Behind the Scenes Becoming Artist of the Month at The Art Collective Gallery was both exhilarating and daunting. I realized that as many pieces of art that I have laying around, they would not hang well together. I suddenly had to produce 12–14 new works in just three and a half weeks. That deadline stirred up all kinds of inner voices — the survivor archetypes showed up in full force. The Victim complained there wasn’t enough time. The Saboteur whispered that I’d never pull it off. The...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Behind the Scenes Where the Maps End (in progress) I’m fortunate to be a member of The Art Collective Gallery. In 3 weeks, I will be the monthly featured artist. Not having a lot of time to prepare for this, lots of things are surfacing for me. How quickly can I create pieces? How much am I affected by the “commercial” aspect of being in a gallery? Is there a way I can simply my usual way of making larger pieces with a message? At first, I thought I could quickly do studies of color or...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Behind the Scenes Quilt being blocked booked Quilt after drying “Dissolving into Wholeness” With Neptune in my 12th astrological house, I feel deeply connected to the unseen—dreams, intuition, and collective emotion. In my archetypal wheel, The Healer resides in this house also, guiding me through the realms of the unseen and the sacred creating opportunities to explore moving from Separation to Wholeness. "I used over 125 thread colors, changing threads roughly every five minutes, and logged...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Behind the Scenes This piece was actually an exercise in composition. We were instructed in a class with Hollis Chatelain to work with hand dyes, sandwiching and then quilting them. And then, OUCH! Cut them up and reassemble them. At one point I thought I was going to throw my hands up and give up. But I stuck it out and I actually like it. Going to the gallery this week. I named it “Crossing the Threshold”. Do you ever feel like giving up on a piece? Upcoming Early bird pricing has been...
5 months ago • 2 min read
Behind the Scenes "Mystic Trio" "Mystic Trio" This is the “Mystic Trio” piece. On the left is the fabric dyed piece, quilted and sheer overlay. I quilted the blue arm too dark and it impeded the visibility of the sheer face overlay. The new addition to my studio, a Bernina Q16 has a learning curve for me. Even though it has stitch regulator, I must have been anxious especially around the hand and fingers part and the stitches came out teeny tiny. I have spent about 5 hours under magnified...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Behind the Scenes This is the “Mystic Trio” piece. Dye painted on right and left sides and a printed on silk organza piece for the middle as an overlay. Here is the “Mystic Trio” dye painting the middle panel where the sheer silk organza will lay on top. What are you working on? Upcoming Curator, Canvas & Conversations Join us for "Curator, Canvas & Conversations", " an exclusive brunch with Art Collective St. Augustine's gallery owner, Mare Martelli, as she shares the inspiring journey...
7 months ago • 2 min read
Behind the Scenes This is a piece that I am working on currently. Since time is short, it should fit the bill for 3 separate shows: 1. “Trio” – a SAQA (Studio Art Quit Association) regional show. (See prospectus https://drive.google.com/file/d/18yiwaE7_bYx88lVXDDFvxHfuutBPw07W/view) 2. A large quilt entry for a show that I am a part of called “Soul Stories” 3. A quilt entry for a small group that I am involved in called “Intertwined” and the theme is “movement”. The working title is “Mystic...
8 months ago • 2 min read
Behind the Scenes I found myself pulling out 3 spirals that I had created 25 years ago. The vision at that time was an “underwater sea tapestry”. It was to be 8’ long and 6’ wide and hang above my fireplace in a living room with huge cathedral ceilings. So, the question is: Can a piece that had life and vitality in the past be resuscitated? Well, I moved and have no space to put it. I cut into it and separated some of the nautical spirals and am debating how to rework them. Maybe I can...
9 months ago • 2 min read
Behind the Scenes “Tiny Joy Journal” It occurred to me that these tiny little journals, could spark joy in others… The intention is to sprinkle creativity. They are easy to carry in a pocket or purse and can quickly capture an inspiring idea, doodle, sketch or quote. I am having fun creating them. They are available at The Art Collective at 51 Cordova St. St. Augustine, FL or contacting me directly. What are you working on? Upcoming Have you ever wondered how the Artist within you works—how...
10 months ago • 1 min read