Artwork headed for Tacoma!
Good News! Two of my pieces, Rhythm and Hues and Wings #2, were accepted into the Pacific West Quilt Show today! They will be judged in one of the art categories.
If you live near Tacoma, WA or plan to be in the area in August, the show runs from August 23rd – 26th. The details of the show can be found on the APWQ website.
Rhythm and Hues
©2012 Kathleen Probst
24″ x 43″
Cotton fabrics – hand dyed by the artist, cotton batt, cotton thread.
Fused and machine stitched.
Wings #2
©2011 Kathleen Probst
27″ x 29″
Cotton fabrics – hand dyed by the artist, cotton batt, cotton thread.
Fused and machine stitched.
As I put this post together I realized that I had not shared the Wings #2 with you after I completed it in December. I struggled for a bit trying to decide how to quilt the piece. After much contemplation, I decided to go with vertical quilt lines. My concern was that they would detract from the design but I think they are quite fitting.
I will give you a reminder when the date for the show draws near. If you want a personal reminder simply sign up for my newsletter and check the “Exhibition Announcements” box.
Landscaping for Mother’s Day!
This is Little Layered Landscape III was purchased today as a Mother’s Day gift for someone’s lucky mom. The inspiration for this piece came from the Boise foothills. I believe if Boise had beachfront property that it would be perfect, so I added the water and the hut.
Little Layered Landscape III
©2006 Kathleen Probst
18″ x 8″
Commercial fabrics, flannel batt, cotton thread.
Fused and machine stitched.
I learned this technique in a Sue Benner workshop when I still lived in Colorado. I only have one more piece, Little Layered Landscape II, from this series left to purchase. You can see it in my etsy shop.
Wings #3: Striped in Time for Summer
I quilted Wings #3: Striped in Time for Summer back in February but I just added her binding this week.
Wings #3: Striped in Time for Summer
©2012 Kathleen Probst
40″ x 35″
$600
Cotton fabrics – hand dyed by the artist, cotton batt, embroidery floss – hand dyed by the artist, cotton thread.
Fused, hand stitched and machine stitched.
Wings #3: Striped in Time for Summer (detail)
©2012 Kathleen Probst
This piece is an ode to summer with hot weather and sipping lemonade on a summer chair with striped cushions. I wanted to try my hand at creating stripes with no identifiable pattern. I borrowed the palette from grass and pools of cools water. The wing shapes themselves are from the flying creatures that multiply as the warm weather awakens all flitty things that have been asleep.
The chunky stitching on the white is all hand stitching. It gives the white fabric a very soft look.
You can see more about this piece in progress here.
Waiting in the wings
I will be stitching this Big Bridge for quite some time. Although it is nighttime, this photo makes it looks like I’m sewing in the dark but it is just the bright light from my machine throwing my camera off. I’m getting the hang of flopping this big piece around as I move along. I’m happy I used flannel for the batt. It makes this big piece much lighter than it would be with a regular cotton batt.
Bridge #9 (Work in Progress) ©2012 Kathleen Probst
I thought I would also give you a glimpse of a piece that has been waiting in the wings for some attention. It will have to stay a wallflower for the time being. All my energy is going to the bridge for now.
Studio Visit
My good friend, Lisa Flowers Ross, hosted an open studio at her home yesterday. I only have two pictures of her studio. I would have more pictures to share but my camera battery died. This is a lesson for me; to always charge my battery the night before an event! I’m sorry that I had to learn it around Lisa’s event.
She had more of her pieces in other rooms in her house that I wish I could share with you. You can see a gallery of her work 0n her website.
Two Roads Diverged in a Yellow Wood (framed),
Color Fields #14 and Color Fields #7
©2012 Lisa Flowers Ross
Lisa has a picture hanging system that allows her to easily hang different size works of art. Her cutting table folds up nicely when not in use.
Here you can see her Leaf Metamorphosis series, Color Fields # 9 and a brand new series she is working on that is yet to be titled. In the background you can just begin to see the vast collection of fabric Lisa has stored so carefully. Most of them are solids that she has hand dyed. She is the artist responsible for me getting into hand dyeing my own fabric!
Lisa also has another studio room in her house dedicated to art. It has a drafting table, her computer and business side of work as well as a incredible library of books on Art.
Her home is filled with art that she has collected over the years. Her collection really gives their home personality and gives everyone who visits a glimpse into her appreciation for art. I discover something new every time I visit.
2nd Annual Foray Exhibit Opens
My latest exhibit, Second Annual Foray Exhibition, opens tomorrow, Friday, April 27th from 5 pm till 8 pm in the offices of Boise State Public Radio at 220 E. Parkcenter Blvd. in Boise. I’ll be there and I’d love to see you.
Here is my piece Landscapes: Sand and Water #2 which is in the show and available for purchase.
Landforms: Sand and Water #2
13″ x 13”
©2011 Kathleen Probst
Textile Painting Hand dyed cotton, cotton flannel, cotton thread, fused, hand and machine stitched.
Who:
A total of 60 local artists have their work in this exhibit including; painters, photographers, fiber and mixed media artists. Many will be on hand at the opening.
When:
The show runs through July 26th and is open weekdays from 9am-5pm.
So, if you can’t make it tomorrow you still have lots of time to stop by.
Where:
The offices are just across the street from Red Robin and have a BSU sign ‘Ron and Linda Yanke Family Research Park‘ as you drive in. Click here for a map.
If you stop by anytime after the opening make sure to park in the free visitors parking spaces up front on the right hand side. On the night of the opening parking in front of the Yanke building is free.
Here is the postcard from the show. My piece made the cover. How fun is that?
Piecing a Large Art Quilt – Bridge #9
Some textile artists create really big pieces. I am becoming more and more impressed with their skill as I work out issues with my most recent piece. Bridge #9 is currently about 72″ wide. This is new territory for me and I am learning to be creative with my work space.
This progression shows a large cut I made to piece this bridge into place. I had to leap frog my cutting mats underneath to get all the way across.
Bridge #9 (Work in Progress) - before the cut
Bridge #9 (Work in Progress) – after the cut
Bridge #9 (Work in Progress) - with the scraps pulled aside, ready to be pinned together
At this point I have finished piecing it together and I’m now basting it. I wonder how long it will take me to quilt?
Rhythm and Hues
I finally finished this art quilt yesterday. I am extremely fond of leaf shapes and I have begun exploring them in my art. I cannot tell you how many times we’ve pulled the car over so I can go out and collect leaves from the ground. I completely cover the dashboard with them and then off we go. My family is used to this.
It is known that people naturally look for patterns in life. At the same time they look for variations within that pattern. I played with that idea in this quilt while also considering about how music does the same thing. We listen to a melody repeat itself in a song and it becomes interesting to us when we hear just a slight variation in the notes. I want to capture the movement of music in my art.
Rhythm and Hues
©2012 Kathleen Probst
24″ x 43″
Cotton fabrics – hand dyed by the artist, cotton batt, cotton thread.
Fused and machine stitched.
The background fabric is a really dark hunter green that is difficult to capture in a picture. Here is close up of the stitching.
Rhythym and Hues (detail)
©2012 Kathleen Probst
This time I used Warm and Natural batting which is very different from the flannel I normally use as a batt. I’m not sure if I’ll use it again.
I used a walking foot for the first time in a long time. It was pretty comical when I attempted to attach a walking foot from my very old Singer sewing machine and couldn’t understand why it didn’t attach correctly. There was no brand written on it. I had my Huskyvarna manual out and wondered why my walking foot was white instead of silver, like the one in the picture. I dragged my husband, the engineer, up to my studio to help me work it out. While explaining my issue, I pulled out the drawer where I got it from and happened to see the other walking foot. It made me laugh. Sometimes all he has to do to solve a problem is to walk into a room.
Out Like a Lamb
It is time for my end of the month Check In for March.
STUDIO TIME
I produced 5 new pieces this month. Two small pieces are complete and 3 medium pieces still need to be quilted.
I made art in the studio 16 out of 31 days, spent time on art business 17 out of 31 days and had 3 days where I didn’t work on either. I feel good with what I produced. It was a busy month with my first open studio, spring break and cranky, coughing colds going through the family including me.
As for signing into my studio and tracking my time. I dropped the ball with this after day 19. I knew what days I worked after that but I didn’t track my time. I don’t want to skip this anymore. It helps keep me on top of how I’m spending my time.
After hosting an open studio and completely decluttering my studio I have found it much easier to work. This is not a surprise, but a benefit worth mentioning.
SHARING and CONNECTING
My Open Studio was a success and a learning experience. I shared my passion and vision with old and new friends. It was wonderful feedback to listen to the observations people made of my art. I also learned more about planning and marketing an event like this. My own studio is a very comfortable place to talk about my work which is different from my upcoming shows when I will be in a gallery and talking to the public.
I went to Anne Klahr’s show, Full Circle, at Mind and Body Fitness and I went to BSU to see Cutting Edge, a cut paper exhibition. This is such an enjoyable habit that allows me to see and discuss art on a regular basis.
I took my first road trip of the year to visit Linda McLaughlin, a textile artist, and to tour her studios. Yay!
I’m still checking in with a fellow artist weekly. We changed our format to simply review weekly goals and to discuss a long term goal if applicable. It is keeping me more accountable to myself and at the same time I feel more connected to the other artist because we are talking about specific tasks for the week.
ART BUSINESS
I invited people to subscribe to my studio newsletter in person at my open studio.
I wrote 8 blog posts with the intention of writing 8, however I’m not writing 2 per week consistently. I have observed over the last few months that I tend to write a cluster of posts and then fade out for a bit. I want to write on a more regular basis.
I updated my art inventory and created a visual subcollection of what I have produced this year. It was interesting to see pieces from the series I’ve chosen to focus on in one place and helpful in deciding where to go next. I reflected on each piece in writing and contemplated the directions my series are going in. I highly recommend this for rooting out deadends and following up on new ideas you discovered while working.
I entered pieces in two venues and donated my SAQA auction quilt for the 2012 benefit auction. This year I got my piece sent off in time for the early bird deadline which opens up the possiblity of my work be chosen for marketing purposes.
PERSONAL
I purchased this lovely print from Matte Stephens for my birthday. It is a great addition to my art collection. I love it, love it, love it. Please do stop in his online shop MatteArt! It’s quite a treat for the eyes.
Golden Gate Bridge - limited edition print
©Matte Stephens
The room of the month to declutter for February was the studio. It was a big job and I finished it this month and also decluttered my master bedroom. On top of that, I did a really thorough clean of the common rooms in our house in anticipation of the my Open Studio. This took away from my studio time but needed doing.
I visited the library weekly and read Sarah’s Key and Same Kind of Different as Me?. I also read How to Train your Dragon aloud to my son. We visited a library in the next city over with my boys. I started reading Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. Still on the list: Unbroken.
I weeded one garden bed and my husband weeded a second and turned the soil.
I took apart our old VCR with my boys too check out under the hood and set off homemade rockets using Alka Seltzer tablets.
I went to one son’s choir concert and the other’s Blue and Gold dinner for scouts and just beamed.
Hello April!
Leaves Series – 3 Works in Progress
I just put this piece together today. It is fresh out of my head and not completely fused down yet. I will still play with it a bit more. I enjoy reading your comments and first impressions when I share my progress. So, don’t be shy. For now this one remains untitled. In fact…you could give me a title suggestion!
Untitled (work in progress)
©2012 Kathleen Probst
I have worked more on Leaves #2 since I shared it on facebook earlier in March. If you ‘like’ my facebook fanpage you will get more quick little updates than I post here. This piece is not quilted yet but it’s official name is Rhythm and Hues.
Rhythym and Hues (work in progress)
©2012 Kathleen Probst
Sometimes you get stuck as an artist. When I tried to finish the first piece of this series everything I tried wasn’t working. I kept adding more leaves even though I was thinking that the piece was already done. My failure was to listen to my own intuition. Now I realize I only need to add the quilting. I hope I learn from this lesson. I did settle on the name Rhythm Section.
Rhythym Section (work in progress)
©2012 Kathleen Probst
I know you have seen this last piece several times. I’ve been avoiding quilting and it is time to for me to quit stalling. I will love or learn from it so why not dig in?
Here are the 3 pieces together. Even though they are just cropped thumbnails it gives you an idea of the collection it will turn into. I’m pleased with the beginning exploration I have made of these shapes. Currently I am working on several series at the same time. I wonder if this is the one that will get the majority of my attention throughout April.
Tomorrow I’ll share my monthly checkin. Can April be here so soon?