Circling Back Home: The Opening Reception

The artists gather for a picture: Jill Milenski, Gail Crum
and Gayle Pritchard.

Exhibiting artist Gayle Pritchard looks on the
crowd at the entry to the exhibition.

 The opening reception for Memories Evoked: Circling Back Home was last Saturday night. The gallery staff reported it was the largest attendance for an opening they had seen. Needless to say, Gail, Jill and I were thrilled at the turnout. Having worked for two years to create the exhibition, each of us is delighted to be able to show a large body or our work. There are just over a hundred artworks on display, and each of us have thirty some pieces in the mix. Even we are amazed, not only with the amount of new work we created, but with how beautiful it all looks installed in the gallery.

Two feelings prevailed for me that night. Talking to people I know, such as my family, friends, my in-laws and other artists who came to see the show, I could say, "Now you know me better." The other palpable feeling I experienced is the slightly nervous anxiety that arises from being vulnerable in public. While viewers are necessary to artists, musicians,writers, poets, actors and other creative people, they do not always grasp what they are seeing, hearing or experiencing. My main goal is to create work that people engage with, as opposed to simply walking by it, leaving the work unexamined or unnoticed.

Another artist group to which I belonged, the West End Textile TArts, were organized by Susan "Pomme" Shie (not shown here: she's taking the photo!) to arrive early for a quick meeting. We were happy to add two new members, Mary "Ginger" Urbas and Gail "Riesling Grape" Crum. From the left: Jill "Lime" Milenski, Gayle "Kumquat" Pritchard, Christine "Cherry" Mauersberger and Christy "Raspberry" Gray. Our new members are on the right!

Friends old and new engaged in the show.

Spouses, children, collectors and strangers.

Susan Shie, Mary Urbas, and Christine

Mauersberger make their way through the

gallery.

So many people attended, and we were delighted!

My artist granddaughter made me a card that said Happy Art Night! My
grandson observed, "Grandma, I've been seeing all of this since I was, like,5,
and way before anyone else. It sure looks different in here, though."
Be still my heart. And thanks for coming.

 Up next: please come to our Gallery Talk on Sunday, March 12th at 1 p.m. at the Beck Center in Lakewood. You will meet all the artists, learn more about their processes, and see the artwork from the show in depth. Plus, ask all the questions you can think of! See you then.

Time Out for Sketching

Vase of dead flowers, sketch from life

I have all but finished quilting the Turtle Spirit quilt I have been posting about most recently. I had to put it away when a multitude of guests came to town last month. Fortunately, I only have a tiny area of quilting to finish, and then I can bind it and start on the next one pinned to my working wall.

Now it's December, and the holidays are once again upon us. My father-in-law died just before Thanksgiving. While it was a sad occasion to lose this wonderful man, he was 91, and had lost his quality of life. The funeral and Thanksgiving feast turned out to be an extended and joyous family occasion, a rare time when all were able to be together. I am truly thankful.

I am also so grateful for my weekly artist group. In the midst of all the difficulties life has to throw at me, my weekly meetings with Gail and Jill are a godsend. I cannot recommend more strongly setting aside time each week to meet with like-minded people, no matter your passions. The synergy created in a well-curated group is magical and, while there is never any pressure to do or make anything in our group, I always want to have something I am making progress on or something new to show. It keeps me on task the rest of the week.

Poppies in my garden, sketch from photo

That said, with all the eldercare in the last months before my father-in-law died, I haven't had a lot of time to make art. Sketching does not take a lot of time or preparation. Yet, I haven't succeeded in recent years in making it a daily practice.

Two of my artist friends, Susan Shie and Jill Milenski, are inspirational in their sketching practice, and I am motivated to return to that level of fluency. For her birthday, Jill got our friend Gail the book Art Before Breakfast by Danny Gregory. Gail, who had never drawn at all until last year, literally drew her breakfast, which she shared as her "homework" during our last get-together. It is a wonderful book for anyone who thinks they can't draw. Gail is getting fabulous results, and her latent talent for drawing is emerging,

At our last get-together, I had my sketchbook and tried some different drawing tools. Jill had some book-sale books with lovely photos to draw from, so I picked one, and went at it. It only takes a minute. It's a practice I want to make a daily one in the coming months.

Reference photo for sketch

Italian Doorway, sketch from photo

Discoveries

With Ann Rebele in front of her piece at Quilt National

It's been more than a week since I returned from Quilt National's opening weekend in Athens. As always, it was fun to see old friends, and meet some artists whose work I know, but whom I had never never met in person. Over the years serving as curator for the Firelands Association for the Visual Art's The Artist as Quiltmaker, I had the chance to see so much beautiful artwork, and to correspond with hundreds of artists. I made new friends over the years at the openings, such as meeting Terry Jarrard Dimond, Ann Rebele, Nancy Condon, or Denise Mucci Furnish, among many others. I had yet to meet Wen Redmond, however, and have followed her work through the years. At Quilt National this year, Wen's piece was a show-stopper, so I was especially pleased to finally meet her.

Gillian greeted us like queens

We arrived, and were met by our hostess with a spread fit for queens, homemade scones and tea. We had the strawberry-rhubarb pie I had brought along for breakfast on Saturday morning, then headed over to the Quilt National artist's preview and gallery talk.

Nancy Condon with her Quilt National piece in the background

We met our hosts for lunch on Saturday, then went to see Quiltzilla, a fun store front at the mall promoting art in public places. We met up there with our tArts (a Cleveland area textile group) friend Christy, who was in town for the weekend.


tArt friends Po and Razzy in front of the Quiltzilla dinosaur

 On the way home Sunday morning, we stopped in Lancaster to visit Michael Mrowka and Debra Lunn at Lunn Fabrics. Although they were packing for return to the Kaufman fabric offices in Indonesia, there was still plenty of unbelievably beautiful fabric out on the shelves. They had also recently redone their floors using their fabrics. Wow, what a creative solution!

Michael shows off the new floors at Lunn Fabrics

A Weekend with Friends



Susan and Gayle at Quilt National a few years back


 Just a quick hello to you, as I close up my suitcase to head south. I am going to Quilt National this weekend with my old, dear friend Susan Shie. I am really looking forward to the drive time, as she always has a lot of great stories to tell.

Have a happy holiday weekend, and I hope your weather is nice!


My book on display in the Athens book store downtown for the Quilt National opening weekend, where I was speaking.
Andi Stern's artwork is in the background.

X Marks the Spot

Starting a new journal is a wonderful, almost incomparable experience. I posted about journaling most recently a few weeks ago, and promised one of my readers a comment or two about what I described as "consecrating" a journal.

The image to the left shows the first page of a new journal, the Japanese stab-stitch bound journal shown in my previous post. One exercise I teach my students is designed to overcome the fear of "ruining" a new journal, especially a hand-made one. First we discuss all the ways that we can turn off the negative "censor" voices in our heads, the voices that prevent us from reaching our creative core. Then I talk to them about the journey they are about to begin in their new journals. Then, favorite writing tool in hand, I ask each student to select a page in their journal, and make an "x" on the page. "X" marks the point of entry into the pages of this personal, perhaps sacred, journey. Make your mark to begin.

 Many of my friends work with journals, often using them to work out their ideas for other artwork they will create. The examples below are from my friends in my artist group, the tArts, artists Susan Shie and Jill Milenski.


This is one of Susan's many journals. This one is for the drawing class she teaches.



Jill sketches everywhere, and often makes paintings from her sketches.

I would love to hear about your journaling experiences. Please reply : )

Busy is good, right?

Color me! Artist as Quiltmaker entrant Susan Shie brings smiles and happiness everywhere she goes. She added this to the back of her entry envelope.

My busy week began last Saturday in Oberlin, Ohio. I arrived at the Firelands Association for the Visual Arts to meet the Artist as Quiltmaker XIV juror, Carolyn Mazloomi, and the generous volunteers who came to help me, the curator, with the image jury for the exhibition.

Some of the Artist as Quiltmaker XIV entries, organized for the Image Jury.

After a nice lunch with my friend and colleague Mary Ann Tipple, I drove home, showered and dressed for a fun evening out at my local arts facility, BayArts. A local writer friend, Kristen Hampshire, hosted a book signing in the gallery of the art center, and my husband's band, Back Bay (aka 'The Lads') performed. There was a great crowd, as Kristen signed several of her books, and people crowded into the gallery to hear the music and talk. I have never seen so many local writers in one room at one time. What a blast!

Kristen (center) with a fan, and her editor from Quarry Books, Mary Ann (left)

After the show, recording artist Cletus Black stopped by the house to drink some beer and gab with us. It was fun getting to know him better, and, for me, to learn more about being an artist from a singer/songwriter's viewpoint. I have learned over the years that the creative process is the same in many ways, only differing somewhat as the approach takes on different guises. If an artist is a songwriter, musician, actor, poet, writer or visual artist, there is a common experience to be shared. Creative inspiration is universal, yet simultaneously unique to the creator. We stayed up talking way too late. I was invited to join Cletus on Tuesday, when Back Bay went into the recording studio to add some kick-ass guitar and back up vocals for his new album.

Sunday morning, I slept in, and aaahhh, what a luxurious indulgence. I worked on getting the Artist as Quiltmaker jury notification letters prepared, and drank way too many cups of coffee. I like to respond to the artists who enter the show as soon as possible, so that they can either enter their work into another show, or prepare to ship it to FAVA for the Object Jury in November, when the juror selects the final work that will be exhibited next May, and awards the prize money.

On Monday, I began to prepare for my contribution to an artist's group project, Compositional Conversations. This is a cool project started by my colleague Terry Jarrard Dimond. I have blogged about this project before, and encourage you to check out Terry's link to see more. I have now sent the piece to the next artist, and will be writing more about my thought processes concerning this collaborative project later this week.

Back Bay at the Dave's studio (center); David Speaker and Chris Pritchard discuss the microphone set-up with Dave.

Tuesday evening finally arrived, and it promised to be a fun night. I was not disappointed. Chris added a cool rhythm guitar track, then he and David laid down vocal tracks to Cletus' song Drew Us Kings. The album will probably be out in the spring.

Cletus arrived, and he and I sat in the upstairs "crow's nest" listening to the vocal tracks, and talking about art.

Dave's cool board...

Since this was the first time I had been in a recording studio, I was fascinated by every aspect of it. The digital technology is simply amazing. Study and talent in special combinations are required for all: the artists recording, playing music, and singing, and the engineering on the board. Oh, and Dave is also an amazing musician with a great ear!

After David needed to take off to take his dogs home, Cletus invited Chris to stay. He recorded a demo of his version of another of Cletus' songs, Road to Nowhere, from his Down Those Tracks cd. Of the thirty plus years I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by Chris' music, this little demo recording, with his heartfelt vocals and simple acoustic guitar, is one of my all-time favorites. Not to mention, it's a fabulous song, with lyrics that will bring tears to your eyes.

The Taylor or the Fender? The Taylor or the Fender? Chris and Dave test out guitar sounds to see which one will be right for the recording. Just like visual artists, using the right tools for the desired effect is crucial.

After Road to Nowhere, Dave recorded while Cletus and Chris played a rousing Cletus Black version of Kansas City. By the time they were done, it was after midnight (the hour, not the song!), and we had stayed up past out bedtime again. What a fun night!

Did I mention it was only Tuesday? More of the busy week's events to come. Happy October!

Fiber Art Exhibits Gearing Up for Fall, Part 1

One of the joys of looking through the mail is receiving invitations from artist friends and colleagues for their upcoming exhibitions. This is the season for new fiber art exhibitions, and this fall will be no exception. Visiting art exhibits is self-stimulating. It is also a fact that, especially in our field, other fiber artists eschew petty jealousies and competitiveness, instead appearing at openings from near and far to see other fellow artists, and to be supportive of those whose work is on exhibit.

Conversation in Fabric at the Ohio Craft Museum in Columbus. The fabulous work of artist Susan Shie graces the exhibition postcard.

The exhibition I curate, The Artist as Quiltmaker, juries in the fall, but hangs in the late spring, a time when the school year is coming to an end and we all dream of the coming summer. The biennial exhibition, the second oldest, longest-running venue for viewing art quilts in the world (second only to Quilt National) carries the pulse of the art quilt movement, both through the jurors and the exhibitors throughout the history of the show. This year's juror, Carolyn Mazloomi, will bring her own sensibility to the entries, one of the exciting things about utilizing a single juror. The entry guidelines are left purposefully flexible. We do not limit the size or offer a definition of a quilt, for example. As a result, we really receive, and exhibit, very cutting edge work. If any of you are planning to enter, click on the link to the show above, and download the pdf entry form. The entry deadline is September 29, 2009.

Opening on September 13, Conversations in Fabric at the Ohio Craft Museum was curated by Tracy Rieger and Linda Fowler of Quilt Surface Design Symposium fame. The work of twenty-five artists will be on exhibit through November 1st in Columbus, Ohio. The exhibiting artists include longtime friends Susan Shie, Sandy Shelenberger, Deborah Anderson and Barbara Lind, new acquaintance Sue Cavanaugh, as well as the wonderful work of artists such as Dorothy Caldwell, Patricia Larson, and Catherine Jeffers. Because of the incredible depth of Ohio's art quilt scene, (successfully documented in my book), there is always something wonderful to see in Columbus. Don't miss this one.

Corner Office by Terry Jarrard-Dimond, from her solo exhibit, Textile Constructions

I am currently participating in an online artist dialogue started by South Carolina fiber artist Terry Jarrard-Dimond and called Compositional Conversation. It is the second such virtual artist project I have participated in, and it promises to be a very stimulating experience. I first became familiar with Terry's work when several of her art quilts were juried into The Artist as Quiltmaker a few years ago. A stunning, process oriented artist and craftswoman, Dimond's solo exhibition at the Goodall Gallery at Columbia College, South Carolina promises to be fabulous. Textile Constructions opens September 1, so check it out if you're in the area.

My husband had surgery on both feet earlier this week. As a result of caring for him until he can walk again, my focus is elsewhere this week, and likely in the coming weeks. Look for more information on upcoming exhibitions to see in the coming days. And enjoy your feet, and your hands! I have gained a new appreciation for these taken-for-granted body parts this week.

Hearing Voices

Last year, I was part of a small group show with my local artist group, affectionately known as "the tArts." The show was held at the lovely and spacious Stocker Gallery at Lorain County Community College.

The tArts in the 2008 configuration: Christy Gray, Tina Rossi, Gayle Pritchard, Christine Mauersberger, Lois Carroll, Susanne Gregg, Jill Milenski, Susan Shie, at the opening of Flavors of Fiber in 2008.

One of the pieces I made for the show, I Hear Voices, was inspired by a song my husband wrote, Simon Says. It's a fairly large piece, given the work I have created in the past years, and attempts to tell the story in fabric. The installation image of the piece doesn't quite do it justice, because of my limited photography skills.

I Hear Voices in My Head by Gayle Pritchard, 2008.

All of this is to give a little background to the video I have posted to my blog. My husband, Chris, who has been a musician all of his life, also happens to be the most creative human being I know. Today, he made a video integrating the song, his photography and my art piece. I hope you will enjoy it.

What's in Your House?

One of Gayle's TagTalk greeting cards, made from recycled clothing tags.

Being with a group of artists on Middle Bass Island means a lot of show and tell. It's a chance to share in the enthusiasm of artwork in progress, newly finished works, the bantering about of ideas. It's a lot of fun!

Our hostess, Mary, is working on a bar stool benefit auction to be held on Middle Bass July 25 at her shop, My Aunt Irma's. She had several of the artist-embellished stools in the shop, and another one at her house. Old friend and transplanted weaver Kathie Roig regaled us with the story of the beer bottle cap covered one she brought up to the island from North Carolina. I laughed so hard I forgot to take pictures. She shared that she is about to start a large commissioned piece. Some of her smaller works are online in her etsy shop, KMRhandwoven.

Jan Gibson showed some felted pieces she has been working on, including one of a set of large dolls with handmade ceramic heads. Leslie Organ talked about her success selling Upcycled clothing at a local outdoor market once a month.

Lois Carroll, my energetic artist playmate, showed a funky knitted round handbag made with brightly colored Turkish designs. Because she is not computer savvy, I share my etsy store with her. Lois is known for her wonderful wearable clothing and accessories, many of which are available online under her Glad Rags moniker.

One of Lois' stylish tote bagsKathleen Van Meter showed some of the pieces she had exhibited at this summer's Threads of Inspiration exhibit in Vermilion at the Maritime Museum. I love layers, and Kathleen's work uses them to perfection. Her work is rich and subtle at the same time, layered sometimes with created grids, often with screening material. Her pieces are gentle and beautiful.

June by Kathleen van Meter, installed at the Artist as Quiltmaker XIII, juried by David Walker and curated by Gayle Pritchard.

Oberlin, Ohio artist and owner of Ginko Studio & Gallery, Liz Burgess showed a piece from her recent silkworm collaborations. Over the years, Liz has tried different materials, but this year she mounted casts of her own hands in various positions, indigo dyed. The silkworms were released onto the sculptural forms, fed their requisitie mulberry leaves, and left to spin their silk cocoons. It's worth a trip to the gallery just to see the installations in action. Fascinating!

Photographer Linda Grashoff, one of Ginko's studio artists, is busy working on a manuscript. When she works in fiber, she utilizes her photographs on cloth to present in-depth scientific studies, such as in her river series. Her work has been featured several times in Fiberarts Magazine.

JoAnn Giordano is a well-established and highly regarded artist, who also teaches in the area universities. She brought pictures of her work for this year's Parade the Circle event at the Cleveland Museum of Art. You can see one of her art quilts online at the Olin Art Gallery link for Kenyon College. She and I, along with Susan Shie, Clare Murray and a small group of Ohio artists exhibited there in Innovation and Tradition: Contemporary Art Quilting in Ohio.

Ruta Marino doesn't look like she's obsessed with food, but her longtime series of wall pieces made with "food" fabrics would suggest otherwise! In addition to the Gauguin inspired finished piece, she showed two delightfully fruity Marilyn Monroe pieces inspired by Andy Warhol's graphic work. While clever and amusing, the pieces, to me, are also a smirky commentary on our contemporary culture, and deftly presented.

But, to the heart of the matter, and my original question: What's in your house? Is it full, top to bottom and side to side, inside and outside with artwork? Well, Mary's house was one huge show and tell, from the quirky and elegantly painted bathroom to the upstairs landing. I am showing you just a few examples. The vignettes in her house could fill a book!

A painted hat on the wall serves as a colorful painting.

En route to the fun bathroom was Mary's kitchen art pantry. Instead of spice bottles, cans of soup and the bags of rice and noodles I see in my pantry, Mary's is full of multicolored delights, some functional, some just fun to look at.

Upstairs, a graphic painting of large bathing suits sits on the wall, while a Clown / Circus shelf welcomes visitors.

So I ask you again, what is in your house? Be sure to fill it with your personality, and may your home always be filled with joy. And don't forget the art.

PS: Here is the aforementioned beer bottle cap barstool. Yes, each cap is unique! Thanks for sending this, Kathie.

Old Friends and Art, Part II

Some of the Ohio Designer Craftsman Best of '09 artists

Friends and mentors are rare gems. Friends and mentors who are also artists are the jewels in the crown. Because the work of an artist is done in isolation, friends and mentors who understand are crucial.

I had a chance to spend time with both at the Ohio Designer Craftsman Best of '09 exhibition opening on Sunday. Although Deborah Melton Anderson was not in the show, she came to the opening. I hadn't seen her since before her husband passed away. In addition to being one of the sweetest and kindest people I know, she has also been a mentor to me, perhaps without even realizing it. When I first joined the Art Quilt Network, in the course of listening to the other artists speak about their processes, I learned about image transfer techniques from Deb. I had learned to do chemical transfers and cyan printing in college, but hadn't tried transfer paper. I didn't know how to use it, where to get it, or what I could do with it. Deb, an early pioneer of the process, was so patient with my questions, and provided me with all the information I needed. I cannot imagine my artwork without the layering process of photographic transfers. I am grateful to Deb for her sharing spirit.

Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart, Susan Shie, Gayle Pritchard, and Deborah Melton Anderson at the ODC opening. Photo by Susanne Gregg

I also first met Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart at the Art Quilt Network. Another kind and gentle soul, Mary Helen could always be counted on for encouragement and a joyful spirit, despite her own health struggles. An amazing artist, she organized an international traveling exhibition in which I took part, and made sure to share with me that the prime minister of Australia had commented on and enjoyed my artwork. She had an amazing piece in the ODC exhibit, inspired by her Australian travels.

Australia's Kookaburra, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

I met Susanne Gregg a few years ago, through Susan Shie. My husband and I had moved to Florida five years ago, because he was unable to find work in Ohio. Ultimately and fortunately, we were able to move back to Ohio, into our same, unsold house. At that time, Susan, whom I have known since we were both students at the College of Wooster, was nanny to her newborn granddaughter, and living in the Cleveland area during the week to do so. When we moved back from Florida, she invited me to participate in an artist's group she was part of. Susanne was in the group as well, and we all hit ot off when we met. Luckily, Susanne lives nearby, and has become one of my dearest, most supportive artist friends. Her artwork is an inspiration.

Detail, Apothecary, by Susanne Gregg. Photo by John Seyfried.

I met Susan Shie on my first date with my husband, back in the late 1970s. He is a musician, and he brought me to the Needle's Eye in Wooster, Ohio, a Friday night musicians' jam session. The Needle's Eye was the communal house Susan lived in at the time. We have stayed in touch over the years. Like many of you who have had the privilege of spending time with Susan, I always feel supported and encouraged by her. A lifelong group-maker, she has a magical way of bringing women together, and helping them to find their way. I cherish her friendship, and her artistic mentorship. I have never met anyone with a truer voice, or a more committed work ethic. I was so proud that both she and Susanne won awards at yesterday's exhibition.

Susan Shie with her award-winning piece, Food Scales. Photo by Susanne Gregg.

At the opening, I reconnected with artists Carole Pollard and Sue Cavanaugh. I met Tom Muir, another award winner at the show, and a metals professor at Bowling Green State University. I also made a new artist friend, Laura Barnhardt Corle. Both Tom and Laura know a mutual artist friend, Steve Smith, a professor at Findlay College. He and I went to the same high school, and he was a friend of my older brothers. When our high school art teacher, Jane Diller, retired, we participated in an exhibition in our native Van Wert in her honor, in which all of her former students who had become professional artists participated. Laura also knew my high school friend and fellow fiber artist, Tracy Ruhlin, an active member of Ohio Designer Craftsman, and art professor at Findlay College who died a few years back.

I know this post is full of names and links and memories. I think it's proof positive of my point: the network of artists and mentors are a close-knit group, even if that is not apparent to the rest of the world. As for me, and I honored to know all of you, and grateful for all you do.