SAQA Journal 2024 #2

STUD I O AR T Q UILT ASSOCIATES

INSIDE : MEET NIRAJA LORENZ • STRUCTURE A WORKSHOP • CREATE DYNAMIC PIECED BACKGROUNDS • CREATE REALISTIC BACKGROUND FOLIAGE • CONNECT WITH QR CODES • FIERCE PLANETS • JURIED ARTIST SHOWCASE • MEMBER GALLERY: EN SILHOUETTE • INSPIRED

COLUMNS:

Editor’s

QUICK NOTES

Memoriam: Gail Hunt Henry, Maureen Matthew, Lynellen

ON THE COVER: Daena Schofield

Experiencing Epilepsy

34.5 x 43 inches | 88 x 109 cm | 2022

To find out more about SAQA, contact Martha Sielman, executive director, by phone at 860.530.1551, or by email at execdirector@saqa.com.

Explore varied resources on our website at www.saqa.com. Annual membership for U.S. and international members is USD $90.

Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. (SAQA) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the art quilt. Through exhibitions, resources, publications, and membership, we seek to increase appreciation for the art quilt as a fine art medium and to support our members in their artistic and professional growth.

The SAQA Journal is published four times a year. To submit articles or story ideas, contact Diane Howell, SAQA Journal editor, at editor@saqa.com. Review submission guidelines at www.saqa.com/journal-submit

For delivery questions, contact circulation@saqa.com

For advertising information, visit www.saqa.com/ads

BOARD MEMBERS

PRESIDENT

Lilo Bowman

Fort Worth, Texas

VICE PRESIDENT

Kathie Kerler Portland, Oregon

SECRETARY

Claire Passmore Riviere du Rempart, Mauritius

TREASURER

Shannon Conley Moore, Oklahoma

Brenda Bailey-Hainer Broomfield, Colorado

Holly Brackmann Ukiah, California

Ana Buzzalino Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Shin-hee Chin McPherson, Kansas

Jette Clover Lier, Belgium

Susie Floyd Goodman Bloomington, Indiana

Chawne Kimber Lexington, Virginia

Michael McCormick Tualatin, Oregon

Kestrel Michaud West Melbourne, Florida

Clara Nartey West Haven, Connecticut

Candice Phelan Boynton Beach, Florida

Carol Rossi Sacramento, California

Melissa Wraalstad Grafton, Wisconsin

Zara Zannettino Highbury, Australia

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Martha Sielman Hebron, Connecticut

Find a way to live life to the fullest

by Diane Howell

We frequently have people ask for a story on confidence. I believe that Susan Lenz wrote the ultimate story on that subject in this magazine’s first issue of 2023. I believe confidence is nothing more than a decision to act. I’m sure I have said that before, but I feel it bears repeating as we move forward.

help clear the clutter. You may have to smile when your heart is broken. But one step at a time is really all you can do—that and not worry.

There are many times that I worry about where water glasses should be stored in my kitchen. This location was an academic objective that my junior high home economics teacher taught and tested us on.

“ ” One step at a time is really all you can do. That and not worry.

Do you want to clean your house? Do so.

Do you want to make a piece of art? Do so.

Do you want to enjoy your life? Do so.

There are many ways in which you can throw procrastinating roadblocks in your own way—your own way!—to accomplishing these goals. My advice is to just get on with it. Removing roadblocks may be necessary. You may have to learn a technique. You may have to hire an organization expert to

A test for water glass placement! To this day, I think about whether I have put the glasses where they should be instead of where I want them to be. I further wonder if I have conflated the seemingly opposite goals into acceptance that feels right, but is actually wrong. Then I grab bottled water from the fridge.

The thing that has ignited my thoughts about desire and confidence is a story in The Washington Post by Dan White, whose wife recently died at age 49 of uterine cancer. Her name was Amy Ettinger, a writer who authored the book Sweet Spot: An Ice Cream Binge Through America

After her diagnosis, she wrote an essay that ran in the August 27, 2023, edition of The Washington Post. In it, she explored her feelings about life. “Life is all about a series of moments, and I plan to spend as much remaining time as I can savoring each one,” she wrote.

Her attitude inspired many others to do things they had always wanted to accomplish, but hadn’t. Some had put roadblocks in their own way. They wrote to his wife, and their notes comforted her before her passing, White wrote in his essay. “Amy had no way of predicting that the lines she composed on the spot would be calls to action for readers from all over the United States, as well as Canada, Poland, France and Greece,” he wrote in his piece, published on April 7, 2024.

I encourage you to seek out these two stories and read them. Contemplate what you want to do and Do It.

In this issue you will find new ways to do everything from creating backgrounds to running a workshop. It is full of vital steps to do what you want to do. Enjoy the read—but don’t stop there. Make a piece of art with no regrets. ■

Celebrate SAQA’s anniversary as we look to future

by Lilo Bowman

As we celebrate SAQA’s thirty-fifth anniversary and experience a leadership transition, I have been thinking about the incredible women who came before me and led this organization with wisdom, fortitude, gumption, and humor. Faced with differing challenges, each led in an indelible style while keeping the focus on guiding SAQA into the future.

As I take on the role as president, I am pleased to have the support of a dedicated board, staff, and roster of volunteers. Members of the board bring extensive experience, knowledge, insight, and perspective that will aid in helping us make the best decisions for SAQA. Working alongside the board is the exceptional staff led by Martha

Sielman, whose passion for promoting the art quilt is seconded only by her innate skill of bringing individuals in the industry together to help foster SAQA. The dedication with which her staff approaches their work is evident in how seamlessly so many aspects of the organization operate.

Volunteers, whether on the local, regional, or global level, are the heart and soul of this organization. Volunteers are enthusiastic, encouraging, and often the very first connection to anyone interested in learning more about SAQA.

As technology offers us the benefit of meeting virtually for a wide number of events, I also feel it is important to connect in person

whenever the opportunity arises anywhere in the world. If traveling to France for the European Patchwork Meeting in September 2024 is on your calendar, I would love to meet you. The long-anticipated 2025 SAQA Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida, will be another opportunity for us to meet, visit art galleries, and become inspired by what is sure to be another impressive lineup of talented presenters and artists.

I look forward to what the next few years holds for SAQA and its members. ■

SAQA welcomes six board members

In April, SAQA added six new members to its Board of Directors. All of them are active SAQA members and volunteers. They are: Brenda Bailey-Hainer, Ana Buzzalino, Chawne Kimber, Kestrel Michaud, Clara Nartey, and Carole Rossi. Each new board member is focused on promoting SAQA to new audiences and maintaining our organization’s vitality.

Our new board members are:

Brenda Bailey-Hainer Broomfield, Colorado

Brenda is a fiber artist who returned to her sewing machine after a multiyear hiatus. She looks forward to creating work in various media, including quilting, embroidery, papermaking, and rug hooking. She retired from a career managing nonprofit library membership associations and will apply her knowledge and experience of nonprofits by serving on the

Finance Committee. In addition to SAQA activities, she is active in a community choir as its music librarian and serves on the board of a local baroque music ensemble.

Ana Buzzalino

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Ana Buzzalino is a creator, maker, fiber and mixed media artist, surface designer, and teacher/lecturer. Her artwork uses a combination of different surface-design techniques.

Ana’s work has won numerous awards at national and international shows. She is the founder and CEO of Create2Flourish, a program to help quilters, textile, and mixed media artists avoid frustration and find their own voice to create unique art.

Chawne Kimber

Lexington, Virginia

Chawne Kimber is a textile artist who quilts and embroiders. Her work has been acquired by the Petrucci Family Foundation, Michigan State University, the International Quilt Museum, and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.

Inspired by quilts made by her great grandmother in the early 1900s, Chawne interprets traditional patchwork forms in an improv style that links to the ancestral works. In a timeless fashion, she reflects on current events and her identity in "slow poetry.”

Kestrel Michaud

West Melbourne, Florida

Kestrel Michaud is a classically trained and award-winning fine artist and illustrator with a passion for creating imaginative realism art quilts. She graduated with honors in 2010 from Ringling College of Art and Design with a BFA in illustration.

As a new board member, she plans to continue to serve on the Exhibitions Committee, lead Florida’s Local Connection Pod 5, donate pieces to SAQA auctions, and contribute to SAQA’s Facebook groups. She also will attend SAQA events to promote the organization to potential members. She is a writer for SAQA Journal on a wide variety of subjects.

Clara Nartey

West Haven, Connecticut

Clara Nartey is a Ghana-born artist who developed a rigorous self-taught art practice after earning a master’s degree in business. Her bold, colorful, and textured works have been widely exhibited and her work is held in both private and institutional collections, including Yale University. She and her work have been featured in several noteworthy publications. Soon after joining SAQA, Clara began volunteering for the organization. She has managed regional exhibitions and served on board committees. She also has written articles for SAQA Journal on marketing and technologyrelated subjects. She is interested in helping SAQA cultivate its collector base and create programs and resources for working artists.

Carole Rossi

Sacramento, California

Carole Rossi is a quilt and fiber artist who is also an attorney specializing in higher education issues. In her artwork, Carole uses improvisational piecing, fusing, and collage techniques. Her art quilts have been juried into numerous regional and global exhibitions. An active SAQA member, Carole initiated and cochaired a Local Connection group and currently chairs the exhibitions committee for the California (Northern) and Nevada (Northern) region. During her time on the board, Carole plans to serve on one or more committees where her skills can make a meaningful contribution. She also will attend events such as the annual board retreat and conference, participate in the Benefit Auction, and promote SAQA at events and on social media. ■

Brenda Bailey-Hainer

Ana Buzzalino

Chawne Kimber

Kestrel Michaud

Clara Nartey

Carole Rossi

Harnessing Qr Codes

A Guide to Seamlessly Integrate Tech into Art

by Angie Knowles

Sometimes as an artist, all we want to do is make art. We don't want to deal with the business or the tech part of being an artist. In today's digital age, merging art with technology can be a struggle for artists. However, this merging has become indispensable for artists who seek visibility and connection with their audiences. Although navigating the world of tech can be challenging, creating and using a QR code is an easy way for artists to embrace technology in their art practices.

The QR code is a versatile tool that holds vast potential for artists to more effectively connect artistic endeavors to audiences. The QR code enables viewers to quickly display your website, social media platforms, or anything else you want them to view.

What is a QR code?

This tech is a type of barcode invented in 1994 by a Japanese automotive company for labeling parts. QR stands for quick response. It consists of black squares arranged on a white background in a square grid. This grid contains data for a locator, an identifier, or a web URL. It can be read by imaging devices such as smartphones. QR codes can be used to display text to the viewer or to open a web page. QR codes typically work when a smartphone is used to scan the code and then display the desired information, whether it be a web page, a social media page, or any other information you wish to display.

Uses for QR codes

The power of QR codes lies in their usefulness across different artistic mediums. Following are some creative ways to use a QR code.

Engaging Exhibition Labels: Replace basic exhibition labels with QR codes, or add a QR code to the exhibition labels. When viewers scan the codes, they can access additional information about the artwork, artist profiles, inspiration sources, or multimedia content related to the piece. The QR code thereby provides a richer and more engaging gallery experience.

Product Packaging: Boost sales by incorporating QR codes on your art quilts, prints, clothing, or other items. These codes can link directly to your online store, thereby providing an effortless purchasing experience for buyers and collectors.

Social Media Engagement: Use QR codes to direct viewers to social media platforms. Artists can create QR codes that link to their social media accounts, enabling viewers to share their experiences, thoughts, and photos related to the artwork online, all of which fosters a sense of community.

Virtual Studio Tours: Bring art lovers into your creative space by including QR codes into promotional materials, offering virtual studio tours, insights into the artistic process, and sneak peeks at upcoming projects.

Limited Access: Grant temporary access to digital content related to specific artworks or courses.

By scanning QR codes, viewers can unlock exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, artist interviews, private course materials, or tutorials and temporary virtual exhibitions.

Educate Your Audience: Use QR codes to provide educational content related to art history, techniques, or cultural context relevant to your artwork. This adds an educational element that appeals to both seasoned art lovers and newcomers.

How to create QR codes

Creating QR codes is simple, and there are various online tools and platforms that allow you to generate QR codes. Following are three ways to consider. These methods are explored in a short video found at this link (include the period): https://youtu.be/UcAFGu1ycDk.

• Use a reputable online QR code generator, such as qr-code-generator.com, qrstuff.com, or goqr.me.

• Explore Canva, an online app primarily focused on graphic design. It also offers several QR code generator apps in both its free and paid versions.

• Check out Inkscape, a free open-source, vectorbased design software that can render a QR code that you can save and use as desired.

Embracing technology as an artist may seem scary, but QR codes offer an easy way to merge artistry with digital accessibility. Incorporating QR codes into your practice can streamline access to your portfolio and online presence as it allows you to bridge your art and the digital world. You will build stronger connections with your audience with this simple addition to your toolbox. ■

Angie Knowles is a SAQA member who resides in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. You can view her art at www.angieeknowles.com

Use this QR code to view a how-to video on making your own.

Niraja Lorenz

Tiny pieces make significant, large-scale art quilts

by Cindy Grisdela

Niraja Lorenz is inspired by color, texture, and pattern. To bring those muses to life, she puzzles together thousands of tiny pieces into into large, vibrant compositions that exude joyful movement.

“I’ve always worked and played with color, especially warm bright colors,” she says, pointing out that she has been known to wear purple shoes and pink hats. Her approach is to start each piece with a color

palette in mind. “The palette gets me going and feels good, but by the time I’m finished the palette isn’t obvious anymore.” In fact, most of her quilts end up with a little bit of every color in them, even if her intent was to make a yellow quilt. This outcome is easily seen in Spontaneous Order , an exuberant piece with a riot of color flowing across a composition that is nonetheless orderly.

As far as textures are concerned, Lorenz’s creativity is spurred by everything from tree bark to a piece of art in a museum. She recreates textures by piecing fabric rather than by using surface design options such as painting with fabric or thread.

Spontaneous Order

58 x 76 inches | 147 x 193 cm | 2022

Niraja Lorenz at work in her studio

Today, Lorenz lives in Eugene, Oregon, but her history as a maker goes back to Massachusetts where she sewed clothes as she grew up. She got into weaving and tried other yarn crafts, such as knitting and crochet, before learning macramé and basketmaking. After she graduated from high school, Lorenz traveled around the United States with a table loom and a stash of yarn in a Volkswagen van, exploring national parks and other wilderness areas. She felt comfortable with the image of herself as a craftsperson rather than as an artist.

She learned to quilt by happenstance in 1994. Lorenz was a volunteer for a local AIDS organization and one of the men she was helping wanted to make a quilt for her. “He took me to a fabric store and I was totally amazed.” The store had so many exciting prints that hadn’t existed years before when she sewed clothing. She bought a $50 sewing machine and a bag of scraps from the discount table and started playing with them. At that moment, quilting became her new passion.

Initially she made watercolor quilts—which consist of rows of squares that vary in value from light to dark to create their focal points— but she got bored just sewing squares together. A breakthrough moment came in 2007 when Lorenz had the opportunity to study with Nancy Crow. “That changed my life,” she says. Before that class, she had never used solid colors and always used a ruler to cut her pieces. Afterward, she dove into solid colors—both commercial and hand-dyed—and cut her fabrics more expressively. Lorenz has continued to study with Nancy Crow for at least two weeks each year.

Strip piecing was one of the techniques Lorenz learned in Crow’s

Emergence 2 39 x 60 inches | 99 x 152 cm | 2022

Strange Attractor #14 (Big Yellow) 80 x 80 inches | 203 x 203 cm | 2015

Hopes and Fears

48 x 70 inches | 122 x 178 cm | 2023

73 x 67 inches | 185 x 170 cm | 2016

workshops. In strip piecing, the artist cuts fabric strips in various widths and sews them together along the long edges to create a new striped fabric. Many of her strips are one-eighthto one-fourth-inch wide, interspersed with wider lines. Emergence 2 shows Lorenz’s effective use of the strippiecing technique. Small stripes in an array of color combinations move the eye around the piece so that the colors seem to vibrate across the surface.

Besides strip piecing, Lorenz makes elements that start with a scrap of fabric. She builds the unit out, then does it again, over and over. When the units are completed, she pins them up on her design wall in a rough composition. The next step is sewing them into larger sections that can be moved around as she fleshes out the design.

This process is evident in her Strange Attractor series. According to a statement on her website, the series draws its name from mathematics and chaos theory. “An attractor is that which pulls you toward it. Strange attractors have a fractal structure, a repeating pattern in all dimensions.”

In Strange Attractor #14, Lorenz creates units of various shapes, using a wide range of colors, and then creates background elements that are a combination of strip-pieced and log cabin units. The larger elements seem to float on the pieced background and the variety of color and shape gives a beautiful visual texture to the piece.

Lorenz is the daughter of a scientist and an artist, and many of her pieces feel like they are swirling galaxies of color and pattern. Strange Attractor #20 is primarily shades of blue with splashes of yellow. A variety of hexagonal elements, some with radiating spokes, float across the composition, anchored by log cabin units and strip

Strange Attractor #20 (Big Blue)

piecing in the background. “I am a pure piecer. I love figuring out how to put something together—the puzzle of it.”

Lorenz has never been hesitant about combining colors, but the value of those colors is also key— whether a fabric reads as light, medium, or dark. Even the slightest change in value can make such a huge difference in the visual depth a piece has, she notes. In Hopes and Fears she uses a large variety of reds, oranges, and pinks in the center of the piece; it flows out first to yellow and then to black and white.

When Lorenz first began studying with Nancy Crow, she worked full time as a project manager for social science research. To make time for her newfound quilting passion, she got up two hours early to sew before she had to go to work. Eventually she cut back her hours, and then retired to devote herself to her art.

She won a Hallie Ford Fellowship in the Visual Arts in 2019, given by the Ford Family Foundation of Roseburg, Oregon. The award funds are given to Oregon visual artists who have demonstrated a depth of sophisticated practice and potential for significant future accomplishment, according to the group’s website. Winning the award “really pushed me forward to get out of the art quilt world and into the art world.” She still applies to art quilt shows if the call inspires her or she has a piece of work that fits the exhibit parameters.

In the last several years, she has focused on writing proposals for shows at museums and other venues. Lorenz reached out to other artists who work with small pieces of fabric and formed a group called Tiny Pieces–Vast Visions. It includes Irene Roderick from Texas, Deb Cashatt from California, and Susan Lapham from Virginia.

Their first exhibition together hung at the Visions Museum of Textile Art in San Diego, California, in early 2024. The next one will run at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky, from August 9-December 30, 2024. Each artist will have seven large-scale pieces in the show, so it will be a tour de force of piecing. Lorenz is happy to sell her work, but that isn’t her primary aim. “I’m really focused on making the art and letting the art be what it wants to be, not making something that is portable or will fit on someone’s wall.” Her work is large, because that’s how she makes the statement she wants to make. Edge of Chaos is 85 x 123 inches (216 x 312 cm)—a little large to fit over most sofas. The piece was inspired by images from the Hubble Space Telescope. She sewed the strip sets together in seven different sections, and had originally planned to hang

see “Niraja Lorenz” on page 34

En Silhouette

with Silver 18 x 17 inches | 46 x 43 cm | 2022

Creating the Goddess

30 x 45 inches | 76 x 114 cm | 2012

Midrachov Morning 10 x 13 inches | 25 x 33 cm | 2023

40 x 29 inches | 102 x 74 cm | 2019

Eunhee Lee

Myself

Mel Beach

Flashing

Zwia Lipkin

Winter Ross

Photo by Barry Norris Studio

Marijke

Tracie L. Maryne

Photo by Jamie Hamel-Smith

SAQA’s Fierce Planets exhibition explores universe with creativity and complexity

by Patty Kennedy-Zafred

Fierce Planets, a new SAQA exhibition inspired by planetary research, premiered in April 2024 at the Louisiana State University Museum of Art in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and will continue to travel planet Earth through 2027.

The artists who answered this exhibition’s call for entry were inspired by the work of Dr. Sabine Stanley, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. She is the author of What’s Hidden Inside Planets , a title

within the Johns Hopkins Wavelengths™ science communication program. The books have featured a wide variety of artistic covers over the years, and as the result of a unique collaborative effort between Johns Hopkins University and SAQA, Fierce Planets was designed and created.

Nearly 200 SAQA artists from fifteen nations and six continents took up the planetary challenge. They created works that addressed a variety of complex issues and perspectives, which allowed for the creation of a stunning exhibition.

Stanley was joined in the jury process by Dr. Denis Wirtz, Vice Provost for research, professor and researcher at Johns Hopkins, and J.D. Talasek, director of Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences and an art advisor and curator. They were delighted by the beauty and innovation expressed in the submissions—a perfect marriage of art and science that entertains visually and educates viewers in a critical and meaningful way.

Utilizing a multitude of techniques, materials, and concepts, the

Libby Williamson

Buried Treasure

48 x 36 x 3 inches |

122 x 91 x 8 cm | 2023

artists selected for Fierce Planets present work that is diverse, mysterious and, at times, galactic. Most of the submissions were created specifically for this exhibition, reflecting unique ideas, insights, and personal research.

Several three-dimensional pieces are included in the forty-two piece collection, including Geneviève Attinger’s The Improbable Modeling This clever piece is a pop-up book that reflects her version of an artistic, but improbable, model of the imagined internal phenomena of a chimerical exoplanet. Hand-dyed and discharged fabrics showcase handembroidered stitches, which work to capture the viewer’s imagination.

Libby Williamson created a multitude of stacked and moveable specimen trays in her work Buried Treasure, which is based on actual fossils. With stories imagined by Williamson, these remains from ancient life offer clues to life on Earth. Fabric, canvas, plastic, and clay—along with zippers and vintage measuring tapes—are contrived into compartmentalized trays using hand

92.5 x 53 x 49 inches | 235 x 135 x 124 cm | 2023

Claire Passmore Hot Stuff

Coriolis

and machine stitching, sculpture, carving, and etching.

In another large and impressive three-dimensional work, Claire Passmore designed vertical flows of magma into tubular forms of hot lava. Hot Stuff utilizes an expansive array of fabrics, dyes, paints, plastic bottles, gold leaf, and mica powder to create a sparkling, heated creation.

The cosmic web of galaxies, much like the intricate network of neurons in the human brain, inspired Shinhee Chin to build patterns of stitches that weave connections between neural networks and the cosmic structure of the universe. Cosmic Threads: Connections of Neurons and Galaxies, is a hand-stitched diptych on a recycled blanket that uses perle cotton and polyester threads.

In Restless Layers, a diptych by Mary Louise Gerek, printed cotton fabric, metallic threads, yarn, raffia, and Betty Busby

Shin-hee Chin

Gwyned Trefethen

x

Photo by Dana B. Eagles

Mary Louise Gerek Restless Layers

x

Eileen Searcy

Valles Marineris

37 x 55 inches | 94 x 140 cm | 2023

ribbons combine to create waves of liquids, solids, gases, and plasmas: a creation that explores Earth’s layers. Visual movement across the glistening work draws the eye back and forth to take in its dynamic texture and color.

Betty Busby imagines clashing storms in Coriolis (page 16). She says: “The Coriolis force is an inertial or fictitious force that acts on objects in motion within a frame of reference that rotates with respect to an inertial frame.” Created with silk and cotton, this piece utilizes hand and machine stitching in brilliant colors.

In The Beginning by Gwyned Trefethen was inspired by images

from the James Webb Telescope. She wanted to focus on how the Earth was created approximately 4.6 billion years ago. Machine- and paper-pieced, her work sparkles and delights with crystals and expert use of color and stitch flowing across the expanse of the work.

Studying the planetary features of Valles Marineris, known as the Grand Canyon of Mars, Eileen Searcy attempts to capture the forces of rock flowing, heaving, straining, and fracturing in Valles Marineris . Through the use of rusted, hand-dyed, and commercial fabrics, Searcy creates a shimmering color palette that is reflected in shaped, stitched layers igniting the piece.

Fierce Planets is an opportunity for SAQA artists to have their work exhibited in museum and educational venues. Some venues plan to host associated educational programs and workshops. This inventive exhibition will introduce SAQA’s artistic resources to new audiences as it celebrates the work of every SAQA artist participating. To view all of the pieces in this exhibition and to see its travel schedule, visit www.saqa.com/fierceplanets. The exhibition will tour through December 2027. ■

Patty Kennedy-Zafred is a SAQA Juried Artist who resides in southwestern Pennsylvania. You can view her work at www.pattykz.com.

Photo by Randy Frazer, Double Exposure Art

Successful Workshops

by Margaret Abramshe

Education is a passion of mine. I loved my career as an art teacher and as a mentor to guide new instructors. Today I provide workshops for adults wanting to explore art quilting. Being a successful teacher is a goal for many SAQA members. In this article, I share my experience and formal educator training to help fellow members create a successful workshop.

When I organize a workshop, I use a simple structure made up of four parts: Purpose: Clearly define the learning outcome.

Pace: Sequence of Activity. Progress: Use ongoing assessment to ensure success.

Partnership: Establish an environment of trust.

Purpose

Purpose is the cornerstone. It’s the place to start when you want to share your knowledge with others. Begin with a clearly defined written learning outcome. A learning outcome goes beyond sharing a technique. The reason for the class characterizes how students will change by the end of the workshop. It’s important to see beyond a completed project how the workshop will add value for students when they return home and create independently. You may want students to gain confidence through mastering a technique. It might mean students will have a new understanding of larger concepts in art and apply that to ongoing work. A powerful written statement of your workshop's purpose is a great marketing tool. More importantly, it is a guide for you to

organize the activities, monitor progress, and ensure a positive experience for students.

Here is an example of a written purpose statement:

It is challenging to face your pile of fabrics with no idea where to begin. You are not alone. Everyone must

start somewhere and take those first steps. If you have experience, you may have a big idea that inspires you, but the path to get that idea turned into a finished project seems too complicated.

This workshop is designed to help you by using systematic steps that

“We learn ten percent of what we read, twenty percent of what we hear, thirty percent of what we see, fifty percent of what we see and hear, seventy percent of what we discuss, eighty percent of what we experience, and ninety-five percent of what we teach others.” “

—WILLIAM GLASSER

will guide you through a creative process using fabric. At the end of class, you will have a completed project of your own design and the confidence to work on your own with basic tools and techniques.

Pace

From kindergarten to adult instruction, the pace of the class has a big effect on learning. It is possibly more important than the lesson’s activities that teachers spend the bulk of their time developing. Creating a pace that works effectively should include periods of direct instruction or demonstration that are twenty minutes or less, followed by a work period, and a transition.

Research proves the attention span of adult learners is fifteen to twenty minutes. After that period, learners become distracted and their working memory begins moving into overload. A rule of thumb is work periods should be two or three times the period of direct instruction. Follow the work period by a transition or rest period. This allows students to process their learning and refocus.

Another component of creating pace is to have varied modes of presentation. Everyone has a preferred way to take in information. This is commonly referred to as a learning style. There are three basic categories of learners: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Most people do not fully fit into a single category. Adults have practiced getting information in a variety of modalities so it may seem they can adapt. Don’t be fooled. As a teacher, providing the same information in a variety of ways is a “best practice” in education because it produces the best results.

Some people get the most information through language. Auditory learners will want to take notes, collect

handouts, and pay close attention to slide presentations with both images and text. They are learners who may need to have one-on-one feedback or seek out other students to process information during work periods. Auditory learners ask specific clarifying questions. Remind yourself these questions increase learning for the group.

The largest category of learners prefers to get information visually. Visual learners will understand best with demonstrations, images presented in slide shows, looking at others’ artwork, or examining samples. You’ll notice they might take photos instead of taking notes.

They will take in information by looking at their own work and comparing it to others. Visual learners will spend larger amounts of time sorting and selecting materials. I often describe the visual learner as someone who knows it when they see it.

Some learners take in the most information kinesthetically. These learners need to work with their hands to fully take in information. The kinesthetic learner may

be comfortable not fully following instructions and figuring out the process for themselves in the course of a work period. Kinesthetic learners often work best in settings with limited interruptions. They may dive into work after or before the class is assembled or seek out work areas that are at the edges of the room. Give hands-on learners time and space.

This is an example of a well-paced workshop lesson:

Direct Instruction: Fifteen minutes. Demonstrate how to create an off-center, radial design with three colors on a neutral background. Include a sample and a handout. Work period: Thirty-five minutes. Participants create a radial design using fabric.

Transition Period: Ten minutes. In a “gallery walk,” students walk around the class to see what others are doing.

Progress

Successful teachers constantly assess progress toward the learning goal.

Evaluating progress can be as simple as whole group observation, one-onone conversations, formal critiques, or student presentations. It can be tricky to balance needs for each individual student. One way to figure the level of need is to include a pre-assessment.

In a pre-assessment, the teacher can determine the level of skill, experience, knowledge, interests, and learning style. This can be done easily and informally with a series of introductory questions shared with the group. The questions should both be concrete (ask for the number of years the students have been sewing) and open-ended. Open-ended questions provide the opportunity for a longer response. I find that making the time equal for each person using a timer on a phone or assigning someone to be a timer works best. Placing these parameters into play increases the validity of the assessment.

Another way to monitor progress is to create activities that are increasingly complex and require skills to be practiced multiple times. Consider starting with an activity that has very limited options, is modest in size, and must be finished. A composition with two colors that is the size of a card completed in a thirty-minute period would fit the starting point criteria. If the work is pinned to a design wall in a grouping, you have a good idea of student skill levels.

The next activity can be larger, with more components, and have an increased work period. The final project might be self-directed and allow students to work for hours. Every class should have a closing assessment which allows you to assess the level of each student and how the class as a whole is meeting the written learning outcome. It is also an opportunity for

students to assess their work within the context of the group.

I often remind myself of my written learning outcome highlighted on a handout or jotted down in a note and ask students to reflect on their own success. For example, to feel this project is fully finished, ask: “What will your next project on your own be?” This allows me to assess my own progress. As a teacher I can identify weaknesses in my class design and make improvements to increase the level of success in my next workshop.

Partnership

In every successful learning environment, there is a partnership between teacher and student. Establishing a partnership is a key skill in being a great teacher. It is the art of teaching. A partnership includes sharing information, skills, and ideas freely in a manner that does not have a hint of hierarchy. Ask permission before giving any suggestion. Convey the attitude that everyone has something to teach by inviting students to help others. Share stories of your own studio experience.

The value of a teacher taking the time to carefully look at each student's

work individually is vital. The process communicates to the student a teacher’s commitment to their success in the class. It builds trust. Critique is a common practice that builds trusted partnerships in an art studio. This is not the same as a group critique where everyone has a say. It is a moment between two artists. One-on-one critiques work well when there is a specific structure. Allow a limited time for each student. I find that ten minutes is ample.

I use the four-step process developed by Edmund Feldman, a professor of art at the University of Georgia. The sequence is: describe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate. Here is an example: The first two steps are concrete. Simply state what you see by describing the elements used in the composition. Next, provide an analysis of what you see which could be as simple as naming the genre or describing the way the composition is organized.

The last steps are subjective. They are your impressions as a viewer. My interpretation is where I guess what the message might be or what I believe is being communicated. It is often see “Successful Workshops” on page 35

Make Your Background Count

by Vicki Conley

Frequently when making landscape and other representational artwork, much thought and effort is put into the main subject or foreground of the piece while the background is left very simple. If you struggle with how to design a background to complement your work, you might consider an approach I have developed called Fussy Piecing. This technique involves piecing the background into an ombré gradation that beautifully highlights the subject.

I have used this technique for many years for the skies in my art quilts inspired by national parks. I typically use a single gradation fabric for each background. There are many different ombré fabrics on the market; the hue and value of the one selected can change the mood of the piece.

I was first inspired to work this way because I loved the way the ultra blue gradation from Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry’s line (Essential Gradations by Benartex) mimicked the sky, lighter near the horizon and darkening as it went up. The light that illuminates the space directly above the horizon has passed through more air than light,

An uncut piece of ombré fabric was auditioned for the sky in Desert Bloom.

giving it a greater chance to scatter. However, when I pinned up the gradation fabric by itself, it felt too plain. The in-progress image of Desert Bloom , where the width of fabric is being auditioned for the sky, makes this point obvious.

I decided to piece the background using the blue fabric, echoing the angular feel of the piecing in the foreground of Golden Canyon. I discovered that the key to capturing the feeling of the sky was to preserve the light-dark gradient as I pieced. I follow this principle when constructing my skies. Starting with the lighter fabric near the horizon and behind the primary subject of the quilt makes that subject almost glow.

I’ve used this same brilliant blue gradation fabric for many of my quilts featuring national parks in

the Western United States, including Golden Canyon (Death Valley National Park) and Reach for the Sky (Zion National Park). However, I soon realized this approach could be adapted for all kinds of backgrounds. For Time Gone By (the piece I did of Great Smoky Mountains National Park), I wanted a softer, more subdued look to give the sky the hazy feeling that is often seen there, so I chose an ombré fabric from the Gelato collection from Maywood Studio, which even has a very subtle pattern in it.

This pieced gradient technique gives depth and a sense of space to backgrounds even when they are not specifically skies. For example, Beauty Beneath (page 24) needed a background behind the cave formations in Carlsbad Caverns. I chose

Golden Canyon 24 x 40 inches

Gelato ombré fabric by Maywood Studio has a subtle pattern.

Reach for the Sky  48 x 32 inches

122 x 81 cm

2017

a gray-to-brown gradation and used the same piecing technique. Preserving the light-to-dark gradient from bottom to top draws the eye up and

evokes the feeling of a voluminous empty space just beyond the reach of the light illuminating the foreground.

While I almost always choose a single gradation for the backgrounds, it is possible to combine more than one fabric. In Saguaro Sunset I used four different gradation fabrics to achieve a glowing Arizona sunset.

The importance of the light-todark gradient in evoking a sense of open space is more apparent when examining Path to the Light , which was inspired by Congaree National Park. Here I wanted to capture the feeling of dense trees in every direction rather than a sense of openness and space. I pieced the background using a mix of blues and greens to suggest a bit of light filtering through the foliage, but the lack of a clear light-dark gradient and the mix of colors gives a feeling of being enfolded by the vibrant forested wetlands.

I piece all my backgrounds on a foundation. I use Floriani Stitch and Wash fusible stabilizer, but other products also work. After finishing my foreground elements, I take a piece of stabilizer the size of my background and use a regular lead pencil to divide it into sections. I often use sections that radiate out from the center or from the primary area of focus in the foreground. I then mark each large section, subdividing it into smaller similarly sized sections. Next I evaluate my gradation fabric and decide approximately how many values it contains. I usually use five values and label the sections of the fabric light (L), light medium (LM), medium (M), medium dark (MD) and dark (D). I then add these notations to each individual small section of the stabilizer, depending on how I want the gradation to flow. Finally, I add registration marks between the

Path to the Light

Beauty

Saguaro

major sections before cutting it to help reassemble the whole sky at the end. After cutting apart each larger section, I use traditional foundation piecing for construction, being careful to follow the label designating which value to use for each piece. This stabilizer can be left in the finished piece to give extra body to the artwork.

You can also achieve a similar look by choosing five different values of solid fabric. However, the slight color variation within each small piece that comes from using a gradient fabric gives a more lively look.

I have also used this technique with print fabrics. The key again is to make a value/color gradation from light to dark. For the background of Gibby-Devil Dog I pulled turquoise and yellow-green fabrics from my stash to complement the collaged red dog. In this case, I gradated from one color to another as well as from

see “Pieced Backgrounds” on page 38

A marked-up stabilizer allows for straightforward foundation piecing of the background.

A pieced background can make an ideal background for a silhouette, placing the lightest portion behind the main subject and radiating darker colors from that point.

Gibby-Devil Dog 41 x 40 inches | 104 x 106 cm | 2018

Your help advances the art quilt movement

SAQA exhibitions showcase the extraordinary talent and creativity of our art quilt community. They provide artists with a platform to share their stories, evoke emotions, and connect with audiences on a profound level.

Our mission to promote and preserve the art quilt heritage depends on your generosity. A gift from you pays for exhibition freight charges, shipping, graphic design and printing, and staff time to manage the program.

Through exhibitions we celebrate our rich diversity of perspectives and experiences. Help us continue to elevate our art form by making a gift today.

Left: School Colors

Right: Octopus Garden by Claudia Pearce

Art Quilt Elements 2024 announces SAQA Award winner

Eleanor Levie is the SAQA Award winner for Art Quilt Elements 2024. This renowned exhibition is produced by the Wayne Art Center in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Levie’s piece, Entangled, was selected by exhibition juror Bruce Pepich for being compelling, dynamic, and progressive, SAQA’s criteria for receiving the award.

Levie states that Entangled starts from a calm base: an organized plaid and two slim bands of verdant mini dots. From that point, it ascends to an upholstery fabric remnant, overprinted and stenciled, with intertwined brambles spilling out over the top and sides. “This jumble of layered entanglements epitomizes much of my quilt art and captures the terrifying complexity of today’s world,” she says.

The SAQA Award is presented to one artist at each of four prestigious textile exhibitions: Art Quilt Elements, Interpretations, Quilt National, and Quilt Visions. Each recipient receives a $500 prize. The winner is selected by exhibition jurors. ■

Eleanor Levie Entangled 44 x 21 inches

112 x 53 cm

2023

Europe & Middle East Region

Juried Artist Showcase is a gallery of work produced by artists who have each been named a Juried Artist of SAQA. A Juried Artist has successfully presented a portfolio to the Juried Artist Review Panel. This portfolio includes a selected body of work and documentation showing a professional approach to art.

Joke Buursma

Ogham, Old Celtic Script V 48 x 35 inches | 122 x 89 cm | 2018

Maryte Collard

Leaves

36 x 47 inches | 91 x 119 cm | 2019

Regula Affolter

Serie Flucht, Crossing/Interpretation

Green, Green Grass of Home

52 x 43 inches | 132 x 109 cm | 2023

Tina Sommer Paaske

DAMSS ART

ROME 3000

158 x 472 inches | 400 x 1200 cm | 2017

Throw the confetti! Time for a new approach to growing a realism background

by Kestrel Michaud

One of the tedious aspects of realism design is filling in the area around the subject, especially when it comes to plants. Vegetation that fills non-focal space needs to look recognizable, but designing a unique look for every single leaf on a tree is a task that is as monotonous as it is laborious. While I want my backgrounds to be filled with foliage that looks like actual leaves, I don’t want to individually design hundreds of unique leaf shapes. To achieve this goal, I crossed my knowledge of modern technology with an idea inspired by an existing quilting technique: confetti.

In quilting, confetti is a technique some artists use to create busy, interesting backgrounds with minimal effort. It can be done in different ways, but one method is to use a rotary cutter to slice large swatches of fabric into hundreds of tiny, random shapes. These shapes can then be tossed down as a background, covered with a layer of tulle to hold them in place, and quilted. The effect is a very busy, interesting pattern that can quickly fill a large area.

The confetti technique is great because it’s fast, easy, and looks good. But what if there was a way to do a modified version of the confetti technique with actual, identifiable leaf shapes rather than haphazardly cut fabric bits? This is where modern technology comes into play.

I theorized that if I were to need 200 leaves to cover a tree in foliage, I probably only needed to design five to ten uniquely shaped leaves for variety. Then I could use one of my favorite sets of commands in digital

design—copy and paste—to duplicate those unique leaves as much as I wanted. Finally, I could use my cutting machine to cut them all for me. Fast? Yes. Easy? Definitely. But would it look good? Time to find out.

The trees in this particular design were supposed to be Japanese maple trees, so I started by drawing several of their distinctive seven-pointed, star-like leaves. I combined those drawn leaves into larger clusters (Figure 1) and duplicated them

many, many times. I ultimately cut several hundred of these leaves and leaf clusters from four different fabrics. It took twelve 12 x 24-inch cutting mats (Figure 2) and a couple hours for my machine to cut them all. Note: The large “blobs” of dark maroon in Figure 2 were essentially the base layer; they were meant to go behind the leaf clusters and fill gaps between them.

I placed the leaves on my design starting with the darkest fabric (the

Figure 1

Figure 2

Quilting the Japanese maple leaves

“shadow”) and layered the lighter fabrics consecutively on top. I also made a point of choosing fabrics that had strong, variegated patterns to resemble dappled light. The fabrics were backed with fusible, so I was able to fuse them in place instead of requiring a layer of tulle. And since the fabrics were treated with my diluted Mod Podge method, nothing frayed when quilted. (To learn how to use my diluted Mod Podge method, refer to my article in SAQA Journal Vol. 31, No. 1.)

The result was spectacular. The trees behind Lucky the dog in The One That Got Away look real and believable without distracting from the subject and story of the design. Something that was particularly successful was how the pointy leaf clusters allowed peeks of sky and grass through the red foliage. This is such a natural thing in real life, being able to see through the trees, but it

generally takes extra effort to mimic that reality in design. That this effect happened on its own as I was laying leaves was delightful.

I have since used this method again, this time with the intent of making filler foliage in the middle ground and background of a design. Take a look at The Arrival . All of the foliage along the rocky arches (the middle ground) is made from overlapping philodendron leaves and other leaf-like shapes (Figure 3). Philodendron leaves can be enormous in real life, so I felt cutting specific leaves for that area made sense.

I wanted the rest of the foliage surrounding the castle to resemble ivy or another creeping vine, but those plants have leaves that are too small to be visible at this distance. I compromised by making vaguely “dripping leaf” type clusters that could give the impression of a climbing

The One That Got Away 60 x 45 inches | 152 x 114 cm | 2023

The Arrival

Figure 3

vine. When overlapped in fabric, they look like low-lying vegetation falling over the rocks.

For the background, I drew shapes that could give the impression of treetops. This mountain is meant to be covered by a dense, tropical rainforest. But it’s so far away that we can’t see any more detail than an impression of trees. I drew an assortment of shapes (Figure 4) that, when overlapped with each other, would give the impression of a dense canopy of leaves.

I cut hundreds of pieces for the middle ground and background. These pieces were cut from four fabrics for the middle ground and a different four fabrics for the background (eight fabrics total, although the background fabrics had minimal texture intentionally to help the illusion of atmospheric perspective). The result is areas of vegetation that look detailed enough to blend into the rest of my meticulous style, but not detailed enough to draw undue attention from the main subject. I

couldn’t be happier with this process and it’s one I plan to use quite often.

If you want to give this technique a try, there are a few key factors that make it a success:

1. The cutting machine is critical. Cutting hundreds of little leaves by hand can be done, but that tedious task would take what seems like forever. The cutting machine gets it done in a couple of hours or less, depending on how many shapes you’re cutting.

2. Designing digital leaves is not necessary. You can hand draw leaf shapes and scan them into your computer. All cutting machines have software that is capable of duplicating your leaf shapes.

3. Cut individual leaves and clusters of leaves. The clusters speed up the process of building your filler foliage because they’ll be one piece of fabric that takes up a larger area.

Figure 4

Background treetop foliage for The Arrival

Creeping foliage for The Arrival

Philodendron foliage in The Arrival

4. Cut your shapes from multiple fabrics. In every example in this article, I used a progression of four fabrics (light, medium, dark, and really dark). This helped create the realistic impression of highlight to shadow.

5. Choose fabrics that have prominent texture, especially for leaves that are meant to be in the foreground and middle ground. This will give the impression of dappled light.

Want to learn more about using a cutting machine to cut fabric? Join The Cutting Edge, a SAQA Special Interest Group, on Facebook. ■

Kestrel Michaud is a SAQA Board member who resides in West Melbourne, Florida. You can view her work at www.kestrelmichaud.com.

In Memoriam

Gail Hunt Henry

Bethesda, Maryland

Gail Henry passed away on October 18, 2023, at her home in Bethesda, Maryland, of ovarian cancer. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 24, 1948.

She graduated in 1970 from Kalamazoo College in Michigan with a major in mathematics and a minor in German. Gail took a job in Chicago, working for the Illinois Trauma Program at Cook County Hospital. She also studied computer science at the University of Maryland and worked as a programmer at Moshman Associates, later Quantum Research Corporation, where she rose to the rank of vice president. She retired in 2009.

Family quilts from the Civil War era held pride of place in her home. In retirement, she took up quilting and enjoyed the artistic opportunities of smaller projects.

She was a devoted reader of SAQA Journal , which she perused with pleasure.

Maureen J. Matthew

Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Maureen Matthew passed away on March 15 from internal health issues. She was born on September 1, 1955, in Edmonton Alberta.

Maureen received an undergraduate degree in Textile Conservation in 1977 from the Faculty of Home Economics at the University of Alberta. In 1980, she applied and was selected for an internship with the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg. She then moved to Saskatchewan and worked with the Museum Association where she traveled to instruct local volunteers how to conserve artifacts, especially textiles.

She returned to the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon for two

Niraja Lorenz

from page 11

each as a separate piece, but ended up combining them into one work.

To other artists starting out or considering where to go next, Lorenz has this advice: “Follow your passion and if you’re serious, work hard and work every day. I think it’s consistent practice that helps you get better.

Showing work has been a great motivator for me, and I’m happy to say that when I get rejections, it’s okay. It used to devastate me, and now it doesn’t anymore.”

Lorenz wants to continue to exhibit her work, ideally in more solo or small group shows. She finds it thrilling to have multiple pieces of her work all in one place. ■

Cindy Grisdela is a SAQA Juried Artist who resides in Reston, Virginia. You can view her work at www.cindygrisdela.com.

years, earning a master’s degree in Adult Education. Her work history was rounded out with positions at a community college in Melford, Saskatchewan, the Department of Extensions at the University of Regina, and Pinetree Management Skills. Maureen branched out with her main consulting business, Innova Learning Solutions Inc.

Lynellen Perry

Dumfries, Virginia

Lynellen Perry recently passed away. She was an active member of SNaP, the SAQA Local Connection for Northern Virginia. Until recently, she served as a co-leader of programs. Lynellen was quick to volunteer, very organized, and a great help on IT matters.

Successful Workshops

from page 21

connected with emotions or a point of departure. In the final step, you are making a judgment. Be specific and include both praise and possibilities.

For example, you could describe the piece by saying: “We have a composition with warm colors on a very pale background. The shapes form a pathway through the composition from left to right.”

Then analyze it: “The movement created by grouping the yellow and yellow orange at the edges leads my eye to the center of interest.”

Interpret it: “This gives me the feeling of energy as if I am looking at the sun coming up. There is hope in that moment when things start again.”

Finally, provide an evaluation: “It’s successful as it is, but I think it could be a starting point for something larger or more complex.”

In the second part of the conversation, you are the listener. Invite the student back into the critique as an equal. “What are your thoughts?” Give them the space to gather ideas and to speak. Don’t rush. Encourage the student to figure out their own next steps. Always acknowledge the hard work it takes and the courage required to make art.

In the quote by William Glasser, a researcher on creating productive work environments, he describes the value of teaching. When I teach I am increasing my level of understanding of my own process. It is a gift to myself to share what I know with others. There is also a responsibility to embrace the process to give back to my community of artists. ■

Margaret Abramshe is a SAQA Juried Artist who resides in St. George, Utah. To view her insightful work, visit www.margaretabramshe.com

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Pieced Backgrounds from page 25

light to dark. The pattern on the stabilizer was drawn in the same way as for the landscape quilts and I gave each section a value and color identifier to help achieve smooth transitions.

Another way to use this technique is to construct the entire background, first choosing where you want the glow or highlight to be. Label that area the lightest value and continue out in a radiating direction. Then it can be used as a background for a silhouette or other fusible appliqué.

I hope you are inspired to use complex piecing in the backgrounds of some of your future pieces. ■

Vicki Conley is a SAQA Juried Artist who resides in Ruidoso, New Mexico. View her work at www.vicki-conley.com.

SAQA Benefit Auction Needs You!

Make an art quilt! Send it to us!

Your donation of a 12 x 12-inch artwork supports our programming through our most-anticipated event of the year.

Deadline to submit online: June 30, 2024

Deadline for arrival of artwork: July 12, 2024

All proceeds help support SAQA's exhibition programs, publications, and education outreach. Plus, your purchase helps increase the recognition for art quilts and the artists who make them. This year's auction will take place online from September 13-October 6.

Details: www.saqa.com/auction

Sherri McCauley, Bright Lines

Sonya Prchal, Day's End

Light

by Diane Howell

Paola Machetta lives by the sea in Trieste, Italy, a wonderful locale for inspiring the captivating Night lights Machetta made this quilt in answer to a challenge issued by Quilt Improv Studio, a nonprofit group dedicated to improv quilting. The work’s inspiration is light. Specifically, the piece captures the light Machetta sees on late afternoon winter walks by the sea where she lives. On those sojourns, she finds a black sky above black water. Soon, her eyes adjust to the darkness and the horizon line becomes recognizable. When she turns back toward the city, streetlamp reflections on the sea waves appear as a very strong light. The contrast is striking, as is the quilt.

it—to activate visions in the viewer’s mind. What fun!”

Machetta first discovered “quilts for the wall” in 2017, when she saw them hanging in a newly opened quilt shop in her hometown. The shop specialized in modern fabrics. Prior to that introduction to fabric, her creative media were drawing and photography. She enjoyed touring solo exhibitions in both fields. Her desire was to also create in fiber. “The knowledge about patchwork [quilting] in Italy is not very widespread, so I searched on the web. When I read about improv, I thought, 'That’s for me. I want to start this.’ For me, improv is design distributed in time, throughout the process. What excites me most is the capability of a design wall—with a few scraps on

Night lights was part of QuiltCon 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is related to Sealights , an earlier work exhibited at QuiltCon 2022. Sealights is also based on ripples and reflections on the surface of the sea, but uses daylight colors.

Machetta was featured in the opening lecture at QuiltCon 2024 given by David Owen Hastings and Teresa Duryea Wong, who celebrated 20 modern quilts from around the world. “I didn’t expect my work to get so much attention, since in my country communication about patchwork is not frequent. Being included in a lecture featuring quiltmakers from very different places in the world was wonderful. This allowed me to feel part of a quilting community even from my distant location. I didn’t experience this with drawing and photography, which are so widespread that it’s more difficult

to follow all the trends.”

Machetta will continue to create improv art quilts. “I start my quilts as abstract textures. During the improvisational process, they can remind me of some effects that I find in nature.” Recently on her design wall, a quilt top in progress reminded her of the light seen from below the seawater while swimming. “But even if a quilt title may refer to a specific vision from my past, my final compositions are not literally representing them. I love to express myself with abstract textures. I hope my next works will be able to suggest new texture types.”

View works by member of Quilt Improv Studio on Instagram at @quiltimprovstudio. Learn more about Machetta and her work at www.paola.gallery. ■

Diane Howell is the SAQA Journal editor. She resides in the Phoenix Metro.

Night lights

45 x 45 inches | 114 x 114 cm | 2023

Cindy Grisdela, Aquarius