Artists Wanted

The Outer Banks has many wonderful things...But I think our local art is above and beyond so many places I have been, This islet of people probably has more artists per square mile than many places and I know as much as asheville the outer banks ugly step sister. Don't get me wrong ...I love that area and the mountains but if you go to any tourism site for North Carolina that is all they support. Not the Outer Banks and People we need to pull together and create our version of the Torpedo Factory in Old Towne, Alexandria http://www.torpedofactory.org/. I was in High school when that place started in a graffitti covered, dirt filled concrete building...and it was amazing.

To be able to walk in there and see the artists working in their studios.
They weren't having fancy parties they were getting together, cleaning the building creating a place for all artists to get together and share the experience of ART with everyone. Now 35 years later the Art Center is known around the WORLD.

The amount of Artists in all the amazing mediums we have here on the Outer Banks , I know with work and collaboration we can create our art center that will save the Outer Banks, as our fishing and beaches are over regulated and people who have no understanding of how this wonderful place came into existence and how it has been saved and maintained so everyone could come visit and see what a real community is about. If you are interested in helping this come to life...then post a comment and leave your email address or email me direct at Iseasunrises@aol.com

We can do this ....The Heart of the Outer Banks is ART.

Inspiration is in Bloom

Sometimes as Art Quilters we get in a rut about our style or the image that we are using...

Its like Uncle Giuseppe and his zuchini garden....Uncle Giuseppe grew the largest, most flavorable zuchini...and more than he could use for his everyday ....so He would fill a basket every day and walk the street giving out his extras to his neighbors. At first they were very glad to get them and have something extra to stretch the budget . But after a while they figured you could only prepare zuchini so many ways. One neighbor trying to get Uncle Giuseppe to grow something else or in addition to his zuchini bought him some squash and tomatoe seeds. But Uncle G would not have any of that. Till one day someone took him to the local farmers market where he met a young lady who made wonderful salads from zuchini , squash and tomatoes.

Uncle G was so impressed he went home and expanded his garden to add those vegetables.

Now everyone was happy because they now had yellow squash and tomatoes too and Uncle G learned that it was great to mix things up a bit.

So where is this going??? learn to add new things to your repertoire.....get inspiration you can only create so many funky quilts, and cubist quilts or whatever. but add some squash or tomatoes not literally and you may find something wonderful. Walk outside see the trees and their different greens as they bloom out. or the color of the ground when it rains for the first time in a while. Watch a sunrise and see many hues in the beams.

All of this is here on the Outer Banks right now to inspire you....

Enjoy

Collage Mania Auction raise money for American Cancer Society

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/CollageMania 2009
This is a piece I created to honor my husband and many friends who are battling Cancer right now. It is a collage of fabric with the tree painted in a process I call PAS, then layered with sheer fabric and quilted. The fabrics I used I have been collecting for years...I originally used this process to Create some ATC size art which is posted on the blog also there are 6 different. But I love the bigger one 8 x 10 inches.Please help Virginia Spiegel make her goal of $20,000 dollars for this auction as it will be her last fiberart for a cause and she has already managed to raise $170,000 over the last few years she has put the auctions together.

Simple Life of the Outer Banks

In the winter the Loons or properly known Cormorants show up to winter in our area.

I love to watch them in their simple sleek forms sunning themselves or swimming along disappearing and reappearing yards away with a tasty little fish in their mouth.

They can quickly bring a smile to a passerby and make them think how simple life can be.

These are examples of some of my work

These are a couple of pieces I created the fish is a multple layer of crazy quilting covered with a sheer fabric then cut out and machine stitched to the base. Embellished by hand with emroidery stitches and beads.

The quilt is 45 inches by 45 inches and is called "Message in a bottle" It was created using a collection of fabrics that I have had in my stash for years. If you look inside the bottle you will sew the fabric there are messages of Hope and dreams. It is embellished with pieces of shell and driftwood collected from my many walks on the beach, and bits of roving to resemble sea weed and seafoam. I hung this quilt for the first time in Priceless Treasures Quilt Show last year which is a annual event sponsored by the Teacup Quilters and Roanoke Festival Park.

Art is the Heart of the Outer Banks

This May I will celebrate 10 years of moving to one of my favorite places on the earth. I became a member of SAQA: Studio Art Quilt Associates, last year a organization celebrating it 20 years of promoting and creating the understanding of Art quilts and the uniqueness that can be celebrated with fabrics.

The Outer Banks also known as Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills , Nags Head, Manteo and Hatteras.

This is a place of amazing sights and history and much of it has been recorded through painting drawing , clay, writing and now fabrics.

OUTER BANKS HEART IS ART.

I am hoping that other artists who love to create with fabrics in the Art Quilt world will find and join Outer Banks Art Quilts. Eventually setting up a exhibit that all could rejoice in and see what Artists can paint with fabrics.

This is only the beginning of what I know will be a wonderful time here on the Outer Banks and beyond.

I have spent my last 10 years trying to promote Art and Creative abilities of all here on the Outer Banks. I owned the largest and most popular bead store for 5 years, and were the first to offer teaching in Basic Jewelry Making (free classes) Off Loom Beadwork stitches, Wire Wrapping for seaglass, Polymer Clay work. Everything was done on a walk in basis so there was never any reason for someone not find out they could be creative. I worked with local church youth groups, Girls Scouts and much more. My store closed in 2005 due to location being reworked for a Staples, and since that time I have spent time creating Art quilts and fiber art Postcards and ATCs which I have sent all over the world. Now I would like to expand into helping the Outer Banks develop this wonderful niche, and give the many closet art quilters a opportunity to show their work.