Sonoma Sorrows 

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“Sonoma Sorrows”

Autumn 2017 was a time of horrific wildfires in the northern parts of California. I made this art quilt during the 2017-2018 winter, but it could also be used to portray wildfires since that time that have occurred in the same area.

The quilt is raw-edge appliqué (this seems to be my “go-to” technique, satin stitching, and free-motion stitching. And of course, grapevines and the produce needed to be seen on the quilt as well, as well as burned structures.

Estes Park Flooding

“Estes Park Flooding” 

In September 2013, flooding occurred in Estes Park, Colorado. Living in that beautiful town at that time, I awakened at 2:00AM - something didn’t feel just right. I went to the front window that overlooked the main road in town down the hill from our home. I didn’t’ see a road, I saw a muddy river. Much devastation occurred to the businesses along that road and also in neighboring towns. 

This quilt starts with beautiful skies, crystal clear days, and, working down to the bottom of the quilt, the devastation that occurred. I started with satins at the top, ended with burlap at the bottom. Although I no longer live there, the town is still exceptionally beautiful, even after the devastating flood.

Coronavine

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“Coronavine”

2020 introduced us to a world-wide pandemic, Covid-19. When this began making news and changing our lives at an alarming rate, for me it was almost planting season. Thinking of spring gardening, maybe a few flowers, maybe some vines on my trellises, I realized the art quilt version of this disaster was calling for me to combine the pandemic and my gardening dreams. Thus, I came up with my “Coronavine”. If you look closely at the white trellis in the background, it may morph into white cemetery crosses.

The “virus” flowers are painted with acrylic paints. Most of the quilt is raw-edge appliqué. The “seed packets” in the center contain all of the information that a normal seed packet may contain. This quilt has recently been published in a book, “Quarantine Quilts” Creativity in the Midst of Chaos”, edited by Sandra Sider. 

Houston

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“Houston” 

Flooding occurred in Houston in 2017 (and many times since then). This was a result of Hurricane Harvey. Thousands of people had to flee their homes. The death toll was between 68 and 103 depending on how the deaths were tracked. 

For this quilt I compiled words from many of the newspapers from around the country that were reporting on this tragedy. I used this words on shredded strips on the lower half of the quilt. I also have miniature water bottles (reportedly, water was in very short supply), wooden crosses to denote those who were killed, miniature cars, twigs, etc., all adding up to give the viewer an idea of the devastation. The top part of the quilt is a combination of various buildings that make up the Houston skyline.

 Convergence: Past and Present

“Convergence: Past and Present”

A little bit of whimsy about the pandemic. I frequently switch from tragedies to whimsical quilts while I’m working in my studio. It provides a good balance for me that I need when working on the more serious “tragedy” quilts. 

This quilt is reminiscent of my childhood summers spent traveling to Colorado. I would frequently see the consecutive advertising signs along the road. I always loved seeing them - it meant I was on vacation! I decided to combine this favorite memory with what might be seen on those signs today. “Wash your hands, stay six feet away, shelter in place, til another day. Covid-19”

JOIN ME IN 2022 for the all new 52-Week Photo Challenge

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Critique Group Challenge from week 44

Critique Group Challenge: 

Week 44, What Is It

Photo by Wendy Hodina

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Wendy says:

Would have liked to use a higher Fstop and show more of a graphic abstract here but trying to catch the morning sun reflections and had to shoot at this angle. Selective focus seemed best on this icy morning. Yes, those are a few snow pellets here in northeast Ohio—brrr! But, what is it?

What is it? Wendy says, "It's a ceramic tile table that we use on our patio. Just caught the sun's reflections in the photo that morning and we have put it away for the winter now. Glad I caught it when I did."

52-Week Photo Challenge Class
Week 44 - Panorama 

Week 52 Photo Challenge:

Week 44, Panorama 

Photo by Peter Sidell

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Peter says:

Early twilight at the community where I live. I liked that the sky was just showing some colors and there was no breeze so I got the cloudy sky mirrored by the surface of the lake.. The bridge and building in the distance are an anchor in my perspective. 

Smart Phone Photo Challenges
Week 44 - Made Me Laugh

Smart Phone Challenge:

Week 44, Chips

Photo by Linda Bennett

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Linda says:

Paint chips at Walmart. Edit in BeCasso.

Smart Phone Challenge:

Week 44, Chips

Photo by Ricky Tims

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Ricky says:

I went a bit crazy with this one. Scoop type corn chips on a red plate - first edited to enhance. Then into image blender where I duplicated the same image and rotated it - and blended the two. That was saved and taken into BeCasso for a watercolor - and then that was taken into Prisma for another effect.

Critique Group Challenge:

Week 44, What Is It

Photo by Ricky Tims
from the 2021 Critique Group

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Ricky says:

There's no place like home...that was my hint, although it might not be needed. Did you guess it?

For my "what is it?" challenge, I took this close up of a large wasp nest. I loved how the swirls created movement and beauty.

  Sandy Hook  

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Sandy Hook Elemnentary School

Newtown, Connecticut

December 14, 2012

This commemorative art quilt was the most difficult one for me to make. Throughout the years I have had friends ask me how I can make such tragic quilts without falling apart emotionally. The answer - I focus on design and techniques I want to use, not the actual event, when I am creating these quilts. But this quilt was different, more difficult. In fact, most of these quilts have been worked on and finished shortly after the event took place. Not this one. My thoughts would not stay connected to the design and implementation of techniques. Personal, editorial comment: children shouldn’t die a tragic death. Children shouldn’t die, PERIOD. So this quilt has been painstakingly worked on for several years, not because of its intricacies (it really isn’t that intricate), but because I couldn’t stay focused on the creative process. I would remove it from where it was stored and attempt to finish it on numerous occasions. In fact, I’m not sure it’s finished yet. Several things have changed on this quilt since its inception shortly after the event. Initially, the colors were too bright similar to what a childhood should be. Since then I have “subdued” the quilt, shadowing the primary-color alphabet, and choosing gray as a border instead of bright white. But I did keep one of the original ideas. These children were young and involved in learning, including writing their own names. I wanted to focus on the names of the deceased in this quilt and I selected the old-fashioned paper that for those of us who are older, we may have used as a learning aid. The “block” names are the children who died during this event. The cursive names are the teachers/staff members who died. I also included the shooter’s mother who was killed by him earlier in the day.

Pulse

Pulse Nightclub

Orlando, Florida

6/6/16

A lone gunman entered this primarily gay nightclub and killed 49 people, injured 53 others. This was the deadliest shooting in our country that focused on the LGBTQ community. Because one of the most well-known “icons” of the gay community is a rainbow, I wanted these colors highlighted on this quilt, plus I felt a heartbeat would be appropriate as a reference to the name of the nightclub. On the top right, the perimeter of the quilt begins with the number killed, then evolving from a full pulse to a fading pulse, resulting in the date of death.

No Time

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Las Vegas, Nevada

10/1/17

A lone gunman fired into a crowd of people enjoying an outdoor concert.

He fired from several stories above from a hotel room. Fifty-eight people were killed, 411 more were injured.

When I thought about this event, my primary thought was about the hundreds of people who were enjoying a fun musical venue that evening. For me, there HAD to be music in this quilt! Further thoughts led me to wonder about the violent end of their lives and how they had many dreams, ambitions, and relationships ahead of them if this mass shooting  had not occurred. I included a narrative in the musical lines that referenced these lost dreams, lost time, lost relationships. And I decided to honor the victims with their “frayed” names on the quilt. This was the first commemorative quilt in which I decided to include personal names.

Sanctuary

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Sutherland Springs, Texas

11/5/17

A lone gunman entered the church and killed 27 people, injured 22 others.

Even churches and other places of worship are not immune to tragic events. When I heard about this shooting, I wondered where a person might go that would provide safe sanctuary, thus the questions I came up with became the focal point of this quilt. I searched online for information regarding the church and what had occurred. A picture of a gathering approximately a week later, inside the church, showed folding chairs all painted white with a single rose laid on each one to signify the twenty-seven people killed. 

    Critique Group Challenge Week 42 - Suspense

Critique Group Challenge: 

Week 43, Suspense

Photo by Bruce Hinde

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Bruce says:

Assimilated...
Self portrait with a couple of overlays. The dogs were not sure they liked the robot mask when I put that on.

52-Week Photo Challenge Class Week 43 - Halloween

Week 52 Photo Challenge: 

Week 43, Halloween

Photo by Patty Robinson

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Patty says:

Hiding in plain view

Yes! Beware all! Even on the coast of Maine, they are comimg out tonight...for some mischief-making! I used dreamscape for the bouys,and black and white for these "guests" of the night. Edited out many tiny details in PS to simplify the overall design.Then used LR edits to tone down the color a bit to pull out more of the white skeletons. Though I have so much more to learn ,to do this more effectively.

Smart Phone Photo Challenges
Week 43 - Tricks Or Treats

Smart Phone Challenge:

Week 43, Tricks Or Treats

Photo by Michael Lindow

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Michael says:

These are our spooky Halloween treats. I actually don't eat much in the way of candy, but I got it just in case. Oil painting effect applied.