Melisse Laing
Balance I - My Battle with Parkinson, 2020
Hand-dyed fabrics, polyester quilting (49"H x 52"W)
Parkinson’s Disease has surfaced as the fastest growing “movement disorder.” I am one of the nearly one million people in the United States who battle PD. Among the many symptoms that I deal with is Balance. Through medication and exercise I can slightly reduce my Balance problems but they will stay with me until I die or a cure is found. More information can be found at ww.michaeljfox.org/parkinsons. melisselaing.com
Cynthia Blair
Ladders: Climbing Up from the Darkness, 2021
Fabric, fibers, bamboo skewers (10"x10"x6")
Carla Stehr
Diatom 10, 2021
Hand-dyed fabric (34"x24.5"x 0.5")
Based on the surface pattern of a marine diatom as viewed with a microscope. carlastehr.com
Peggy Ellis
2020: Put the Kettle On!
Fabric, couched threads, Angelina Fiber, Tulle, organza, variegated and metal thread (36" x 55")
When there are problems, it's best to share them over tea and the pandemic was a problem but we needed to stay apart. Is this tea drinker going to be 'heard' with their problem? https://www.redbarn37.com
Evette Allerdings
25% Opacity, 2021
Silk charmeuse, silk dye, magic sizing (18" x 18" x 1½")
The gingko leaf symbolizes endurance. The Asian person at 25% opacity is not being seen, nor heard. The dark cloudy sky is the emotions and frustrations of enduring "being Asian." evetteallerdingsstudio.com
Lois Gaylord
The Restructuring, 2020
Yarns: cotton/linen blend, cotton, tencel, linen backing fabric (21" (plus overhanging draped fabric on right ~ 6-7”) x 46")
The idea behind this piece is to find a way to restructure the fabric of society while maintaining the parts that do work. Wealth and power are concentrated in the hands of the few. Too many people, especially those of color and folks who don’t fit the dominant culture’s norms, are marginalized. The cloth begins as a sparse background with 3 tablet woven bands representing the current systemic inequality of society. The warp threads from the 3 bands are gradually redistributed throughout the weaving, transitioning from a sleazy (loosely woven) cloth to an integrated, sturdy fabric. loisgaylord.com
Julie Beeler
Fungi Bedrock, 2020
Mushroom dyed wool, embroidery thread (41.75” x 28.5”)
The work is part of a series of ongoing textile explorations into mushroom dyes and the symbiosis between trees and fungi. The mycelial relationship is fruit bearing resulting in mushrooms that surface to the top, each species unique to the trees it is connected to. The textile was constructed directly from nature and is imbued with color derived from foraged fungi, slowly stitched, to reveal the passage of time, the marking of the season, the record of a temporal moment. The threads are bound to the landscape and weave the textile into patterns, forms and shapes drawing on the bedrock that connect each of us to the natural world. http:www.juliebeeler.com
Jerilynn Auty
Windows, 2020
Cotton fabric, cotton batting, nylon net, cotton rust dyed cheese cloth, various threads, water color ink pens (34" x 24" x 0.5")
Fabric was fused to background and then heavily stitched and highlighted with water color pencils. Cheese cloth curtain at window was rust dyed and net was used to indicate window.
Jean-Marie Tarascio
Low Tide, 2020
Recycled tea bags, sewing patterns, handmade paper, wire (25"H x 21"W x 6"D)
When I walk the beach at "Low Tide" I am in awe of the sea life that surfaces with the retreating of waves. Even while exposed and vulnerable this community of marine life maintains an important ecosystem. The paper sculpture "Low Tide" is a small tribute to this delicate balance. jmtarascio.com
Gabriela Nirino
Mutants, 2020
Linen, recycled plastic bags stripes (60 cm x 90 cm x 5 cm)
The production and use of plastic materials derived from petroleum invades, modifies and becomes a multi-present threat to the environment. There are about 5.25 billion pieces of plastic in the oceans. Marine and terrestrial animals eat plastic: "Mutants" symbolize the implications of this fatal behavior; they are the inhabitants of a dystopia where plastic reproduces itself. https://www.gabinirino.com
Claire Renaut
Golden Ratio #3, 2021
Newspaper, mixed media (12" x 12")
Each square is related to the next, its size diminishes or increases based on the Golden Ratio. This piece is made with spun Seattle Times. www.clairerenaut.com
Terri Shinn
Dragon Tree, 2021
Hand-dyed fabrics and threads, interfacing, Wonder Under (18" x 8.5" x 8.5")
www.TerriShinn.com
Barbara Matthews
Tormented, 2020
Hand-dyed silk, hand stitching, acrylic glass, acrylic medium ( (27"x13"x 4")
Monstrous events, like pandemics and forest fires that are larger than life, threaten to overtake our rational and orderly existence. BarbaraMatthewsArt.com
Patricia Resseguie
Wisdom 2020
Cotton, polyester and polyester metallic thread over armature (20"H x 20"W x 2"D)
The moss-like materials in Wisdom, created over hundreds of hours of free-motion sewing a pattern over and over, were used in two earlier pieces - neither of which I thought expressed what I hoped to express. During the long hours of isolation during the pandemic, I reworked my concept and re-worked the material into Wisdom to reflect my deep spiritual longing for healing and unity in our times. And yes, I gained a bit of Wisdom along the way. www.patriciaresseguie.com
Barbara De Pirro
Blossom, 2020
Painted papers, acrylic & crocheted stainless steel wire (18” x 18” x 6”)
My artwork has always reflected my fascination & appreciation of nature however the importance of this has been profoundly reinforced during the pandemic. My daily rural walks have not only nurtured but have continued to inspire me, increasing my desire to highlight this invaluable resource. The pandemic has also prompted me to continue to explore new materials & methods. The process of making becomes an art meditation, a time of reflection & healing. http://depirro.blogspot.com/
Evans Fletcher
Covid Clothing Collection: Spiraling Through Covid, 2020-1
Fabric (27" x 31")
During Covid, other than being in my studio, I was still able to get out and hike, bicycle or xc ski. Most of the clothing I constructed during this time period was used for those activities. There were a few exceptions, my bat wing jacket, oversized hoodie, and coveralls were just for fun.I decided later, that creating a quilt with all the fabrics I used for each piece would be a way to remember how I occupied myself during the early stages of the pandemic.
Mary Arnold
Brush Strokes, 2019
Batiks, hand dyed fabrics (51" x 42")
As an artist, making stokes with a brush is what makes my art. This quilt represents marks made with a brush and black ink transformed into fiber and color.
Luanne Seymour
I miss you, 2021
Linen, cotton batting, perle cotton threads (15 x13" x12")
During most of the COVID lockdown I felt artistically paralyzed and unable to create anything new or fresh. Once I got my 2nd vaccine shot, I created a series of small hand-stitched quilts called, “Pandemic Birds.” Being unable to travel or be with friends and family safely made me feel like a caged bird. This piece is called, “I miss you.” The small birds in the sky represent my two children who live in California. luanneseymourdesign.wordpress.com
Seiko A. Purdue
Clusters (detail), 2021
Kozo (mulberry bark fiber), natural dyes (118" x 135" x 3")
Clusters start from small things and then spread: viruses, cancer, fungus, etc. It is a basic organism that we tend to take for granted. ww.seikopurdue.com/
Danielle Bodine
CV19 Munchers to the Rescue, 2020
Coiled figures, yarns, fabrics, beads, plastic tubes, wires, slinkies, found objects, random weave rattan, mulberry paper, dye (12”H x 3l”W x 9”D)
The conception of the CV19 Munchers began in March 2020 at the beginning of “shelter-in-place.” Like many other fiber artists I was busy making masks and organizing “my stash” in the studio. Perusing the collection of fabrics, yarns, beads and found objects I’ve gathered from all over the world, I was inspired to use them in some meaningful way. Why not create critters that would devour the CV19 worldwide? Not only would I use up “my stash” I would get the opportunity to play with color – combining colors and textures I might not normally use together. I chose the ancient basketry technique of coiling to create them, a process I find both meditative and relaxing – a perfect choice for these unique times. Three months later…an international army of 40 CV19 Munchers emerged out of my studio with 10 of them arriving by boat to save the day. www.daniellebodine.com
Joyce Wilkerson
Reflections Coat, 2021
Digitally printed linen/cotton fabric, linen fabric, fiber reactive dyes, horn buttons (35" x 23" x 2")
This piece originated with a photo I took of lights reflecting on glass vases. By manipulating the image, I created a graphic image that was digitally printed onto linen/cotton fabric. Using fiber reactive dyes, I've painted ombre effects on the top layer, as well as a blend from cerulean blue to dark indigo on the underneath layer. Techniques include pattern making, hand dyeing, piecing and appliqué. www.joycewilkerson.com
Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry
Zigzags & Circles #3, 2021
Cotton fabric, ink, cotton/bamboo batting, polyester & acrylic threads (24" x 39.5")
Quilt in cool tones combining zigzags, circles, and curving shapes with illusions of transparency. www.bryerpatch.com
Zia Gipson
Penumbra Necklace, 2021
Mulberry paper, rubber cord, waxed linen (24" x 3")
This necklace reflects the idea that, even in darkness there can be beauty. ziagipson.com
