Inspiration Monday..

And This Too...

Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach

If you fancy a nice day out and are on the East Coast.. I'll be at The Neptune Festival, in Virginia Beach this weekend, with new work. Tent #2224

reflections

An interesting thought on jurried shows. I tend to get the 'yes's' from unlikely sources. From outsider shows, from non-art quilting venues and publications. I only just realized this, going through my submissions and rejections (I keep both!) files. Almost universal 'no's' from anything traditionally art-quilt related. Shows, publications. I wonder. Anyway I'm happy for the yeas, and for those who read this and have said no to me, it's all good. I do really appreciate the constructive comments. If it's no, then I like to know why. Presentation? workmanship? filled the quota? Feed back is always helpful.

So do you submit your art to shows? galleries? publications. I've noticed publications in particular are very subjective to the editors' taste. I know picking art is VERY subjective, one's blue ribbon is anther's 'no'.

I've also noticed publications' tendencies to stick with certain artists and their techniques or styles. I guess editors can explain it as cohesiveness, or sticking with a theme.

A nice and very interesting newish magazine is "Hand Eye" .. have you seen them yet? Check it out, especially if you are interested in hand work, ethnic arts and travel!

Enjoy your weekend!

done!

A lovely commission done and off to it's new home in Ca.. Based on Shakespeare's character Ophelia in "Hamlet".  Hand dyed and commercial cotton and silk, hand embellished and embroidered.

Also finished submissions to a couple of shows. I swear, I spent hours on the technical aspect of taking/uploading/processing photos of my art as much as making it! It's a learning curve.

In Remembrance

late summer madness

Well, a long intense period in the summer studio is drawing nigh and it has been a good one. Very productive. I'm wrapping up a big submission for an art quilt show, the competition is tough, so we'll see.  

A few calm seashore items to end the hottest summer on..

into the studio

Ahh the smell of turpentine in the morning..smells like 'victory' *bad robert duvall impersonation*

Various states of undress and undone-ness.. going on though

hunkered down

Is that even a real phrase? Anyway, some lovely shots of the garden, which I have not done much to, and have surrendered it to the summer...

And instead have sequestered myself in the studio stitching ..

and painting.. in the cool

Submitted!

Ok, this is how it eventually turned out..the 'bird's eye view of the Rappahannock River", I showed no color restraint what so ever..

Over 45 fabrics, hand dyed and commercial, machine and hand sewn, quilted and embellished.

With some of Glennis' hand dyed shibori ribbon for good measure.. about 32x28" finished!

ebb and flow

This season seems to be a regrouping of sorts. Many works on the table and on the easel, waiting to be finished. It's OK, I like the cycle of creation as much as I like the creations themselves.  A few unadulterated shots of things in progress..

This is a piece for the 'Uniquely Fredericksburg' show due very soon.. a bird's eye view of the Rappahannock River that flows through Fredericksburg. In the stage of 'ug' right now. I am calm, though as all art goes through this stage, I'm sure.

With help from Google maps for the course of the river..

Trial and much error

and of course taking a little time to harvest from the garden!

a colorful summer..

pinkest pinks..

fresh fruit..

inspiration for more..

LibertyTown first Fridays..

There is a new art show at LibertyTown, here in Fredericksburg. The theme is birds, and a piece I made got in! LibertyTown is an open studio gallery, where over 40 of us artsy-types have studios, and work. It's open to the public, so folks can come and talk and shop and see the art being made. Come out and see the new show!
This piece is again, a literary theme, based on Edgar Allan Poe's poem, "The Raven". Hand and machine quilted, pieced and embellished. I used actual book pages on it as well.

Pieces for the King George Art Show..

This is another 'rural' work, with hand dyed silk and cotton and commercial fabrics..

A preview of what is going to the King George Art Show, opening on Thurs...

monochrome beach

a storm had come through and left little but gray at the beach..

still beautiful .

preview of 'Adam'

work in progress to with 'eve'..

eve

eve
Originally uploaded by Lorie McCown

eve is getting an adam! started the underpainting to adam this weekend..

literary ladies..

Ophelia, her watery grave..

Jo from 'Little Women"

Mixed media pictures from an ongoing series

memorial day

Several years ago my son was in scouts and his troop plus a lot of others, had the task of setting up the luminaria which are lit every Memorial Day, here in Fredericksburg (the 2nd largest military park in the country) on the graves of some 15, 000 soldiers who died in the Battle of Fredericksburg, and surrounding battles. The number is mind boggling, and to see the luminaria lit at night is completely sublime. It is going on again this weekend..

Words really do not explain how powerful the sight is.  I had brought along a camera, as we made our way placing bags/sand and candles, and took several shots of the terraced grave sites. I made a quilt of the day sight of all those bags, flags and graves..

I'd started a nighttime scene as well, also in the works is a quilt of the Sunken Road, a place where a good part of the Battle of Fredericksburg took place..

current studio/work

All the work going on, and for those who read 'Studios' magazine, a real artist studio, warts and all...





Putting that hand dyed silk to good use..

More silk lovelyness!... now this is my kind of laundry!

be cause i care..

About beauty, peace and creativity.

above images from ewa i walla, U2, and Anselm Kiefer