Art Heals

The Textile Arts Blog is a great resource for learning about textiles, but today's post also illustrates the healing power of art: http://http://creativityjourney.blogspot.com/2011/02/1200-stitches-per-square-inch-art

A prison inmate, drug addicted and with no resources, takes apart socks, and using the threads, embroiders them into portraits. Finding solace, inspiration and most importantly, hope, he gets through his prison term and embroidery helps with his healing.

Art has been shown to help heal many hurts, as well as to lower stress. Just cutting up construction paper, or the newspaper, and gluing them to a background can feel like you are a world away from the daily stresses - as long as that critical voice we all hear in our heads is told to stay away! When doodling, or coloring with crayons, our brain stops running all the "have to's and should have's" and we get in touch with a different side of ourselves. This "Art" may not be something to share with anyone else, because it's the process of making it that is valuable, not the result. That voice that says "I'm no good at Art", is what stops us from going to that place of release and renewal. Art needs to be made for the making, not for the showing.

Roy Matterson was able to get through years of prison, and still uses art to deal with his demons.

No Holds Barred!

Grief c.2009  36" H x 22" W.

The opening reception for the SAQA NE Region "No Holds Barred" exhibit was on Saturday. There was a big turnout, with most of the artists attending. The New England Quilt Museum did a professional job of hanging the show. There are some amazing pieces of art in the show. The show will be at the museum until April 9, so if you can get to Lowell, it is well worth the effort.

I was proud to have two pieces juried into the show, but couldn't post a photo of them until after the opening. The one above is "Grief", which I have thought was one of the best pieces I've made, but it hadn't been accepted into a show before. I'm glad it was able to make it's debut in the show. You just never know what the jurors will see in different entries, or what other entries will be. The jurors brought a very cohesive show together.

Before/After  27" W x 22" H

 

The one above is "Before/After". Both are made with my own hand dyed fabrics, which I love making!

More Than Skin Deep 2

More Than Skin Deep2 by Jeanne Marklin c.2011 Dimensions: 32" H x 54" Wide

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                                                          Detail of More Than Skin Deep2

Last summer, I posted a piece on the blog titled "More Than Skin Deep" that I had made for an art quilt exhibit on racism. The art quilts were exhibited at a conference on racism in Chicago. A staff member from the General Council on Religion and Race had attended the conference, and contacted me about buying the quilt. The exhibit was already scheduled to travel for the next year and a half, so I offered to make another piece that was similar, but they could choose the finished size. I received a commission to make a similar piece for the General Council on Religion and Race in Washington, DC.  They wanted a larger piece for the reception area of the organization, and I was thrilled to be asked to make a work that would represent an organization with the goal of raising consciousness about racism.

This was the first time that I needed to produce a piece with a similar design. I wasn't that happy with the first piece, but it had a deadline, and I had made the deadline. And it had led GCORR to contact me, so it was a good introduction to a new organization. I had been unhappy with the proportions in the first quilt, so I decided to make the background much more variable in sizes and shapes, and the black line, stronger. I think this piece is much stronger than the first one. Do you agree?

The piece was meant to represent the variety of skin colors in the human race, and the blood, and heart beat that we all share. The artist statement went something like this "Our skin is meant to protect us from the elements, but is a very small part of who we are. So many judgements and prejudices are made on the basis of skin color, that really have nothing to do with the human being within that skin. We need to look inside each other, to see the person within, what makes them tick, what their heart tells them. We have much in common." GCORR asked for an artist statement to frame and post near the art quilt so visitors can understand the meaning behind the work.

I was in the DC area and delivered the quilt to the organization. The staff all gathered for the "unveiling", and it was a warm, welcoming, and appreciative group. They made it a special time for me. It is gratifying when people who are "simpatico",  get the meaning of one of my art quilts, and want to share it with others. If I can influence anyone to be more open to connecting with others, the goal of the work will be reached!

Bird Photography - Audubon Awards

The Audubon Society Magazine has published their Annual Photography Awards. The photo's are stunning! They capture birds while feeding, hunting, resting (do they rest?) and mating. The photo's have exquisite composition and color. The photographer's must have been incredibly patient and observant to make the photo's. Any of these photo's could be an inspiration for art, using the colors, lines and texture of the birds.
Check out the photo's at the website: http://www.audubonmagazine.org/features1101/photoawards.html
There is a screensaver as well if you're a subscriber. The snowy owl with one wing across his head is my favorite - but the green-breasted mango (don't you love that name?) is gorgeous too. What's your favorite?

Get in line

"Get In Line" was created in response to an article on White Privilege. The quilt is the second piece in a series about Racism. The article is a thought provoking paper written about "White Privilege" by Peggy McIntosh. This paper is well known in the field of sociology. Read it here: http://www.nymbp.org/reference/WhitePrivilege.pdf

The author lists the multiple ways a white person doesn't have to think about their race. Easy examples such as "will the drugstore carry hair, skin and make up for my race?" To more difficult ones, such as if "I moved into a new neighborhood, would my neighbors accept me, and maybe even welcome me?" and, "when I"m part of a group conversation, do I have to parse my words for fear that a statement will be taken as representative of my race, rather than my own experience?" It's a list of thought provoking questions about the unrecognized privileges that come with being White. 

Get In Line, Jeanne Marklin c. 2010, 40" H x 50" W. I dyed the fabrics, using the shibori pole wrapped method. The shadows are black tulle.  Click on the photo to make it larger.

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to all!

It always takes me until December 15 or so to get into the Christmas swing. I love the Tony Bennett album "Snowfall", and that usually does the trick. My nephew got married on Dec. 18, and it was a beautiful wedding with Christmas decorations everywhere, shared by family and friends. Christmas has always meant family time to me - the presents are nice, but the best part is being with family.

The age old saying of Peace on Earth, Goodwill to all still applies!

New England Quilt Museum acceptance!

Great news in the mail today - I had two Art Quilts accepted for the SAQA sponsored "No Holds Barred" exhibit at the New England Quilt Museum. I'm very pleased and can't wait to see the full show. It opens in January, and will run through March. The museum prohibits artists from posting images of the quilts until the show opens, so I'll have to wait until January 20 to post photo's. http://nequiltmuseum.org