Saturday: A real "two-fer" day!

Actually, it was really a "three-fer" day! Led by our fearless SAQA regional rep, Kate Themal just under forty SAQA members from all over, braved cold rain to meet at the Guilford Free Library (Guilford CT).

First: SAQA Executive Director Martha Sielman gave a slide presentation about the making of the Art Quilt Masters book that she curated. In fact, many of the artists represented have work in the current New England Quilt Museum's exhibit. (I feel a road trip to Lowell MA coming on.)

Second: Kate had also arranged for the SAQA Trunk Show B to be available for the meeting. After the delicious box lunch arranged for by Sisters in Cloth member Barb Adams, all were able to study the Trunk Show and the Sisters' Photo Challenge exhibit that was mounted in the room.

Of course, it wouldn't be an art quilt (or traditional quilt meeting for that matter) without Show and Tell.....and it was a particularly wonderful Show and Tell at that. Pictured here is Barb McKie with one of her magnificent pieces. Incidentally her's is also on the cover of the current Quilting Arts magazine.

Two Marthas: Pictured here is my buddy Martha Wolfe, who probably should have been given an award from journeying the farthest for the meeting: Indiatlantic, FL! She's getting Martha Sielman's autograph on her copy.




Pictured here is Norma Schlager and Barbara Somebody-who-I-can't-remember-because-of-dead-grey-cells, both from CT discussing one of the Trunk Show pieces. Oh, and that's Sister member Carol Ludington on the far right.

As the time drew near to the end of our meeting, we had a drawing of items and gift certificates donated by local merchants who we support and we wanted to share. Shops like Chroma Gallery, CT Wool, Evergreen Crafts, Blue Moon Artisans.

THEN after all this, with maps in hand, we adjourned to carpool over to the Guilford Art Center where we all enjoyed seeing the incredible SAQA Transformation: Reflections exhibit. One of the artists included in the exhibit, Debbie Bein had traveled from Poughkeepsie NY for the meeting and was on hand to talk about her work.

Boy, it was quite a day!

Strange Sun Rite? In Connecticut?

Captured in their natural habitat along the Lieutenant River in Old Lyme CT are two chubby examples of art worshipers paying homage to Patrick Dougherty's sculpture constructed there this summer. The photograph is tentatively titled "Curse of the Iphone".

Patrick Dougherty collects sticks and saplings from the local environment then bends and coaxes them into monumental sculptures. Walking into these magical dwellings is a wonderful, giddy experience.

(www.stickwork.com).

It takes about three weeks to gather the ingredients and, working with interns, construct...and about a year for it to deconstruct.

It will be available for walking into, photographing, and enjoying through October 18. Go to the Florence Griswold Museum's site: www.florencegriswoldmuseum.org. It's worth the trip...and his photo packed book is available in the museum's shop

We're off!

In a couple of hours we will be loading the car for the airport to begin the L-O-N-G journey to Melbourne, Australia...which is why, if you choose to go, you should stay a while. We will be there three weeks, mostly staying with friends along the way.

The detail pictured here is from "Creative Spirit" and is greatly influenced by my interest in, and love of, Australian Aboriginal Art. It was one of my two pieces that was juried into "Up in Stitches" 2008, at the Yeiser Art Center, in Paducah, Kentucky.

Having spent long periods in many, diverse locales, understandably, place plays an extremely important role in my work. It's not difficult to see influences from Australia (or Japan/northern California/New England/Florida)...both the culture of the desert in particular and the flora, fauna...and light...in the colors, themes and viewpoints I choose. Place is such a crucial element for me that I work very diligently at insinuating myself into a new locale. The few places that I have lived, and have not felt "accepted" in some way, have become memories of regret and, therefore not usually represented in my work.

This little (24" square) work was also juried into "Up in Stitches" last year. It's titled "Masako Goes to Africa" and is made exclusively with African fabrics...and made for my sister Masako, who never, it seems, leaves her home in Texas. I've decided to give her a grand world tour. I spoke with her last night, and I think she needs an Australian trip too.

Our first host lives in Lorne along the seacoast of Victoria, west of Port Philip Bay. She doesn't "do" computers, so unless we stumble upon an internet cafe, I will not be posting regularly. But I will be photographing wildly. She lives in the midst of The Otways...a temperate rainforest with amazing ferns, eucalyptus, fauna and BIRDS!!