Signs of Spring

The blossoms on the tulip tree / magolia are as beautiful as ever this year.















The forsythia bushes around the maze garden are in full bloom.

Signs of Spring

The rhubarb is growing fast. Should we make rhubarb pie? rhubarb crisp? rhubarb salad? Hmmmmm......










Bill burned off the ornamental grass gardens to get rid of last year's growth -- much easier than cutting and carrying away the refuse!

Parallax Views and Jet Trails #10

Jet Trails #10
  (2011   68h X 60w)


Pat Pauly (http://www.patpauly.com/)  has been working on an exhibit that will be opening on Friday, June 3, and I made a new Jet Trails piece that will be in the show.

The exhibition will be at Booksmart Studio, a gallery located across the street from the Memorial Art Gallery at 250 North Goodman Street, in Rochester.

 Showcasing 19 contemporary quilt artists, the works take on the theme of parallax view, where an object or concept is seen with multiple viewpoints. It is a great chance to see what is current in the art quilt world. Admission is free and catalogs of the exhibit will be available.

In addition to artists Nelda Warkentin, Terry Jarrard-Dimond, Dominie Nash, Jette Clover, Judith Plotner, Kathleen Loomis, Paula Kavorik, Pamela Allen, Dorothy Caldwell, Sylvia Einstein, Sandy Donabed, Jeannette DeNicolas Meyer, and Shelly Brenner Baird, several local artists will have work on display, including Pat Pauly, Jeanne Simpson, Linda Bachman, Priscilla Kibbee, Bev Kondolf, and me.

If you would like to learn more about the exhibit and get a sneak preview of some of the art , check Pat's on-line article in Valley Fiber Life:

http://www.valleyfiberlife.com/


Here is more information, and a couple of links to check out.

Memorial Art Gallery’s show on FiberArt International 2011
http://mag.rochester.edu/exhibitions/fiber-in-rochester/

http://www.booksmartstudio.com/gallery
Parallax / Views of Contemporary Quilt Artists
Kunstler Gallery, Booksmart Studio
250 North Goodman Street, Rochester, NY 14607

May 31 – June 25, 2011
Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, First Friday of each month 9am-9pm

Signs of Spring

The fish pond that's off the deck is now refilled after its cleaning and is ready for the new season.
















The screens for the porch have been washed and are drying in the sun, almost ready to be put in.

Images 2011

My three entries for the juried gallery exhibition of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts were all accepted!

Images 2011 will hang in the Robeson Gallery on the University Park campus of The Pennsylvania State University from June 8 to July 17, 2011.

Storm Clouds at Sunrise
   (2009   34h X 66w)









Jet Trails #8
    (2009    47h X 47w)

Whirlpool
    (2011    70h X 73w)

Sewing day

Beth and Priscilla were at the studio over the weekend to put some work in on their newest pieces. There was some serious progress review and discussion going on here.













Beth has added quite a bit more to her Lions composition.









Priscilla has finished the quilting on the right side of her piece using monofilament thread and is ready to start on the left side with some variegated green threads.
















Here's a detail view of some of the quilting.















And Suki is never failing in her duty to inaugurate a new quilt with kitty fur.

I was trying to add the sleeve with hand stitching when she decided to hold it in place for me.....

Studio visitors

Several of us met today to look at work in process and to continue work on new pieces.

Nancy, Jeanne, and Priscilla all showed new work today.













Nancy has been making squares that incorporate some African fabrics and is trying out possible arrangements.

Nancy is also starting another project using African fabrics she found during her last trip to Lowell.

Priscilla, Linda, and Pat are discussing a piece that Linda has made using her hand-dyed and printed fabrics.

Linda made this piece and the one below.

Spring cleaning

Another ritual of the season is pond work.  It is not often done with snow flakes in the air, but double clicking on the picture will bring some into view.  A brisk wind and 36-degree temperatures made the job a difficult experience this year.










The upper level of the deck installation is hosed as Dave Young, partner of Clearly Aquatics, makes his way up the walk after working on the lily pond behind the barn.













An early algae growth on the stones is treated with powder as Dave finishes "sucking" up last year's residue.  He doesn't enjoy working on the cobblestone base of our construction.  He and his partner flip a coin every year to determine who draws our work.  Dave lost!






Bill stays bundled up and performs his duties as resident Kibitzer and supervisor.  After the workers leave, it takes a few hours to refill the ponds with water.  We have a well with unimited capacity, which helps this part of the process!

Indoor spring flowers

Not all signs of spring appear outside.  Our collection of orchids, some over 10 years old, spring to life with nature's clock calling them to flower.

These are a fragrant variety and lend their sweet smell to the collection.  We very much enjoy the long-lived display that all of these plants add to the panorama of developing spring colors.

The African violets contribute their cluster beauties to this presentation.  They are hardy and feature a long-mature phase to their cycle of life.

More plants add to the dozen or so that proudly brighten our southern-window induced estravaganza!  The upper left lavendar beauty was a gift from brother Ken and sister-in-law Patty -- Thanks!!

GVQC meeting

The April meeting of the Genesee Valley Quilt Club was held last Thursday, and as you can see, we had our usual large attendance.  With almost 400 members, most meetings draw well over 200 attendees.

One of the regular features of the meetings is the Sale Tables, where members can offer their things for sale.

This month, Beth Brandkamp brought in several of her books and fat quarters and sold almost all of what she had for sale.  Keeping her company is friend Bev Kondolf.

For the other sale table, Priscilla brought in many of the treasures she has collected on her recent trips to India, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.  Sitting to Priscilla's left is her daughter, Barbara, who came to help at the tables.

I wore a jacket to the meeting that I got from Priscilla that she brought back from one of her trips and received many compliments on it.  Anne asked for a picture of it so she could make a version of it for herself.

PAQA-South juried exhibition

 


"Earthquake Faults"  (2010  45h X 36w)

The Professional Art Quilters Alliance-South (PAQA-South) is holding its ninth Annual Juried Exhibition of Innovative Quilts:
ARTQUILTSmovement.


Three of my quilts were accepted for the exhibit, which opens May 20, 2011 and runs through July 24, 2011 in the Allenton and Siemens galleries of the Durham Arts Council of Durham, NC.

"Purple Sunset"   (2009  50h X 27w)

"Jet Trails #9"    (2011  36h X 22w)

Signs of Spring

 A long, hard winter is being followed by a late, cool spring (Hardly seems fair!).  The familiar signs of season change are near. 

We've added hoops and protective netting over the tulips in our raised beds, in hopes of deterring the deer who've already been grazing here.  The daffodils that are blooming in the back bed hold no interest to the deer.

Our weeping willow trees deposit a collection of branches and leaves that are raked up into piles.  Some bush trimmings from the front row line of trees join the collection.








The old tractor picks up more refuse and heads for the burn pile out back.  The tractor has been sent to the repair shop for some tune up work.  As a 1968 vintage, it may need a lot of rejuvination.  We'll find out when the service manager calls!

The peepers will soon be out, and a tree frog sticks to the studio window.  Maybe he likes quilts?