Featured Artist!!??

I have to share the good news I received last week. A lot of people have heard this, but I can't help but be thrilled, so I'm repeating it here. I received a wonderful email from Nancy Chrisman, representing the Women's Advisory Council for St. Bernard's Development Foundation, Inc. in Jonesboro, Arkansasa (a non-profit organization supporting the mission of St. Bernards Regional Medical Center), inviting me to be their featured artist for their exhibit in April 2011!!! The net proceeds from the show are donated to The Flo & Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro. The Council raises money from a silent auction, from vendors' booths and from sponsors.

Fabulous! Nancy said they could easily have space for 20-30 pieces of my work, since I work fairly small (not larger than 36" any direction). My dilemma is that I only have 10 pieces at this time that could be featured and sold (they appreciate a 20% donation from the sales). Holy Toledo! I have until March 1st, 2011, so I'm not too concerned. I'm sure I can get at least 10 made by then. If I work at it!

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I have been moving in a completely different direction with my art lately. I am an ardent admirer of Mary Hettmansperger and have taken the leap to using copper with my fabric. It is so much fun! I have a Fat Boy Bernzomatic propane torch for annealing copper sheeting! Woohoo! Is that ever a blast! Can't you just see me with a blow torch!!?? I hammer copper wire and have some beautiful color-coated wire. I play with copper foil and I got some Mica to have fun with, too. So - here are some not-so-great photos (sorry - copper is very difficult to photograph well).

This is the first piece I made. I used some tiny cloisonne' beads (on the right) that I just love, as well as the two in the center of the copper that I made with fabric. The copper piece has been annealed (torched!!!) and hammered for texture. The copper paddles have been hammered and then tied onto the copper sheet with very fine blue-coated copper wire. The pinkish-beige backing is actually paper ribbon and I hand-stitched this onto the multi-brown background. The small blue dot on the tiny copper piece is a French knot of embroidery floss.


This piece I call "Verdigris I". It is not my favorite piece. I stitched a piece of cheesecloth that I dyed over a piece of green and blue fabric that I also dyed. Copper leaves and shapes are annealed and hammered for texture. Most pieces are held onto the backing with teeny tiny brads. One rectangular piece with a bent copper bead is tied on with the fine red wire and the paddles are stitched down with thread. The square in the upper right corner is copper foil. What appears to be a painting is some thread that I had stitched together with water soluble stabilizer. A piece of mica is on top of that to hold it in place. Fun techniques - not crazy about the outcome.


"Verdigris II" is a little better. This has 3 layers of cloth on a foam core base. The top layer of fabric is one I had previously rusted and thought it would work well. Again - lots of fun techniques here. Pounded wire into shapes, used leftover strips of copper sheeting to make the curly-cues, and more mica and copper foil with tiny brackets.


This last one Steve named "Reeds". We think it looks like sunrise at the beach or on a marsh, and the various colored and hammered copper wires are the reeds. When the light hits the colored wire, it is really beautiful. I'm quite thrilled with this one. Steve says it's not leaving the house. Guess he likes it! 8>)

I haven't decided whether to use some of these in the Jonesboro show or not. Steve thinks I should, to show part of the "journey" I'm on with my art. I'll have to think about it. In the meantime, I need to get back into the studio and get some work done, so there can be a show!!
Thanks for looking and feel free to comment.