JaneVille: September 2012

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Oceanside Museum of Art

Transitions by Jane LaFazio by Jane LaFazio (measures 19 x 48 inches)

I got a very interesting assignment from the Oceanside Museum of Art. To coincide with their Quilt National Exhibition October 14, 2012 - February 10, 2013, I was invited to select one of the quilts that would be on display, and make a new, original quilt inspired by it.

detail of Transitions by Jane LaFazio

I blogged about this quilt when I started it, here. I used my Babylock Sashiko machine for the majority of the stitching. There's a little hand stitching and a tiny bit of free motion.

detail of Transitions by Jane LaFazio

The blue design is made from my stencils (Eucalyptus, Pods and Sweet Gum balls, using acrylic inks.)

detail of Transitions by Jane LaFazio

Artist Statement

I began this piece with inspiration from by a photo of Heather Allen-Swarttouw’s Lunar Transition II, with its appeal of calming monochromatic tones and minimalist imagery. I thought of Sashiko the Japanese custom of mending (dating back to the 1600s) of a style of decorative reinforcing of work clothes. They used white cotton thread on indigo blue cloth and as I stitched on my old well-worn jeans, I used both white cotton thread and a variegated colorful thread adding a subtle contemporary spin. As I worked I also thought of the powerful Gees Bend quilts (from Alabama) made from old chambray work shirts, mattress covers, and leftover corduroy. The surface design imagery, on my quilt, is a leaf or pod, filled with my own botanical inspired patterns is a gentle homage to Heather’s boat/pod shapes.

Transitions. From blue jeans to art. From middle age to old age. From seeds to trees to pods to seeds to trees.

detail of Transitions by Jane LaFazio

Lunar Transition by Heather Allen-Swarttouw, Asheville NC

Above is the quilt I was inspired by. Lunar Transition by Heather Allen-Swarttouw. I was surprised and pleased to read her artist statement that she refers to the shapes as boat pod shapes. You know I love pods. I've not seen this quilt in person yet. In the making of my quilt, I created it the same size as her original quilt. I'm a little nervous to see them together, but I'm really looking forward to seeing hers up close! It looks denim in the photo, but is it?

here's the invitation for the OMA exhibition and you're invited!

And there will be a display of prayer flags, from all over the world, made by my friends from the prayer flag project.

Prayer flags ready to hang at Oceanside Museum of Art

I visited the museum yesterday, and saw the flags. They'll be hung in the museum lobby. Here is the call to artists. There's still time if you want to send some flags in!

Friday, September 28, 2012

Paris connections

In Paris, France holding Danny Gregory's new book.

While husb and I were in Paris, we happened upon Shakespeare and Company bookstore. I got goosebumps feeling like I'd come upon someplace I knew so well, but had never seen. I'd ready Cynthia Morris' delightful book "Chasing Sylvia Beach" which featured prominently, Sylvia Beach, the original founder of Shakespeare & Company, over 100 years ago, and so much of the book was set in the bookstore. Like Cynthia's wonderful main character,Lily, I felt like I'd been transported back in time! It was a totally cool. The bookstore swells with personality and good vibes.
So, while I was busy taking it all in, my husb happened upon one book in the store (and it's a very crowded with books kinda store), and it was Danny Gregory's brand new, as yet released in the United States, A Kiss Before You Go." Woohoo! Like meeting another good friend in Paris!

Go on, order both books. They are very different from each other.

A Kiss Before You Go is filled with Danny's wonderful artwork and unflinching honesty about the loss of his dear wife Patti, after 24 years together.

Chasing Sylvia Beach is a great summer-type read, a real page turner that transports you to Paris of 1937.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Upcoming workshops in the San Diego area

hand stitched connection by Jane LaFazio

I've got two art quilt workshops coming up

Hand-Stitched Connections Workshop
create a small art quilt November 17, 1-4pm with Jane LaFazio
Oceanside Museum of Art (north of San Diego, CA)
$50/$40 OMA members (materials included)
contact 760.435.3722

The class includes all materials. You are welcome to bring personal embellishments such as buttons, shells and small bits of your favorite fabrics, along with your favorite sewing tools.

Learn how to hand stitch a small quilt during a half-day Hand-Stitched Connections Art Quilt Workshop with Jane LaFazio. Students will be provided felt for backing, needle and embroidery thread, pins, fabric glue and scissors to share plus a wide variety of donated fabrics. This is a hand-sewing class, where you’ll learn a variety of basic embroidery stitches. Feel free to bring small embellishments such as buttons, shells and small bits of your favorite fabrics, along with your favorite sewing tools.

and a little farther north of San Diego:

free spirited free motion by Jane LaFazio

Nostalgia Themed Quilts Free spirited Free motion!
December 7 and 8, 2012 9:30am-4pm (1 hour lunch break)

Cost: $255.00
Fallbrook School of Arts
Fallbrook, CA (north of San Diego)
760.728.6383
you'll need to bring a sewing machine!
Register here.

Students will learn image transfer, free motion stitching your original design, and combining paper with cloth to create your own totally unique art quilt. Start collecting art images (scanned onto your computer), aged papers (letters/envelopes) and vintage cloth napkins that evoke a sentimental or nostalgic theme. (Jane had a feature article with this style quilt in Quilting Arts magazine, April/May issue 2011). Materials fee paid to instructor $5: Instructor supplies image transfer material, coloring agents to be used in class.