To the Talent of Hollis

As you read this , I am in Houston, teaching classes all week. This seemed a good time to honor some quilts and quilt artists I have long admired.  I'm starting with Hollis Chatelain... a talented and well educated artist adept at both her own work and helping(teaching) others to find their path.  I took classes from her long ago when  I was still in the corporate world and trying to figure out how to use my watercolor background on fabric.  Hollis works hard to help students to stretch and learn... and indeed I stretched and learned a wealth of information from time with her.  I'm drawn to different medium and subjects  but admit my work is affected by her teachings. Here...3 quilts I own of hers... My treasure and perhaps her greatest work exclusively in thread is" Burkinabe Mother"  coming from a photograph Hollis took in Burkina Faso.

 This piece is an ALL thread portrait  ( no dye/no paint.. all thread) done on the backside of a piece of 'seconds' cloth from a mill in Africa. Hollis cleverly incorporated the bled through areas into her piece.  Click on photo for an enlarged view. The peaceful look on this mothers face is profound as she simultaneously works and mothers her child.  I so loved this piece, I also purchased framed fine art print no. 1 of this image. I've kept the original away from light and dusty air. It's pristine. Contact me if interested in either of these pieces.  Hollis has 2  new pieces in this years International Festival.  Look for them should you attend..I think you'll see ribbons on both!

I used to tell Hollis she was the 'Madonna' ( as in the performing artitst) of Quilting... routinely exploring new approaches to her art form. While I see her continuing to stretch,  she does likewise hold on to that close to her heart.. her message of equality. 

This piece below explores thread work atop a hand dyed piece.  It is called "Beyond" and educates the viewer on the effects of thread value, color and line. For me, as I see it, I am standing in  darkness looking up through dark clouds in a night sky and into the moonlight beyond. You might see it differently but it's beautiful whatever the case.  This was my most recent purchase ( perhaps my last) as I have abandoned the corporate world for the one of artistic expression... less money... more joy! ;-D 

Click on any photo for enlarged view. 

Now, my final piece is the FIRST piece I bought. It is called "Color Cocktail" and hangs in my studio.  The energy created with contrasting compliments fuel my own creative energy.  I purchased this piece a mere 2 weeks after 9/11... at an independent study week Hollis organized near her home. I looked at it for days and finally could not stand it, asked it's price, and bought it. It was at this retreat, she was informed she'd won a major International Festival award for the infamous Blue Men piece.  That major award turned out later to be the Best of Show. This piece is fairly large covering most of a wall and one created directly AFTER Blue Men which most would recall mostly monochromatic blue.  Hollis said she NEEDED to work in color following that long period of mostly one color. Lucky for me!