I Have a New Interest!

Just what I need....a new passion!  I really enjoyed the workshop and hearing our guild speaker today and yesterday.  The artist is Larkin Van Horn and I love her work!  She really goes beyond "beading"; I am very interested in trying some of her techniques to embellish my works.  The workshop yesterday was great...I learned so much...and had a terrific time with all my fellow guild members who were there.  Then today at the guild meeting, Larkin lectured and showed slides of even more of her work and the beaded art of others who have learned from her.  She lives on Whidby Island, WA. We visited there about four years ago...beautiful spot.  I could go back there for a visit!

Larkin asked that we not post any of her works on blogs, etc., pictures taken were just for our own private interest. She has a lot of her art on her website www.larkinarts.com if anyone would like to look her up.  We are hoping to have her back sometime to do maybe a two day workshop, because yesterday, we just had time to get many of the basics down. 

Tomorrow, lunch with all the kids to celebrate my and Dick's birthdays.  We were heading for Alaska when Dick had his birthday, and mine was in the middle of the week...and all these kids and grands have jobs and school.  Looking forward to seeing all of them.

Great Day!!

I am ready for bed but wanted to comment on what a great day I have had!!  The weather is perfect...I have been with my best friends including Dick,  playing poker and eating...and I acutally came out ahead!  I have either talked to  or heard from my girls and grands!  I am going to  a guild workshop tomorrow to learn more about embellishing quilts/beading.  And I am celebrating my birthday, so today is the first day of the rest of my life, which I plan to live to the fullest for a long time to come!!

And one more thing...

I did forget to mention that while we were at the Kemper Art Museum in Kansas City, we were very excited to see an exhibit titled "Three Generations".... an exhibit of the three Wyeths...N.C., Andrew, and James.  These are a few of  my most favorite artists.  Most of the painting there were by Andrew...his work is so realistic.  Because it was a traveling exhibit, I wasn't able to take any pictures of it. 

There had been a three generation collection in Dallas many years ago, but not any of the same pictures.  The Dallas one focused on N.C. Wyeth's illustrations for books....Treasure Island, Kidnapped, etc.  The originals were enormous...larger than life. Our first big trip after retirement was East and the Wyeth home/studio at Chadd's Ford, PA was one of our stops.  Such a thrill to actually stand where the masters stood and lived!

Tomorrow a Guild Board meeting then lunch with an old friend.

Visit to Missouri

This past week, Dick and I went to Missouri to attend the funeral of an elderly aunt and to visit with family.  We made better time driving than we thought we would so we had time to stop by an art museum in Kansas City on our way through.  The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art was new to us as it was built after we were in the area....a lovely gallery...located right across the street from the Art Insitute of KC and next door to their ceramic building....all a very pretty area with lots of older buildings as well as some ultra modern ones...a good mix!
 
Wouldn't this painting make an interesting quilt?

This is a wall sculpture at the Kemper.  The attendents were setting up for a wedding reception to be held there.  I was impressed with the nearly mirror like floors!

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The Kemper is very proud of their giant spider outside the entrance and on the right is a sculpture on the inside entrance.

The Crying Giant is also a very favorite of the Kemper, outside also on the grounds.

On the right is the Nelson-Atkins Art Gallery of Kansas City.  When I lived there, the new, modern buildings were not there.  They have been added, to much controversy I am sure!  We didn't have time to visit there, too, so will have to plan to do that another visit.

On the left is the entrance to the Art Institute and the ceramic department building at the Institute on the right.



We had wonderful fall weather as you can tell.  Kansas City is a beautiful city....very classy!  A wonderful mix of old and new.  I think in my next life, I will attend the Art Institute there...wish I had known about it fifty years ago!

We also came home with a bushel and a half of Jonathon apples which we can not get in Texas so I am busy peeling and freezing...making pies and apple butter!

One Very Lucky Lady!

   My studioQ group met last Monday...had a great time...and great inspiration from all.  I am lucky to be with such a talented group of ladies.  Our recipe word for the month was "Magical"; I thought about doing an optical illusion (also suggested by my quilter daughter) but couldn't find a simple one, so I chose to do a take off of Carol Bryer Fallert's Flying Geese, something I have been wanting to try anyway.

      

I also have a couple of other reasons to fee lucky...on the trip to Houston, our bus guide held several drawings to keep us entertained.  One of my two buddies and I both won the drawing for a $25.00 gift certificate from a local Fort Worth quilt shop, Berry Patch.

And my last "lucky" occurence...at the show I had put my name and "blog" about the show in a drawing at the Quilting Arts booth.  I wasn't there for the drawing on Saturday night and as I hadn't heard anything from them, I just assumed someone else had won so thought no more about it.  Then when I got home from my studioQ meeting Monday, I had an email congratulating me on the fact that my name had been drawn!  Was I ever excited!  Yesterday this big box from Cloth, Paper, Scissors came UPS...and inside were so many marvelous things!  There was for starts a large "craft" bag with many pockets, etc.  Inside were: two calendars from the perspective magazines, misty fuse, steam a seam, warm and natural batting, three magazines, and a package of fat quarters from Moda fabrics!  Forty-four fat quarters in all!!

I am still on cloud nine!!!  Now, I really have a reason to get busy and use all these wonderful gifts!!

My Latest and Last Pics of Houston!

And now for the last Houston pics that I am going to post. I am going to burn a CD for all my studioQ buddies and my daughter who also quilts. It was really difficult to pick out just a few to post!!

This is yardage of Indigo fabric at the "Indigoes of China" exhibit. Just beautiful!

And this is one of the many displays of the "Indigoes of China" that were in the exhibit.

I don't remember the name of this small quilt but I found it to be fascinating.

This exhibit was "Festival Gallery of Quilt Art: Fabric Forest". It was organized by Groebenzellar Quiltersgruppe. I am not sure what group that is but it kind of sounds German. And I was as the INTERNATIONAL Quilt Festival...many things from many places!

I love this quilt "Forces of Nature". It was not only beautifully made, it reminded me of the new Native American Museum in Washington, DC., a new museum dedicated to the American Indians...beautiful and impressive...inside and out.

This small quilt showed the versatility of all the quilts...and I love the thought it presents

And last....not a quilt...but I titled this picture "The Hunks of Houston"! As our bus was taking us to the Convention Center, we were stopped at a red light when one of the gals saw this building under construction and commented on the guys, lined up on each floor as though posing for a calendar. I, of course, had my handy camera ready and leaned over to take a pic through the window!!

More Houston Pics

We have just had the greatest rain fall!! We had about 3 1/2 in the gauge and now this morning it is cool and sunny...great fall day. Had a few friends who are interested in our trip to the great North over for dinner Tuesday and gave them our information about the ferry, etc.. Then tonight we are getting together with our poker buddies for dinner and games! Tomorrow, we are picking up the grands from school as their parents need to attend a funeral.

And come the weekend, we are staying home, not going to see anyone!!! We need a little "alone" time..I plan to get some sewing done...I had signed up to do a swap of "Inchies" of Christmas ornaments so need to get them done...I have done one set...not too crazy about the project but will get them out by the first of the week.

Now for some more International Show pics!!

This is a wonderful little quilt..I overheard a lady looking at the quilts make the comment, this is just like being in an art museum! And I agree! This is a technique I would like to try.

This Quilt was in a series called "West Coast Wonders II"; a group of several quilts from California.

This is a closeup of the above quilts...fascinating how it was put together...very dimensional looking.

And this quilt was in the Series on"Tactile Architecture"; another fabulous set of quilts from all over! Again..I am inspired!

This little guy who stands about three feet, was made by Hasbro to emphasize the fabric by Mary Fisher who is very involved in an orphanage in Africa...she had many quilts on display of photographs of several of the kids and adults she works with.

And now I am going to take a walk while the sun is shining!!