Ocean of Wisdom

The Mongolian name for Dalai Lama, Ocean of Wisdom, draws on the Water symbolism of Feng Shui. Inspired by the hand-painted silk fabric of swimming koi, each coordinating fabric conveys its own meditation on the theme. My friend Yasmin owns this quilt. She even painted her walls to match the art! As a Feng Shui Consultant, she knows what to do. There is a Thai ikat-weave silk in the quilt (lower right corner). She pulled that color to paint her kitchen aubergine and it's fabulous!

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."

Dalai Lama

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.

Dalai Lama

Tom must be a Buddhist. He always tries to help and steps very lightly.

Afrigraphica I & II

This pair of bright banners was a geometric play of colors and textures, framed in black and dotted with cowrie shells. I have done these designs as a mockingbird spews new songs; they just keep tumbling out and the patterns can run for miles, ever changing and combining, never repeating.

This time, I tried to conceive contemporary African color combinations.

Ears pinned back in full attack mode, Tom bites off the enemy cowrie shell.

Afrigraphica I & II will hang in the Walker Zanger Showroom at 101 Henry Adams St. #412 during the month of November, as the San Francisco Design Center highlights TEXTILES. 10% of the proceeds for the sale of 36 displayed art quilts will be donated to the Textile Arts Foundation of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Pumpkin Patch-Work

It's Half Moon Bay, after all. I had to have something pumpkin in my show, but determined it must have purple and blue to make it work. (I can't stand orange and black.) This was a cheerful quilt to make, and I'm delighted that it is gracing the home of one of my client/friends, Diane Prosser, in her Pumpkin Art Collection.

It must be an instinct.

He always knows just where to settle.

Redhead

Redhead was the sleeper of the Bamboo Hair Salon Art Quilt Show for Winifred's Threads. The patrons of the salon liked looking at her while they were getting their hair colored (often red) and styled. She apparently was given names by the stylists: "Jessica" by one; "Roxie" by another. People walked right up to her and examined the patent leather open-toed shoes, red button toenails, her (real) false eyelashes, tumbling red locks, and her strawberry-covered cleavage. This inspires yet another future collection of art quilts: Dames.

My fantasy was that some guy would discover this quilt and HAVE to have it as a gift for his redheaded babe. Know anyone?

Turn, Turn, Turn

The Byrds recorded Pete Seeger's song from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Someday I will make a quilt collection inspired by my favorite songs of the Sixties.

My quilt Turn, Turn, Turn renders each of the four seasons as a California landscape.

Tom looks especially good on "Winter."

Biting off the beads again...

Iowa Corn

It's only 11" by 11" but it holds my whole heart. This is my farm. It floods me with memories of my dad who loved to drive those Iowa roads and look at crops. It brings back thunderstorms on hot, humid nights, and lights in farmhouses from 35,000 feet. My cornfield has black Iowa soil. It's earnest and generous; it informs my wholesome rootstock. That soil makes me breathe deeply, just thinking about it.

Tom went to visit last year. He LOVES Iowa. He also loves to bite off those gold bugle beads, each one an ear of Iowa gold.

Mobile Homes

As an interior designer, I find I'm drawn to the HOUSE motif, usually a stylized square body with a triangle roof.  I picture an entire collection of house designs into art quilts some day. My riffing turned to three dimensions: what about 3-dimensional quilted houses? And then it leaped to movement. What about QUILT as HOUSE as MOBILE? A-ha! Mobile homes.

On reflection, it would have been good to talk with someone about the construction. I just set about the old-fashioned way, with balsa wood glue frames, fishing line and dowel crossbars. What a fun excuse to go to the hardware store, looking for solutions.

5 Mobile Homes:

Home Sweet Home - Cherries & Dots -- Too Cute
Love Pad - Peter Max and Yin & Yang
Animal House - Cats & Dogs & Fish, Oh My!
Fixer-Upper - Before and After Half & Half
Eco-Friendly House - Solar & Recyling Bins