tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52709055068012083072024-03-14T09:22:08.327-04:00Monica in MichiganMonica Johnstone: Quilts & Textile ArtMonica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-75377318404623616812018-03-09T10:46:00.000-05:002018-03-09T10:46:07.140-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EDc_PMooOSJ6tDCDzvR8E0dK3Co_Mh0Clwa69xpjfMsL3XZrvUZousm0Ph8NPM7fAR6QvGrnRdVZpJznTQyPGvpiWdTg6ljk1JWg4xaqa0ROhtUfs1n8JoRYO0noQxZ9fI5Uc8u9QWw/s1600/1923956_10214141089334971_590903293632545583_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EDc_PMooOSJ6tDCDzvR8E0dK3Co_Mh0Clwa69xpjfMsL3XZrvUZousm0Ph8NPM7fAR6QvGrnRdVZpJznTQyPGvpiWdTg6ljk1JWg4xaqa0ROhtUfs1n8JoRYO0noQxZ9fI5Uc8u9QWw/s320/1923956_10214141089334971_590903293632545583_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm currently working on the quilting of this project, tentatively titled Edenic. As a member of the Monthly Art Project group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/monthlyartproject/), I'm posting progress on this piece on the 15th of each month. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This top is pieced and about 44 x 56".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's great to get something down off the design wall and under the needle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next month the plan is to finish up some other project that is too long on a design wall. Ultimately I hope to get 4 such projects well progressed this year.</span>Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-73682613741761563852016-08-30T17:12:00.000-04:002016-08-30T17:12:02.373-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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78.5 x 78.5 inches. Roman Glass by Monica Johnstone<br />
Circular Abstractions: Bulls Eye Quilts is now at the Muskegon Museum of Art.<br />
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Catalogs can be sourced here<br />
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Exhibition Catalogue</span><span style="color: #363636; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">now available for purchase.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">WEBSITE: Use the PayPal link on the <a alt="http://www.muskegonartmuseum.org/store/" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nzduGp1KKzxg30liM6xyeA2Ry1zolIJi724vUGVBqOzjtRt24s3YBH9W3xbKFUO2MV_3mr9kWMwwoUkM1BF6JomMTjy49utEmE-XXZGubHlIHIYXG2xheg_e9LT43TH-WYpYiE25XWsWP6-YSgvE2HxXJW9R_WSv4Sc8Yf9iSiJbETrSB6s01M_Lx3unt-mI&c=PQX9vXfmIeE07xME6FtSSmYWLgsrfnq9ZgeV2JrJDAUSDZLm4g6J0A==&ch=wBb7B6xMKncfFaTRGuJWG1z5hKnVe3TM2tMarjRUpriCmYeZRzNkiw==" linktype="1" shape="rect" target="_blank" track="on">Store page of our website</a> (
for U.S. shipped orders only.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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So delighted to be in this wonderful exhibit. </div>
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Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-85607736968193334202016-01-22T17:37:00.004-05:002016-01-22T17:37:54.074-05:00Getting to “Congratulations”—from first ideas to finished products<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
Anyone who has given a quilt talk gets a couple questions that
are real chestnuts—how long did it take and where do you get your ideas. This post will get at both, I think.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After an enormous 16 month push resulting in acceptance of a
piece called Roman Glass (78.5” by 78.5”) to Circular Abstractions (juried and
curated by Nancy Crow, opens Aug. 25, 2016 at the Muskegon Museum of Art), I
realized that I’d developed a new way of working (at least it was new for me) that
suited me and also fit with a rather germinal plan I had to do a series of
quilts about ancient objects. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Not long after that project was completed, Brenda Gael Smith
announced her next travelling exhibition on the theme ”a matter of time”. Though only one entry by any one artist would
be accepted, she allowed multiple entries.
I’d had a quilt in the first of her exhibits ( Beneath the Southern Sky)
and though I entered two quilts in her next one (Living Colour), neither was
selected. I saw both exhibitions and
know that there was no way either of my entries to LC would have worked. Brenda has a wonderful eye for color and flow
and her exhibitions absolutely sing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So for round three (a matter of time), I was determined to
be as on key as possible. I decided to
work on three of the ideas that announced themselves to me most clearly. There were some others but they didn’t insist
on being made. I also consciously avoided anything I presumed others might do--so for me that meant to stay away from clocks, trees, the faces of elderly people and other motifs that others might pick and would probably execute better than I would (as these don't tend to be ones that I've gravitated toward in my quilts).<o:p></o:p></div>
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I tend to work from intellectual ideas that interest
me. Are you shocked? Doesn’t everybody say they “work from nature
and observation”? Nope, I am an academic
at heart and studied Latin and Greek at school and have a huge interest in
metaphor and literature—so my ideas come out of my head rather than in through
my eyes most of the time--at the beginning of the process in any case. The other place
ideas come from is the desire to try out an effect. For instance, I’m a quilter who needs to know
how they do that whether it is a Y seam or the illusion of glowing through color
placement. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The first entries in the sketchbook show that the idea that
works out is sometimes the very first one to hit you—but it is rarely as
refined as it needs to be. As the photo
shows, I sketched an amphora which was slightly off center and touched top and
bottom of the frame. This would become
Patina: Ancient Amphora.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpCnS3biWB-pX0ZX_qprrPbjZtpOPXe-t_UP5nviUf2jWEW67pYL0Icq9WHC_rCYINXOcAua_dirtXh6-GGZ42Av2qPKd9kKiQ3Qu_PKpwxYEKnSzHmSvXnu_KXB96Epe8ZlmHLYUNuE/s1600/IMG_1512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpCnS3biWB-pX0ZX_qprrPbjZtpOPXe-t_UP5nviUf2jWEW67pYL0Icq9WHC_rCYINXOcAua_dirtXh6-GGZ42Av2qPKd9kKiQ3Qu_PKpwxYEKnSzHmSvXnu_KXB96Epe8ZlmHLYUNuE/s320/IMG_1512.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next to it is the
first germ of the idea to have a bit of central red, black on one side and
white on the other, quilted in top to bottom straight-ish lines. You could say that this eventually split into
both of the other ideas that I would see to completion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fxxiOQbQlMZdrwiMYmnHRxTL7jAFkUeQlWkNbDXlMxsM8qOgQDnMPOO4iCyonqtkQwUyqnvWeScaOHQKKNa85ECC8yDP5mWjqUOhO_o1GSrtNi-yL5ojdZCoPMED68EmEu77dZPKKn0/s1600/IMG_1511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fxxiOQbQlMZdrwiMYmnHRxTL7jAFkUeQlWkNbDXlMxsM8qOgQDnMPOO4iCyonqtkQwUyqnvWeScaOHQKKNa85ECC8yDP5mWjqUOhO_o1GSrtNi-yL5ojdZCoPMED68EmEu77dZPKKn0/s320/IMG_1511.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here are the two that eventuated from that second idea.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rE697BCpSjKQ_5RSkYrLzP5enK6PzxsbU-ztdc8WuVRLE8njczFIPYUXOohRRfcPNFO8WpjNw9jTBfE31vu2Syn1IFc2GZFNDNJM7ASEZmB0hJa9FPgDoXSeOB4V-XEGVKRIYtbwDgs/s1600/MJohnstoneFull2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rE697BCpSjKQ_5RSkYrLzP5enK6PzxsbU-ztdc8WuVRLE8njczFIPYUXOohRRfcPNFO8WpjNw9jTBfE31vu2Syn1IFc2GZFNDNJM7ASEZmB0hJa9FPgDoXSeOB4V-XEGVKRIYtbwDgs/s320/MJohnstoneFull2.jpg" width="137" /></a> This one is Red Shift: A Matter of Time and Place. Hand dyed, then sprayed to punch up the color further. It is quilted in 8 colors of 28wt Aurifil.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJTuzDG_na9MJgjJE_ekib8BH3d7LtGZDZhZ6B39buZjXjLXybY4gDv1kceUfu5dtgzlyFWEmOBCRixfhtaFvzDA1boNqCWHm4MOWezL92az30YvlWrg06YFpU1m9pARAD5jGlj2dCv8/s1600/MJohnstoneDetail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJTuzDG_na9MJgjJE_ekib8BH3d7LtGZDZhZ6B39buZjXjLXybY4gDv1kceUfu5dtgzlyFWEmOBCRixfhtaFvzDA1boNqCWHm4MOWezL92az30YvlWrg06YFpU1m9pARAD5jGlj2dCv8/s320/MJohnstoneDetail2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJj9GDt_73LNuJObGr2a3CoA9xnTfjGQbehMDtnvGi1zKnBdKhW4rXqoEwjble7tDLllj_QS4_uOmE65A4VkHd-dDtcRYo4efREhfI36qillIx0TGALYxTDWqp9Uo2PNPrFpnA5QABW90/s1600/MJohnstoneFull3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJj9GDt_73LNuJObGr2a3CoA9xnTfjGQbehMDtnvGi1zKnBdKhW4rXqoEwjble7tDLllj_QS4_uOmE65A4VkHd-dDtcRYo4efREhfI36qillIx0TGALYxTDWqp9Uo2PNPrFpnA5QABW90/s320/MJohnstoneFull3.jpg" width="134" /></a>This one is called This Red Hot Moment. I was quite happy to get that center to glow. One early test had one slightly greyed orange in the mix and, boy, that put the fire right out. I was also feeling pretty clever when I needed one extremely pale pink and achieved it through layering a less opaque white fabric over a light pink.</div>
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Patina was more complicated. Elaborate improvisational piecing using Kona solids, silk, peppered cottons, paint stick on cotton, and a much more elaborate quilting pattern (researched from ancient amphorae and other Greek and Roman ornament--and then a heap of improv, poly and metallic thread. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEterzPKhUHeFFqPp8CgmVakhb0FEv3RkfVtKzlgyIBx0L0lv-TsPTvMXi8Sdfu4mzMc324bN_kyHIcMzZPAplaxU7jwzyTh0Neb-UF3TI-FM800d4IsUT95GFyF5XAqPBPKgqXxMaysQ/s1600/IMG_1513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEterzPKhUHeFFqPp8CgmVakhb0FEv3RkfVtKzlgyIBx0L0lv-TsPTvMXi8Sdfu4mzMc324bN_kyHIcMzZPAplaxU7jwzyTh0Neb-UF3TI-FM800d4IsUT95GFyF5XAqPBPKgqXxMaysQ/s320/IMG_1513.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4n0V2V3SJhzI7fz2m9Wrc3mTbxsTIZKHgL5jedKbRPhDw9655_KdwAs5lXDetrv90gpfBnw04BLv_7zh-mj3U96KZkgXBN09rZZ_XT0eamq2FAATq9R7GLm-kdehQYHrkr88hy0cUbM4/s1600/MJohnstoneDetail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4n0V2V3SJhzI7fz2m9Wrc3mTbxsTIZKHgL5jedKbRPhDw9655_KdwAs5lXDetrv90gpfBnw04BLv_7zh-mj3U96KZkgXBN09rZZ_XT0eamq2FAATq9R7GLm-kdehQYHrkr88hy0cUbM4/s320/MJohnstoneDetail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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[Side note--I actually sewed through my left index finger making this quilt. I was sewing an area with heavy seam overlaps and the machine balked and my hand lurched and, well, let's just say that it was lucky I was at a quilt retreat with a former school nurse (thanks, Donna!).]</div>
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And how long does it take? Well, less than the time to put a patina on bronze, but more than my full-time career easily affords me so the holiday break had a lot less to do with preparing turkeys and far more to do with sitting down at my APQS George to quilt. I made about half of the <i>fabric</i> for Patina at a three day retreat (but punctuated with some side projects so it was not three continuous days on that project). </div>
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Want to know more? Follow #amatteroftimetextiles, the facebook page, or the <a href="http://www.amatteroftimetextiles.com/" target="_blank">website</a>.</div>
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Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-27321831369552850212015-08-27T14:52:00.002-04:002015-08-27T14:52:21.671-04:00ArtPrize 2015Today I will be taking <a href="http://www.artprize.org/monica-johnstone/2015/arcus" target="_blank">my ArtPrize entry</a> to the curator. I'm taking it rolled, so I made a muslin cover for a pool noodle, held it together with two wide muslin straps applied loosely enough not to make a mark but snug enough to keep the roll together as it is inserted into a muslin bag made for the purpose.<br />
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I decided that french seams made sense to limit the stray threads that might cling to the work.<br />
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I find that remnants of extra-wide muslin is quite good for making this packaging.Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-4995923452691127132015-08-24T09:32:00.001-04:002015-08-24T09:32:09.738-04:00"Roman Glass" was juried in!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0061ff; font-size: 17.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CIRCULAR ABSTRACTIONS: BULL’S EYES QUILTS</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #0061ff; font-size: 17.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Grand Opening: August 25, 2016</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">August
25-November 6, 2016 </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Juried by Nancy Crow</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Muskegon
Museum of Art</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">296
W Webster Ave</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Muskegon,
MI 49440</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="mailto:amartin@mpsk12.net"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 13.5pt;">amartin@mpsk12.net</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">tel:
(231) 720-2575</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'm very excited to be part of this 50 work exhibit!</span></div>
Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-39002246972502456002014-09-22T09:07:00.000-04:002014-09-22T09:07:00.145-04:00In love with the APQS GeorgeOne month in, it is safe to say that I'm in love with the George. I've been able to deal with different threads, the height of the table and great lighting means I don't sit in a strange way so my back feels fineeven after a pretty long session, and my husband and son say they don't even hear it when watching tv in the next room.<br />
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To get better fast, I'm trying to quilt every day and re-read my books by Diane Gaudynski, Leah Day, et al. Self-imposed boot camp! I decided that in addition to making test pieces, I might as well make some actual things.<br />
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Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-38825648331573049052014-07-28T08:45:00.002-04:002014-07-28T08:45:43.985-04:00By valueSomehow it seems intuitive to sort fabric by color, but now that I've been at this longer, I listened to the very good advice of <a href="http://mariaelkins.com/" target="_blank">Maria Elkins </a>to sort my fabric in preparation for my next class with <a href="http://www.nancycrow.com/" target="_blank">Nancy Crow</a> by value. I'm taking 4 "under the bed" style boxes, so Saturday I sorted by 4 value ranges (very light, medium-light, medium-dark, dark). As Maria points out, in a box full of lights, it isn't hard to spot a particular color.<br />
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This didn't take very long because I had a cardboard value finder. I may go back later and set my camera to black-and-white mode in order to spot some of the borderline cases so that I can refine my sort.<br />
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I'm taking a photography for textiles class soon and this photo is a good reason why. My darks came out looking like medium darks (on the left) and they really are much deeper colors than that. This flash photo really bleached the darks out considerably. I'm looking forward to getting better at this!Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-18080422399935199302014-07-24T09:21:00.003-04:002014-07-24T09:21:45.749-04:00Does this count as 15 seconds of fame?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As part of the local AQS show promotion, a past president of our West Michigan Quilter's Guild was on the TV news this morning and my Wombat Dreaming quilt can be seen peaking out of the bottom right corner (the black one with the brown circle). Fun! I don't recommend sitting on art quilts, but sometimes you make exceptions!</span><br />
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<br />Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-82103845851245766692014-06-06T11:52:00.002-04:002014-06-06T11:52:28.401-04:00Arcus for AQS Grand Rapids<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">"CONGRATULATIONS! The jury has accepted your quilt, see attached, for further</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">consideration in the 2014 AQS QuiltWeek® Contest in Grand Rapids, Michigan" begins the email I received today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is great to be able to be in your AQS show in the area you live. For one thing, you get to go-- and they put a little ribbon indicating your participation on your name bade and then all the vendors are extra lovely to you. It is a bit like having a "please congratulate me" sign on :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The quilt is called Arcus and is machine pieced. No applique or fusing is involved in the construction of the arcs which I free-cut. In other words, you "have at" a yard of fabric with the rotary cutter--which takes some getting used to. This one is machine quilted primarily in long arcing lines, but also some busier patterns inside the black and brown sections.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><br />Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-11949278110702743802014-05-06T12:05:00.003-04:002014-05-06T12:05:59.749-04:00Wonderful Time at the Macomb County Quilt Guild<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hats off to the members of the Macomb County Quilt Guild near Detroit, Michigan!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was delighted to be the lecture-and-trunk-show guest last night at this vibrant guild. The officers and general members provided a warm welcome and were a great audience for my first ever guild talk. We had a lot of laughs and I was lucky enough to be at the meeting just after their bi-annual show--so I got to see some of the winning quilts during Show and Tell.</span>Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-87332256299713202372014-05-02T14:30:00.002-04:002014-05-02T14:30:47.417-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEteWaNVhSWcW24cpXxRYAbUDI2UTJ7Lu4LjCQxanuC0nW-p0qNCBqUPWEZM6O-mfACWaERhh2uKg3HlRTl4Y-pdDNrtrCj9Htfqd_ewUAZOf3d_r2BT-NJ5AiDLfqciSAv6c5ywtkQb4/s1600/JohnstoneMonica1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEteWaNVhSWcW24cpXxRYAbUDI2UTJ7Lu4LjCQxanuC0nW-p0qNCBqUPWEZM6O-mfACWaERhh2uKg3HlRTl4Y-pdDNrtrCj9Htfqd_ewUAZOf3d_r2BT-NJ5AiDLfqciSAv6c5ywtkQb4/s1600/JohnstoneMonica1.jpg" height="320" width="133" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVZvtCoQ3wnGKkuAcoeScW38Y_CX_TNmGc_nloI7nryo9yyukX0TuQpyQK5xfJ42glZbXr-aw0AK2X3sKCRya8kOWVnSp5mVbM6TVu7DpgDpDCLu_Ax3HKOzYnc9dJtuLQgSqsR5wCwg/s1600/JOhnstoneMonica3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVZvtCoQ3wnGKkuAcoeScW38Y_CX_TNmGc_nloI7nryo9yyukX0TuQpyQK5xfJ42glZbXr-aw0AK2X3sKCRya8kOWVnSp5mVbM6TVu7DpgDpDCLu_Ax3HKOzYnc9dJtuLQgSqsR5wCwg/s1600/JOhnstoneMonica3.jpg" height="143" title="Midnight at Reeds Lake by Monica Johnstone " width="320" /></a></div>
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The black and white image above is tipped over (the left side is actually the bottom). That technical difficulty aside, these two works have been accepted for display at <a href="http://www.fiber577.com/%E2%80%8E" target="_blank">Fiber 577</a> in Perrysburg, OH June 7 - 8, 2014.<br />
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The top image is a 40cm x 100cm quilt called Aubergine & Avocado Salad for Charles Rennie MacIntosh. The second is 24 inches x 56 inches and is called Midnight at Reeds Lake. Both are my original designs.Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-66581609752897105212014-01-21T17:15:00.000-05:002014-01-21T17:15:18.985-05:00Just entered quilts so now on to the next thingToday I entered two quilts to be considered in an curated traveling exhibition. That means I worked rather intensively on those two for some time and then worked to get the photos right for a couple days. A make-shift photo studio in our sunroom worked out much better than trying to take the photos in my small studio. I also treated myself to a new camera that has a better lens-- truly enjoyable to use.<br />
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Now is the real test. That is, not to spend the next two weeks in a state of "phew!" but instead to get a large project back up on the design wall and progressing after a couple months' hiatus. I've been reading Lisa Call's list of goals and she'll shame you right into a better work ethic. I stop into her blog from time to time for just that sort of kick.Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-28063075693152423052013-11-11T20:01:00.001-05:002013-11-11T20:03:01.795-05:00New websiteI'm happy to report that my website is now live at <b><a href="http://monicajohnstone.com/">monicajohnstone.com</a></b> <br />
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<a href="http://monicajohnstone.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHTq1FbiYhlzB5pRHNetDrwfCd8p2OJKk_KLd_31Sd-3KBKXxwVg6pJ2YMl_6bYK-AePtYoqHwnLhy7OSXOxckdT6U2rALtaDA7-m8dhzLAVzLXjTE1_NpKivHHUeDw4zuN5Aniyjs5A/s400/screenshot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I'd recommend my friend and web designer <b><a href="http://serendipitypatchwork.com.au/website.html" target="_blank">Brenda Gael Smith</a></b> to anyone interested in taking this step. Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-52247346582980540952013-11-07T14:11:00.003-05:002013-11-11T20:02:20.412-05:00From Paper to Cloth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpaKqoOtO2nUkgJTIUhq7iLY2pyVdWjczfuSwS2HaGmRGdxZgEDGhg0A-Vjgy57lgQAHGHvKcCfX4nx2F55mkmrj_48jalwCuul3jo-rgpeYoPojjGxD4zjreQjU8V6XptsWyLuMv5XY/s1600/RenniesAubergine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpaKqoOtO2nUkgJTIUhq7iLY2pyVdWjczfuSwS2HaGmRGdxZgEDGhg0A-Vjgy57lgQAHGHvKcCfX4nx2F55mkmrj_48jalwCuul3jo-rgpeYoPojjGxD4zjreQjU8V6XptsWyLuMv5XY/s320/RenniesAubergine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm currently working on a series of pieces based on this piece I produced in Coloraid paper. I've enjoyed collecting and dyeing linen, coton, and silk in this palette.Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-52930817323278873972013-08-13T14:24:00.000-04:002013-08-13T14:24:49.954-04:00Always Something... Regional SDA show will contain two of my quilts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn72BN-Tzqbexms5iXrUTD7flG-MgH8u-F9bkc-R6EPLIPjypNmXLIEM9L8mv6ZfZbKaTUBBNhOW-w040kqd7Jf_tvNMGXU7G-FP_oPL-qPlCNO6MeP52XtYKk2Vc7uO44b6yUMdQSLNY/s1600/Monica_Johnstone_Arctic_Melt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn72BN-Tzqbexms5iXrUTD7flG-MgH8u-F9bkc-R6EPLIPjypNmXLIEM9L8mv6ZfZbKaTUBBNhOW-w040kqd7Jf_tvNMGXU7G-FP_oPL-qPlCNO6MeP52XtYKk2Vc7uO44b6yUMdQSLNY/s200/Monica_Johnstone_Arctic_Melt.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkQVNKxA8hEBSqG764pm8rmhslQXgJXWHnQLouDGfr8gNbF87HBbz0z4HwCym9ZF8lrEWwzfdIFUwL2t-rxxMf_moMSBinUNv2aIpEJZhgH2i3oVwWHYDKmePQe4j_-GhzeDasrHPgX8/s1600/Monica_Johnstone_WomensPetitionOf1897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkQVNKxA8hEBSqG764pm8rmhslQXgJXWHnQLouDGfr8gNbF87HBbz0z4HwCym9ZF8lrEWwzfdIFUwL2t-rxxMf_moMSBinUNv2aIpEJZhgH2i3oVwWHYDKmePQe4j_-GhzeDasrHPgX8/s200/Monica_Johnstone_WomensPetitionOf1897.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<em>Arctic Melt</em> and <em>Hawaiian Women's Petition of 1897</em> were both selected for inclusion in an upcoming regional SDA show called Always Something... The exhibition will be held at The Vogt Visual Arts Center (<a href="http://www.tinleyparkdistrict.org/Parks-Facilities/vogt-visual-arts-center.htm">http://www.tinleyparkdistrict.org/Parks-Facilities/vogt-visual-arts-center.htm</a>) in Tinley Park, IL September 3rd through the 26th.
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Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-1106987806924441992013-08-09T16:18:00.004-04:002013-08-09T16:18:54.996-04:00Yesterday a Silk Necktie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5tpIwLA2ynKOeqTBMTr2pJKE1pyuMtxcoPdxo_Bohwa_9Zsb67nlqpt9YeKmZ-c7abYWQ007HkFx5V9hMn0WS5FAozMVgkDKhLDUmDvg8DvggNe7uPsksCGthOy2RU_eskiEby3sp0Q/s1600/IMG_1315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5tpIwLA2ynKOeqTBMTr2pJKE1pyuMtxcoPdxo_Bohwa_9Zsb67nlqpt9YeKmZ-c7abYWQ007HkFx5V9hMn0WS5FAozMVgkDKhLDUmDvg8DvggNe7uPsksCGthOy2RU_eskiEby3sp0Q/s320/IMG_1315.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
After being in a slump, I made something!Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-70921392565378419742013-08-05T08:29:00.003-04:002013-08-05T08:29:24.211-04:00A couple more venues and then the dream run is completeBeneath the Southern Sky is completing its wonderful 5 country series of exhibitions. Hats off to our wonderful curator Brenda Gael Smith!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrCHAGYXAc2-ZlntG2w2lz4SeuIvjCCCPA0WYkXZFgg0256ok6BXW3zW0wqa_6Aq_dYqmgnxXS2yXLQvnEzhEYTFQgOKDCXmYPHW0EtgjA-ZFHlQ_695is2ErvoX3Vb9h1WRwS3MEmuE/s1600/FoQIQCpromo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrCHAGYXAc2-ZlntG2w2lz4SeuIvjCCCPA0WYkXZFgg0256ok6BXW3zW0wqa_6Aq_dYqmgnxXS2yXLQvnEzhEYTFQgOKDCXmYPHW0EtgjA-ZFHlQ_695is2ErvoX3Vb9h1WRwS3MEmuE/s1600/FoQIQCpromo.jpg" height="259" width="320" /></a></div>
Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-33922475030922518842013-07-02T13:42:00.000-04:002013-07-02T13:42:13.385-04:00Getting Going AgainI was a bit burned out after getting back from a recent art retreat at the Crow Barn and the studio looked like an ad for entropy after I unpacked, so it took a while to dig out and get in the right frame of mind for the next projects. In the next year I want to make two submissions for the Living Colours exhbit and finish several of my pieces started at the two seminars this last year with Nancy Crow. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6Uhup14oScnwOlM81ilq5DULnnpXbdVTrVV6sXafoo2NPAza9kXYfJ8GUmIk6YSbQlFGn13iBSlV5G3VUmjkXbK_uDlJYuiISt5iwYGVahPtbVBHEale44ec8YuZbGoCypOopo6YUsA/s1600/Arcs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6Uhup14oScnwOlM81ilq5DULnnpXbdVTrVV6sXafoo2NPAza9kXYfJ8GUmIk6YSbQlFGn13iBSlV5G3VUmjkXbK_uDlJYuiISt5iwYGVahPtbVBHEale44ec8YuZbGoCypOopo6YUsA/s320/Arcs.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-80128220828627089322013-03-15T15:20:00.001-04:002013-03-15T15:20:34.986-04:00GV Magazine articleAn article entitled, "Another Kind of Communication" (pages 38-39) about my quilting has appeared in the Grand Valley Magazine (circulation 100,000) as well as a some close up shots as the background to the Winter 2013 issue's Table of Contents. The issue is also available online for free viewing: <a href="http://issuu.com/gvsu/docs/winter2013_gvm_issuu?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=1b1b1b&showFlipBtn=true&logo=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gvsu.edu%2Fimg%2Fgvsu-logo-greybg2.gif">http://issuu.com/gvsu/docs/winter2013_gvm_issuu?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=1b1b1b&showFlipBtn=true&logo=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gvsu.edu%2Fimg%2Fgvsu-logo-greybg2.gif</a><br />
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The writer, Mary Pirkola, and photographer Elizabeth Lienau did a lovely job. All I had to do was deliver the quilts and come back a couple hours later to find everything nicely arranged and well lit.Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-27918328287614140412013-02-14T13:13:00.000-05:002013-02-14T13:13:30.201-05:00Fantastic Fibers 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbLJT8fU0w_wgp8dNmlmFOn-vcuNdw5WE82iwt7f1MGnZGERRxMSQb4d9bqShvY2iKO5IOm_EtrCtdYkvT-E6ZpLAr35aUT52pvFzNXciw-X6aihKdKDxL4CFRJREMhex6rEoFgZS2nE/s1600/Womens+Petition+1897_36.5x36.5_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbLJT8fU0w_wgp8dNmlmFOn-vcuNdw5WE82iwt7f1MGnZGERRxMSQb4d9bqShvY2iKO5IOm_EtrCtdYkvT-E6ZpLAr35aUT52pvFzNXciw-X6aihKdKDxL4CFRJREMhex6rEoFgZS2nE/s320/Womens+Petition+1897_36.5x36.5_full.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
This week I was delighted to find that my quilt Hawaiian Women's Petition of 1897 was juried into <a href="http://fantasticfibers.theyeiser.org/" target="_blank">Fantastic Fibers 2013</a> and will be one of only 54 entiries sellected from a field of more than 700 to hang at the Yeiser Art Center in Paducah, KY April 6 - May 4, 2013. Happily, that overlaps with the big AQS Paducah show which features the <a href="http://www.beneathsouthernsky.com/" target="_blank">Beneath the Southern Sky</a> exhibit which includes my quilt Kiwi's Nocturne. Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-34539374831895461142012-12-21T16:40:00.002-05:002012-12-21T16:40:29.604-05:00Back from the Nancy Crow WorkshopI had a blast at the Nancy Crow workshop recently offered in Muskegon. 5 days of concentrating on lines and shapes and circles without a ruler in sight.<br />
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Here's my line study which I'll tweak and then quilt. I'm calling it Midnight at Reeds Lake. I've purchased some black batting to see if I can get the white seamlines to show. <br />
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In addition to seeing what I have to do to progress, I met some really wonderful quilters. Some are even in my own local guild. Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-66757020773699331902012-11-15T15:00:00.001-05:002012-11-16T08:35:06.391-05:00Kiwi Really Goes WalkaboutIt's no seceret that I was very excited to have my Kiwi's Nocturne art quilt accepted into the <a href="http://www.beneathsouthernsky.com/" target="_blank">Beneath the Southern</a> Sky Exhibit. So many venues in three countries! Well, it recently got even better when we learned that our wonderful curator <a href="http://serendipitypatchwork.com.au/blog/" target="_blank">Brenda Gael Smith</a> had added the UK and South Africa to the list.<br />
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Images of <a href="http://beneathsouthernsky.com/gallery/gallery.html" target="_blank">the whole exhibit</a>--mine is near the middleMonica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-11717738023346558252012-10-08T08:18:00.000-04:002012-11-15T14:49:14.955-05:00West Michigan Quilters Guild Show 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My quilt Kieran's Compass was sporting two Special Award ribbons at last weekend's West Michigan Quilters Guild Show at the Deltaplex. These are my first ribbons and therefore very exciting. One was awarded by a judge who represents a local quilt shop and the other was the President of the Grand Rapids Public Museum.<br />
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The quilt is back on my son's bed now after its happy adventure in the world outside our house.Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-29893618542274900892012-09-19T13:08:00.001-04:002012-09-19T13:08:45.528-04:00Most gorgeous dryer lintI'm signed up for a Nancy Crow workshop to be held in Muskegon Dec. 10-14 so I'm acquiring and pre-washing many yards of fabric in a very wide range of solid colors. It's fun to look at dry, it's fun to look at wet--and the related-color loads I'm putting through the dryer make the most wonderfully complex colors of dryer lint. Ironing has been an on-going project--glad I made a good ironing station a while back.<br />
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I acquired several of Nancy's books and have been reading a lot about color lately. Quite enjoyable and can't help but influence the work to come.<br />
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As for my recent experiments in lower contrast, last week was the opening of the Women's Center Art Show on the GVSU campus. My piece was hung rather high which is an entirely different perspective on it. People seem to like it, but it is hard to point out detail (up too high!).Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270905506801208307.post-46143912889448797762012-08-13T16:53:00.002-04:002012-08-13T16:53:40.760-04:00PinterestJust discovered that my quilt in the Beneath the Southern Sky exhibition has shown up in at least a few spots on Pinterest. <br />
<em>pinterest.com/erlindam/things-i-think-miss-ellen-would-like </em><br />
<em>pinterest.com/joyehawk/quilts-animal-art/</em><br />
<em>pinterest.com/ginihoward/design/</em><br />
<em>pinterest.com/erlindam/pins/ </em><br />
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<em>Fun!</em>Monica Johnstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00314548854514928847noreply@blogger.com0