Compositional Conversation

I have had the distinct pleasure of being invited to participate

in a project called "Compositional Conversation."

In the words of its creator, artist Terry Jarrard-Dimond,

this is a "project designed to create dialogue between artists

and a textile construction, artists to artists and hopefully,

artist to audience...  The concept is simple: A composition

made of fabric is begun and then passed from artist to artist..."

Terry goes on to explain the process in detail in a blog

that she has set up specifically for this social, textile experiment.

I hope you will visit it and follow the process along with the participants

and, last but not least, add your thoughts to the conversation by going here.

Admit One

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Juan

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Juan

Ill and poor his whole life,

he lived quietly in other people's shadows;

he held my tiny hand with great tenderness,

I could sense his ache,

the pain of being invisible.

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Opium

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Venezuelan Symphony

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Venezuelan Symphony

37"h by 39"w

This is my memory of the beautiful llanos (plains) of Venezuela when

crossed on horseback -- land as far as the eyes can see,

flowering trees, rivers, birds -- nature's symphony.

Every note, from dark to light, interpreted in cloth.

Orinoco (Series of 4)

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Orinoco

It has been difficult to photograph this work because the dark

tones are very, very rich and intense, while the lighter ones

are almost diaphanous. Be sure to click on each photo to enlarge

it and that might help get a better feeling for the piece.

The inspiration is, again, the wild landscape of Venezuela

along the shores of the mighty Orinoco River.

Google Earth: Orinoco Delta

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Google Earth: Orinoco Delta

39"h by 49"w

The idea for this piece is my own recollection of trips to the

jungle in Venezuela and canoe rides along the Orinoco River;

its waters are clear but the iron ore deposits of the area color

the bottom sand and the surrounding shores.

I made a large piece of felt from scratch using some lovely

Merino wool that I hand-dyed;  other sections were also

hand-dyed using rust shavings.

Bridges

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Salto Angel (Angel Falls)

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Salto Angel (Angel Falls)

27"h by 31"w

The tallest waterfall in the world, Salto Angel or Angel Falls,

is located in Venezuela's jungle. I have explored it by canoe

and on foot and these are the colors of that wild landscape -- the

roaring foam rising high above the tree-tops, framing the spectacular view.

Central Station

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Central Station

The whole and some of the parts

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Lampada Osram di fronte alla stazione

giornali, cartoline

le insegne, le reclames

la fila di tassi

la calca sopra i tram

annodi il tuo foulard

le otto e dieci ...

Grazie dei bei ricordi, Claudio Baglioni!

Lampada Osram (1975)

Art Quilting Studio Magazine Premier Issue

Below is a detail of Chinatown, a piece that I have had the privilege of

seeing published in a beautiful 2-page spread in the Art Quilting Studio

Magazine issue now on newsstands by Stampington and Co.:

Thank you, Stampington!

Heart Line

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Heart Line

Page 139 of the debut issue of 
Stampington's Art Quilting Studio shows my piece,
 Heart Line, with a general explanation of its process. 

Thank you, Stampington Magazine!

What We Lose Along the Way

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What We Lose Along the Way

51″h by 42w″

My piece "What We Lose Along The Way" now proudly hangs

in the atrium of Rock Hill's new Performance Center for the Arts. 

Thinking back to when as a teen I fantasized about what I would do

in life, who I might become, where I might go, what I might achieve,

led me to put some of those feelings into this piece, not with a sense

of regret but, rather, the realization that letting go of some things

allowed me to achieve others, perhaps unimaginable at the time.

Maps, ideas, years, friends, countries, fears … What have you

lost along the way?

On tour with the Mancuso Brothers’ exhibits throughout 2010.