Quilting Arts Magazine April/May 2020

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Masterful artists – from painters to potters – have always looked to classic forms and subjects for inspiration. Art quilters are no different. Who doesn’t remember seeing a portrait quilt for the very first time and marveling at a human face rendered in fabric and thread. Can you walk by a quilt depicting a landscape with exquisite perspective, and not marvel at the shading achieved with hand-dyed cloth or the appearance of rain made with rows of running stitch? Probably not – because you see the quilt with an appreciation for the work as a piece of art. What we do with cloth, others do with clay, stone, pencil, and paint.

The expression of the cat on this cover, artwork by Pam Seaberg, perfectly illustrates how I feel about my art supplies. What a great image that celebrates how quilts can take center stage!

In this issue of Quilting Arts, we feature art quilts that interpret subjects often portrayed in paintings – landscapes, portraits, and still lifes – with a contemporary twist. What was the inspiration for this theme? A trip to the museum.

“After the Eclipse” • Denise Oyama Miller

Take a Field Trip

My usual approach on a museum outing is to visit the modern art first. I then wind through the rest of the galleries at a slow pace, stopping along the way to check in on old favorites, new acquisitions, and special exhibits. It’s always fun, and often results in noticing details I might have missed on previous field trips. Many of those details make their way into my notebook as inspiration for future quilts, ideas for adding texture, or just designs I want to explore.

In this issue of Quilting Arts, Jill Kerttula upends my approach and suggests that maybe there’s a different way to view art for inspiration.

Left: Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with the Red Hat” (detail) is an example of highlights on a face and clothing. Right: Jill Kerttula uses stitches to highlight areas on her quilts. Painting image courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington. Quilt image courtesy of the artist.

She sets an intention to look at one facet of the art – brush strokes, for example – and then focuses on just that aspect on her visit. What an eye-opening process! On my last visit, I changed my path through the galleries, and focused on texture. I didn’t get as far through the museum as usual but noticed so many different things. Following Jill’s approach made me much more aware of what I was missing.

“Equality” (detail) • Hollis Chatelain • Hillsborough, North Carolina • Winner of the World of Beauty Award at the International Quilt Festival, Houston. Photo by Mike McCormick/courtesy of IQA.

Revisit Classic Themes

Art quilters have so much to learn from other artists and art forms. Good art, no matter the media, is enhanced by an understanding of how to create a balanced composition, utilize color to its fullest potential, and execute the techniques with finesse. We’ve revisited the classic portrait, landscape, and still life quilt in this issue, highlighting just some of the ways contemporary art quilters approach these universal topics. As an example of award-winning quilt in these classic genres, make sure to study the Portrait Quilts in our gallery of quilts – all award-winning work from International Quilt Festival, Houston 2019. They are amazing. In addition, we also included a wonderful essay by Diane Howell on narrative quilts, focusing on the depth of storytelling that is possible in these pieces of artwork.

And don’t miss the amazing artwork by our readers.

“Hanging on by a Mere Stitch” by Colleen Tavenner, for the ‘Stitch by Stitch’ Reader Challenge.

They remind us there is a story in every stitch, you just need to look for it.

Best,

Vivika Hansen DeNegre
Editor

Featured Articles

Don’t miss more fascinating articles and techniques featured in this issue of Quilting Arts!

Learn how Beata McDowell creates her amazing portraits

*Make a Face!* Artist **Laurie Ceesay Landree** imbues free-style improv portraits with personalities all their own.

*Tiny Textile Treasures* **Lynn Krawczyk** mixes media with a witty result.

**Laurie Russman** shares her story about *A Special Collaboration*. Photo courtesy of Windham fabrics.

Plus

Articles from Cheryl Sleboda, Lea McComas, Kristin Rodriguez, Diane Howell, and Lauree Ceesay Landree, as well as a special essay from Pam Seaberg.

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