Sunday Morning Reading

Enjoyed my Sunday morning coffee while reading an article about me in the Arts section of our local paper:

Florida A&M Professor, Students Craft Quilts with a Solid Foundation

Great way to start the week I'd say!

Maze vs. Labyrinth

[Images: From "Labyrinths, Mazes and the Spaces Inbetween" by Sam McElhinney].

I love mazes and labyrinths!

Here is a link to a post about a study by architecture student and researcher Sam McElhinney on mazes and labyrinths and how they may impact architectural and urban design.

Fascinating, a little dense but the gist of the proposition is that mazes have branches and dead-ends designed for confusion. The labyrinth has paths that twist and turn, but still stay consistent --- therefore yielding a more pleasant experience.

The site has many beautiful images of both.......enjoy:

http://www.bldgblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/switching-labyrinth.html

3 Voices: Art Quilts

by Katherine K. Allen, Valerie S.Goodwin and Kent Williams
May 7th- July 25th
Visions Art Quilt Gallery
2825 Dewey Road, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92106
619-546-4872
www.quiltvisions.org























Tale of Two Campuses by Valerie S. Goodwin











Tangle by Katherine K. Allen



















Hip to be Square by Kent Williams
Three master artists, three distinct voices, three unique concepts. Katherine K. Allen incorporates the flowers and foliage from her Florida garden in quilts that reflect her love of nature. Architect Valerie S. Goodwin combines city grids, maps, and structures in quilted maps evoking a place - imaginary or real. Kent Williams uses geometric patterns inspired by Op Art and Japanese woodcuts in vibrant, large format quilts.

Join us for the opening reception on May 7th from 5-8 p.m. at the Visions Art Quilt Gallery. It is also Friday Night Liberty at the NTC Promenade in Liberty Station when all the galleries and artist studios open their doors free to the public.

The Jacksonville Workshop

GOOD TIMES!





















The ladies and I had a good 2 day workshop on the 7 Principles of Design. The members of the Fiber Artists Network (FAN) in Jacksonville invited me to join them for the week-end.



One of the participants, Jayne Gaskins was kind enough to write the following:

I just returned from an outstanding workshop on the elements and principles of design by Valerie Goodwin and anybody who thinks these are dry boring concepts hasn't had Valerie's class. She gave them life I haven't seen since my freshman year of college (I DID have some good teachers!). She taught the concepts and then did everything Sara said above to create an atmosphere where it was safe to relax and explore a myriad of ways to employ them. Some things worked; some didn't. But it was all OK and we learned as much from what did work as what didn't. Teachers like Valarie and my freshman professor are woefully under-appreciated by our society. When they open the door to artistic creativity they also open the door to free thinking that extends to all aspects of life. What a wonderful gift!

Jayne Bentley Gaskins

http://jaynegaskins.com

Here are some examples of the mixed media (fabric, paint thread) compositions done during the workshop:

The Details Emerge

I think I've finished with all the details. It's my only large work for this year. As I previously posted I've been forced to work smaller due to my shoulder problems.

This one is 24" w x 60" h.

Tall and thin....hope I can wrestle with this one when it's time for quilting. It is tentatively called "Rattler Country" and depicts the FAMU campus where I teach.

Doing "the work", Despite Obstacles

Since I learned I had torn rotary cups on my shoulders, I've had to adjust how long I can work in the studio and the size of the artwork I can do.

I've been working hard, but in spurts and....focusing on the creating small zen-like map constructions (see above and below).

It has helped me to think differently about the process. As a result I've been enjoying the challenge of:

1. creating quick little compositions,
2. working in a series, and
3. creating work that has a sense of calm and simplicity.

This afternoon I spent 2 hours in the studio, right after teaching architecture studio. Quite unexpectedly I look around my space and I see the fruits of my labor.....kind of satisfying to behold (at least for me):

Upcoming Workshops

In case some of you are in the Jacksonville, Florida or San Diego, Ca Area, I will be teaching two (2) workshops:

Workshop Title: Design Fundamentals 102

Date: April 10th and 11th, 2010

Beginning with an exercise related to the seven principles of design--work instinctively with color--explore creativity through experimentation. All works are small, enabling you to develop ideas quickly and freely. You will create paper collage compositions through a series of quick "hands-on" exercises and subsequently make fabric constructions. The goal of this class is to allow you to create small spontaneous fabric collages that can become the basis for final small quilted pieces.



Where: Fiber Artists Network Jacksonville Fl.

Workshop Title: Map Haiku

Date: Saturday, May 8th, 2010

Students taking this workshop will create a simple, understated map of an imaginary place that captures the feeling of the haiku – a minimalist form of poetry.



The instructor will guide you through a series of steps that will provide opportunities to learn about design while giving you the freedom to experiment within a structured framework.

Where: Visions Art Gallery San Diego, CA.