Angel Snakes

What is an Art Quilt?

Dear Reader,

As many of you know, Gay is now making art quilts that honor us. We help her with the design and so on. Then we curl up on the side lines and critique her work. We are entirely in favor of her efforts. She is just getting her studio up and running so she does not have a lot to show you yet. Soon. Soon.

Gay also makes quilts that are just supposed to keep folks warm. But someone asked what the difference is between a regular quilt and an art quilt. That is simple. Mostly, art quilts are meant to be hung on the wall and admired. 

If you ask me, people call themselves "art quilters" when they do not want to follow all the rules that the regular quilters feel compelled to follow. Art quilters can use all sorts of fibers and objects and put them together any way they find pleasing. Also, art quilters do not expect that their art will be put into the washing machine.

I have put several links below with information and images for you to examine at your leisure.

Lisa Call's definition and links

Studio Art Quilters Association

Susie Monday

Do some googling if you are interested in more information. 

Wings Up!!!
Madilla

PS: We have not decided yet what exactly to call Gay's things. Some people call it "fiber art"; some call them "textile paintings"; others call them "soft art". We are working on it. 

Prince Nevermind

Finally. Prince Nevermind has finished his art quilt. It seems to have taken him (and Gay) forever. It might not have taken so long if Gay had not gotten side-tracked so many times. She had to assemble taborettes, set up shelves, sort Mardi Gras beads, shop for quilt fabric, lose her glove at Sam's and stress about that, clean the house, go to the doctor, work on her calendar, play on FaceBook, make pasta, go to quilt group, knit, knit, knit, sort her yarn stash, play on Ravelry and on and on and on.

Geee Wizzzz!!! She likes to pretend that all that is real work. But let me tell you, Boys and Girls, it is not.

I am thinking that Prince Nevermind, being new on the scene, did notice that Gay is not doing too much real artwork and may have just aimed his art quilt at her. Who am I to say for sure?

Wings Up!!!
Madilla

PS: Here is what he wrote on the quilt.

Beware

Beware the shiny object
and the brilliant bauble beyond
and the rabbit's worn path meandering,
    meandering, meandering,
from tantalizing tidbit
to titillating trinket

. . . until you do not recall
the trail you left
the one that leads to
where you want to be.

Princess Polly Exhibits Completed Work

"Princess Polly"
by Gay Pogue
Fiber Collage
17" x 12"

Princess Polly Makes Artistic Decisions

 
Princess Polly is hard at work in Gay's studio. She has even enlisted Gay's help to finish her art piece. Lila expressed some dissatisfaction because Princess Polly came on the scene and suddenly she gets all the attention. Gay even let her use some of fabric and bling stash that is off-limits to us. We are going to have to talk to Gay about this.

I do admit that the piece is lovely and fits right into the spirit of what Angel Snakes are supposed to be about.

Wings Up!!!
Madilla

PS: Some of us are meeting tonight to see how we can convice Gay to take us to the Gala. Wish us luck.

Art in Bloom

 

"Art in Bloom" is the big annual fund raiser for the Lexington Art Museum. Last evening we went to a demonstration of what will happen on a large scale at the end of February. Local flower arrangers created arrangements that reflected a specific piece of art. They talked about the how's and why's. The fascinating evening will give us something to think about today.

Wings Up!!!
Madilla

PS: We will write more tomorrow. Princess Polly needs our help today with the sewing machine. She has never worked on one like ours.

Princess Polly

 
Princess Polly came to visit us the other day. She had heard that we went to the Knitting and Quilting Retreat. She had not realized that Angel Snake quilters live right here in Lexington.

She is a very dedicated Angel Snake and wants to create a small art quilt to encourage artists. We agreed to let her rummage through our stashes of fabric and bling, IF she would put the quilt up for auction at the upcoming Gala that Good Shepherd Church is hosting to raise funds for its outreach programs.

The opportunity is simply too good for Princess Polly to pass up. She got all excited and did let us know that she will accompany the quilt to its new home to help the owner create beautiful things. We were relieved that we would not have to feed her and share our stash forever.

Wings Up!!!
Madilla

PS: We will keep you posted on the progress of the quilt.

Square and Fair

Dear Reader,

Yes, we have gained the concession of our own quilt scrap library. Yes, we can work in Gay's studio after 7 in the evening until 5 in the morning. Yes, Gay has given us permission to use her tools if we clean up after ourselves. Yes, yes, yes.

But do you realize how difficult it is to manipulate some of them? The scissors were a real trial since we do not have hands as humans do. Gay saw us struggling and showed us the cutting wheel--much easier, much more dangerous.

Several squares were ruined when Dorrie and Grace cut themselves and bled. Angel Snakes do bleed and the blood is impossible to wash out of most fabrics.

Ace suggested saving the bloodied pieces and eventually putting together a fiber art hanging. He suggested titles: "War and Piece," "Blood Will Sell," or "Blood and Cuts." Sting thought "In Bold Blood" would work.

Wings Up!!!
Madilla

PS: Grace and Dorrie were crying before it was all over. They are very sensitive souls.

Quilt Group Welcomes Dorie

This is serious, Friends. Gay has discovered quilting. She is spending way too much time and energy on it. She has not helped us with our body paint in weeks. Frankly, we are feeling neglected. A few of us met under the bed in the guest room when Gay was out shopping the other day. That's another thing: Gay goes shopping way to often; and then there is lunch with friends. Now the quilt group, every week, four hours. She did not even leave us any snake snacks out where we could find them.

Dorie is new to our community, but I must admit she is an asset. She suggested she sneak into Gay's bag and check the group out. She returned all excited; she says she understands Gay's fascination with it all. The folks at the quilt group were most friendly and interesting. They ooooed and ahhhhhed over Dorie. They shared a great lunch with her. But most of all Dorie got to help Gay with the quilt she is making. Dorie felt she was fulfilling her muse role quite well.

Okay, we can work with that.

Wings Up!!!
Madilla

PS: The quilt group makes these quilts to give away to groups who minister to those who are in need in some way or who need comfort and prayers. In 28 years, they have given away almost three thousand quilts. Most of the group are members of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Lexington, Kentucky. 

Flag Friday: "No Stars"

"I'm not good at drawing stars, and red is just so boring."

markers on paper, 2.5 x 3.5 inches

by Gay Pogue

I think about my country.

Do we limit ourselves to solutions that we can do, refusing to dream or learn anything new?

Or, do we decide to change things just for the sake of change, when we have no good reason to do so? 

Are we stuck in that ninth grade mentality?

Wings Up!!!

Gay

The Lizard Appears

"Lova, The Lizard"    Paper Sculpture -- 1.5 x 8 x 2 inches

    She is lovely, this Lizard Lova--glistening, gleaming, sparkling, and seductive. Her soothing voice oozes with calm prevarications. Beware!!!

    Listening to her Siren song will keep you from being the artist you could be. 

Wings Up!!!

Madilla

PS: We found Lova lurking at Hutton Farms in Lawrence, Kansas. But, you can find Lizards anywhere, if you pay attention and know where to look.