Meet David Charity - Quilt Artist

David walked into his first Quilts on the Wall meeting and all heads turned. They always do, for we so seldom have men join us... but, join us he did. Since then I have known him to be prolific and inventive in his quilt making. He's got a pretty extensive stash, too! I know you will enjoy meeting him and seeing just a bit of what he is up to.

In "The Guy's" own words: It is an interesting thing that when someone wants to know about you and your art that it is sometimes difficult to express what makes you tick.

I have a couple of things that define my work. One is that growing up, I always wanted to be a cartoonist, the other is that I am partially color blind. I think those two things are a strong influence of my developing style. I love using bold colors (ones that can really see) and the other is that I love having that strong black outline around my shapes.

I have been using computers since the early 1980's, so they have become an integral tool in my arsenal. I have a version of Photoshop that has become a constant friend to me as I develop my designs and morph my photos into something that becomes and inspiration to my next piece.

I think of my machine as just another power tool with thread as I love to add texture and line by covering my work with thread and couched yarns. I love being able to add a 3D texture with either the actual fabric or the addition of a layer of fiber that gets incorporated on the surface.

Since I did not come from a background that included sewing, I have no preconceived limitations on what I can use or what is not acceptable. This allows me to think totally outside the box as I design a piece. I am just as comfortable looking for supplies in a hardware or fabric store if that is what will help me in my design.
I hope you enjoy my work.

See and read more about David on his website, gallery, shared blog & Quilts On the Wall site:

Patricia Charity - Guest Quilt Artist

I met Patricia (Trish) several years ago. She attended one of my workshops and was the student in the corner who quietly worked on creating her selected photo, using and learning my Fast-Piece Applique method all the while making a piece that was totally Trish... an amazing piece that brought a vineyard to life. Since that time I have delighted in getting to know her better and to enjoy the beauty, skill and artistry that she brings to all her work.

In her own words:
I have always drawn. I have always loved art. I was dismal in 8th grade Home Ec class and it was a wonder that the jumper I made actually fit onto my body and hung reasonably straight. Who would have known that these two disciplines with such opposite results would become the basis for my art? I have always said that I make quilts instead of clothes because they don't have to fit any thing and if it has an odd angle, it is a design element and not a dart gone wild.

I find it interesting that the artworks I am drawn to in the 'fine art' world are the things that I struggle with in my own work. I tend to create soft and restful pieces that are more representational and yet I love the graphic and abstract images of higher energy artists. I am working with more abstract designs as I stretch myself in these new directions.

I love incorporating new techniques and materials in my work. I am always looking for unusual fibers and techniques that drawn the viewer in closer to try to figure out what is actually giving that subtle light shift on the surface.

One of the things that I find really interesting as I create my body of work is that I have a definite color bias. I dislike pink, the pale baby pink, but find that deep raspberry of fuchsia shows up in a lot of my work. I love the warm fall colors and I feel that this is where a lot of that restfulness comes from my work. Life can be so stressful at times and I think that I create my pieces to bring me to a quiet and meditative place, a place where I can hear the whisper of my soul.

See and read more about Trish on her website, gallery, shared blog & Quilts On the Wall site:

Tuesday's Reception At The Shannon

Had to share some pictures taken of us artist & our quilts during the reception of Art Quilters as Story Tellers.... we all had a great time!

Trail Marker #4 the Give-Away Trail Continues

The fun continues, and there were a lot of you that left comments and were in the running for Trail-Marker #3.
It was great to hear from so many of you....
but, there is only one winner... and that is Mary Lou Hightower!
The wool roving will be making its way to Mary Lou, but the next Trail-Marker is just around the corner.

TM-GA #4 begins today & the same rules apply.

April 19th through May 2nd
To be in the drawing-
leave a comment on my blog
or
comment on my FaceBook Fan Page
Each time = 1 Entry

Get an EXTRA entry for tweeting about the give-away (making sure @rosehughes is included)

The lucky winner of #4 will get two packages of Angelina Fibers
Another light-weight prize BUT heavy with fun possibilities!

Guest Artist - Joanell Connolly

Joanell has an amazingly long list of roads taken in exploration of her artwork. There was a time when she made paper earrings, stitched up incredible clothing that were/are exhibited, published and WORN across the country, but I'm forever grateful that our own paths crossed during her this/current 'quilt' art time. She is inspiring and I always enjoy sharing work, play and almost everything in between with her. We share the idea that the learning never ends.

IN HER OWN WORDS: It is sometimes amazing how much someone can impact our lives. I recently learned that my 7th grade home economics teacher is still alive and well, and playing golf in Austin, Texas. I remember that time well. My fabrics were bold, bright and I often put irregular colors together. I still have orange pop beads that went with the yellow blouse I made in class.

Yellow was never my color and I probably wore it just because she told me so. I have been sewing forever and cannot remember ever being without at least one sewing machine.

I started with clothing which lead to quilted clothing, which lead to art quilts. A reoccurring theme this last year in my art has been PEACE, it shows up on most everything. I have also been playing with birds, leaves and trees. After all... Birds are looking for PEACE, too!

Check out Joanell's website and blog... and her page on Quilts on the Wall: Fiber Artists

jo GRIFFTH - One More Great Quilt Artist

jo is an amazing artist-and a great friend,,, though we only met a couple of years ago she is one of those special people you just click with. She's got quite a history and I hope you get her at some point to share about her race car driving! We really got to know each other better when she began to oversee an annual invitational exhibit that travels throughout the country. Keep an eye out for this years' Noble Seasons: Summer... they are out there somewhere.

In her own words: I have been creating art since acquiring my first box of crayons and my art has been evolving ever since. I seem to be an eternal student and the more art I produce, the more my art changes. Because of this, my art has traversed most of the fiber arts, almost all arts involving water media I am involved in and because of that, am very much aware that the journey is the objective. My professional life has taken many paths and after more than 35 years as a Scientific Illustrator, I am now in partial retirement and able to spend considerably more time on my own art. Surprisingly, science seems to be finding it's way back into my personal art on a regular basis.read more about jo over on the QuiltsOntheWall web gallery.

Stay on the Trail - Trail-Marker #3 Give-Away

Hope you all are having fun..I certainly am!
I'm really pleased to let you know the winner of round #2 is Susan Hviid, so the air-dry clay & tools will be heading north.

Now, it's on to Trail-Marker #3
April 4th through April 18
For this one do any of the following-
Each time = 1 Entry
leave a comment on my blog
or
comment on my FaceBook Fan Page
for double tries - Each time = 2 Entries
tweet about the give-away (making sure @rosehughes is included)

The prize this time is a 4-color assortment of wool roving.
The package will be light-weight BUT heavy with fun opportunity!

Meet Analee Perica

I hope you enjoy meeting Analee. The moment we met, we clicked. This was some number of years ago at a workshop at the Quilters Studio in Newbury Park, CA, and Analee was just retiring from teaching and wanting to quilt. Well, she lost no time in learning to Fast-Piece Applique and using it in her own work, with her own wonderful hand stitching. I've never seen any more precise stitching, whether it is is embroidery, or crocheting, knitting, and I love how she sees something in her head and just sets about to make it happen!

IN HER OWN WORDS:
I have had a lifelong love affair with handcraft. Any and all skills involving flashing fingers carrying needles/tools/fibers and fabric. In 2006, after a 36 year career as a K-Adult Educator I embarked on my second life as Tangential Fiber Montage artist.

I began with classes from Rose Hughes and the Quilters' Studio in art and traditional quilting, and since I enjoy creating one of a kind appliques for purses, wearable art, and art quilts I am always exploring how to combine kumihimo, knitting, crocheting, beading, felting, doll-making, embroidery/stitching, and fabric arts into art montages.

Many of these montages make their way onto my husband's special 'travel vests'. He has greatly influenced my art and retirement, and is himself a world traveler. Plans for each of his trips begin by him requesting a new personalized 'travel vest' for each country he visits. Each vest features a hand chain stitched motif reflecting the culture he will be visiting. We are at 6 and counting! The Blue Thunder Dragon of Bhutan is my favorite. The Orangutan vest is due by his departure for Malaysia in July 2010. My own travels with him inspired the quilt art piece that will be part of Rose's new book.

You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but you can't take the teaching out of the teacher. I love working with adult students in the arts of kumihimo and hand stitched machine appliques for wearable art, and I invite you to visit my website and blog to see photos and bloggy thoughts.