Tag Archives | Exhibits

AQS Daytona Beach 2020

It’s always a joy to visit a regional quilt show and the one in Daytona Beach, in February, was no exception.

I kinda changed the way I took pictures this time. Instead of focusing on the big winners I, instead, searched for fine details, great compositions and things that were new to me. I hope you’ll enjoy seeing them.

LeAnn Hileman’s mastery of details was very apparent in her quilt Missouri Barn.

AQS Daytona Beach 2020. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Check out her vines on this fence post.

AQS Daytona Beach 2020. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

And her cheese cloth weeds along the fence.
AQS Daytona Beach 2020. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Mariane R. Williamson has a strong sense of composition, as you can see in her piece, Tornado.

AQS Daytona Beach 2020. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

But, she also includes wonderful details with paint, raw edge fabrics, and HEAVY free motion quilting.

AQS Daytona Beach 2020. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

This quilt, on the other hand, has merged delicate details into shapes that skillfully represent the people and their instruments. It’s called The Gault Family Band, and it’s made by Jan Hutchison.

AQS Daytona Beach 2020. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Check out the detail shots. Look how little it takes to depict a mouth or a nose.

AQS Daytona Beach 2020. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

AQS Daytona Beach 2020. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

I love the color and composition in this piece! It’s called Stone Lakes, by Jan Soules.

AQS Daytona Beach 2020. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

I was happy to also have a piece in the show, my Coastal Overlook. With it, I tried to portray the motion and energy of the Pacific Ocean as it crashed and swirled below me.

AQS Daytona Beach 2020. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

I definitely enjoyed the show and look forward to the next one.

Ellen Lindner

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“Basketry in America” Exhibit

There’s a VERY intriguing exhibit at my local textile museum right now. The word basket really sells these pieces short! Some are utilitarian and beautiful in their simplicity. But others are large and sculptural and amazingly creative.

The details to these pieces are extraordinary, so I’m going to show you only one piece.

Here it is. An installation by Ann Coddington, called Mother/Memory.

Basketry in America Exhibit. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

As you can see, the lighting cast strong shadows and really added to the piece.

Just check out these details.

Basketry in America Exhibit. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Basketry in America Exhibit. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blogI didn’t notice the thread around the finger above, at first. Certainly that ties into the memory aspect of the title.

Basketry in America Exhibit. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Coddington listed her materials as mixed fibers and found objects. And her techniques as twining, knotless netting, lashing, random weaving, knitting, wrapping, and felting.

Basketry in America Exhibit. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

I couldn’t quite identify all the materials, but I sure love the combination, as well as the composition.

Basketry in America Exhibit. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

What do you think? Did that whet your appetite for the rest of the exhibit? Me too! I had only a few minutes when I was there and I saw only about one third of the pieces. I’m anxious to go again and see the rest of it. But, I’ll need to hurry as the last day of the exhibit is December 14th. I hope you can catch it, too, at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Art in Melbourne, FL.

Ellen Lindner

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More from the International Quilt Festival

IQA, the International Quilt Association, has their big juried and judged show at the International Quilt Show each year. The quilts are always spectacular and it’s definitely an honor to be selected as one of “finalists.” (What they call all 400 people who have quilts in the show!) These quilts are just a small sampling of the magnificent pieces on display. Click any image for a larger view.

This piece was made by Claudia Pfeil and is called In Full Bloom. I was intrigued by the way she used simple shapes to create a colorful garden.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Most of it was pieces, but applique was used to add some curves and details. And quilting, too.
Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

This colorful piece was made by Susan Jackan and is called Radiant Roots.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Check out the fragile little details she included. Makes me want to eat my vegetables!

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

This piece by Noriko Endo is soft and subtle like some of her other pieces. I was first struck by the different colors of trees and their interesting “bark.”

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

The title is Birds, and I only noticed them after reading the title. Cut me some slack: those trees are REALLY interesting.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

(Now I’m not sure this piece was in the IQA show. It’s hard to keep track of it all!)

I thought Kimberly Lacy did an excellent job of showing the layers and colors of rock canyons and formations. This is called Sunset on Coyote Buttes.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Patriot is the name Angela Bowman gave to her striking quilt, which depicts her husband. The black vertical line on the left is the black back drop, not the quilt. His face runs right up to the edge of the quilt. I thought this unusual composition was very successful.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

His face was paper pieced.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

I hope you’ve enjoyed my photos, but I know what you really want. You want to see the winners don’t you? Ok, then. Check them all out here. 

Ellen Lindner

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A Visit to the Houston International Quilt Festival

I was really happy to visit the Houston International Quilt Festival this year. It was amazing! There were over 400 quilts on display, many of them stop-in-your-tracks gorgeous.

I used restraint with my photography, focusing on the ones demonstrating something new or other interesting characteristics.

First, I had to visit my own quilt, Jubilation. It was in the IQA judged show, A World of Beauty. It’s always nice to see your quilt in Houston! They do a great job with presentation.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

I checked out the two SAQA exhibits. My favorite was Layered and Stitched,  which was a retrospective of the last 50 years in art quilting. It was very interesting to see what those first art quilts looked like, with solid polyester fabrics, large graphic designs much like today’s Modern quilts, and hand quilting. And, it was even more exciting to see quilts that I’ve admired in magazines and online hanging in front of me.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Although the lighting was uneven, this piece by Ruth de Vos was stunning. She calls it Not Even Solomon. Don’t you love those red floral tendrils floating around?

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

This quilt by Katie Pasquini Masopust, Spring Equinox was also in the exhibit.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

As I approached it I thought it might have been made by Pat Pauly, who loves strong colors and highly patterned fabrics. But, when I got closer I could see that the fabrics were all solid. The pattern was made by small bits of fabric which had been added to create texture. I’m not sure I’d be patient enough for that!

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

SAQA also had an exhibit in which the pieces were created with recycled materials. Most of them didn’t speak to me, but I did appreciate this one made by Libby Williamson. She calls it Clan of Misfits, and each gridded section starts with four used tea bags.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

In addition to the tea bags, she has added fabric scraps and a lot of hand embroidery. Even some measuring tapes. I liked these details a lot.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

(I wouldn’t have the patience for all that hand stitching either.)

Terry Grant and Maria Shell both had solo exhibits in the “Rising Stars” special exhibit. Maria wasn’t there when I stopped by, but I got to meet Terry. (I’ve been following her work for decades.) She joked that she wasn’t sure how “rising” she was she’d already been at it for 30 years.

It was great to see her work in person. She has a distinctive style, which is very stylized and accented with thin dark lines. This was my favorite piece, called Camas Prairie Idaho.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

We talked a bit about those lines and she pointed out that they’re seldom actually black (although they often read that way.) Here they’re a dark plum color.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

She also adjusts the line color throughout each piece as needed to create depth. This quilt, Rooftops Ecuador, is a good example. See how she used softer fabrics and line colors in the background? Lowering the contrast is very effective at making this section recede.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

This fun piece by Natalia Lashko is called Being and Time.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

It had a LOT of texture in it. (Their faces and hands looked almost woven.) And I really liked the subtle images in the background. I imagine it to be photos and memories of people and events through the years.

Houston International Quilt Festival 2019. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

I have many more quilts to show you, so check back for the next blog post.

Ellen Lindner

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Fiber Art in Blowing Rock

When I was in Blowing Rock, NC, earlier this summer, I got to see a fiber art exhibit at the Brahm Art Museum. It featured the work of North Carolina fiber artists and was very interesting.

I find that fiber art in the NC mountains is different from that in sunny Florida. There are lots more woven items, baskets, and fabrics dyed with plants. This piece, by Catharine Ellis is a lovely example. Each panel is dyed with a different plant in a shibori style. (Shibori involves fabric manipulation before dying. In this case, lots of folding was used.)

Fiber Art in Blowing Rock

This book by Leslie Pearson features recycled items made into handmade paper.Fiber Art in Blowing Rock

There was another recycled book in the exhibit, although I didn’t get the name of the artist. I loved that gloves were provided so you could flip the pages and explore it. My friend, Cindy, and my sister, Sharon enjoyed spending time with it.

Fiber Art in Blowing Rock

(Check out the other interesting art in the background.)

And here’s another 3D piece by Leslie Pearson. Very interesting, right? The materials were listed as gut, wire, book, and tissue paper. I definitely don’t know how to utilize those materials in such a way!

Fiber Art in Blowing Rock

My favorite piece in the exhibit was an installation of tiny embroidered pieces, by Jeana Klein.

Fiber Art in Blowing Rock

Isn’t this a nice collection? Each of these is made entirely with French knots, and the name reflects the number included.

Fiber Art in Blowing Rock

But, check out the price list: each piece is available for barter or for purchase! And some of the barter suggestions are hilarious.

Fiber Art in Blowing Rock

Aren’t they great? And they’re legit. Several pieces had red dots and when we asked the docent we were told that many had been bartered. I love this humorous pricing!

I said at the beginning that the exhibit was interesting and, indeed, quite a few of the pieces fell into that category for me.  You know: clever and intriguing, but not really visually appealing. Maybe you’ll have a different take on it. Either way, you’re in luck because the exhibit runs through October 27th, and it’s free. I do think you’ll enjoy it.

Ellen Lindner

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A Nice Award

It’s always nice to win an award and my quilt, Vine Ripened, has recently done so.

Vine Ripened, an art quilt by Ellen Lindner. AdventureQuilter.com

Vine Ripened

It won 3rd place in a show called “National Juried Fiber Arts.” The exhibit was held at the Bower Center for the Arts, in Bedford, VA.

My piece won 3rd place. You can see my ribbon and award certificate below.

This exhibit runs through August 17th, so you’ve still got a little time to see it.

I really like entering my quilts into exhibits which include objects other than quilts. I also like to send them to places where I’d like to teach, in hopes of attracting a little attention. (My folks live in VA, so I’d like to add it to my teaching resume.)

Ellen Lindner

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More Fiber Art in Dunedin

In addition to the fabulous work of Lorraine Turner, the Dunedin Fine Arts Center, (in Dunedin, FL) has an abundance of textile art on display. One of the exhibits is the “New Quilts from an Old Favorite: Bowtie.” Although they all include (or reference) the bowtie block, they’re very creative.

Another space features the work of Jane Sassaman. She’s known for her use of bright colors, stylized floral imagery, and satin stitching.

This is her quilt Illinois Album.

And this is a detail shot.

Another gallery showcased the work of Sheila Frampton Cooper. She creates abstract designs, using bright colors and solid fabrics.

This is her Venus in the Garden.

And a detail shot.

We enjoyed these quilts but my group was really blown away when we saw the work upstairs. That exhibit featured the work of the Tampa Bay Surface Design Guild. These creative artists presented a very diverse array of textile art.

This is called Through the Veil and it was made by Aida Sheets and Sarah Butz. Materials include a variety of papers:  handmade tree bark paper, vellum, and brown wrapping paper. They were rather loosely held together so  the whole thing floated slightly away from the wall.

As you can see in this detail shot, the papers were printed and perforated, adding more subtle interest.  We loved this piece!

This piece was also made by Sarah Butz, called Floating Through the Universe.

Tattered Garment Jacket, by Sandra Black was another group favorite.

I think you can see that the serged seams are exposed, and other little texture items have been added.

Sherry Dorst Created these wonderful woven pieces, Gift 1, 2, & 4. They were some of my favorites. How can you not like all that color draping from the ceiling?

But, the piece I wanted to take home was this one. It’s called Moebious Volley, by Carolyn Kosser. Don’t you think it would look good against my “paprika” colored dining room walls?

I think you’d really enjoy a visit to the Dunedin Fine Arts Center to see all these wonderful textile pieces! If you’re near Tampa before August 18th, you’ll have your chance.

Ellen Lindner

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Lorraine Turner and Her Calico Horses

The Dunedin Fine Arts Center, in Dunedin, FL is currently bursting with several EXTRAORDINARY collections of fiber art! For starters, take a look at the work of Lorraine Turner.

This is her piece Unbridled Sea Horses.

Lorraine Turner and Her Calico Horses. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Now, take a look at the ABUNDANCE of texture she’s added with doilies, sheer fabrics, and such. Amazing, right?

Lorraine Turner and Her Calico Horses. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

She calls this quilt Three Bankers.

Lorraine Turner and Her Calico Horses. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Again, what detail!

Lorraine Turner and Her Calico Horses. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

As you can tell, Lorraine is passionate about wild animals and she often dreams about them. Wind Whisperers focuses on wild wolves.

Lorraine Turner and Her Calico Horses. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Lorraine Turner and Her Calico Horses. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

And here’s Calico Messengers.

Lorraine Turner and Her Calico Horses. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Lorraine’s work is a good example of why artists love to work with fabric. She clearly “paints with fabric,” and the additional texture puts it over the top.

Her work, along with quite a few other exhibits can be seen through August 18th, 2019. If you’re on the west coast of Florida this summer, a trip to the Dunedin Center for Fine Arts is well worth your while.

Ellen Lindner

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The Artwork of Tanja Boudal

In conjunction with the “Forced to Flee” exhibit, there’s also a presentation of artwork by Tanja Boudal and it’s VERY interesting.

The majority of the pieces on display are like those shown here. As I understand it, she finds media pictures showing women in the midst of struggles and prints them on to fabric. She then alters one of the women using white fabric and black stitching. It’s a very striking effect.

The artwork of Tanja Boukal. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

One wall featured these pieces mounted perpendicular to the wall. This gives an interesting perspective and also makes a visually intriguing presentation.

The artwork of Tanja Boukal. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

This is the back side of the piece shown above.

The artwork of Tanja Boukal. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Most fascinating, however, are the pieces made with a technique Boukal calls shadow knitting.

This one is of an Indian activist named Phoolan Devi. VERY subtle, right?

The artwork of Tanja Boukal. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Now, check out this detail shot of the eyes. Invisible, I’d say.

The artwork of Tanja Boukal. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

But, look what happens when you view the piece from the side.

The artwork of Tanja Boukal. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

And here’s another, featuring Sarah-Ginaite.

The artwork of Tanja Boukal. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

I have no idea how she does this! I need to go back and see these pieces again.

You can see them, too, through August 24th in Melbourne, FL. They’re at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts, which is always free. Enjoy!

Ellen Lindner

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“Forced to Flee”

SAQA’s “Forced to Flee” exhibit is very powerful. It recently opened in Melbourne, FL at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts. As you might imagine, many of the pieces had to do with the refugee crisis, but others showcased the horrors of war, and the power of nature. There are 30+ pieces in the exhibit, so this is just a little taste.

This piece, by Eunhee Lee is called “They are Also Us.” It was chosen for the featured wall image, and rightly so. It’s a very moving piece.

Forced to Flee. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

I remember seeing this quilt online and being very struck by it. But, what I didn’t notice until I saw it up close was the imagery of people fleeing in the background.

Forced to Flee. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Mary Palmer’s piece, “Prayer,” was about 8 feet tall. The shapes are the characters of a Muslim prayer.

Forced to Flee. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

It’s made from life jacket fabric cut into squares and stitched in a very open pattern.

Forced to Flee. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog
Karen Tauber’s piece also featured heavy use of life jacket fabric and imagery. It’s called “Life Jacket Graveyard of Lesvos,” and it depicts the “Mountain of Misery” created as thousands of refugees discarded their jackets and rafts on this small Greek island.

Forced to Flee. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

As you can tell by the shadows on the wall, the bottom portion is extremely three dimensional.

“Missing Migrants” is the name of Genevieve Attinger’s piece, shown below.

Forced to Flee. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

As you can see in the detail shot below, she’s used tiny little “mummy” dolls to represent the people. Barbed wire depicts their final obstacle.

Forced to Flee. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Claire Passmore also shows the refugee’s journey, reading from bottom to top. Her title asks the question, “Lucky Ones?”

Forced to Flee. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

She depicted those who died with sheer bodies, as seen below. Very moving.

Forced to Flee. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

And here’s one of the few pieces that didn’t focus on refugees. It’s called “Firestorm,” by Grace H. Wever. It depicts the firestorms which raged in bombed cities during World War I.

Forced to Flee. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

She depicted the fire very effectively with a variety of materials and techniques. It almost looked like it would burn you if you touched it.

Forced to Flee. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

All the artists in this exhibit approached their subjects in very thoughtful ways. The layers of meaning and subtle details gave strength to their stories.

Although not a happy upbeat exhibit, it is WELL worth visiting. It’s on display until August 24th, so you’ve got plenty of time to see it. (And it’s free!)

Ellen Lindner

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