Connecting Our Natural Worlds - SAQA Global Quilt Exhibit (Day 6)

The Connecting Our Natural Worlds exhibit by SAQA showcases art quilts that illustrate the natural wonder of habitats around the globe. Through their own unique artistic interpretation, each artist has identified danger to flora and fauna in their own backyards. The selected pieces inspire viewers to get closer to nature and become better stewards for our environment.  We recently visited this outstanding exhibit at the Brigham City Museum in Utah.

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Sky Islands by Katherine M. Dombrowski (Arizona)

 

 

Katherine writes, "The natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert has always been a source of great inspiration for me as an Arizona native and artist. We have many unique species and natural wonders in this part of the country. One of my favorite areas to explore is the Sky Island region - isolated mountain ranges in the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. .....Habitat loss and fragmentation threaten these diverse, complex, and fragile regions. WE can protect them for future generations by supporting responsible land use management and conservation efforts."  In this piece, Katherine has chosen to portray three birds in flights, as might be seen in the wilderness through a birdwatcher's binoculars.

Circular free-motion quilting and thread painting gives the viewer the sensation that these hummingbird are floating along on horizontal puffs of air. To create these beautiful birds, Katherine used cotton and polyester organza, which she raw edged and reverse appliqued. Her fabric is hand painted and hand dyed.

Hillside by Marianne R. Williamson (Alabama)

Marianne notes, "I live in a forest in Alabama. The houses are all on steep hills with driveways that are almost vertical. It always amazes me that someone decided to build on such difficult terrain. The results is that the houses are barely visible from the streets. Driving up and down these hills in between huge oaks, pines, and maples is extraordinary. I feel very blessed that I live surrounded by such beauty every day."

Marianne's use of dappled light and shadow gives her work the effect of a lovely Impressionist painting. Her materials include hand dyed silk, cotton, velvet, stencils, and paint. Her work is raw edge appliqued, free motion quilted, stenciled, and painted.

Autumn Reflections by Donna Deaver (Idaho)

 

 

Donna says, "Welcome to Jordan Pond, located in Maine's Acadia National Park. One of my favorite places to hike, this area is lush and green in spring and summer, and ablaze in gold, yellow, and orange in the fall. On any given day, one can see beaver, loons, salmon, and trout....[plus] many species of trees and plants. 

Autumn Reflections was inspired by a walk around the pond on a glorious October day, with reflections of the foliage appearing in the clear, tranquil water. Our protests need to be louder and more persistent to protect such fragile habitats for generations to come."

 Long waving lines of free motion quilting, along with collage ,convey the realistic movement of  gentle waves on the lake's surface. Donna's elegant work is made of hand-dyed cotton and silk, using artist's drawings and photographs.

2 Pods by Colleen S. Ansbaugh (Wisconsin)

Colleen comments, "Milkweed pods are a common plant material found in native prairie land habitats. In the Midwest, many of these areas have declined due to agricultural and other uses. Monarch butterflies depend on the milkweed plant as a vital source of food. "

Colleen continues, "Monarchs are a critical plant pollinator and function as a food source for animals. We need to be mindful of the relationship between plants and animals."

Colleen uses her excellent sense of perspective to show the pods in an expanded view, in order to emphasize their importance as the enlarged focal point of this piece. She used hand-dyed fabrics, recycled bedsheets, and beads for embellishment. Her intriguing work is hand stitched and machine quilted.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Brigham City Museum in Utah. As of August 2021, many of the pieces can be purchased at the Connecting Our Natural Worlds web page.

Bloooming beauties: Fun flower quilts

We love these fun and whimsical flower quilts, which have such a cheerful look about them. Enjoy !

Learn and Grow by Candace West and the Sugar Cube Quilters (Florida)

Candace says on  her website: "This quilt demonstrates the growth of the Sugar Cube Quilters in learning new techniques and skills from each other. Designed and machine quilted by Candace West of Floral City, Florida. Created by the Sugar Cube Quilters of Homosassa, Florida."

Close up, Learn and Grow by Candace West and the Sugar Cube Quilters

We really admire Candace's clever idea of creating flowers with star and pinwheel block patterns. The curved parallel lines of quilting give this quilt a casual, breezy, windswept atmosphere. A dragonfly, little birds, and tiny butterflies are all part of this happy outdoor scene.

Maisie's Garden by Brenda Schlechter (Largo, Florida)

Brenda writes of her original design, "Flowers always seem to symbolize joy and optimism to me. They start their growth in the cole, hard ground and grow strong and tall in spite of wind and rain.  Using bright colors and organic shapes, I create a vision of a simpler time, perhaps of childhood. "

Close up, Maisie's Garden by Brenda Schlechter

Brenda continues, "In this quilt, the vibrant background provides strong contrast with the flowers and the binding, drawing the viewer into the garden."  The neon violet flowers with the aqua green stems and hot pink background really create a stunning display  to catch and hold the viewer's eye in this intriguing work.

Sweet Blooms by Pat Kroth (Verona, Wisconsin)

Pat notes, "There is nothing I enjoy more than the burst of new blooms in spring after a long cold winter. A few candy wrapper "petals" on Sweet Blooms makes it even sweeter." 

Close up, Sweet Blooms by Pat Kroth

In this close-up, you can see how Pat created the stems and petals of the flowers with different  candy wrappers. The collage was covered with tulle, then quilted. Buttons embellish the center of the flowers, and the background is comprised of vibrant fabric scraps which match the candy wrapper scraps of the flowers. 

Garden Floral by Marianne Williamson (Miami, Florida)

Marianne notes, "This floral is soft and flowing with happy summer colors. The garden theme has been in my mind, and I am using this theme to show different moods, times of day, and seasons." 

Close up, Garden Floral by Marianne Williamson

Marianne's techniques include raw-edge applique, free-motion quilting, and fabric painting. Just like the Sweet Blooms quilt shown previously, this background is carefully pieced with fabric scraps, which really helps these raspberry and orange sherbet blossoms "pop" into the foreground.

Les Tournesols by Carole Pirruccello, Flying Needles Quilt Guild (California)

Les Tournesols is French for "the sunflowers", and Carole's done a lovely job of showcasing them against the backdrop of a white garden trellis or lattice. She states, " This wall hanging used fabrics from the 2011 River City Quilters' Guild Fabric Challenge.  Techniques include hand applique, machine piecing, and free motion quilting, with rayon and metallic threads." 

Close up, Les Tournesals by Carole Pirruccello

These fabrics are so bright and pretty, that they must have been a joy to work with. We especially like the gorgeous orange-yellow, burnt orange, and lime green of the sunflowers, which highlights Carole's excellent hand applique work so well.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the  2014 Road to California Quilt Show, the 2013 Flying Needles Quilters' Guild Show, and the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival.