(Wo)Men Of A Certain Age

"Just A Doodle: #13"  ©2010 Diane Evans

There was an Internet blurb sent around recently that made me smile:

“Be the kind of woman so that, when you wake up in the morning and your feet hit the floor, the devil says, ‘Oh, crap – she’s up.’”

I want very much to be that woman – I really do.  I am finding, however, that I have become the woman for whom a good night’s sleep is now a distant memory.  I face my bed each evening with a fair amount of dread; it has become my enemy, since I lay awake for long stretches during the night.  I blame it on hormones.  Come to think of it, I blame MOST of my troubles on hormones these days.  I know they’re responsible for my fuzzy thinking, because my doctor told me that the estrogen isn’t running all the way to my brain anymore.

"Just A Doodle: #14"  ©2010 Diane Evans

Therefore, I’ve decided to surrender to the sleeplessness by drawing; my reasoning is that, even if I can’t face the morning with renewed energy, I can at least have something artistic to show for the last eight hours.

So I ask all of you out there who are old enough to have received your AARP cards in the mail to let me know if you’re experiencing any of these same sleep issues and if you’ve found a remedy. Especially if the cure involves something artistic – I’ll be excited to hear about it.  I’ll look forward to reading your thoughts at 2:00 in the morning.

Diane

Arts At The "X"

"Ornamentals: Yuletide"  ©2010 Diane Evans  5" x 7"

If you live near Westchester, NY, you can jumpstart your holiday shopping (and if you’re like me, you haven’t yet begun) at the Arts Exchange next week.  Located in White Plains, ArtsWestchester’s Arts Exchange is sponsoring a Handmade Holiday Exhibition that will feature artwork of local artists and craftspeople.  Small works from all mediums will be offered for sale, including ceramics, mosaics, jewelry, fiber arts, painting, watercolor, and more.  I am honored to have been invited to participate in this wonderful event, which will run from December 13 through 18; the address is 31 Mamaroneck Avenue, and the exhibit’s hours are 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM each day.   Stay out of the crowded malls – come to the show and have a Handcrafted Holiday!

Diane

Tree of Life: Summer

Tree of Life: Summer  ©2010  Diane Evans  6" x 4"

I’ve decided that I probably didn’t spend enough time in kindergarten, because I’m enjoying my explorations with paints and inks so much lately.  I have NEVER believed that I had much artistic ability; this notion was firmly reinforced by my third grade teacher, Miss K., who, I am certain, was at least 7 feet tall (although I never measured her) and never smiled.  She told us one day to paint a picture of what we had observed on a recent field trip; since I had seen a field of cattails for the first time, I was excited to begin my drawing. 
 I painted three, really large cattails that covered most of my piece of paper and proudly showed them to her when she came by my desk. She looked at them and said, with a frown on her face,  “Oh, no, dear – that’s not what I wanted – you should have done something more like THIS,” and she pointed to Ronnie’s little masterpiece on the desk next to mine.  It was forty years before I touched a paintbrush again – seriously.

So now, thanks to the inspiration of so many of you, I’ve been encouraged to try again, and I’m having the time of my life. Here’s one of my latest experiments -- this design was printed from my photocopier onto pre-treated fabric; following a suggestion from quilt artist Jill Buckley, I coated it with Aloe Vera gel to make the surface smoother.  I then colored it in with Tsukineko ink pens and quilted it with Sulky rayon thread, adding French knots for a little texture.

What fun!  I even stayed inside the lines.  If only Miss K. could see how far I’ve come . . .

Diane

Textile and Fiber Artists United!

"Ornamentals: #6"  ©2009  Diane Evans  5" x 7"

(for sale in my Etsy shop)

I’ve recently joined a terrific on-line organization of talented men and women; it’s titled the Textile And Fiber Art list and is the brainchild of artist and computer wizard Rachel Biel of Paducah, KY.  TAFA went live on February 1, 2010, and members include artists, gallery owners, suppliers, and other fiber/textile people.  As Rachel states, “Our common connection weaves us together: a love for textiles and fiber art, new and old, traditional and contemporary.  Some of us sell them, some of us make them, others collect or design with them.  All have an established web presence.”

Our group has recently launched an Etsy team comprised of TAFA members who have Etsy shops.  The goals of the TAFA Team include: helping our Etsy sellers reach a larger market and increase sales; encouraging each other to grow and improve our shops, marketing abilities, and product development; and growing and building on TAFA’s inner community to create real relationships within our group.

One of the promotional tools that Rachel is trying out is a blog written by members of the TAFA team.  Each of us is invited to submit a post from time to time, and Rachel rotates us into the blog.  You can click here to see an article I wrote recently.

Rachel added the video clip – if you have a few minutes (and you don’t mind Barry Manilow), take a look at this lovely video.  It made me fall in love all over again –  bear in mind, however, that I’m a huge Manilow Maven.

Want to see more or learn how to join TAFA?  Just click here.  You’ll find the energy is contagious and the members are incredibly talented and supportive.  Come join us!

Diane

The Blogger's Quilt Festival Is On!

"Wallflowers: #5"  ©2010  Diane Evans  (Private Collection)

It’s that time of year when Amy of Amy’s Creative Side begins her Blogger’s Quilt Festival.  This event is always so much fun – we all have the chance to view each other's favorite pieces and to share the stories behind our creations.

My entry is an art quilt that I made last year entitled “Wallflowers: #5.”  I’m especially proud of this little quilt, since it was juried into the 2009 National Small Art Quilt Works Exhibition at The Main Street Gallery in Groton, NY, and was subsequently sold by the gallery.  It was made with fabrics that were hand-dyed by Judy Robertson, and the piece is machine appliquéd and machine quilted with Sulky rayon threads.  I’m always happy when I’m putting flowers in my creations – if they won’t grow in my garden (and they don’t), at least I can put them up on the wall.  They don’t need watering, either.

Do visit Amy’s site and take a look at all the fiber artistry on display there – you’ll find it’s a real “treat” (pun intended).

Diane

"Looking For Space"

"Looking For Space" ©2010 Diane Evans  24" x 40"

Twelve years ago, I made my first set of Flying Geese in a curve; I learned the technique in my very first class at Quilting By The Lake with Caryl Bryer Fallert.  I was so proud of those geese -- I held onto them for years, waiting for the right project to come along so I could incorporate the little fellas into an art quilt.

Fast-forward to 2009: my fiber arts group, ARTAA, was invited to present an exhibition at the annual Adirondack Fabric & Fiber Arts Festival, and we chose the theme, “Flight.”  My inspiration had arrived -- I couldn’t wait to get started.

The idea of creating a kite-shaped quilt had been percolating in my mind for quite a while, so I worked out a design that would use the Flying Geese pieces and also fit the parameters we had set, which required the finished piece to be 24” wide, with no restriction on length.

I decided to use Caryl’s method of piecing:

1)  templates are cut from freezer paper and ironed to the back of the fabric

2)  each piece is cut out, leaving a ¼-inch seam allowance

3)  the seam allowance is folded over the template and ironed in place with the assistance of spray starch

4)  the pieces are joined with a fine zigzag stitch using invisible thread

The tricky part is deciding which pieces will be stitched over their neighbors; you fold the seam allowance to the back on an OVER piece, and you leave the seam allowance sticking outward on an UNDER piece.  This method definitely engages both halves of the brain – I found myself trying to think like an engineer.

In a future post, I plan to share the binding technique I came up with for creating a mitered corner that is smaller than 90° -- a REAL test of my construction abilities.

And I’m curious to know: did I win a prize for taking 12 years to complete a wall quilt?? What’s the longest amount of time you’ve ever worked on a piece???  Do share!

Diane

More Happenin' things

©2009 Diane Evans  Our House  14” x 20”

If you live or plan to vacation near Los Alamos, New Mexico, stop by the Fuller Lodge Art Center between October 1 and November 13 to view their “Fall Fiber and Fashion Show”.  This exhibit is the art center’s salute to the fall season and features works in all media.  Contributing artists were invited to “play with form and function in fiber, or to design, create, and display their own fashions.”  The show will feature wall art and sculpture, as well as jewelry, scarves, handbags, and hats.

I feel most fortunate to have had four of my wall quilts juried into this wonderful show; you can see these pieces, along with the works of the other exhibitors, on the art center’s web site here.  This promises to be an exhibition of exciting and diverse art – I hope you can visit. I'm unable to see the show myself, so if you go, please be sure to tell me all about it  -- my quilts travel to more places than I do . . .

Diane