Artist Profile: Virginia Spiegel

Virginia A. Spiegel
Byron, Illinois
http://www.virginiaspiegel.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?   I usually work with a long horizon line, so it took some thought to work toward a square shape for the artwork.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it?  I work both upstairs and in the basement in our house.  Upstairs means an Ikea table that is used as a writing table, a cutting area, and many other uses. I keep this studio relatively neat as so many things need to happen in one space. The basement is my painting and mixed-media area.  It features a bunch of miscellaneous 8 and 6 foot tables, some covered in 4x8 sheets of melamine.  It’s
a mess down there and I like it!

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on?  I have been experimenting with working more realistically and this was a nice bridge between that and my usual abstract style.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you
overcome it?  I’m never stuck because I have so many things going on, in and out of the studio.  No time!

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time?  Multiple. See #4 above.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work?  An appreciation for the complexity and beauty of Nature;  an understanding that my artwork involves a great deal of intellectual thought and emotional investment.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite
parts?  Best:  When I myself am amazed by what I have created.  Least: Any sort of construction issues, finishing edges, exhibition sleeves.

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to?  Studio Art Quilt Associates, Edge (Contemporary Fiber Artists, Art Quilters, and Mixed Media Artists)

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why?  Since my artwork usually focuses on nature, I do seem to use a lot of blue, brown, green, orange.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art
journey?  The fact that I am an artist at all as I assumed I would spend my career in academia.

Artist Profile: Sarah Ann Smith

Sarah Ann Smith
Maine
www.sarahannsmith.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?   I was thrilled (as you may have noticed by the big cheer when it was announced at dinner in Houston!).

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? It’s big, near the ironing area, and well-lit.  It’s an old IKEA drop-leaf dining table for which I built a rolling platform.  I love that I remember when we ate on it, see the cat-claw scratches.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? This piece is more from my imagination and less from a true image: the words inspired me first.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? Often, I have to wait weeks and even months before I can work on a piece in actual cloth, dye and thread.  That gives me a lot of time to edit and revise in my head, so I rarely have design block the way most people do.  But when something doesn’t work, I just let it sit on the design wall until I figure out what to do.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I’m usually so busy, that I can’t really cope with more than one or two things going at once.  I prefer to finish, tidy so that I can once again function and find the table tops, and start fresh.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? Inspiration at the world around us, a sense of wonder, and knowing that we all were beginners once, that with work you can achieve more than you ever thought you could.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? The best part is creating the design, brainstorming for ideas, and quilting.  The least favorite parts are definitely basting and picking out stitches!

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? SAQA, IQA, AQS

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? Preferred palette:  Everything!   I tend to prefer clear tones that I think of as Caribbean colors, but they sing best when they have muted and darks to let them shine.  So I need and use just about everything, except maybe puce and dingy stuff.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey?
Realizing that I needed to stop taking quilt classes and start taking ART classes.
Getting in to IQA Houston for the first time, and getting published.
Being juried in to this exhibit every year I have tried.
Receiving an award from Ricky Tims for Design and Composition, back when I was really not sure if I was doing OK on the art side of things.
Being juried in to the Whistler Museum of Art exhibit this year and having one of my two pieces selected for the promotional materials.
It’s been an amazing ride, and hope there is a lot more to come!

Artist Profile: Stacy Hurt

Stacy Hurt
Orange, CA
www.stacyhurt.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you? Yes, the square is not one of my favorite design elements but I was happy to have the challenge.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? I have a design wall that I will not live without. It is essential for me to be able to step back let the design ‘rest’ for a bit.  This allows freedom to play with the elements until I’m satisfied. I give up premium wall real estate in my house for this.  

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? Everything! The square shape, the magical realism; the muted fall colors, the minimalist beading. It was such a personal piece for me I feel like my soul is in each fiber.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I remind myself that even though I think I see the final design in my head; it may not end up that way and I need to let that pragmatic approach go.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? Very often it’s multiple.  I’m extremely lucky to have lots of commissioned work so I tend to always have at least two to three projects working at the same time.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? I leave that up to them.  I make the work I need to make and if others enjoy it that is a total bonus. It’s thrilling to be  included in fabulous collections like this one!  

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? If it’s for a show I love entertaining ideas for the theme.  If it’s for a customer the joy of getting to know them and design something they will love. If it’s for myself, making something experimental!           

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? Modern Quilt Guild; American Quilters Society; First Friday Artists.  

9. Do you have a preferred color palette? I am still in love with Black and White for art quilts. However my beaded projects are an explosion of color and texture. Why?  I get the best of both worlds that way.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? Discovering new mediums to work in. I never would have imagined I could paint but in working with acrylic calligraphy inks on lettering; I’ve learned techniques that allow me to paint other objects as well. I have also learned to never give up; even the smallest misstep can become the greatest point of interest.               

Artist Profile: Wen Redmond

Wen Redmond

Strafford, NH

http://wenredmond.weebly.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  I like the change in size. Playing with the new size for this exhibit was challenging yet invigorating.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? I like my large studio table it's made from 2 36 inch high gorilla shelves, spaced 6 feet apart. It has a plywood board attached to the top. I covered the plywood with low loft batting and a large sheet of cotton duck. This provides a somewhat flexible surface for printing, ironing, stamping, silkscreening and other similar processes. When I need to cut, I put a large cutting matt on top. When I need to paint or use mediums,  I cover the entire table with a large sheet of 4 ml plastic. 

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? This piece has a lot of personal reflection. It is somewhat journalistic. I used recycled journal papers, poems I've written, inspirational quotes that I like, and pieces of fabric from my own personal collection, to construct collage presentation. 

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I hardly ever get stuck. But when I feel the need for motivation, I usually take myself for a walk, a long walk. Sometimes I like to go to the ocean and just breathe in the salt air. In any case, it's that opening of space, to allow ideas to come up and out. Ideas I have but aren't quite formulated, similar to a rest in musical scores. 

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I always work on more than one piece at a time. I find working on multiple projects fertilizes each project. 

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? Connection, a sense of similar feelings, roots, and recognition of our humanity. 

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? Experimenting, exploring, trying new ideas, using the freedom that the art quilt movement has engendered. I guess, the least favorite part would be putting on the sleeve. 

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? I'm part of several fiber related organizations.  I belong to several guilds.  I am belong to several art organizations, SDA and SAQA. 

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? I love colors from nature, a muted subtle palette of natural tones that gradually delineate from each other to create a whole. 

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? Growth is a very important factor in my perception of an artist. I can see changes in my work over the years and other themes that carry through in my work to this day. I have learned to exhibit, to jury into exhibits, to become part of craft organizations, to have an exhibit booth, to sell my work and to become a business woman in the field.

Artist Profile: Heather Pregger

Heather Pregger

Fort Worth, Texas

www.heatherquiltz.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? I loved the size. I think they will display beautifully.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? The best thing:  the view of my garden.  I have lots of windows on the West and South walls, and my space is light, bright and beautiful.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? I don't usually work with a theme in mind. It was an interesting challenge to make my abstract quilt convey "magnetic attraction."

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I walk away. I find the best remedy to "design block" is time. When I come back to the studio and look at my piece again, I can usually figure out how to proceed.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? Single. I like to concentrate my energies on one piece.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? A sense of color(s) flowing across the plane of the quilt. 

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? The best part: working out a design. I love to make pieces, place them on the design wall and start moving them around. The worst: sewing the facing.  Yuk!

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? SAQA, Modern Quilt Guild (Fort Worth Chapter), SDA, Quilter's Guild of Dallas, AQS, IQA

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? I love the entire warm side of the color wheel. From yellow to red violet.  Those colors make me very happy.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? My recent exhibit of quilts in the Oulu Museum of Art in Oulu, Finland is the top.  Second, winning the SAQA CREAM Award at Visions in 2014.  And my blue ribbons at Houston International Quilt Festival and American Quilter's Society-Paducah.

Artist Profile: Lyric Kinard

Lyric Montgomery Kinard

Cary, NC

www.LyricKinard.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?   I have been thinking in long narrow format row a couple of years and had some really great ideas that worked with it, so the square format caused me to start the design phase from scratch this year.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? I have a drafting table that a college professor allowed me to rescue from the refuse pile. It’s the perfect hight for working while standing and I’ve replaced the top with a wider board… It’s just big enough for the size I like to work with.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? This quilt moved deeper into what I’m finding as my favorite voice. It came together very quickly once I actually started on it.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I need a deadline as I can procrastinate forever - thinking that this or that idea just isn’t quite the right one. Nothing like a looming deadline to force the issue.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? Too many projects to count - I get bored very easily and will set one thing aside to pursue another. This is not always a good thing.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? Joy, serenity, peace. Whatever they need to take from the work is what I want them to find.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? I love designing and the painting process. Although I love the added texture of stitch and can’t imagine my work without it, machine quilting is my least favorite part of the process.

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? SAQA. The Professional Art Quilters Alliance - South.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? These days it is almost entirely neutrals. Sometimes one color gives an accent. I think that I’m allowing texture to become an element that dominates color in my current work.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? Publishing Art + Quilt  and realizing that I can help people learn the basics of the visual language. Too many people think they “are not creative” when in fact they simply haven’t been taught the basics of art in a way that is easy and approachable.

"Affinity" Acceptances

Please join us in congratulating the artists whose work was accepted into the exhibit "Affinity" by Dinner at Eight Artists!


I am the garden that I plant.

I have…a natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, or idea.

I am all the books that I have read.

I have….. A close resemblance or connection to someone or some thing.

I am the places that I have been

I have…. An agreement with someone.

I am the people that I love to be near

I have…a relationship or ties to another individual.

I am the sum of my life experiences.

“Affinity”.

The exhibit will be shown at the International Quilt Market (Oct 24-26) and Festival (Oct 28-Nov 1) in Houston; Sponsored by Havel's Sewing. Forty art quilts, 40x40 = 40x40x40

Black Cat, Red Flower, Green Leaf - Frances Holliday Alford
Beneath the Surface, Linda C. Anderson
Tutti Frutti City Street - Sue Bleiweiss
The Patriots of Boston - Loris Bogue
Green Bowl - Deborah Boschert
Spring Comes Late - Cindy Cooksey
Undaunted - Lauretta K. Crites
Paint the Town Red - Diane R. Doran
Color Play - Jane E. Dunnewold
Sprocket 2 Me - Robbi Joy Eklow
Raised on Bluebonnets - Suzan Engler
That's Amore - Barb Forrister
Essence - Lyric M. Kinard
Jacob's Treasures - Susan Fletcher King
Fiberarts Complusion - Karol Kusmaul
Napa Valley Vineyard with Red Barn - Cathie I. Hoover*
Ms. Stella O'Houligan - Stacy Hurt
Old Red Door - Susan Brubaker Knapp
3 "CANS" - Sandra E. Lauterbach
Peas n'Honey - Linda Teddlie Minton
Focal Point - Jeannie P. Moore
Agave - Susie Monday
Charleston on My Mind - Rachel K. Parris
We are Stardust - Andi Perejda
Crepuscular Flash - Judy Coates Perez
Paris Avant-Garde - Yvonne Porcella
Magnetic Attraction (Tuning Fork #25) - Heather Pregger
The Sweet Press of Remembered Moments - Wen Redmond
Who Has Seen the Wind? - Cynthia St. Charles
Universal - Julie Schlueter
Horloge Musee d'Orsay - Gayle Simpson
Descended from the Stars - Sarah Ann Smith
Rock - Virginia A. Spiegel
Seeking Red - Terri Stegmiller
Martie Learns to Read - Ann E. Turley
The Rest from their Labors - Larkin Jean Van Horn
Sweet, Sweet, Bliss - Valerie C. White
Dot - Kathy York

Jamie Fingal - Rama Lama Ding Dong
Leslie Tucker Jenison - Affinity for Improv

*Pictured quilt by Cathie Hoover