Category: Art Creating Beauty

Art creating beauty comes in many forms and in many unexpected areas. This post reflects that wide reach of interest to the public regardless of genre.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/09/art-quilts-1980-1999/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/06/abstract-art-in-fabric/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/02/recent-attempts-at-assemblage/

About the Quilt Artist

My art quilts are all about the quilt artist  creating abstract, whimsical or impressionistic pieces.  Inspiration comes from the natural world as well as from Mexican and Native American influences. My materials of choice are often redirected fabrics from the San Francisco Design Center and found objects.  Art quilts free me to play with color and texture. My technique, Scribble Quilting allows me to create movement on many of my pieces.

From the Fashion Show at Pacific International Quilt Festival

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From the Fashion Show at Pacific International Quilt Festival

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TWO INSPIRATIONAL ARTISTS

I owe some of my inspiration to two artists from Santa Cruz County, California. Meri Vahl, an award winning art quilter has been recognized nationally for her work. Teacher of the fabric layering technique, she was patient. Understanding that each student brought individual strengths, weaknesses and abilities.  Ellen edith;friend, art quilter, fabric designer and artist extraordinaire made whimsical, personal quilts. Her influence lives on well beyond her life.   I have great appreciation for these two local leaders of the art quilt world.

SAQA (STUDIO ART QUILT ASSOCIATES)

I am proud to be part of an evergrowing group of art quilters.  SAQA started by Yvonne Porcella in Northern California in 1989. It has grown to an international organization.  Art quilters have transformed the quilt into a 21st Century art form. I continue to explore new forms and ways of working with unusual materials on this  journey.

ABOUT THE ARTIST,BIO

I was born and raised in Palo Alto, California. In high school I studied sewing and clothing construction for two years. I continued to sew much of my wardrobe. In 1974,I took my first quilting class at a neighborhood fabric store. Over the years, I continued to sew clothes and make quilts for my family. I stopped counting bed quilts at 300. After teaching 30 years in Watsonville as a bilingual teacher, I retired to spend more time on creating art quilts.

MY FIRST ART QUILT
Homage to a Dancer,45″ x 56″”>Homage to a Dancer,45″ x 56″” data-medium-file=”https://i2.wp.com/annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Homage-to-a-Dancer669x669px.jpg?fit=287%2C300&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i2.wp.com/annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Homage-to-a-Dancer669x669px.jpg?fit=580%2C606&ssl=1″ data-recalc-dims=”1″ />
Homage to a Dancer,45″ x 56″

In 2008, I made my first art quilt, Homage to a Dancer. It reflects  my participation in Los Méxicas,the University of California,Santa Cruz ballet folklórico group.

A STUDIO IN THE ART CENTER

In May of 2016, I opened a studio in the Santa Cruz Art Center, 1001 Center St. Downtown Santa Cruz. I have space to work and display my work. For First Fridays and Open Studios, I fill the lobby with art. In June, 2019  New York Art Center accepted my work into their gallery. 7 Franklin Place, TRIBECA, New York City.

AWARD WINNING ARTIST
Great Blue Heron at Dusk,31″ x 25″”>Great Blue Heron at Dusk” data-medium-file=”https://i1.wp.com/annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Great-Blue-Heron-crop1000px.jpg?fit=242%2C300&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i1.wp.com/annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Great-Blue-Heron-crop1000px.jpg?fit=580%2C719&ssl=1″ data-recalc-dims=”1″ />
Great Blue Heron at Dusk,31″ x 25″

Great Blue Heron at Dusk entered into an art show in 2010. The following year it won a merit award at the Olive Hyde Art Gallery in Fremont,California.
In 2013, Visions of New Mexico won third place in the Neo Membreno Vessels 2013 Show at the Western New Mexico University Museum in Silver City, New Mexico.

What Makes my Art Unique? Coming into my Own as an Art Quilter

Sea Turtles,23" x 35"

Coming into my Own as an Art Quilter

For the past ten years, I have worked to come into my  own as an art quilter. It took that long to grow into the artist I am today. Growth happens when we least expect it. I started making art quilts about 12 years ago. I entered and was accepted into my first juried art show in 2010. The next year the same piece won an award. Subsequently, there was not turning back. I was off and running. This year,2019 I was accepted into New York Art to show in their gallery in TriBeCa in New York City.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/11/following-your-heart/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2018/12/on-being-brave/

black, white medium blue abstract art quilt
American Democracy,2019 27″ w x 28″h

Others’ Art Quilts

At first,I would look at art quilts in galleries and shows. It was puzzling that none of them looked like mine. At first,I was worried. This struck me as worrisome. It took me a while to realize what that meant. After that, I realised that I had my own style. This became reassuring. No one has had my experiences, my life, but me. No one chooses the materials that I choose. That is why the quilts are different.

Underwater Fantasies

Living on the California coast, marine landscapes are popular.In the beginning when I started doing underwater seascapes, I was concerned about how make a  fish’s face or mouth. Then I went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I saw examples of everything . For example, some fish mouths went up,  some mouths went down ,some were big and some were small with everything in between. Subsequently,this freed me to create as I chose. Clearly,I don’t do scientific drawings. However,I do create whimsical seascapes I call underwater fantasies. This is who I want to be.

Sea Turtles,an underwater fantasy art quilt
Sea Turtles,23″ x 35″

Wavy Quilting Lines

I have noticed that many  art quilts that win awards at art quilt shows are heavily quilted with tight quilting lines, mostly straight lines ¼”  apart. To me that  kind of quilting just tries to control the fabric and squeeze all movement out of the quilt. Movement is one of my guiding influences . My quilting lines swerve and wave  from corner to corner. It is what I do. It is my style.

an abstract art quilt in beiges and browns
Petite Neutrality, 11″ x 12″

Working from Photos-NOT

I do not like to work from photos. I do not want to create anything that can be copied with a camera. That’s just me. Yet many other art quilters do work from photos. They do create award winning pieces.

Once, I tried to make a landscape quilt using fabric with rocks  and trees on it instead of just creating my own. It was not fun trying to find the exact fabric I needed. Just thinking about it gives me a headache. Now I prefer to work in the realm of impressionism. Yes, it will obviously be a landscape or a seascape. But I trust  the viewers’ eyes and minds to interpret a scene as they see it.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/09/becoming-more-creative/

underwater seascape
Marine Canyon Dwellers,
26″ h x 25″w

Threads and Colors

The color of  threads  changes according to what fabric  is near or next to them.The threads and fabric don’t need to match exactly.  I love that quality. It frees the artist from certain restraints.More recently I have been making abstract art quilts by choosing three contrasting  colors. Then I find the hues of those colors to increase the range of the colors. It is what I do. It is my style.

Creating Texture

To add texture, one might find some 3D decorative threads hanging freely down off of the top. One might see  rows of couched decorative threads throughout  the piece adding more texture. My nature pieces may include lots of threads used to create bushes or brush in the landscape.One might see straight or curving tucks to add texture and movement. It is what I do. It is my style as an art quilter.

a tree with a fence,fabric art
Under the Shady Tree, 27″ x38″h

My Three Portfolios

I have three portfolios that speak to me; Nature quilts(trees, landscapes and  underwater fantasies) Mexican inspired pieces ( often fabric collages) and abstract art quilts. I usually rotate between  each portfolio making several pieces before moving on. In this way , each portfolio feels new as I haven’t done it for a while. Creating Color! Texture! Movement! in each piece remains consistent. It is satisfying to finally recognize who I am and what I do as an art quilter.The good news is I now know who I am as an art quilter. https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/10/myself-the-artist/

Mexican themed fabric collage
De La Sierra, fabric collage with appillera, 32″ x 30″


https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2018/12/on-being-brave/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/01/memories-of-color-favorites/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2018/11/sources-of-ones-creativity/
https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/04/forging-your-own-art-path/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/03/pechakucha-laser-talk/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquiltshttps://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/blog-posts/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/09/fond-fabric-memories/

African American Quilts On Display

Arbie Williams. "Medallion" (1987), quilted by Willia Ette Graham

Art Museum inherits  3,000 African American Quilts

Charles Desmarais October 16, 2019Updated: January 30, 2020, 10:08 am            

Arbie Williams, “Medallion” (1987), quilted by Willia Ette Graham.

A Gift of nearly 3,000 Quilts

Over all a gift of nearly 3,000 quilts,  was announced Wednesday, Oct. 16,2020. Furthermore, all of the quilts were designed and produced by African American artists.  Officials of the UC Berkeley Art Museum  announced the gift. Eli Leon put together the extensive collection over more than three decades.   Dr.Leon was a white Oakland psychotherapist. Meanwhile he became a respected expert on African American quilts. When Leon died in 2019, he left the quilts and a few other items to the Regents of the University of California. https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Eli-Leon-scholar-and-collector-of-African-12757330.php

The Unusual Gift

Subsequently,the gift will  add 15% to the museum’s permanent collection, said BAMPFA director Lawrence Rinder, in an interview with The Chronicle.

Minnie Nobles, “Square-in-a-Square” 

Stories of Communities of Color

Furthermore,the quilts help to broaden the  horizons of art history. In addition this will include the culture and the stories of communities of color. In just the past few years, exhibitions of works by artists of color have been taking place in museums worldwide. Above all,collectors and institutions are trying to diversify their collections. https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/why-is-african-american-art-having-a-moment-the-reasons-are-as-varied-as-the-art-itself

Major Commitments

In addition,the two largest visual arts organizations, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, made major commitments. This year, SFMOMA sold a key Mark Rothko painting to raise millions of dollars . For example,this will enable the museum to broaden its collection through purchases of works by women, LGBTQ artists and artists of color.  After that,the Fine Arts Museums acquired 62 works by 22 contemporary African American artists . Rosie Lee Tompkins, Untitled (1996), quilted by Irene Bankhead.

Similarly,Lawrence Rinder knew Leon. In the past,they had worked together on an exhibition  of the quilts of Rosie Lee Tompkins. In addition,more than 500 works of Ms. Tompkins  are part of the  the gift. Moving forward, Mr. Rinder will curate a larger Tompkins show as his final project before retiring He said the quilts are decidedly not “folk art.”

It’s Art Art

Likewise,“Not to me,” he was quick to say. “I think it’s ‘art art.’ I don’t make those distinctions. To clarigy, labels like that justify the exclusion of people who are less well off or people who are not white.

“Some people think if you slap a label , it can help us understand where it comes from.On the other hand, I don’t care about any of that at all. Most importantly,I see emotion, expression, technical skill. … The rest doesn’t matter to me in the least.”

Monin Brown and Hattie “Strawberry” Mitchell

Adventurous Designs

For example,Leon tended to collect adventurous designs. However,it was not because the works look modern. “He believed deeply in a connection to African traditions. He conducted research on motifs, patterns and methods that he saw as rooted in Central Africa,”  Variations on a Theme,artist unknown

Funds for Conservation

After that,Rinder said gifts and grants are being sought to fund conservation of the fragile works. Moreover, he believes the university is committed to their care and display. Furthermore in a statement, UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ said, “BAMPFA is uniquely suited to ensure that these wonderful works of art receive the exposure and attention they deserve.”

Eli Leon in his quilt storage room

Gladys Henry, “Medallion” (1992), quilted by Rose McDowell.Edited for space
https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/uc-berkeley-art-museum-inherits-grand-trove-of-nearly-3000-african-american-quiltsCharles Desmarais

Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicle’s art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Free weekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/ArtguyReviews

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https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/07/political-quilts2008-2014/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2017/08/eli-leon-collector-of-quilts-and-other-items/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/07/political-quilts2008-2014/

Loc Art App in Santa Cruz County, CA

LOC ART APP: THE ART MARKET APP

This app is undergoing a name change, All Hands Market. It will be up and running soon. (4-2022)

by Fleur Williams on November 22, 2019 in Art, Local People, Shop Local

Creation

LOC ART app has launched with the goal of revolutionizing art sales. Created by Santa Cruz residents Derick Delucchi and Dominic Elkin, Loc Art is an app that intersects art and technology.  The process of browsing, buying and selling local art becomes more accessible, social, and smoother than ever before.

Loc Art

Both Delucchi and Elkin grew up in Santa Cruz. They experienced the abundant local art scene first-hand. After  college,while returning to work here, they decided to help this cultural epicenter thrive in a more clear and consistent way.  Delucchi envisioned an app as an easier  way to connect the community with local creatives. In early 2017, Elkin began designing Loc Art App around this vision. Together they refined the product. The Loc Art app  officially launched  in the fall of 2019.

A Unique Guide

Loc Art App is a unique guide to the Santa Cruz art scene. The Loc Art app gives art enthusiasts the opportunity to discover talented artists.  Original artwork located locally. Through the Loc Art app, collectors can browse and shop diverse forms of art from high-quality artists.  The platform provides a convenient  way for shoppers to communicate directly with their favorite artists. Commission are also available.  Artists have the opportunity to showcase their work and  sell it.

Loc Art app offers a digital art market experience that is user-friendly, personal, and professional. Additionally, the app provides a calendar with notifications of local art events, allowing people to keep track of classes, festivals, and markets happening around the county throughout the year.

Active Members of the Community

As well as pioneering the app, Delucchi and Elkin are active members of the community. Delucchi (whose family has been here for over 100 years) is a 4th generation firefighter who works for Cal Fire throughout the county. Elkin currently works for iheartjane, a Soquel-based startup software company.

We recently caught up to co-founders Derick and Dominic to talk about what motivated them to create Loc Art and how they imagine it evolving as more people jump on board.

Local Santa Cruz: What inspired you to launch Loc Art? 

Derick:  It started mostly by talking to friends who are artists and hearing about the challenges of trying to market and sell artwork. Especially when they really just wanted to spend more time creating. Then, when Dominic and I toured Open Studios a few years ago, we talked with some of the participating artists who were experiencing similar issues. That’s when we started working on the project and came up with the idea to design an app that would help local artists sell their work to the community.

At the moment, Loc Art is currently only available in Santa Cruz. But the inspiration was to create some kind of business that could grow community to community. Hopefully, something that could possibly spread across the U.S. and maybe even internationally. While still maintaining a grassroots feel. Once we get a business model down locally we can hopefully take that model and bring it to other communities. That way we can share the app in others interested in helping out their art scene in the same way.

Dominic: We feel like there is a big inefficiency in the way that the community interacts with art culture.  We want to  bring the same functionality that people experience anywhere else into the art realm. We think it would make it feel less like a “walled garden” . It would be  approachable and easier to find something you are interested in.

Why do you think it’s challenging to become immersed in the local art scene?

Derick: SC has such a great art scene. But it can still be difficult for artists to dive in. There’s not always enough time for collectors to find new or established artists. Opportunities like Open Studios, for example, often only happen once a year. There were over 300 participating Open Studios artists this past October. I only made it to about 50, so there were still hundreds of artists I wasn’t able to visit. Art markets featuring a number of artists pop up around town as well. But we’ve talked to people at those events who were overwhelmed trying to get around to see all the booths. They want to have enough time to check everything out.

In terms of collectors, there’s also kind of a stigma around buying original art. That it’s only available for people who are maybe a little bit older in life or who have a larger amount of money to invest in art. For both locals and newcomers in the community, it can sometimes be a high barrier of entry to get into the art scene.  It helps if you know people that are already a part of it. These are things we hope to change with this platform. We see art as something that everyone should be able to enjoy at whatever level works for them.

Dominic: Right now, you almost need someone you trust to show you around the art world. It’s hard to know where to go to look at paintings, take a photography class, or even just explore artists that you mightlike.

How does the app provide a solution for all types of artists and collectors, and what excites you about the potential of this platform as it continues to develop?

Derick: The more we became aware of the difficulties the community was facing, the more we thought it would be easier to have everything available on one platform. People could discover artists and search through a large number of them quickly. Artists could present their work or communicate with buyers at any time of the year.

Based on the technology of the app, we’d like to eventually include videos of the artists talking about their work. There are also more chat features on the app.  It is less about you being on an app just to buy and receive an order. It becomes about having opportunities to get to know the artists and learn about their inspiration and work. So, there’s a more personal connection available when you shop on Loc Art than if you were buying a piece on Etsy.

Right now we have a QR code that takes people to the app if they scan it.  We might implement a QR code for artists who hang up their art locally, So, you could quickly scan artwork you see around town on your phone. The artist’s profile would come up, and you could follow them and stay connected with them that way.

Another big thing we’re excited about is the calendar on the app that helps people get out to more art events and classes. For right now, we’re sharing dates of events that other businesses in SC are putting on, like the Makers Market, Open Studios, and holiday markets. We’ve partnered with the Cabrillo College Extension program to promote their art classes, as well as the All Hands workshops. Hopefully, in the future, we can branch out and host our own community events.

Dominic: We’re excited to continue to innovate tech for the art community. Eventually, we would like to give artists the ability to treat Loc Art like their virtual store – with a unique link to their own account, where their artwork is hosted. We are looking to build features leveraging feedback from the community of artists who are actually using our platform.

How has the SC art scene impacted you personally and inspired the creative design of Loc Art?

Derick: Dominic and I were both lucky to have had so many great art classes available to us throughout all our years of school. I took several classes in film photography as well as ceramics and jewelry classes. I was aware that many people around the country don’t have the luxury of having diverse art classes. Getting that first-hand experience and enjoying the process of creating was a huge draw for wanting to bring attention to local artists and support other art-oriented people.

The business has come a long way since my original idea. I never thought I’d have my own app, but it’s been exciting to see technology merging with the art scene. There’s a huge connection that happens that makes the experience of art so much easier for everyone to enjoy.

Dominic: What a great question. I think growing up in Santa Cruz (and around the art and creativity here) pushed me to walk my own path. There are some “characters” in Santa Cruz that aren’t afraid to do things their own way. I think Loc Art reflects that in its own way, too. We are going against the norms, but for the right reason – to support art.

Loc Art is available to download on the Apple Store and Google Play Store and is compatible with iOS and Android.

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See My Fond Fabric Memories

Ecology Flag

Some Fond Fabric Memories

Some fond fabric memories have stuck with me for many decades. Sewing had been a passion of mine for many years. Then I focussed  on quilting traditional bed quilts. I began my art quilting adventure ten years.Where did this passion for sewing begin? In search of the answer to that question, I looked back on some fond fabric memories.

Elementary School

For several years in elementary school, the local women’s chorus came to sing for the school. Singing ladies filled the auditorium stage, each wearing a dress of one solid color. I was mesmerized by all of the different colors.  This choir sang only a couple of times at my school, but the image of their dresses stayed with me much more than the music. It was such a fond memory that at age thirty I sewed myself a one color dress (teal)that I wore to work for many years.

The Summer before Grade 7

This !960s crop top and shorts are similar to my first sewing project.
This !960s crop top and shorts are similar to my first sewing project.

At age 12, I begged my mom to let me take sewing lessons during the summer.  My memory is that I had to really  push  to convince  my mom to sign me up. My mom was an incredible knitter but she rarely sewed. A friend of mine from sixth grade and I signed up at the local Singer Sewing Machine store downtown. We diligently chose patterns and fabric to make  a pair of shorts and a crop top. If only the class had been designed for a total beginner, it would have been fine. However, the teacher expected women to bring in unfinished projects for her to help them finish. My friend and I had no idea of how to get started or what to do. What a disaster!

Eighth Grade

Luckily, I persevered. Eighth grade sewing taught me the basics of using a pattern and of  skirt and blouse construction. I made a white collarless short sleeved shirt with a 7” zipper at the neck. The blue skirt was an A-line.Was there a waistband? Another  a 7” zipper was necessary for the skirt. Putting in a zipper was definitely a learned skill. I don’t remember loving the class. But for some reason, I did want to continue to learn more about sewing.

High School

In high school in the late 1960s, I took two years of sewing. I continued to construct more difficult items for my wardrobe. Fond memories involve making jackets with bound buttons . Sophistication reigned  when I wore those jackets.In those days, department stores like Macys and The Emporium where I worked sold fabric. As many teenaged girls  did,I put a lot of thought into planning my wardrobe. My memory is that I worked hard to have a variety of styles and textures in my clothes. I knit a pale yellow shell to go with a skirt I had sewed. Didn’t everyone make sure their wardrobe was intriguing and fiber fresh?

Adulthood

Over the years I continued sewing clothes. I  branched out into bed quilts.   I was so passionate about traditional quilts. Often after a monthly  lecture at our quilt guild, I wouldn’t be to sleep. I would be so excited to try out a new idea! The memory of my passion remains.

A Fashion Show

Another fond memory while transitioning to  my art quilt career involved a fashion show at the Pacific International Quilt Festival. The group challenge was to create an outfit inspired by the book, Rare Bird by Iris Apfel. I made a tunic and skirt using African prints. The skirt is trimmed in black and white lace. While actual quilting was not involved, piecing the fabrics into blocks did take place. I created the fabric by sewing the blocks together. Then I cut out the pieces using a pattern. I had to pay attention to where the particular blocks would show up on the  actual tunic.

tunic and skirt made for Pacific International Quilt Show Fashion Show

Becoming an Art Quilter

I have now been making art quilts for ten years.  People have told me that I have a good eye for color.My formal art education included one year of breath requirements ( drawing  and painting). During my elementary school teaching career, I did work for several years at an arts infused school. When local artists taught my class, I participated along with the students. I later incorporated those lessons into my curriculum.

All in all not a lot of formal art education which makes me reflect on where the sources of my art success come from.  I am not sure what I can attribute that to. Maybe the years of wardrobe planning did inform my eye for color. Throughout my whole life, I continued to play with fabrics, textiles and colors. Generally I thought all women did. However, recently I have become aware of the fact that color choices come easier to some than others. Based om my fond fabric memories, I conclude that practice and persistence counts.

You may also be interested in this article about what I do now.https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/02/why-one-makes-art/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/06/resilience/

http://annbmayartquilts.etsy.com/

How I Found Inspiration for an Abstract Art Quilt

blue bird
Splendid Fairy Wren from Australia

  Inspiration for an Abstract Art Quilt

Most artists will say that inspiration is everywhere. I certainly do agree with that statement. For example,my friend, The Lady Who Loves Birds, https://www.ladywholovesbirds.com/ sent me this photograph of the Splendid Fairy Wren of Australia. Isn’t this an incredible bird? The colors are inspirational. I immediately  knew that I had to use the colors in a subsequent abstract art quilt.

First,I gathered by fabrics, medium blue, black and white.

step 1final choices for fabric step 1

Then, I put the sample fabrics on my design wall.

trying out locations, balancing shapes and colors step2

Next, I sewed some pieces together. I begin to try out locations.

Cut up and placed on design wall step3

Then, I continue to sew pieces together and find the right spot for them. I look to balance color, shape and details.

black and blue art quilt
on the table pinned , ready to be quilted step4

Finally,after the top is sewn together, I choose the backing fabric. I place it on a table. Then I cover it with the batting and the finished top. I pin the three layers together. This is called a quilt sandwich. Then I quilted the sandwich together using my scribble quilting technique.

Naming the Piece

I usually don’t do political art work. Yet, as I spoke about the quilt and called it by its colors, “my black and blue piece,” something hit home. During the summer of 2019 when I was working on it, I felt like the American democracy was bruised black and blue. American Democracy, 2019 seemed like a logical title.

A Funny thing Happened on the way to my Next Quilt

After I began gathering medium blue, white and black fabrics for American Democracy, 2019, I neglected to refer back to the fairy wren photo. Only after I had  finished the piece and did I take  another  look at it. Much to my surprise, I realized that the bird actually had a lot of purple on it. I immediately set about creating a second piece incorporating more purple. Here is the result, Splendid Fairy Wren, abstract art quilt.

purple black ,white medium blue abstract art quilt
Splendid Fairy Wren
30″ h x 25″ w

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/08/adding-color-to-your-art-quilts/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2017/04/scribble-quilting/ https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2017/04/scribble-quilting-part-2-the-process/

black and blue abstract art quilt
American Democracy,2019,28″ h x 27″ w

Helpful Hints

When trying out fabrics, I always start with larger pieces. Then after cutting or fitting in place,  they may be much  smaller. The sewing takes up some of the fabric. It is always better to have too much than too little.This is the completed art quilt.

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How to Create Movement in Art Quilts

Winter Sunset greys,pinks and purple fabric in this abstract art quilt.

Creating Movement in Art

Above all as an artist I am interesting in creating movement in art.That is how I answered this question.“What are the essential elements you want your audience to know about your work? What do you want them to take away from seeing your art? “ asked a fiber artist friend.

She is well versed in the deep discussions generated by involvement with the Artist Conference Network.  The ideas  I had been thinking about  came together. The question brought my ideas into focus; color, texture, movement. At this time I would like to address creating movement in my abstract art quilt pieces.

Subtle Wavy Lines

How does one make movement on something that is inherently static and flat? At first, I attempted to make every seam a curved line. That turned out to be  a poor choice that affected the over all shape of the piece. I learned  some straight lines are important for shape and balance. Another true life lesson learned, the importance of balance.  Choose seams carefully for the visual impact. They may be wildly or gently shaped curves.

Activity on the Material

To begin, I choose  the fabrics with movement in mind. I look for interestingly curved shapesthat are part of the fabric’s design. When I cut them up, they add interest and drama. They catch the eye and draw it in.

When I first selected this fabric of elongated greyhound dogs, I  didn’t even notice the dogs just the colors and the shapes. I couched threads, rotated the fabric and then sliced the fabric into usable  pieces. The shape of the animals disappeared yet the movement of their bodies remained. Other fabrics provide a pop of action to the piece. Creating the illusion of movement is an essential part of my abstract art quilts.

grey and black dogs
Greyhounds with some couching of yarn
black and white branches on an indigo died background
Skyward, the finished art quilt

Couching Decorative Threads

Couching decorative threads is another technique that is  an essential part of my tool box. I sew multiple colored threads or yarns on to a strip of fabric. Then I cut them up into random lengths and use them as fabric. At first,the main purpose was to add texture to my pieces. Yet, sewing the threads in undulating parallel lines creates the slightest of distortion and movement.

An abstract art quilt with lavander,pink, and grey colors
Long strips of cotton with the threads couched on them.
An abstract art quilt with lavander,pink, and grey colors
Winter Sunset, the finished piece

Adding Tucks

Adding tucks is another technique that started out as a way to add texture to a piece.  However, movement was created at the same time.  Tucks are small seams that run along the folded edge of fabric. When quilting over a series of parallel tucks they are folded up or down. This creates an illusion of movement.

green and teal art quilt with a pop of magenta
Upwelling , Tucks run the width of several pieces to create movement.

Using the Design Wall

I create my abstracts on a design wall. I take time to balance the colors, fabrics, and quiet spaces for eyes to rest. Looking at the piece with fresh eyes may take several days or longer before sewing all the pieces together. Abstract artists have the added benefit of being able to rotate the completed piece. They check to see if viewing the piece from another direction it may actually improves it. It just might happen. Just because it was conceived and executed in one direction doesn’t mean that it cannot look better “upside down.”

Creating Movement While Quilting

In addition,  the quilting process adds movement. I begin quilting in the middle of the piece making basically a large grid about 5” apart. Then the fun begins. I start quilting from corner to corner gently turning the fabric slightly side to side as I quilt. The thread line creates the movement.  If the thread color contrasts with the fabric color, then the threads stand out. When the thread color matches the fabric, the thread may seem to disappear, yet the movement remains on a more subtle level. Many viewers look closer to try and understand how that affect can be.

an abstract art quilt using African fabrics
Mossy Rocks, an art quilt

“It Dances.”

A former colleague of mine made an unsolicited comment about my work, “It dances.” Her remark touched me on several levels. Years earlier she admitted that she had no interest in attending an art quilt show. So when I heard her comment, I felt that I had truly opened her eyes to a new art form.

The Importance of Movement in Art Quilts

As you can tell movement in an art quilt is important to me. Yet not all art quilters share my view. A trend in quilting art quilts seems to be creating as many stitching lines on a piece as possible. These lines tend to be straight lines with about ¼” spacing . They may turn at sharp corners.

Does your quilting squash your fabric?

While attending a recent national art quilt shows, I noticed that almost 75% of the quilts had such quilting. I admit that such narrow line quilting may be effective for some pieces. The skill level is high for the artists that work that way. However, this style makes me cringe. Squashing and smashing the fabric into flat controlled pieces actually saddens me.Such tight stitching suffocates the fabric preventing it from moving or breathing.

In Conclusion

I create movement  in several ways in my abstract art pieces. Some pieces of fabric are chosen based on their design element of movement. Couching decorative threads and tucks into gently waving lines adds subtle movement. Pieces are sewn together in a curve line piecing technique. Finally the artist generates wavy lines all over the piece quilting the three layers of fabric together.

Other resources that you may be interested in.

You may be interested in finding out more about the Artist Conference Network. It is an artist driven organization supporting artists as their more towards their artistic goals. Groups meet periodically to share and review each artist’s goals.

Home

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2017/04/scribble-quiltin…rt-2-the-process/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2017/04/scribble-quilting/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2017/06/couching-threads…d-creating-fabri/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/01/couching-zigzag-…-to-art-quilts-2/

How to Improve Your Next Art Quilt

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Is it Important to Frame an Art Quilt?
How to Create Movement in Abstract Art Quilts
Several Works in Progress

Important Life Skill for Artists-Develop Resilience

Burlap and Silk,An art quilt demonstrating the contrasting fabrics of soft and hard rough and smooth

An important life skill for artists to develop is resilience. Resilience helps one weather the rough spots in life. Learn who you are. Learn what your passion is and develop it . Be authentic. Friends, family members and those close to you may not see your passion as you do. Focus on what is true and real for you. This can be hard. As human beings we rely on the reflections of those around us to see ourselves.

resilience
Burlap and Silk, an art quilt demonstrating the contrasting fabrics of soft and hard rough and smooth.

Following One’s own Path takes Resilience.

Developing resilience is an important life skill for artists to combat certain comments people might make. “What are you doing that for? “People will say the first thing that pops into their mind without thinking. Realize that it is okay if some people don’t agree with your choice of activity. When someone doesn’t like what I am deeply involved in, I often think about model trains. Some people are extremely passionate about model trains, something that I have absolutely no interest in.

“Isn’t that a lot of work?” Just yesterday a neighbor made that comment about all of the work I do to maintain my garden. I love doing it. I can’t imagine not doing. It is the same way I feel about my art. Passion is what you can’t live without. It isn’t work if you like doing it. Picture water sliding off a duck’s back when disparaging remarks are made. Little by little build resiliency.

Being the Black Sheep takes Resilience.

Developing resilience is an important life skill for artists tostand up to certain activities other might want you to do. When growing up my family was into sports; listening, watching on TV and attending baseball and football games. Of course, I also did these things until I got old enough to realize that I didn’t want to do it anymore. I would rather be out doing something active than watching others do it. This act of resilience was easy for me. Being the odd man out may not be as easy for some people. Of course, it would be nice if the people we care about also cared about the things that we care about. But that doesn’t always happen.

Overcoming Setbacks takes Resilience.

Setbacks can also happen. Sometimes one’s work or family responsibilities take center stage. Being a responsible person creates its own confidence and resiliency. When one knows themselves and is authentic, then moving in a new direction can support one’s vision.

Life skills for artists Develop Resilience.

Many paths lead to success. If one path doesn’t work, find another. Take the long view. A different path might not immediately be visible. Keep working towards your goal, be it personal or professional or artistic.

The poster in my laundry room has this quote on it.

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” Albert Einstein

Or as a favorite song, The Middle by Jimmy Eat World says

(partial lyrics)

“Live right now, yeah, just be yourself.
It doesn’t matter if it’s good enough for someone else.

It just takes some time,
Little girl, you’re in the middle of the ride.
Everything, everything will be just fine,
Everything, everything will be alright, alright.

Just do your best do everything you can
And don’t you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say.”

Resilience is a life skill that can be developed and nourished. It applies to our professional, personal as well as our artistic endevours. Things happen in life that are sometimes out of our control. Don’t take setbacks personally. Just forge forward.

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Art Quilts at New York Art

Sand Between My Toes

Ann Baldwin May Art Quilts proudly announces that the following abstract art quilts are now on display on the website of New York Art; Beach Umbrellas, Sand Between My Toes, and  Sunlit Boulders. They will be displayed in the future in the New York Art Gallery, 7 Franklin Place , TriBeCa, New York,10013.

https://newyorkart.com/search?q=ann+baldwin+may

https://newyorkart.com/

Turquoise, yellow , and green fabrics in this bright art quiltArt Quilts at New York Art
Beach Umbrellas, 37″ x37″ 2016
Brown, green and cream colors of fabric in this art quilt,Art Quilts at New York Art
Sunlit Boulders
31″ x28″ 2016
Light colored fabrics with a pop of gold and blue in this art quilt,Art Quilts at New York Art
Sand Between My Toes 30″ x 25″ 2015



https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/02/visual-arts-network-santa-cruz-county/

How to make an Abstract Art Quilt with Sunset Through the Forest as as an example.

How to Get Started

 choose Your colors

First, I prefer to choose a few contrasting colors. Then I search through my materials for fabrics, decorative yarns and threads in those colors. Sometimes I also choose lighter and darker hues of the same colors.

Make details with decorative threads.

Next, it is fun to make patterns with the decorative threads. For this piece I used the decorative threads to make several parallel lines on the fabric. I cut long strips and sewed the decorative threads in long lines.Then I randomly cut the long strips into 3 or other odd number of pieces. Creating texture- done!

green yellow bits
Several different examples of decorative details

On the Design Wall

Next, I display the potential finalist  fabrics on my design wall. My favorite choices are  fabrics with movement and interest.  Then, I also make sure that they are places for eyes to rest  by including solid colors.

green yellow bits on design wall
Trying out green and yellow bits of fabric randomly placed on the design wall

Balancing Colors

Next, balance out the colors and textured pieces so that they are not all on one side of the piece. Don’t be afraid  to take a break to come back to view the work with fresh eyes. A fresh look is always helpful in looking for ways to improve a piece. How will one’s eyes move around the art work? Elimination of fabrics can still take place.

green yellow farther along
Balancing the fabrics and colors

Sewing Smaller Pieces Together

Continue to sew small pieces of fabrics together. Then remember to  balance colors and fabrics so that they are equally spaced about the piece. Use this advantage of a design wall to view your whole piece.

Sunset Through Forest, art quilt
Small pieces are sewn together

Sewing More Pieces Together

Continue sewing pieces together and checking for balance.

finished top Sunset Through Forest
finished top, Sunset Through the Forest

Finishing

Lastly,I scribble quilt the three layers together to create an added level of movement. Scribble quilting is a technique I named using a  flowing quilting line created by moving the quilt side to side while quilting with a walking foot.

Sunset Through The Forest ,an art quilt
Time to Learn about the Newest Art Genre-Art Quilts

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Sea Dragons? Who Doesn’t Love Them?

Seadragon with Yellow Fish

See Sea Dragon Exhibit at Birch Aquarium

Sea Dragons Exhibit at Aquarium,Birch Aquarium,San Diego.

TRADEMARK AND COPYRIGHT 2019 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. By Julie Watson

All things considered Seadragons & Seahorses, Birch Aquarium’s new permanent exhibition that brings seadragon conservation to the forefront. Above all,the exhibition is home to Weedy Seadragons and several species of seahorses and pipefish. 

For the first time ever, Birch Aquarium has successful bred Weedy Seadragons behind the scenes of this exhibit. In short,only a handful of aquariums around the world have bred these unusual fish. The babies are not on display, but you can learn more about their exciting birth on our Seadragon Breeding Program page. 

Sea Dragons Exhibit at Aquarium
Birch Aquarium,Scripps San Diego,CA

Why Seadragons and Seahorses? 

The husbandry of seadragons is increasingly vital due to the impacts of climate change, warming oceans, and illegal collection of wild populations, whose numbers are still widely unknown. 

Birch Aquarium has been successfully rearing seahorses in captivity for nearly 25 years. Similarly, that makes us a leader in the field. Furthermore,we hope this new exhibit will result in our first successful seadragon breeding.

Weedy Seadragons 

Surprisingly,these seahorse cousins use their bright coloration and seaweed-like appendages to hide among the kelp-covered rocky reefs of temperate southern Australian waters. 

Sea Dragons Exhibit at Aquarium
Sea Dragons in the Golden Kelp
Sea Dragons Exhibit at Aquarium
Swimming With Sea Dragons

Monterey Bay Aquarium

From the first time I saw sea dragons at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I was fascinated. Was it a plant? Was it an animal? Seadragons and sea horses are surprisingly cousins. Unfortunately, for the interested public the Monterey Bay Aquarium exhibit is  no longer. The  sea dragons returned to the wild as the Aquarium often does.

I have  created several art quilts inspired by the sea dragons. However, nothing is quite like seeing the real animal. That is why I was so excited to hear of this new exhibit and the excitement that it is generating.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/01/collider-event-displays/

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How to See Much Art in a Day?Juried Open Studios 2019

Juried Open Studios 2019

Announcing my participation in the juried Juried Open Studios 2019. Sponsered by the Arts Council of Santa Cruz County.
Saturday and Sunday, October 5-6 , October 19-20. Moreover,my venue is at the Santa Cruz Art Center, 1001 Center St. located in the Historic Downtown Santa Cruz. Above all, I fill the lobby with Color! Texture! Movement! from11 to 5 pm each weekend. In addition,free motion quilting and curved line piecing demonstrations take place throughout the day.

Juried Open Studios Tour 2019
Lingering Fog, art quilt

County Wide Event

Similarly,artists from all over the county open up their studios for three weekends in October. As a result of so many artists residing in the county, the group is divided in half. One part participates on the first weekend of the month. The second part participates on the second weekend of the month. After that,any artist can open their studios for the third weekend called the encore weekend.

bright blues, greens and yellow fabrics in this art quilt Juried Open Studios Tour 2019
Beach Umbrellas,an abstract art quilt

This will be my fourth year of participation in the Open Studios Tour featuring over 300 artists. Although my studio is small for Open Studios and First Fridays, I hang my art quilts in the lobby of Santa Cruz Art Center. I fill  the artium or lobby with Color! Texture and Movement! There is room for from 10-20 large art quilts.

Juried Open Studios Tour 2019
Tree Along Creek
Juried Open Studios Tour 2019
Overlook

You may also be interested in these links.https://www.artscouncilsc.org/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/02/visual-arts-network-santa-cruz-county/

Check out This Article of Fusion of Art and Physics

Randie Silverstein's glass piece
starbursts made out of glass although they look like flexible strings Article of Fusion of Art and Physics
Randie Silverstein’s glass piece

Article of Fusion of Art and Physics-For those of us who are neither physicists nor artists, it’s easy to think that there is no overlap between physics and art. But a new show in Santa Cruz called Fusion of Art and Physics aims to remind us that there are ways to build bridges between the two.

Fusion of Art and Physics Show opens at the R. Blitzer Gallery on March 1,2019. It features the results of 17 collaborations between visual artists and physicists.  After the show’s opening reception,  participants will share what they learned from each other in a panel discussion.

UC Santa Cruz physicist, Dr. Stephanie Bailey

The show is the brainchild of UC Santa Cruz physicist Stephanie Bailey, who has attempted to blend lessons from the humanities into her teaching of physics. Bailey’s idea was to pair up a roster of Santa Cruz County artists with grad students and faculty in the physics department at UCSC. Like Jane Austen’s Emma, Bailey played matchmaker, looking for complementary interests between artists and physicists. Her own pairing put her with mosaic artist Beth Purcell. Together, Bailey and Purcell built mosaics on musical instruments to illustrate standing waves, the vibrational waveform often created in music.

Art Enhances Science

“I don’t consider myself an artistic person at all,” says Bailey. “But I still very much welcomed working with an artist.”Bailey’s sales pitch to her fellow physicists was audacious. Art, she told them, isn’t a distraction from science—it enhances it.

“I really believe that working with an artist can enrich the work of a physicist, lead them to think about their problems in new and different ways, and even create a few a-ha moments,” she says.

Brad Burkhart

Santa Cruz sculptor Brad Burkhart https://burkhart-sculptor.com/ didn’t need convincing. Burkhart’s partner on the physics side was Hendrik Ohldag. He is  a physicist from the Stanford Synchotron Radiation Laboratory where he studies magnetism. Burkhart entered the partnership already inspired.  He is quick to share his favorite title  Art and Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time and Light by San Francisco surgeon Leonard Shlain.

“I’ve always been interested in the overlap between the arts and the sciences,” says Burkhart. “It’s [Shlain’s] premise that art leads science by 50 years or so. Artists come up with a visual framework that is later discovered and proven by scientists.”

Gates of Paradise

Inspired by the Gates of Paradise at the Baptistry of Florence, Burkhart turned his artistic attention to creating small bas-relief panels from high-fired clay that are similar to what he saw in Florence. Burkhart visited his scientist partner Ohldag in the physicist’s lab, and Ohldag returned the favor by visiting Burkhart during Open Studios. Eventually, Burkhart created a series of his relief panels guided by feedback and comments from Ohldag.

“I’m going to have a description of how we collaborated.  I’m going to have Hendrick’s comments on the four sculptures as well,” says Burkhart.

Randie Silverstein,glass artist

Glass artist Randie Silverstein says that her collaboration with physics grad student, Alex McDaniel led to an enormous breakthrough in my work. I’ve been doing glass art to explore the material further. Then I  conceived of and manipulated the materials  in ways I hadn’t done before. Randie’s work took off in a totally new direction.

For Bailey, the non-artist who found herself curating an art show, Fusion is part of a mission to bring the concepts of physics to a wider public. “Art is a much more friendly and inviting way to attract people than physics,” she says. Of the work she created alongside mosaic artist Beth Purcell, she says that the artwork is more than a few pieces of aesthetic pleasure. “I consider them extraordinary teaching tools, something I can bring into the classroom to convey an important concept in physics.”

‘Fusion of Art and Physics’ runs through March. Opening reception is Friday, March 1, 5-9 p.m. Artist and physicist panel discussion on Saturday, March 16, noon-2 p.m. R. Blitzer Gallery, 2801 Mission St. Extension, Santa Cruz. slbailey109.wixsite.com/fusion/blog.

http://goodtimes.sc/santa-cruz-arts-entertainment/art/fusion-art-physics/?

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See Clay and Physics at Work

Fusion of Art and Physics Show

Fusion of Art and Physics II
Brad Burkhart, clay artist

Brad Burkhart, clay artist participated in the Collaboration between Art and Physics. He is a lover of Physics as well as clay scultpure.Brad recommended that I read Art and Physics a book by Leonard Shlain. It truly opened my eyes to the science of art.

Brad Burkhart shares his process-clay and physics

Since finishing my sketches for the project, I have been turning them into clay relief form. Due to time issues,not all sketches could become sculptures for the group show on March 1. My goal was to finish 4 of the 6.Notwithstanding this goal was daunting. Each of the clay pieces  require over a month of slow drying before firing. By necessity, I sped up the drying process. I  used an electric heater in the studio. Moreover, I devised an open lath support under the sculptures to allow them to dry faster. Finally, I found local potters,Steve and Bonny Barisof. They agreed to do this firing for me.

The process-

Below are a few photos of the transformation from sketch to sculpture.

Firing is always an unpredictable process.  This one was no exception. The three top pieces came out beautifully. However, apparently I had not dried the bottom one enough. Unfortunately, it fell apart in the kiln.

But the disintegration of piece #4 led to some new insights. My wife and I discussed the broken piece. We decided to mount the main pieces on a board.   A quote on Chaos Theory is its show title. After that,  we named the other pieces in a similar way. As a result, using physicist quotes or theories added to the exhibit.. I invited Hendrik to participate. In the end we went with my wife’s suggestions for the show. In other words,her suggestions were easier to understand by average viewers. However, I present them both below because they are both insightful. I am still deciding on final names for the pieces. Although I have definitely embraced Hendrik’s name for #3.

Hendrik’s Suggestions: 1.) Superconductivity by John Bardeen, Leon Cooper, John Robert Schrieffer 2.) What is it? Fermi-Dirac or Bose-Einstein 3.) Einstein, Soccer and Gravitation Waves 4.) Parity or no Parity, Noether, not Hamlet will answer this question.

Wife Ann’s Suggestions: 1) “Things” Can Be Regarded on One Level as Structures and on Another Level as Processes —-T. R. Young

2) By Making Everything as Small as Possible the Waves Become Much More Agile and Faster —-H. Ohldag

3) Are You the Observer or the Observed?

4) The Final Outcome…Is Radically Affected by Tiny Changes in the Initial Conditions —-S. Morgan

Notes on Ann’s titles:

1) Young, TR: Chaos Theory & Human Agency http://www.critcrim.org/redfeather/chaos/chaosindex.html

Complexity theory also denies the concept of the objectivity, or separation of the observer from the observed (Young 11).

4) Steev Morgan: Applying Chaos Theory to Artistic and Cultural Practice

Continuing Work at Hendrik’s New Lab

In addition to preparing sculptures for the show, I have continued to interact with Hendrik at his new lab. I am awaiting his comments about having my piece “What’s Your Sign?” in his new lab at the Berkeley Cyclotron. He is just getting started there.

In the meantime, we discovered that the research conducted at SLAC  resulted in a significant breakthrough in understanding the speed of magnetic waves. Previously it had been thought that 1 mile per hour was the limit. But they discovered through the experiment that if materials were made small enough, this speed could increase up to 500 miles per hour. This is particularly significant because computer memories use magnetic storage. With the right design, it now appears possible to significantly increase storage. Moreover,while lowering energy use significantly.

Naming a Piece at the New Lab

I try to name my works through a group consensus process. We have been attempting such a process at Hendrik’s new Berkeley Lab location. We hung an unnamed piece in the researchers’ lounge with a suggestion box nearby. See the piece below with set of suggestions. Feel free to participate in the process by e-mailing Hendrik or myself your suggestions. I envision sorting these out along with names for the show pieces later this spring.

https://slbailey109.wixsite.com/fusion

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/02/fusion-of-art-and-physics-show/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2018/07/inspiration-and-the-collider-event/https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2018/06/collaboration-of-physics-and-art-1/

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Why Does One Make Art?

Why Does One Make Art?

Greys,pinks and purple fabric in this abstract inspired by a winter sunset,Why One Makes Art
Winter Sunset 23″ h x 22″ 2018
Burlap and Silk 24" x 23" 2015,Shades of gold, brown, and white fabric transparent,rough, silky and shinyWhy One Makes Art
Burlap and Silk 24″ x 23″ 2015
yellow orange and white fabrics mix with textured netting Why One Makes Art
Cheddar and Triscuits,30″ x 28″ 2015

I find Cheddar and Triscuits a perfect name for this art quilt.Cheddar is the name of the color used in. The cheddar and white traditional quilting blocks contrast with several types of redirected high end fabric from the San Francisco Design Center. Fiberous netting and decorative threads and synthetic raffia add texture. I couched other decorative threads and rickrack on a strip of fabric. Then I cut them into smaller pieces to add where needed.

Circuit Board 15" x 14" 2015, greens and oranges in this abstract art quilt. The fabrics looked like a circuit board.
Circuit Board 15″ x 14″ 2015

When I first saw the fabric with the dashes on it, I immediately thought of a computer circuit board.  I added many redirected fabrics in this piece. Decorative threads couched on a long strip of fabric and then sliced into pieces add interest. Pulling in colors similar to the fabric with dashes was fun. It was done without much thought but with much necessity.

 

Brown and blue layered fabric pieces create stratification. Adorned with bone beads.
The Quarry 21″ x 31″ 2015

The Quarry uses found materials,beads and the color,brown that I usually avoid. Someone created fabric with a process of marbling paper in several colors, black, blue and reflective blue and pink. The stratification formed by these fabrics was a new idea to me. Bone beads added a 3D effect as if they were layered under the ground and just peeking out of a cliff.

 

In Conclusion

Playing with the contrast of fabrics or your chosen materials lets you create something unexpected. An outlier can suggest a new direction or technique to follow in the future. It is up to the artist to make that decision. Or maybe the success of the project that will make the decision for the artist. Make your art like your life depended on it! Because it does!

https://annbmayartquilts.etsy.com/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2022/12/how-to-break-your-own-art-rules/

For more information, on creating abstract art quilts read these posts.
https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2018/05/work-in-progress-winter-sky-sunset/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2017/10/a-work-in-progress-sunlit-boulders/

Social Justice Sewing Academy Making the World Better One Quilt at a Time

Academy of Social Justice

Social Justice Sewing Academy

SARAH C. RICH JAN 2, 2019

 

sjsa-3
(Photo: Courtesy of the Social Justice Sewing Academy)

The afternoon quilting workshop at Hillcrest Elementary School in San Francisco, California, meets in a mobile classroom behind the main building. After the school day is over. Then sixteen kids have walked across the basketball court, dropped their backpacks, and headed for a table piled high with colorful fabric. Then they cut out silhouettes and gluing block letters.For example, a red appliqué stop sign reads Stop Deportation. Or the letters LGBTQ underscore a feminine face with a small of a black mustache. Then the caption says Let Me Be Me.

Sara Trail

Sara Trail, the 23-year-old founder of the Social Justice Sewing Academy organizes these quilting bees for activist youth. She’s raced over from her day job teaching high school courses to incarcerated adults.

Inspired by Trayvon Martin’s death

Trail says that social justice work became urgent for her when she was a high school senior in the wealthy Bay Area suburb of Walnut Creek. It was February of 2012, she recalls, and she’d just celebrated her 17th birthday. On the opposite side of the country, a boy she didn’t know had also just turned 17. Someone she might never have heard of except that shortly after his birthday, he was killed.His slaying made national news. It was Trayvon Martin.

Trail was one of the few black kids in her neighborhood. When Martin was killed, she says, she didn’t yet fear the police. She says that her parents were protective and focused on scholarly achievements. “I did swimming and reading and piano,” Trail says. However, from age four, she sewed. Quilting enabled Trail to express the intense feelings that Martin’s death aroused.After that, ” I started making my first art quilt,” she says, “which was Trayvon’s face.”

A few months later, she began her freshman year at the University of California,Berkeley. In addition,she also began tutoring at a nearby public school. Then,she decided to try using craft as a way for students to comment on the issues that touched their own lives.

Quilting and Social Justice

Quilting might seem too quiet and slow to hold teenagers’ attention.  But it has always been a kind of social media. For centuries, quilting circles have been a space for women to discuss their lives and to seek support. Quilts themselves have served as a mode of communication where others failed or posed a threat.

a small grant

At the end of her senior year at Berkeley, Trail founded the Social Justice Sewing Academy with a small grant. She used the money to buy sewing machines, supplies, and public transit tickets for students. In the mornings, she taught ethnic studies and critical consciousness. In the afternoons, the issues would inspire sketches for a quilt square.  I paid attention to the student’s interests.If they mentioned  redlining, then we would look at maps of their area. Later they would find out how many buildings had been foreclosed. Research how many families were given predatory loans Trail says.

Seasoned Quilters Help Out

Trail  built a worldwide network of seasoned quilters through Instagram. She mails the students’ fabric squares for final stitching to the experienced quilters. Most of them are older, white, and living in places where they rarely come into direct contact with youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, they are eager to help and share their skills.

 “C is for Colorism”

Bianca Mercado participated in an Social Justice Sewing Academy workshop as a 17-year-old at her high school in Massachusetts. She created an alphabet quilt with 26 social justice statements. Her “C is for Colorism” block was mailed to Colleen Haraden-Gorski, a water-resource specialist in California. Haraden-Gorski researched color discrimination. Then she decided to stitch in a rectangle of brown fabric  with a script reading brown paper bag. The added detail refers to the  custom among African Americans to compare their skin tones to brown paper.

Touring  Around the Country

Now, Mercado’s quilt is touring exhibitions around the country.  Moreover, it often hangs among more traditional patterns, surprising viewers accustomed to tamer geometries. From the quiet patchwork of fabric, the young artist’s voice speaks loud and clear.

In Conclusion

The Social Justice Sewing Academy now has branches all  over the country. Due to the work of Sara Trail, her dream has expanded.https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/07/political-quilts2008-2014/

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sjsa-2
(Photos: Courtesy of the Social Justice Sewing Academy)
sjsa-1
(Photos: Courtesy of the Social Justice Sewing Academy

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How to Start An Art Conversation

Ann Baldwin May Art Quilts

Starting An Art Conversation

Starting An Art Conversation
I begin to choose fabrics.
Starting An Art Conversation
The finished piece

 The art conversation  must start wherever the art viewer is. Everyone is certainly familiar with the materials I use to make my art, fabric. When the art viewing public  has a  personal experience with your artistic materials does this have a positive or negative effect on how they view your art? Does it make the art seem less worthy of their attention or somehow less valued? Or just the opposite?

The Fabric of our Lives

I create art quilts, wall art from fabric,the material that literally the whole world  has a relationship with. Many times I repurpose the fabric of my own clothing into my art.When we go shopping for clothes, touching the fabric is part of our decision making process. What will it feel like against the skin? The  Do Not Touch signs in my studio does not always deter everyone. We are used to touching fabric.

Start with Gramma’s quilt and move on

Often we share a common  experience about a grandmother’s handmade quilt.  Creating bridges in communication is  helpful.This beginning must move on to a discussion of  the actual art or the  process to make the piece. No matter the artistic form, the conversation begins where the studio visitors are. Then it can move forward to explain the different processes.

I explain that I often use redirected materials from the San Francisco Design Center. This affords me interesting fabrics that are unique and definately not available at a quilt shop. Quilt shops cater to traditional quilters who must use 100% cotton because their quilts need to be washed. My wall art does not need to be washed.I am free to use unusual fabrics.

Remarks from Visitors to my studio Worth Repeating

“Oh, I didn’t realize that it was fabric! “

“Looking at your art is like taking a mini vacation!”

“You are taking an old art and making it new.”

From the comments I have heard, it is easy to believe that people recognize art when they see it no matter the materials.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/04/forging-your-own-art-path/

Learn more about art quilts from SAQA, Studio Art Quilt Associates.

http://www.saqa.com/

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Time to Learn about the Newest Art Genre-Art Quilts

Ann Baldwin May Art Quilts
abstract art quilt,Newest Art Genre-Art Quilts
Shore to Sky K,abstract art quilt

Newest Art Genre-Art Quilts

The newest art genre-art quilts are one of the newest genres to enter the field of art. Back in 1989 The Studio Art Quilt Associates(SAQA)https://www.saqa.com/  began in Northern California by a group of  about 50 artists. As a result,it has now spread across the globe and grown into a membership of over 4000. Yet,not all quilt artists  use the same techniques nor materials. After that,there is a wide variation. Fabric is the medium. Likewise,two or three layers of fabric may be used for the final product.

Studio Art Quilt Associates(SAQA)

Since their start,SAQA promotes art quilts as fine art. From SAQA’s website, Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. (SAQA) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the art quilt: “a creative visual work that is layered and stitched or that references this form of stitched layered structure.”
Over the past 30 years, SAQA has grown into a dynamic and active community of nearly 4,000 artists, curators, collectors, and art professionals located around the world. Our vision is that the art quilt is universally respected as a fine art medium.

In addition,SAQA offers a wide range of resources for its members. Consequently,the entries in their shows are of the highest quality and expression.

The Fabric of our Lives

First of all,clothing or fabric is near and dear to our hearts. We all wear clothes for our whole lives, sometimes twenty four hours a day. Furthermore,we wrap ourselves in extra layers to stay warm. That is to say that quilts represent home, love and well being especially at night.   Moreover, idioms in various languages attest to the depth of fabric’s affect. In the same vein,the texture of its weave reaches deep into cultures, past and present.

A Family Member’s  Quilts

To begin,many conversations that I have had about art quilts start with a reference to a family member’s hand made quilts. This  bothers some artists who want to distance themselves from seamstresses and the bed quilters. Not me though, I started out making bed quilts.  In other words,I  know the pull and charm of them, notwithstanding the love they embody. Abstract art or fabric collages use similar techniques as  traditional quilts. Yet their function is quite different. They are not diminished by the quilts people wrap themselves in.

Shared Experiences

Furthermore,creating bridges in communication is more helpful than not. We have a possible entry to conversation through our shared experience with fabric. Yet,  for the artist,this beginning must move on to a discussion of  the actual art or the  process to make the piece.

Museums

Above all,top notch museums have shed light on quilt artists with their gallery shows. This has helped to elevate the interest and value of all art quilters. Only then can the art viewing public begin to understand fabric as part of the  artist’s palette of materials.

Long may this newest art genre-art quilts prosper and grow! Feel free to ask questions to further your own knowledge.

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https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/05/mexican-drawn-thread-work-by-leigh-thelmadatter/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2017/08/eli-leon-collector-of-quilts-and-other-items/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/12/african-american-quilts/

What’s New? A UCSC Lecturer Leads Collaboration

By Libby Leyden, Post Banner Newspaper serving Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley,CA reports on UCSC Lecturer Leads Collaboration.

UCSC Lecturer Spearheads Physics/Art collaboration

UCSC Lecturer Leads Collaboration
Artist Bryson Bost (left) and UCSC graduate student Johnny Davenport.Courtesy of Stephanie Bailey

Art and Science

Humanities, Arts, Crafts and Design Practices (HACD)

Stephanie Bailey, a Ben Lomond resident, nuclear physicist, and physics lecturer at UCSC,  teaches introductory physics for life science majors. As part of her classes, Bailey attempts to bring in humanities, arts, crafts and design practices (HACD). The aim is to incorporate other skills into the classroom to make a well-rounded student.

“It is important our students build bridges between disciplines in order to address real world problems in order to span disciplinary borders,’ Bailey said. “Incorporating HACD into our physics curriculum makes better scientists. Just as it leads to improved educational outcomes for undergraduates, HACD experiences have value for STEM researchers as well.”After introducing these practices into my classroom, I saw it did make for better learners. I thought it does not have to stop here, so I imagined it could help researchers as well.”

Twenty Pairs-UCSC Lecturer Leads Collaboration

As a result, Bailey got the idea to pair 20 physicists with local artists to create a piece or pieces of work. In addition the art would be shown in an art gallery in March.

“I worked to pair each physicist with an artist,” Bailey said. “I wanted each physicist to explain to their artist what work they were doing.  Most importantly, it was then  up to the pair to express the work visually.”

The Art Community Joins In

Through an open solicitation to the art community, Bailey said she was shocked at how many artists responded interested in the project. One of the artists was a Santa Cruz native, Tauna Coulson. Coulson and  first year UCSC graduate student Arturo Quezada worked ogether. Quezada worked previously  in the Velasco Lab.

One Pair

“We had this great conversation and then he took me to the lab where he is essentially studying a type of microscope,” Coulson said. She explained the two worked together to explore the artistic beauty of graphene. For instance, graphene was one of the materials Quezada is looking at using the microscope.

Engagement of People with Physics

The objective for the collaboration is to enable access and engage people with physics through art. Similarly, to think about the role physics plays in their lives and in the world at large. The final pieces of art will be displayed at the Blitzer Gallery in Santa Cruz. Bailey is hoping to organize an opening reception with panel discussions with the artist/physicist pairs.

Panel Discussions

“It will be a moderated panel where the artists and physicists can talk about the creative process in addition to what was learned working together,” Bailey said. Bailey said she is still looking for donations to organize and fund the exhibit. Those looking to help fund the project can visit: https://slbailey109.wixsite.com/fusion/donations

In addition to being one of the artists, Coulson is also the curator of the exhibit. According to Coulson,the pairs in addition to the artwork, will write up a short piece explaining the physicist work.

In Conclusion

“Physicists do not normally interact with artists. Those circles rarely cross paths,” Bailey said. “For me this has been a wonderful opportunity to meet other people while at the same time bringing me closer to a whole other community in Santa Cruz.”

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/03/a-scientifically-inspired-art-quiltatlas-in-rose/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2018/06/collaboration-of-physics-and-art-1/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/01/collider-event-displays/

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Did You See these Open Studios Santa Cruz?

Barn Owl by Alexandra Sanders

Open Studios Santa Cruz 2018

 

Open Studios 2018 is Santa Cruz County’s premier art tour of the year. Furthermore,visitors come from all around the state to visit the studios and meet the artists. For example, joy comes from seeing the special environments that each artist creates in their home or garden.

Barn Owl by Alexandra Sanders

Therefore,these  members of the New Fiber Group of Santa Cruz County are excited to be part of the Juried Open Studios Santa Cruz County October 2018.

fabric layering technique, art quilt,Juried Open Studios Santa Cruz CountyOctober 2018
Fluttering Leaves, art quilt

Ann Baldwin May

Juried Open Studios Artist #184
Moreover,all original art quilts and fiber art Mexican inspired fabric collages or abstract wall art.
In addition, found objects and redirected materials are always a possibility.
Also featuring throw pillows, king sized artful pillow cases and very large fabric gift bags, $20. or free with purchase over $100.
Above all,visit my studio in the Santa Cruz Art Center, 1001 Center St.
First Fridays Oct. 5, 5-9pm
Open Studios 13-14, Oct. 20-21.

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Similarly,I fill the lobby of the Santa Cruz Art Center with Color! Texture! Movement! Come join the fun, demonstrations , and food.

Most importantly,

Alexandra Sanders

Most importantly, view Alexandra’s Original Batiks and Fine Art Prints

Lexie;s created #1,Juried Open Studios Santa Cruz CountyOctober 2018
Crane by Alexandra SandersJoin Alexandra Sanders for the Open Studios Art Tour

Furthermore,join Alexandra Sanders for the Open Studios Art Tour

https://www.ladywholovesbirds.com/

Meanwhile she will be open,October 13-14 & October 20-21 2018,11-5pm.

Above all,she will be showing originals and fine art prints of

Traditional Batiks, Silk Paintings and

Bird Watercolors. Also available will be the

2019 Calendar of Birds, greeting cards and

blank journals. In addition, sign up for classes that will be

given in the next year.

637 Columbia Street xst. Monterey Sttttt.

Then enter the Studio entrance is through back gate half way

down Monterey St. Santa Cruz CA 95060

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/02/visual-arts-network-santa-cruz-county/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2018/12/december-buzz-newsletter/

Did you See the Olive Hyde Textile Show?

Skyward finished piece
Black and White branches on an indigo and white sky background
Skyward 25″ x 25″
underwater seascape
Marine Canyon Dwellers, 26″ h x 25″w

View works from exhibit

A Unique History

Most importantly,the City of Fremont’s  Olive Hyde Art Gallery offers a glimpse into the textile world with textile creations.The show is  the 50th Annual Textile Exhibition. Furthermore,it  runs from August 3 – September 5, 2018. This annual exhibit began in 1968. It started in recognition of the Art Center’s original benefactor and Textile Art enthusiast, Olive Hyde. In its early years it was primarily a quilt show. However,this annual exhibition features works of both traditional and contemporary quilt artists. In short,these artists use textiles and fibers to create unique artworks and designs.

Above all, this is one of Olive Hyde Art Gallery’s most popular exhibitions. Therefore, the show includes a diverse group of Northern California’s best and often most recognized textile artists.

Participating artists include: Adriane Dedic, Alice Beasley, Ann Baldwin May, Catherine Kelly, Denise Oyama Miller, Dolores Miller, Drew Matott, Emelie Rogers, Gail Sims, Ginger Summit, Giny Dixon, Ileana Soto, Jennifer Landau, Karen Balos, Kris Sazaki, Lin Schiffner, Linda Waddle, Martha Wolfe, Maureen Langenbach, Melba Vincent, Patricia Porter, P. Kay Hille-Hatten, Rashna Sutaria, Susan Helmer, and Zona Sage.

Local Wonders

Alice Beasley

Olive Hyde Textile Show
Sunday On Lake Merritt  by Alice Beasley

Above all,Alice Beasley has been making portraits of people and objects since 1988. In short,fabric is her chosen medium of expression.  However,she incorporates the same light, shadow and realistic perspective used by artists in other media. Like the classical painter, her art is absorbed by an interest in the human figure and in our objects as they are presented in still life.

Dolores Miller

Olive Hyde Textile Show
Facets 2 by Dolores Miller

Above all, Dolores Miller supposes that her love of textiles is in her blood. In short,both of her grandmothers were seamstresses. For example,she threaded needles for her paternal grandmother for her job as a fine hand finisher.  Furthermore,as a young adult, she made most of her clothes. Hence,Dolores dabbled in most of the textile arts over the years.

Denise Oyama Miller

Montage 2: Strata by DeniseOyama MIller

Certainly, Denise Oyama Miller is a frequent and respected exhibitor at the Olive Hyde Art Gallery. As a result,she shows her unique, contemporary take on quilt-making using strong forms and contrasting colors. Moreover,Miller works in a variety of styles from representational scenes to intense abstractions.

Karen Balos

Chroma Two by Karen Balos

Karen Balos shows her mastery of creating visual explosions of color, patterns, and movements with textiles.

Ileana Soto

Ileana Soto looks into the history of human culture. She sees  herself  reflected by  the complexities of life with her mixed media creations. She adds alternating layers of dye, paint, and fabrics.

Bark Codex by Ileana Soto

Martha Wolfe

Weekend by Martha Wolfe

Inspired by the natural world, Martha Wolfe gathers photographs. She uses them as a guide to create finely-detailed works. She often recreates the images of everyday life with colorful patterns.

Venture by Zona Sage

Zona Sage

Pushing the boundaries of textile sculptures,Zona Sage

 assembles different found items and fabrics.

Kabuki Warrior by Adriane Dedic

Adriane Dedic

Adriane Dedic highlights the art of the figure. Inspirations from both Eastern and Western art have led her to create a wide variety of stylized figures, from traditional Japanese Geishas to figures painted by Klimt.

Opening Reception

Furthermore,the opening reception will be held on Friday, August 3,2018 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Olive Hyde Art Center, 123 Washington Blvd. (at Mission Blvd.) In addition,parking is available at the municipal parking lot ½ block north of the Olive Hyde Art Center on Mission Blvd. The exhibition runs through Saturday, September 5th,2018. Gallery Hours: Thursday through Sunday, 12noon to 5pm.

https://olivehydeartguild.org

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New and Accomplished Self Taught Black Artists

A Riveting Testament to Those Once Neglected Black Self Taught Artists

ART REVIEW from the NY Times, May 24, 2018 At the Met

By Roberta Smith May 24, 2018

American art by  Black self taught artists from the 20th and 21st centuries is a broader and better form than previously admitted.  Currently,museums struggle to become more inclusive. Above all,they give new prominence to neglected works. Moreover, William Arnett and his Souls Grown Deep Foundation  helped to shine a light. Their focus is the important achievement of black self-taught artists of the American South. In other words,these artists were born of extreme deprivation and social cruelty.

Black self-taught artists

About the Photograph

Thornton Dial’s two-sided relief-painting-assemblage. “History Refused to Die” (2004) gives this Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition its title. His work is in conversation with quilts. From the  left, Lola Pettway (“Housetop,” circa 1975); Lucy T. Pettway (“Housetop” and “Bricklayer” blocks with bars, circa 1955); and Annie Mae Young (“Work-clothes quilt with center medallion of strips,” from 1976). Credit 2018 Estate of Thornton Dial/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Agaton Strom for The New York Times

Souls Grown Deep Foundation

The Souls Grown Deep Foundation is in the process of sharing the entirety of its considerable holdings. Meanwhile,some 1,200 works by more than 160 artists are sent to museums across the country. In short,this will have  a substantial impact on black self taught artists.

The Met

As a result,the Met was the first of the foundation’s beneficiaries,  receiving a gift of 57 artworks by 30 artists in 2014. Now, the museum celebrates its fortune with “History Refused to Die: Highlights From the Souls Grown Deep Foundation Gift.” That is to say a selection of 29 pieces many of them rarely shown. After that it created an electrifying sense of change.

An Electrifying Sense of Change for Black Self Taught Artists

The Met’s curators took nearly two years and several trips to Atlanta to finalize their selection. Moreover,they chose well. In short,the show seems nearly perfect in art, installation and greatness. Randall R. Griffey and Amelia Peck, curators, organized well.

Black self-taught artists
Lonnie Holley’s 1982 sculpture “Ruling for the Child,” at left, and Thornton Dial’s “The End of November: The Birds That Didn’t Learn How to Fly,”

Majestic Effect

Furthermore,the effect is majestic. In short,the show validates the art’s stature.  It transforms the Met’s  footprint of African art and American folk art. Nine of Thornton Dial’s fierce, self-aware works are here. Mostly his  relief paintings.  Three extraordinary drawings  commemorate Sept. 11, Florence Griffith Joyner and Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration.

Gee’s Bend Quilts

A dozen of the geometric quilts are here. Both muted and boisterous, they challenge the conventional history of abstraction. Furthermore,they reflect the talents of the Gee’s Bend collective, especially those of the Pettway family. Truly, black self taught artists.Nearly everything included is made from scavenged objects and materials, scraps of the shameful history of black labor in the South. One of the most valuable lessons here is the works’ inherent sense of defiance. In short,their beauty in itself as an act of resistance.

black self taught artists
Gee’s Bend, Abstract art, black and white , violet and orange

Two very Different Galleries

The show’s two galleries have very different emotional and visual tones. After beckoning you from down the corridor with the bright colors and joyful asymmetry of Loretta Pettway’s “Medallion” quilt (circa 1960), the exhibition starts with a room of works nearly devoid of color.

“Shadows of the Field”

Dial’s “Shadows of the Field” (2008) evokes haunted expanses of cotton plants with the help of strips of synthetic cotton batting. Along one wall, the “work-clothes” quilts of Lucy Mingo and four other Gee’s Benders reflect lives of hard labor and scrimping. Their fabrics are almost exclusively blues and gray denim whose worn textures and faded colors are masterfully played off one another.Emma Lee Pettway Campbell’s Blocks are strips work-clothes quilt from around 1950.All things considered they are accomplished black self taught artists.

Lady looking at the 3D Fiber Art on the museum wall
Thornton Dial’s “Shadows of the Field” (2008)

 Joe Minter’s 1995 symmetrical arrangement of rusted shovels, rakes, hoes and chains, seems to bless the whole room. Regal and severe, it suggests both a group of figures and an altar. Moreover,its title pulls no punches: “Four Hundred Years of Free Labor.”

an arrangement of rusted shovels, rakes, hoes and chains
Joe Minter’s “Four Hundred Years of Free Labor”

The second gallery erupts in color brilliant in palette as in use of materials. Gee’s Bend quilts deliver.  Lucy T. Pettway’s  traditional housetop and bricklayer patterns are in a quilt from around 1955. Annie Mae Young’s 1976 work brings together the quilt tradition of a medallion of burning stripes of contrasting corduroy with a broad denim work-clothes border.

A dozen of the 18 geometric quilts included in the Souls Grown Deep Foundation gift are here, including Lucy T. Pettway’s “Housetop” and “Bricklayer” blocks with bars, left, and Mary Elizabeth Kennedy’s “Housetop-nine-block ‘Log Cabin’ variation.”Credit2018 Lucy T. Pettway/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Agaton Strom for the New York Times

Jaw-dropping Dial

Blessing the artworks here is a jaw-dropping Dial: a two-sided relief-painting-assemblage. It is the  source of the exhibition’s title, “History Refused to Die.” One side shows a couple chained to, yet sheltered, to a white metal structure. Surrounded by a wild expanse,pieces of fabric  knotted  seem to billow and blow like a stormy sea or clouds.

The Other Side

The other side is a rough weaving of the straight stalks of the okra plant. Okra came to the United States from Africa during the slave trade. Its scattered colors are primarily the red, black, green and yellow. The same colors as the 13-striped Afro-American flag. At the upper right, the simple silhouette of a white dove of peace or freedom. At the top, a row of short steel angle beams are spray-painted with horizontal dashes of browns and black.

Similarly Simply Masterpieces

Several other works here are similarly simply masterpieces. In “Locked Up Their Minds,” Purvis Young offers his own version of James Ensor’s “Christ’s Entry Into Brussels in 1889.” Young’s large painting on wood shows a group of black figures. Some of the figures have  halos. Others are holding up padlocks signifying their freed minds to flocks of angels. Two immense white horses add to the drama. The show’s final piece is Dial’s ironically titled “Victory in Iraq,” a painting from 2004. It hangs just outside the second gallery. Its barbed wire and twisted mesh against a field of fabric  defines and holds the space.

edited for length

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/07/political-quilts2008-2014/

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