Adventure Quilter
Ellen Lindner uses fabric the way a painter uses paint, with extraordinary results
If you’re in the Melbourne, FL area you’ll want to be sure to see the 100% Pure Florida exhibit which will be on display August 30 – October 1, at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery.
My piece, Florida Native #1, will be part of the show.
Florida Native 1
I’ll be at the opening on September 2nd and I hope to see you there!
Ellen Lindner
Have you made it to see the Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists’ current exhibit, yet? For those of you in the Melbourne, FL area, there’s still time to do so. The show continues through August 30th at the Eau Gallie library.
See these two previous posts for lots of images: One and Two. It’s really worth a stop, I think.
I have three pieces in the show.
I’m especially proud of this piece, and the others in my Body Language series. Because they’re mounted on acrylic they’re hard to ship. Therefore, I’m always happy to have an occasion to show them locally.
This quilt was made from scraps given to me by Judith Content. Isn’t she generous?
Urban Sprawl
Urban Sprawl 2005
I’m pretty proud of this one, too. Mostly because of the courage it took to make it. I was quilting it when I decided it just wasn’t exciting enough. I finished quilting it with a radical course in mind. Eventually, I did some VERY extreme making over to get this result. You can read about it here.
While you’re checking out art quilt exhibits, you may also want to visit the two currently on display at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts. See earlier posts about them.
Lots to see in Melbourne!
Ellen Lindner
A View Within is an art quilt exhibit currently on display at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts, in Melbourne, FL. It features the work of Paula Chung and Karen Rips. Paula likes to interpret MRIs and other medical images in her work. Karen has riffed off the same images and ideas but in her own unique way. It’s interesting to see two different interpretations of the same subject.
This is Mary III, by Paula Chung. Can you see the purple jaw and the yellow teeth?
Her pieces are VERY heavily machine stitched. Amazing, right?
Karen, on the other hand, took an entirely different approach to the subject with her piece Teeth. If you look closely, you’ll see the vertical stitched teeth shapes.
When Paula depicted an MRI of the head and neck in neutral colors, Karen created this piece, Road Trip.
The close up view is amazing, because the entire piece is heavily puckered into rows and rows. It’s a very interesting and appealing texture.
These are just a few of the images from this exhibit. It will be on display, along with the Radical Elements exhibit through August 27th.
Ellen Lindner
P.S. While you’re checking out art be sure to check out the Dirty Dozen Fiber Artist’s exhibit on display at the Eau Gallie library. See earlier posts for images.
We’re very lucky to have the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts right here in Melbourne, FL. This is a state of the art facility which brings in extraordinary textile exhibits all throughout the year.
Every summer they host an art quilt exhibit. Right now they have two: Radical Elements and A View Within.
Radical Elements is a juried invitational* exhibit, curated by the great folks at SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Association.) It’s all about the elements of the periodic table. Each artist got to select the element she wanted to use and then made work appropriate to that element. Artists were encouraged to use very non-traditional materials.
This is Chromium, by Diane Melms. It’s composed of artists’ canvases that have been painted and stacked. It definitely pushes the definition of a quilt, but this sort of thing is allowed per the SAQA definition of a quilt.
Trisha Hassler selected iron as her element. She calls her piece
The Irony of it All Was Not Lost on Her.
She used a wide variety of materials, including steel and snake skin!
Mary Pal did one of her wonderful cheesecloth portraits to portray Albert Einstein. She calls it
Elements of Surprise.
Darkness Into Light II is the title for Grace Harbin Wever’s piece.
It has really wonderful details.
Chloros was a very interesting piece by Martha C. Hall. As you can see, it’s double layered with holes cut in the front layer.
I think Martha must have had fun collaging paper and other items to create the first layer.
This exhibit will be on display through August 27th. I hope you get the chance to see it.
In the next post I’ll show you images from the second show.
*(I’m not sure my term”juried invitational” is exactly correct. What I mean is that people apply to be invited, without actually making any work. If the juror likes their portfolio they’re invited to make a piece specifically for the exhibit.)
Ellen Lindner
P.S. If you want to see more of what the RFCTA offers, click on Old Blog above and in the search box type “Ruth Funk.” You’ll find a wealth of posts about exhibits there.
The public library in Eau Gallie, (Melbourne) FL has beautiful views of the Indian River, and now, beautiful views of art made by the Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists. (She says unashamedly.)
Here are some more photos of the exhibit.
Pieces on this wall (starting top left and going clockwise) were make by Dij Pacarro, Susan Rienzo, Terri, Drake, and Jill Brown.
One of the spaces available to us was a small study room. Unfortunately, we had to hang the work while a tutoring session was going on! Thankfully, they were very gracious (and complimentary.)
The wall and door have large glass panels so people can see in, but that glass made it hard to get a good photo without a reflection. Here’s my best shot.
Clockwise from the people on the right, these quilts were made by me, Laura Ruiz, Laura again on the barely visible piece, and Dij Pacarro for the last two.
You wouldn’t think the copy corner was a great place to display art, but it was one of the larger spaces and very visible.
The left side of the wall is shown above. Starting with the wolf and going clockwise, these were made by Terri Drake, Gabriele DiTota, Elizabeth King, and Gabriele again.
The right side of the wall is shown below. The smallest quilt was made by Elizabeth King, and I made the other two.
A pretty great display, right? I’m SO delighted to be part of this group. We learn from one another, challenge one another, and have fun doing it!
The exhibit will be up through August 30th. I hope you get to see it. Here’s the info: Eau Gallie Public Library, 1521 Pineapple Ave., Melbourne, FL. It’s open every day except Sunday. See full hours in previous post.
Ellen Lindner
P.S. If you want to see better pictures of my three exhibit pieces, use these links:
Caring
Taking Flight
Urban Sprawl
It always takes longer than you expect when hanging a show. But, thanks to an efficient crew, the recent installation of our Dirty Dozen Fiber Arts show went very smoothly.
Our exhibit is at the Eau Gallie library, in Melbourne, FL. It’s a nice building with a wall of windows looking out on palm trees and the Indian River. A wonderful setting.
See what I mean? Here’s a better view of the quilts shown above.
The largest piece was made by Ruth Anne Parker. Jill Brown made the ice cream cone and Terri Drake created the bottom piece.
Rudy Pacarro, Laura Ruiz, and I did most of the ladder climbing, while Dij Pacarro and Andrew Lindner guarded quilts and managed signs.
These quilts are on the most visible wall, near the doorway.
Starting with the largest quilt and going clockwise, these pieces were made by Laura Ruiz, Susan Rienzo, Gabriele DiTota, Jill Brown, collectively: Dij Pacarro, Jill Brown, Paula Furgason, and Peggy Horsfield, and the last one was made by Susan Rienzo.
The exhibit will be on display through August 30th. I hope you get to visit it. Here’s the info:
Eau Galllie Public Library, 1521 Pineapple Ave., Melbourne, FL.
Ellen Lindner
P.S. There’s a “poke-stop” (is that what it’s called) just outside the library. It was very popular.
You wouldn’t think that three galleries of “head shot” portraits would be that interesting. But, it really was. In the hands of painter Ray Turner, each person not only looks different, but in many cases, their personalities shine through.
This grouping was on the main wall at the Foosaner Art Museum, in Melbourne, FL.
Can you see how the background colors shift slightly?
As with every exhibit he does, the center column and center row are portraits of local “celebrities” and museum personnel. The very center portrait is of Anthony Cantanese, the outgoing president of our local college. To the left are his wife and the incoming president. You get the idea.
The portrait below was photographed from several feet away.
It was intriguing to come in close and notice the details. There was quite a bit of texture in the paint. Also, because each portrait was painted on special glass that’s 3/8″ thick each one had an unexpected depth, as well as a shadow.
The artist also experimented with how little information he could provide and still have the face be recognizable.
He tried one with no color.
And another with just a little yellow.
Could you tell that both of those last two were the same person? I’ll bet you could. It’s amazing how little information is really needed to convey an idea.
I always enjoy a visit to an art museum. I hope you’ve been able to visit one or two this summer.
Ellen Lindner
The general population tends to translate the word quilt as “bedspread.” If you say you make art quilts they might think, “She’s mighty proud of her bedspreads!” This is the challenge of art quilters as we try to show our work and to educate the public about what we do.
Thankfully, exhibits of art quilts (and other textiles) are now becoming more common place in art centers and museums. And some even tackle the issue head on. Such is the case with “The Quilt as Art,” currently on display at the Peabody Auditorium’s Rose Gallery in Daytona Beach, FL.
I got to attend a reception and gallery walk there, both of which were SO interesting! Here are a few of the stunning quilts on display.
Winter Solitude, by Becky Stack. The photo doesn’t begin to do this piece justice.
But the detail shot is better.
All the pieces on display were made by SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) artists from the central Florida area. A very talented group!
Jane Ashcroft’s quilt is called Different Perspective. As you can see, it’s a close up view of forest vegetation. Can you see the boot on the right?
Check out her 3D embellishments!
Kathryn Robinson’s quilt was the most moving in the exhibit. It’s about her dad and it’s called Dad, Don’t Go.
Kathryn used a wide variety of media, including paper, postage stamps, and paint. She constructed a quilt and then mounted it on birch board.
Doris Hulse imagined a setting and then filled it with beauty in Orchids in the Grotto. (NOT a very good photo.)
She is very skilled with Inktense pencils, which is what she used to create the orchids.
The gallery walk provided a chance for each of the artists to talk about her work. This was very interesting and the audience was extremely attentive.
Here I am talking about my piece Lava to the Sea.
A funny thing happened with the label on one of my other pieces. Taking Flight had a label showing its title as Taking Flight, White Cows. Well, there are no cows on it, so I had a good chuckle about the “coordinator’s mistake.” When I gently mentioned it to her she told me I had sent her the title that way! What?!? What was I thinking? I DID grow up on a dairy farm. Did my bovine auto correct kick in? I have no idea! No worries though, we all had a good laugh about it.
This exhibit is up through April 30th. If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll check it out.
Ellen Lindner
P.S. My quilt, Carefree, is also on display in this exhibit.
Rollins College, in Winter Park, FL has a beautiful campus on the edge of a lake, with huge oak trees. It also has Cornell Fine Arts Museum, which I visited for the first time recently. While looking for the museum, we ended up in an art building with a display of student work in the hallway. Pretty cool, huh?
I think they’re made from masking tape and maybe lightweight cardboard.
Next door, we found the museum. It’s well designed and well-lit. There were also activities for children. This is the entry foyer.
The zebra head costumes on the right relate to the primary exhibit, called “Transcommunality.” Presented by artist Laura Anderson Barbata, it’s a culmination of her work with stilt-dancing communities in Latin America and the United States.
The exhibit features stilt-dancing costumes that were made by hand with a wide variety of materials. The one below was made with cotton fabric, wood, cane, fiberglass rods, mesh, decorative trim, mirrors, papier-mache and paint.
Here’s a closer look at the head dress.
Dancers perform in these outfits while wearing homemade stilts.
Children apparently participate in this, as well.
One room was full of costumes with stilts that had also been carved or decorated.
The one above even has a caterpillar and several lady bugs!
Dolls showed more stilt-dancers.
I didn’t get a very good shot of the giant suits, made in the USA. They were used in a performance as part of “Occupy Wall Street.”
In addition to the stilt-dancing exhibit, there were several other interesting pieces on display. The one below is called Haystack After Monet #2, by Vik Muniz. It definitely resembles Monet’s painting.
But, this one was made from pieces of colored paper. See the close up below.
This particular exhibit has just ended, but it’s replaced with student and faculty exhibits. I bet they’d really be worth seeing. And if you’re in the area you may also enjoy the Morse Museum, which houses work by Lewis Tifany. There’s lots to see and do in Winter Park.
Ellen Lindner
Art, food, good conversation, and interesting people make exhibit receptions some of my favorite events. Throw in discussion about the pieces on display by the people who made them and it gets even better!
All of this will be happening on April 13th for an exhibit in Daytona Beach, FL, called “The Quilt as Art.”
I’ll have three quilts in the show. Carefree:
Taking Flight:
and Lava to the Sea:
I’ll be at the reception and I hope to see you there!
Peabody Auditorium
Ellen Lindner