyday things that surround us and maybe an appreciation for how magical this world really is.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? I really love the freedom to play. For me exploring unusual materials and techniques is all a part of art quilting the downside to that is sometimes the things you do or use don't stand the test of time.  

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? I am a member of the Nite Owl Quilt Guild.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? Is natural a color palette? My work often reflects the natural world... I push the edges a bit but prefer earthy natural comfortable colors. My quilts converse rather than shout.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? CalArts where I graduated college was a huge milestone it started me on the path of working artist and was hugely interesting to me. The 10 years I spent working for the Los Angeles Opera as Asst. Costume Director exposed me to some really fascinating people and so many artistic and cultural experiences. My most recent artistic milestones are winning a ribbon at IQA Houston Festival last year and being included in this years Dinner@8 invitation.

Artist Profile: Diane Rusin Doran

Diane Rusin Doran

Glenelg, Maryland

www.oohprettycolors.blogspot.com

 

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  I prefer the square format, but working to a specific size is always a challenge.My designs are essentially whole cloth, and it's difficult to predict how much they'll shrink when quilted. Sometimes this results in a composition that is not quite what I originally envisioned.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? The best thing about my work table is the table itself! It's truly a luxury to have a large, flat table with my machine inset in it.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? This piece is much more abstract than most of my recent work. Additionally, the quilting, though plentiful, is much simpler in design than my usual style.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? When I'm stuck I try to work on a different part of the piece, or a different project. I find that the more I work, the more ideas come to me.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I work on many digital designs at the same time, but generally only work on quilting one piece at a time.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? I hope that my work brings people joy, as well as intriguing them. I love it when viewers are not sure how I made a piece. I also would like them to see that the sky is the limit with digital imagery, it doesn't just have to be photo realistic. I truly consider it a form of surface design.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? I love the designing and the quilting. Completing the hand work and finishing are definitely the least favorite parts.

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? I belong to SAQA, IQA, The Quilt Alliance, and a small critique group.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? I love bright colors, and much of my work focuses on blues and greens with a pop of red. I think this is a result of my love of nature.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? Winning ribbons at Houston and other major shows, being on QATV, becoming a teacher and lecturer, writing numerous articles, creating two instructional DVDs for Interweave, and becoming an editor of Machine Quilting Unlimited. It was also pretty exciting when I was on an elevator with Kaffe Fassett and he said he liked my shirt, which was made of fabric I'd designed and had printed at Spoonflower.

Artist Profile: Cynthia St. Charles

Cynthia St. Charles

Billings, Montana

www.cynthiastcharles.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  I find a square is a bit more challenging from a design perspective, since much of my work is abstract landscape.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it?  My primary work table is massive, and that is the best thing about it!  It measures 45" x 120"!  I also have a 36" x 48"  Teflon ironing surface, and I use this a lot when working with fusibles.  My print table measures 36" x 48".

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on?

This piece includes fused elements in the foreground (the larger wind turbines).  My work is primarily printed in layers, but for this particular piece, larger elements needed to be fused on the top surface to create perspective.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it?  I work out design and construction issues by working on a smaller piece.  Occasionally, I will do several versions before settling on a specific solution.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I work on many projects at once. 

6. What do you hope people take away from your work?  I hope people find my work thought provoking or interesting, but I am really working for self expression without a lot of thought for my audience.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts?  I very much enjoy the design process, particularly when I am exploring something new.  I am a very visual person, and I take my greatest gratification from the visual aspects of the work.

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to?  I am the founder of a local art quilt group called WAV (Women of Artistic Vision).  I have been a SAQA member for many years and am also a member of the Quilt Alliance.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why?  I seem to lean toward earth tones for my most recent work, which tends to be inspired by nature.

 

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey?  Eleven years ago, I walked away from a very solid and stable career as a School Psychologist.  I gave up the security of a paycheck, a meaningful professional life, and health insurance for the adventure of exploring my own artistic path.  I have no artistic training, yet my work has been acknowledged and embraced throughout the world.  It is incredibly gratifying and quite surprising!

Artist Profile: Susie Monday

Susie Monday

Pipe Creek, TX

www.susiemonday.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  I LOVED the size. My ideas seem better suited to the square format and even if the square footage is the almost same as the vertical pieces, the scale seemed larger!

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? I work in the studio of my dreams! I have a large design table 9 ft. by 6 ft. that is simply two 8 ft. folding tables, on risers with MDF table tops on them. Depending on the task at hand I have the table covered with brown painters paper, with padded surface for printing or ironing, or a plastic drop cloth for messy work. I work flat, only hanging up the work to see on my wall after it is constructed, so I use my iPad over head to check the design in process. That said, “Agave” was composed on the the space of my iPad screen.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? I committed to using a “realistic” image, altered and composed with my iPad from a photograph. The whole cloth image was printed at Spoonflower, and then collaged, fused and quilted with other fabrics to enhance the composition. I wanted to do this, because I needed an example of this approach for the iPad online workshops I am now teaching.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I don’t often get stuck. My studio time is precious to me so I always have several projects going. If one isn’t working, I switch to a different piece or a different task. I also always have some kind of drudgery to avoid, so making art seems like the better choice.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? As above, multiple. But often in the same series.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? A willingness to try new techniques, tools and materials as they explore their own creative strengths. I think I am mostly a “producing” artist because I want to model creativity, improvisation and following one’s innate vision and personal story.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? Favorite: Designing on the fly, collage fusing (improvisationally), finding the story. 

Least Favorite: Finishing, dang sleeves and labels and the paper work of entering exhibits, keeping an inventory and shipping!

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? Surface Design Association, Studio Art Quilts Associates, Fiber Artists of San Antonio, Southwest School of Art

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? I never met a color I didn’t like if it was hanging out in the right company, but most of my work includes clear, saturated hues.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? At 50, I quit my last full time job and committed my creative energies and time to the path of being an artist. While I was wonderfully blessed to have worked at creative, art-filled employment practically since I was 12 years old, I made the leap to working for myself. Moving to the country 12 years ago gave me the studio where my work as an artist and teacher could blossom.  And, I suppose, buying my first iPad turned me onto the possibilities of this as a tool for surface design and textile design.

Artist Profile: Deborah Boschert

Deborah Boschert

Lewisville, Texas

www.DeborahsStudio.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you? Years ago, I would have been intimidated by the large size. When I was first invited to submit to D@8 exhibits, I took on the challenge to work larger. Seven years later, my skills and confidence have improved and I enjoy creating larger work. 

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? My studio table was a wedding gift made by my husband’s cousin. It’s big and sturdy. I’ve raised it to standing height and it’s in the middle of my room. The best thing is that I can walk all the way around it and set up mini work areas for different tasks.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? I challenged myself not to fill in every detail. There is more negative space in this quilt than in most of my work. There are still lots of layers and details, but I’m exploring “less.”

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I look at other artwork I really like and I try to find just one small detail that I could explore in my own work. It might be how an artist outlines a shape. Or an unexpected color combination. Or an interesting pattern of lines. 

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I try to have one project in the “thinking” stage, one in the “composing” stage and one in the “stitching” phase.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? I hope they notice the layers of details and think about how the big things and the small things works together.. in art and in life. 

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? I try to enjoy the whole process. Even the challenging parts can generate that good feeling of productivity and accomplishment. The things I really don’t enjoy like piecing, measuring and dying… I just don’t do those anymore.

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? Dallas Area Fiber Artists, Visual Arts Society of Texas, Quilters Guild of Dallas, Studio Art Quilt Associates

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? Blues, greens, purples. These colors feel calm yet full of depth and growth to me. 

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? I’m thrilled to be working on an art quilt book for C&T Publishing. I did an Open Studio at Quilt Festival in Houston in 2014 and an editor called me after the event to ask me more about my work and suggested I submit a proposal. It’s definitely and “interesting” milestone! It’s exciting and affirming, but also challenging and complex.

Artist Profile: Larkin Jean Van Horn

Larkin Jean Van Horn
Whidbey Island, Washington www.LarkinArt.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?   I like both the long and skinny format and the square format, but find the narrower format easier on my shoulders when machine quilting.
2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? I work in what would, in a normal abode, be the formal sunken living room. I have a cutting table and ironing table, both with storage underneath, and two tables that hold my sewing machines and serger.  Depending on what part of the project I am working on, I can do layout on either of the big tables.  I also have two huge sheets of foamcore to use as design walls that I can move around the studio as needed.
3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on?  Primarily the size.  I come out of a garment and embroidery background, and working small seems to suit my desire for a lot of detail in the work. This piece includes some handwork, but in contrast to my usual practice, it is not beadwork but hand couched yarns, which I found very satisfying.
4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? Generally, getting stuck just means that the idea needs more percolating time.  So I move on to something else that I don't have to think too much about.  For instance, much of my current work has a random fused collage as the base.  Many of them are monochromatic, and can be laid out and fused without overthinking it.  Meanwhile, I can let my subconscious mull over whatever the design problem might be.
5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I generally start several pieces at once.  I recently had the use of a large studio away from home, and managed to lay out and fuse about 20 collage backgrounds during my days there.  Several of them are almost as large as the piece for this exhibit.  Whichever grabs my attention next will be what I work on.  Eventually they will all get finished, but I am in no rush.
6. What do you hope people take away from your work? Each piece is different, and will convey its own message.  I hope to convey something of the beauty of nature, and a sense of calm.  The world has its own problems, and I see no reason to contribute to them by jangling the nerves of the viewers.
7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? I love working with color to convey my thoughts, and have done extensive research into the symbolism of color.  I try to be thoughtful in my color choices, but sometimes it's just a joy to move the fabrics around until they start to sing. Least favorite things would be the uninteresting stuff like adding labels, hanging sleeves, binding, etc., and I tend to pile quilts up until I have several that need all the final touches and then spend a day or two just doing the boring bits.
8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? Studio Art Quilt Associates, Whidbey Island Surface Design, Northwest Designer Craftsmen.
9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? I admit to being pulled to the cool side of the color wheel, but I have never met a color I couldn't use for one thing or another.  I find I am more interested in deep, rich, fully saturated colors than in pastels.
10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? Being invited to create six ensembles for the Fairfield/Bernina Fashion Shows, and getting confirmation for my belief that quilts don't have to be bed sized. (Thank You, Karey Bresenhan, for the Journal Quilt Project!)

Artist Profile: Andi Perejda

Andi Perejda

Arroyo Grande, CA

www.andiperejda.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  Or if this is your first time with us, how did you like the size? The forty-inch-square format is one in which I frequently work.   It provides enough area to present a sense of depth on a 2-dimensional surface.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? My design area is an eight foot square wall and my work space is the extension on my sewing table.  While working on the wall, I am able to step back to look at design choices and to take snapshots. I wish I had more work table space.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? I created the fabric and the basis of the design for We Are Stardust using an ice dyeing technique.  To draw the viewer’s eye into the stellar nursery, I added carefully placed embellishments such as illusion, angelina fibers, beads and pearls.  It is a new piece in a series I have made that are inspired by Hubble or Cassini photos in space. 

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I overcome design blocks by stepping away from the work for a time.  Somehow, in the back of my mind, ideas seem to formulate themselves on ways to take the next step! 

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I frequently work on more than one piece at a time.  Cross-pollination of ideas and techniques to use while doing this are useful.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? I hope my work inspires a sense of the small size of man’s place in the universe.  The vastness of space and the elements from which life evolved are truly incredible.  There is so much to learn.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? I enjoy dyeing and printing on fabrics in a variety of ways.  The difficult part is always deciding what to include, how much to include and when to stop!

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? I am a member of SAQA, Northern and Southern California, Fibervision in Goleta, CA and also the Cutting Edge group in San Luis Obispo, CA.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? I don’t prefer one color palette over another.  I enjoy seeing how colors affect one another when placed together.  I do find that, over time, I tend to work with certain colors.  Mood and age probably play into these preferences.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? Since my work is not limited to art quilts, I try to incorporate my quilt-making skills into my art pieces.  I do return to making quilts from time to time, as the process I use is mostly handwork.  The most notable encouragement I have had in creating fabric art was winning First Place in Art Quilt, Naturescapes at IQF in 2005.  That piece, Branching Out, then travelled to Lyon, France for Quilt Expo and was a finalist in the $100K Quilting Challenge in 2007.