Herstory News!

A while ago, I posted that I had gotten accepted/juried into the HERstory book and possible exhibition.  Well, not only did I get into the book, but my Hattie McDaniels quilt was featured in Quilting Arts October/November issue, and my Misty Copeland quilt was on exhibit at the International Quilt Festival and in the Houston Chronicle!!!  I am so excited! 

Quilting Arts:

Houston Chronicle:

IQF-Houston:

Accepted

The same person who brought us the "Fly Me To the Moon" quilt challenge, came up with another opportunity entitled "HERStory", which was about women who have made great contributions to society and the world in general.  I was approved to make quilts in honor of Oprah Winfrey, Misty Copeland and Hattie McDaniel.  Talk about a learning experience....Whew!  I would say I really loved the way the Oprah quilt came out, but I was most proud to make the quilt of Hattie McDaniel. The Misty quilt, called "Misty in the making" was in honor of her, but it was based on a photo taken of three little ballerinas that I happened to run across of a classmate's daughter. There were other people who submitted quilts about Oprah, and mine was not accepted, but both my Misty Copeland and Hattie McDaniel quilts were accepted!  I can't show photos at this time.....(I know, I know!)

It's been a minute!

I have not posted in almost a year.....but I have been busy!  I entered and was accepted into the Cherrywood Fabrics Lion King Challenge!  I was so inspired by the Wicked Challenge quilts I saw at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, that I couldn't wait to be a part of their next one.  I can't post any pictures of it, but I enjoyed making it.  Each time I enter any type of challenge, it really helps me to grow as an artist.

IQF Houston 2015 Recap

So the quilt show has come and gone, and it was an amazing experience!  I not only had two quilts in the show, but "Daddy's Little Girl"  also was featured in the International Quilt Festival: Quilt Scene magazine, and I got to record two mini videos about both of the quilts for "Go Tell It At The Quilt Show"!

 

 

My "Daddy's Little Girl" quilt in the IQF-Quilt Scene 2015-2016 Magazine

"Daddy's Little Girl", part of the Quilts: A World of Beauty exhibit (Digital Art Category) at the IQF-Houston 2015

"I Believed! You Achieved!", part of the Celebrations Exhibit at the International Quilt Festival-Houston 2015

Yippee!!

One of my favorite sources of inspiration for my art is my photographs.  I chose these two photos to base two new works upon with the sole purpose of entering them in the International Quilt Festival. From the moment I took the picture of my husband and daughter, I knew it was going to be turned into a quilt.  It is from three years ago.  The other is of my cousin at his graduation.  The theme for the exhibit for that one is celebrations.  I just remember how proud my aunt was of him, and immediately thought of this moment when I saw the theme. 

 

This is the biggest quilt show in the world, and it is so inspiring just to walk through the George R. Brown Convention Center every fall to view all the latest art in the form of the quilt.  I am so excited right now because I just got word that one of the quilts, "Daddy's Little Girl", got accepted into the show!  I won't hear about the other one for a few weeks, but just to get in with one is like the best honor ever!  I can't show the quilts right now, (show rules), but believe me, I will be a "postin' fool" when that show gets here Halloween week!

Quilt Festival!

The International Quilt Festival in Houston has come and gone.  There were four great things that transpired:

 

1) I had the pleasure of attending for two days, and I took classes from two fiber artists that I greatly admire: Hollis Chatelain (www.hollisart.com) and Frieda Anderson (www.friestyle.com) .  Overall, I was able to get some good ideas on how to approach my quilting in terms of design, and I got some more practice with free motion quilting motifs. 

 

2) I had the opportunity to do some shopping, and I actually only (mostly) bought the things on my list.  I was not wooed by all those tempting deals that always seem to be coming at you from every turn. This very well could have been because I had no spare time to wander.  Hmmmm, we'll never know!

 

3) I was so inspired by all of the spectacular artworks, both traditional and contemporary, and

 

4) I myself had my own fiber art exhibited there.  It was such an honor!  I cannot wait until next year when I plan to enter numerous works in several categories.  I am getting started now.  (But more about that later!)

 

 

 

Here I am in front of my "Jumping The Broom" quilt.

It was juried into the Traditions exhibit.  It was very interesting to see what traditions were interpreted in fiber.

 

This quilt is based on my favorite wedding photo of my husband and I jumping the broom.  Jumping the broom is an old tradition in African-American culture which dates back to slavery.  During this time, slaves were not permitted to legally marry.  It became a tradition to "jump the broom", to symbolize sweeping the past behind you and starting afresh together.  This display showed a couples love and commitment to one another. 

I also had another piece in the "What's for Dinner" exhibit.  My "dinner" was Pizza and Green Salad.  Back when my husband and I had the time and moolah to go out to eat regularly, we would eat pizza every week at our favorite pizza joint.  While we were waiting on the pizza to be served, we would always get a salad first so that we wouldn't feel like we were eating too badly. 

"Pepperoni, Please!"

The exhibit was set up really nicely!  Each entry had to be a placemat of the same size, 15"L X "24"W, and they had an extra long, decorated table set up with each of the entries placed along the perimeter. 

 

I especially loved the entries with the crawfish boil, the sushi, and the placemat with the spilled milk, mac and cheese and French fries with the title "I Do It!, I'm Two!" because my two year old daughter says that all the time!

"I'm so excited!....and I just can't hide it!"

I got accepted as one of 22 finalists in the IQA Traditions exhibit!  What an awesome blessing and opportunity.  I'm doing the happy dance!  Every year when I attend the show, I look at the works on display with awe, and now I will have something displayed there!  Woo Hoo! 

Accepted!

One of the things I have always wanted to do, not unlike many fiber artists, is to be accepted into exhibits and shows.  I had not really tried to enter many in the past, mostly due to my insecurities, thinking my work may not be "good enough".  However, keeping with my inspirational quote for the year, "Perfection is the enemy of greatness", I decided to enter a few shows this year.  What do I have to lose?  My goal is simply to be accepted. 

So far, I have been accepted to two exhibits:  All Things Fiber with the Arts Council Brazos Valley this summer where two of my older pieces are being displayed now through July 31st,

 

 and the other is the "What's for Dinner" exhibit at the International Quilt Festival in Houston this November.  In this exhibit, participants were asked to make a placemat and their favorite meal--yes, as a piece of fiber art!  I did what no one who knows me would be the least bit surprised about: pizza!

 I also entered the "Traditions" exhibit at the IQA Festival based on one of my favorite wedding pictures.  I really tried a lot of new techniques in this one, and regardless of being accepted or not, I am really proud of it.  I have not heard back about this one yet, but I am keeping my finger crossed!  Because of the rules, I can't post any pictures of either of these works yet.  But here is the photo that I drew inspiration from.