Lisa Call

I have decided it’s time to take a sabbatical from my blog. I need to spend time thinking about the purpose and my goals for this blog as I don’t feel I’m as focused as I used to be.

Thanks to all of my readers for your supportive comments. Check back in about a month (late May or early June) for an update.

I recently had some high resolution digital images made from slides for quilts that are currently traveling or have sold. In my opinion slide scans are a suboptimal method of obtaining a digital image but in these cases I didn’t have my digital camera before the quilt went out the door so this is as good as it gets.

This piece (along with Structures #7 - to be posted tomorrow) is currently traveling with the exhibit Elements from the Front Range Contemporary Quilters through 2008.

The show is currently on display at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum in Huntsville, Texas until April 30, 2006.

From there it will travel to the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida from May 13 through August 13, 2006.

For more information about the show and complete listing of tour locations see the ExhibitsUSA website for the exhibit.

 
Structures #4 ©2001    45"x54":

Here’s another piece working with organic lines and the figure-ground relationship (see my posts on Structures #53 and Structures #52 for more information about my goals with these quilts). Again, apologies for the less than ideal photography. My studio lacks good lighting.

This is Structures #54 and it’s about 7 feet square and is also just a quilt top awaiting quilting. Working with a softer palette is something I often do and I was pleased with the results.

Thanks to everyone for the supportive and positive comments about this new direction. Brenda asked me about my quilting - I’ll try to answer that with in the next few weeks in another post.

 
Structures #54 ©2006 - top only - still to be quilted:

Yesterday I posted one of my pieces, Structures #53, that accepted into Crafts National 40 (along with Structures #56).

The piece below, Structures #52 (not yet quilted), was the first of the pieces I made with the thin organic lines. It’s about 8 feet wide by 2.5 feet high. The color isn’t very accurate as the image was taken in less than ideal circumstances.

 
Structures #52 ©2005 - top only - still to be quilted:

Back in December and January I completed 3 new quilts (and 2 additional quilt tops) in the Structures series. I talked about making the work in a few posts (The Initial Idea / Completing the Quilts) back when I was working on them but never posted pictures. I tend not to show new quilts until I feel they have been integrated into my body of work.

These 3 quilts, Structures #53, #55 & #56, were rejected from Quilt Visions 2006 this year but soon after the rejection Structures #53 was accepted for a special gallery issue of the Surface Design Association, which will be published later this year.

I recently entered these same 3 quilts into Crafts National 40. Both Structures #53 and #56 were accepted into the show at the Zoller Gallery, on the Penn State Campus from June 6 to July 21.

Goes to show that different juries like different things and there is no reason to get discouraged if one jury rejects your work. I’m thrilled that Mark Richard Leach, the founding Director of the Mint Museum of Craft + Design in Charlotte, North Carolina, selected 2 of my pieces for Crafts National 40.

Now that this work will soon appear in public I’m ready to share it. (Actually Structures #53 was in my solo show in February).

With these pieces I’ve gone back to the idea of a fence, again referencing both physical boundaries and our internal psychological barriers. I’m working with thin lines and more flowing and organic compositions combined with simpler color palettes than some of my previous work. I’m really working on creating a tension in the composition with these elements. In this new work the figure-ground relationship becomes much more important than in previous work such as Structures #28 and Structures #29 where the color palette and overall design have more impact.

Structures #53 ©2006    66"x41":

Detail:

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve located my quilt Welcome to Parker in the new Parker Town Hall. It won best of show at the Images of Parker Art show in 1997 and was purchased by the town to be part of their public art collection.

I stopped by earlier this week to take some pictures. The receptionists said they get a lot of compliments about the work and many folks ask for information about it. That was nice to hear. Sounds like a great opportunity to take them some business cards that they can keep behind the desk in case anyone asks.

Here are some images of it where it now hangs behind the main reception desk.

 
Entrance to Town Hall:

Town Hall:

The inspiration for the quilt - Parker’s signature Victorian lamp post.

Pam RuBert just posted a few entries on her blog from the opening of the Art Quilts at the Sedgwick show that we both attended last weekend.

She put up a few photos from the Sedgwick Opening.

We left the Sedgwick opening a bit early to go over to the opening at The Fabric Workshop. I had been by the place earlier in the day but they wouldn’t let us see the exhibit so we had to come back for the opening.

I posted a picture earlier of a mural at the Painted Bride. I had planned on going to South Street to see more of these Saturday afternoon but it was raining and much too cold so I missed them. Pam’s posted some wonderful photos of the mosaics on South Street.

 
I’ve spent the week with some out of town visitors so I haven’t had any studio time since before I left for Philadelphia on the 6th. I’m looking forward to the weekend - lots of studio time and a Material Evolution meeting are the only things on the “to-do” list.

I had a wonderful time in Philadephia at the opening for the Art Quilts at the Sedgwick: On the Square and really enjoyed talking with many artists.

Others have posted pictures from Sedgwick - check out these sites:

• Mary Manahan’s Blog
• Rayna Gillman’s Blog

 
On friday before the opening I visited some philly galleries and enjoyed some of mosaic work by Isaiah Zagar. The photo below was taken outside the Painted Bride Art Center.

While I didn’t tour any of the historic sites while in town as I’ve done that many many times in the past with family that lives in the area, what blog entry would be complete without a picture of Independence Hall:

It’s been a busy week so I haven’t had much time to post. I’m heading to Philadelphia later this week to attend the opening of Art Quilts at the Sedgwick: On the Square.

The Artist Reception and Opening Night is April 7, 2006 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The show is at the Philadelphia Art Alliance near Rittenhouse Square at 251 S. 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. 215-545-4302.

There is also a brunch and lecture on April 8th with details on the Art Quilts at the Sedgwick blog. You can find parking information on the blog also.

The show runs April 8, 2006 to May 21, 2006 with gallery hours on Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 
If you are in the area and can attend the opening or will be around on saturday at the lecture/brunch I’d love to meet you.

This is my piece that will be in the show. It’s very spare and is about balance and tension.

 
Structures #41 ©2004   44" x 31"

 
Detail:

I got some great comments to my last post about how I write my business goals and I thought I’d reply in a post.

Charmaine, one of the purposes of the requirements document I write at work is for our quality engineers to write a test plan for the project. That means all of the requirements I write have to be testable so we know for sure if the project was successful. I’ve gotten pretty good at being quite precise about my goals as they are much more useful if I can tell if I’ve achieved them.

Although at work the requirements I write must have the word “shall” in them as that wording implies that the final project absolutely will do as I have written. I don’t carry this over to my quilt goals as I think it sounds a bit silly!

Deborah, I was a stay at home mom for 9 1/2 years and I know those years had a huge impact on my artwork. Having the freedom to stay home was really the start of me being able to launch my art career. The professional tech career has had an impact also, mostly by taking away too much time from my studio.

Frances, I’m with you, writing lists definitely helps to clarify my direction.

Alyson, I suspect you’d love my vacation/travel packing lists that I also keep in excel spreadsheets. I’ve got quite an impressive one for my backpacking trips. I could post that, as I don’t think I’m up to posting my art goals quite yet, but I’m thinking it’s not quite relevant.

Mary, I’m not so sure about taking over the world but I certainly have plenty of suggestions for the folks in Washington if they’d like to have a chat. If you have any connections let me know!

 
Thanks everyone for the comments on the goals posting and all of my postings. I usually try to respond in the comments of the blog itself unless someone asks a personal question. I often fall behind in responding but I do read and think about all of the thoughtful comments you all leave. Thank you.