BIG

I have always wanted to be in a giant room with a giant painting.... ALONE. And it happened at the Musee National d'Art Moderne in Orleans, France, this summer.

I mean, when do you go to a museum and NO ONE is in a room?

A rare occurrence.

I was so happy. I was there for half an hour - alone- enjoying this giant art piece, getting lost in it.  It was so big. No one talked. No one walked in front of me. Bellissimo!!

Heaven.

Art work by Simon Hantai, born in Hungary in 1922. Died in Paris in 2008.
Etude, 1969
oil on canvas

Knitting Art

My daughter was passing by Roubaix, France, on her way to Antwerp this weekend. She knows I have been knitting lately and sent me these photos.

Wool War One
2014
Délit Maille
A war in wool made by 1000 hands
Silent and pathetic story of nine million
crushed tiny lives (translated from french)

She stopped in at La Piscine Museum. Amazing place she said!

For me, knitting is at a hobby level. My mom taught me how to knit when I was 6 years old. I returned to this craft for a few years when I was 20 and again starting 2 years ago.

Below are some of my recent knitting 'achievements'!

Glenna C. patterns

The three patterns above by Kate Atherley.
You can also find her patterns on Ravelry.

I have noticed in Italy that the quilting trend has been pushed aside to make room for knitting.

Well Made Quilts are a Pleasure to See

I visited the York Heritage quilt show. It was on for only two days.

It's like a stained-glass! It was gorgeous!
by Kim Workman

Another quilt that brought back images of European
 church stain glass.
Work by Lynne Lee

Back in 2012, I included one of Robert Gutcher's quilts for the exhibit I curated, Tradition in Transition which was shown in France. His machine quilting is superb! His sense of colour appeals to me. I have a similar pattern that I kept from about 15 years ago and I may tweak it and use it for my Spring Clean-Up class I host in the spring. The aim for those classes is to use up your stash and not buy any new fabric. This quilt design would fit in for sure!

Quilt by Robert Gutcher
This quilt sparkles like a jewel!

I like the woven pattern below. The colours are definitely the hot choice these days. They follow the trends of the Modern Quilt Movement.

by Valerie Prideaux
The label stated:
Made with permission of the artist Eleanor McCain

The one shown below wasn't as flashy as some of the others but effective nonetheless.

machine pieced and quilted by Linda Morse
inspired by a Denise Schmidt design

It is a guild show that I try to attend because the works exhibited always demonstrate great skill!

I was able to purchase a few hand-made gifts to give away to my Verona friends when I visit them this week.

Hand-made ornament using felted wool, hand embroidery,
  beads and an antique button at the centre
 by Sandy Lindal

I always hear, 'I can make that', when I am shopping at these stands but why not buy something anyway and support makers!

Radiation Exhibit in France

A friend of mine from Verona was in France this September for the 20th anniversary of the Carrefour Européen du Patchwork in Alsace, France.

Waves, 2014
part of Radiation

I had a piece in the Radiation exhibit.

She said it was one of the more popular exhibits at the 4-day event. Lots of visitors and impressed viewers.

There are 80 pieces in this exhibit. The exhibit will be going to the Czech Republic next April.

I have blogged about making this piece before. To read more about it click here and here.

Disappointing News

I found out today that my piece Last Tree Standing has NOT been selected for an exhibit to be shown at the 20th anniversary celebration of the Carrefour Europeén du Patchwork in Alsace, France.

Last Tree Standing
2014
25cm x 100cm
assorted fabrics, hand applique
 machine stitched,
metal staples
Afghanistan embroidery

The idea for this exhibit was to select from a web site a hand-embroidered leaf made by Afghani women and integrate it into a textile piece. The length had to be 4 X the width. It was open to EU participants only. I was able to apply through my Italian citizenship.

The idea I had at the beginning changed when I saw how large the embroideries were. (green leaves)

Last Tree Standing
detail

The commercial fabric I used as a background had the shadows of trees. It looked to me like a war torn area in a foggy scene and shadows of tree skeletons in the background. Over this background I created a tree only using fabrics I collected from the floor of a seamstress' atelier.

My tree trunk is made of velvets and stretchy polyester, cotton and textured woven pieces and hand dyed silks. I 'painted' the trunk using all the fabrics that were destined for a land fill. I did not purchase any new materials for this piece. The colours are plentiful- purple, blue, orange, brown, green, pink....I particularly like the stapled number onto the trunk- a selvage edge.  It makes a powerful statement.

Last Tree Standing, detail

I really like it. I am sorry the jury, made up of 5 European women, did not feel it worthy of being part of the 60 piece exhibit.

Along with my generic rejection email, I did get a lovely personal email from the organizer. She called it "an exciting piece with profound symbolism" and she liked my choice of colours.

Even with her great comments, it is still disappointing news.

Scrap Inspiration

All of you reading know I love scrap quilts.

Tiles from somewhere in Paris, France.

Using scraps when quilt-making is so much fun for me!

Tile fragments from ruins of San Lorenzo in Lucina church, 6th century.
 Rome.

I see inspiration for scrap quilts everywhere.

More fragments from the same church.

I am inspired to make some more when I get back home....in October.

Tiles from Spagna subway station,
Rome.

I taught some scrap classes in Clusone, near Bergamo, Italy, on September 9 and 10.

quilting class-everyone concentrating!

scrap class- let's go wild!!

All students had fun!

Hand Work

"(She) rolled her shoulder slightly to relax the cramping muscle as she tried to keep her focus on the tiny, even stitches..."

Clouds, detail, 2009
Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec
key figures in the international design scene.
Clouds seen at Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.

"She liked sewing."

 Clouds, detail
Momentané (exhibit) closed September 1, 2013

"Liked the steady repetition that allowed her thoughts to drift, and the unequalled satisfaction of creating something functional, and sometimes even beautiful, with her own hands."

Clouds (right side)
Twigs, detail, 2004 (left side)

It makes me happy to know that my mom is starting quilting classes in France. Sewing is something that has brought me great satisfaction.

Clouds (right)
Twigs, (left)

Oddly enough these textile works were not sewn by hand! I put them with this post because of their title- Clouds. Dreamy and relaxing, which is the feeling I hope my mom gets from sewing quietly.

(quote from the book I read this summer on the beach, The Firebird, by Susanna Kearsley.)

Antique Quilts Exhibit

Mona Bismarck, 1897-1983, married five times, acquired money from her 3rd husband and took the title of countess from her 4th husband, founded many institutions including the one in Paris named after her, created to strengthen ties between the United States and France.

Until May 19 at the Mona Bismarck American Center for art and culture, you can view an exhibit of 25 antique quilts from the United States.

Covering the window is a paper reproduction of the crib-size, pineapple quilt from 1870
made by Ethelind Amelia Washburn

I enjoyed seeing the minute(!) quilt stitches, the perfect appliquéd circles of the Cherry Tree Quilt, 1925, by Naomi Beckwith, the signatures of the makers in 1889 on the Drunkard's Path blocks, the embroidered stitches in the Crazy Quilt fans on a black sateen background from 1900 and the fine netting carefully laid over the damaged fabrics of the pieced quilts.

Union Quilt, 1885.
The majestic eagle has been a symbol of  the USA
since the late 18th century. In this quilt, the artist's
interpretation of the eagle is more "like a
common farmyard fowl". (quote from curator)
Still nice though.

My favourite quilt in the exhibit was the hot pink velvet, 6-inch squares set on-point, mixed with green velvet squares with the long, uneven quilt stitches in white coloured thread, going in no particular direction. It was free and unconstrained. It was a Gees Bend quilt with personality and interest. Not copied, not reproduced. Original.

Exhibited in the second gallery, gouache works by American artist, Zoe Pettijohn Schade, continued with the geometric form found in the antique patchworks. Since curating a few exhibits, I am becoming more aware of curators' choices. The paper works provided a contemporary counterpoint to the quilt exhibit.

And now for something completely different

I noticed this artwork on the way out of the Chanel No. 5 exhibit at the Palais de Tokyo.

John Giorno, Just Say No to Family Values, 2012, paint.
Graffiti by Lek and Sowat.

WHAT!!

La Petite Échelle

In Tours, there is a lovely quilt shop, La Petite Échelle, owned by Christiane Memain.

Medieval houses in Tours, France.

We have been communicating by email for several years...maybe 6!

Standing in front of the quilt store, La Petite Échelle.

Whenever I am in Tours her shop is closed. But on this trip, I got to meet her, finally!

A warm welcome from Christiane.

 She had time to show me some of her quilts.

Her scrap quilt made using basically two colours,
brown and blue. She brought in many different
browns and blues, some that you may not
 normally put together,
 but that added interest to the quilt. 

An interesting way to design a corner.
Notice the inside border and the outside one.

She added a "directional" image
to help her remember which way is UP.
 Smart!

While we were there, a jewellery designer walked in to purchase some fabric which she incorporates in her pieces.

Christiane's shop is lovely. I miss touching fabric since I have been away from my studio for some time so today was a real treat for me!

Place Plumereau in Vieux Tours

Her shop is close to Place Plumereau. If you are ever in Tours - about 1 hour south of Paris with the TGV (fast train), I hope you stop in and visit her.

African Billie Zangewa

Billie Zangewa creates silk tapestries. She was born in Malawi, raised in Botswana, studied in Grahamstown, South Africa, worked in Johannesburg and exhibited in New York.

I was introduced to her work at Art Paris Art Fair at the gallery MAGNIN-A.

Christmas at the Ritz, 2006
120 cm x 111 cm
embroidered silk
There are better images on the artist's and gallery website

She comes to textile art from a fashion background. Fabric was her medium then and it is now.

She sews together snippits from her life. She often places herself in the image- a self-portrait in a captured moment.

Artist is in the right hand corner
(sorry about the reflection in the glass)

A captured moment like a photograph.

I love the way she has bits missing in her background fabric choice. That seems to be in all her work.

Simple stitching, beautiful choices of colour and fabric. It's like painting with fabric.

(notice the absence of the word patchwork)

Italian Textile Artists

My observation is that textile art is more prevalent in Italy than in France. Gallery owner, David Gerges, who exhibits textile agrees with me.

Riscatto, detail, 2013
by italian artist Tiziana Abretti
paper, oil, stitches

I discovered Tiziana Abretti's textile art at Art Paris Art Fair. Seven of her works were displayed at the booth for the art school IESA.

Riscatto
means Redemption in Italian

The Parma born artist references the "Arte Povera" movement by using non-noble materials. She ruins and repairs her creations. She is on her way to great things I am told. She is completely immersed and focused in her work.

The work is like an empty carcass

Some of her pieces were under glass and framed. Ah yes..that whole debate about framing...

Art Everywhere

Imagine hundreds of art galleries in one spot.

Inside Grand Palais for the Art Paris Art Fair

 Imagine me walking around with my mouth open soaking in everything! 

I was at the Art Paris Art Fair for 4 hours yesterday and didn't even get to see everything! (I had to leave because the bakeries were closing and I needed a baguette for dinner!)

I stopped to talk to many art dealers that were exhibiting textile work. What insightful conversations! 

work by Elise Morin in the entrance of the Grand Palais

I learned so much about specific international textile artists and about consumer behaviour towards textile medium.

Morin's work made using wooden embroidery hoops,
plastic bags, plastic ties.

I got a chance to promote some of the Canadian textile artists who in my opinion do spectacular work.

Fossile 1990
4m x 8m

There are some that say it is better to be in your own corner to be able to design/ create how you want  and not be influenced by the same things that are influencing others in your field (article from B of F) and I agree but right now I am finding it exhilarating to be surrounded by art of all mediums in the great City of Light.

I will be posting more about textile artists I discovered at this event.