Our Adventure in Boone, NC

My PTA group planned a trip to Boone, NC to see a fiber art exhibit at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. We were off and running in 3 cars and arrived in Boone around 11 am - just in time for lunch!
and the second half of the group minus Janice (the top of her head can be seen).

We drove to the Turchin Center where this very nice lady offered to take our group picture. I don't think she realized how many cameras were involved - click, click, click, click. She was a good sport.

The exhibit "12 Voices", sponsored by SAQA (Studio Art Quilts Associates) is a traveling exhibit featuring the works of 12 fiber artists and members of SAQA. Each artist submitted 4-5 pieces for the exhibit. My only disappointment was that I hoped to see all the works, not realizing that each gallery due to space limitations could only display just so many. None the less, it was still wonderful and inspiring. Some of the featured artists included Linda Colsh, Joan Schulze, Judith Content, Susan Shie, Clare Plug, Angela Moll and others. There was "no photography" but you could purchase a book of the exhibit featuring all the works, the artists and a short synopsis of how they work. I've poured over the book many times since yesterday and it's wonderful, beautiful photography and an interesting look into the personalities of these incredibly talented women. The show was hung beautifully, paying careful attention to those pieces with great "back" interest, allowing them to hang in a freestanding manner. One could walk around these pieces with a view from all angles.

After the exhibit, we ventured downtown, a charming college town with the usual hustle and bustle of student life.

And then onto Cathy's condo for beautiful views

and interesting table tops; don't you love the leaves!

We had our usual Show and Tell which is always inspiring. Mary Stori made a small piece for Connie having to do with a Pelican story Connie shared with us a while back. Mary is great for doing this, listening carefully to our stories and then surprising someone with a small and very personal piece she has created to depict that story. So now we are all trying to think of our best stories to casually drop in Mary's presence in hopes of getting one of her fantastic pieces.

Here is the wonderful piece and notice the beading on the edge!

And another one of Mary's pieces completely beaded!

Kate Weston did this next piece for a challenge for the Quilters of South Carolina conference this weekend. Kate marbled her own fabric and did a great job. The first step in marbling is to drop the paint which makes the "stones" pattern. This can be raked into another pattern or printed as is. Kate took a stylus and ran it through the stones (circles) to make the indent at the top and pulling out at the bottom to make the point at the bottom of the heart. I think it's fantastic. The binding still needs stitching but I'm so glad she brought it to share.

Kate covered the outside wide border with a gauze type fabric which subdued the marbling and gave it incredible texture. What a clever idea!

What a wonderful day, my mind is still spinning with inspiration from the exhibit and time spent with good friends.