Book Give Away

I purchased several Fabric Art Gallery books when I was published and have 4 to give away. Please email me at wenreddy@yahoo.com and I will send you a book. 

All I ask is a check to reimburse shipping- not too bad for a book,eh?

Ok That's it- they are all gone! Wow

Blast to the Past

Sewing, free form quilts, by the rules quilts, folk quilts, free applique quilts ( later to be know as collage quilts), art quilts, painted fabric quilts, digital work. Ah, the progression of a fabric artist. Reading a online list, I have been forced to remember my roots. It has been a journey from 

piecing whatever I had on hand and machine quilting- in 1973 or 74- I just didn't  'know'  any better to digital printing and inventing my holographic fiber work.

My first books were the Noank Quilt Factory by Sharon McKain 1974, a nonconventional yet informative book, the Gutcheon books that I still have for some reason, to Yvonne Porcella and the grand dame of the wearable art movement, Virginia Avery. I was into antiques,  still am,  and those timeless treasures of antique quilts drove my interest.

This paralleled my partner's and my move 'back to the land' to  a farm in NH in 1979. He and I raised all sorts of animals, vegie gardened, put it all up, and heated with wood he cut. Mind you, this actually went on for 15 years or so, while I birthed my 3 children. Prior to that in 1975, when I was a Home Economic 's teacher, I taught sewing to the lucky boys and girls. We did NOT make aprons, oh no THAT! We designed our own patterns, sewn and quilted soft sculpture. WHO remembers that! We hung them from the ceiling and invited the principle for tea. He was bug eyed! Nice, the kids loved it!

Here are a couple early pieces, most are still on slides- what a ball it's been!

Pieces noted here are Molly modeling a vesting, 198?. Forest for the Trees- 1989?, Beyond Gender-1985?  , and Amethyst Summer, 1996.

Face Book Wonderings

Just joined face book. A labyrinth. It goes in many directions at once. But it is all about connections. And that is it's allure. I can identify with the circuitous thinking that is involved here. It is similar to the percolation of idea hopping I do with art making. We'll see how this works out. Does it bring me to people or does it just take up time. Is this the time that matters or that folks see I take the time?

When is art not craft?

When is art not craft? An interesting question with no clearly defined answer. Do we use artistic skills to create craft? Do we learn our craft so we can make art? One thing is clear- this issue is not black and white. Some would argue that if it has a function, it is craft. A beautifully made vase is craft but a beautifully made vase can also be art. 

For me, my work comes from my soul, from my heart to art. The patron who views my art is in the act of completing the art. Their perspective adds to the finish. What they see, what they feel is a very connected part of the communication that art strives to convey. That dialogue is the art.