Meet Sherri Lynn Wood

Wednesday I told you about going to the Joan Mitchell Center for their Open Studios. There was a special reason for our visit: Sherri Lynn Wood is an artist-in-residence there. And when she leaves in December, she will be giving a workshop in Lafayette, which I am attending. (More in a few weeks.) But for now, I'd like to introduce you to the Sherri Lynn Wood that we met.

Sherri is working on several pieces while in New Orleans. The first two are pieces that symbolize menopause and its attendant miseries: bloating, weight gain, dryness, pain, psychological loss.

She created the first piece from pieces of a discarded suit and salvaged fabrics. Do you see menopausal symbols and motifs?

The second one piece deals more with the ways the female body changes during menopause. 

How about this way of storing and organizing your patches? Isn't happy? The pieces are blocks that she discovered in a bag of fabrics that someone gave her for recycling. As she works on them, Sherri sorts them on these lines. Expect to see a temporary banner in my studio. I love the cheer and color this provides in the blank slate that is her current studio. I'll leave you with just a few more photos from Sherri Lynn Wood's studio.

Discussing how Joan
Mitchell's work and New
Orleans informs her own work

On the floor of her studio space

Working/cleaning area

Pin It Weekly #298 Joan Mitchell Center, New Orleans, LA

Welcome from the Open Studios at the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans! Well, I actually went yesterday with BRMQG sisters from Baton Rouge. There were six of us, Lori, Crissy, Alice, Marquita, Smittie and myself. 

The main house serves as offices for the Foundation

Ah! What a lovely, beautiful, wonderful place. I want to go and stay a while. Seriously, please recommend me. Okay, okay, back to reality. First to BR to meet everyone, then to NO directly to the Joan Mitchell Center where we met with those artists-in-residence who were holding open studios. 

The kitchen and dining and patio area of the main house

I spoke with each of the artists, though I did not have time for pictures in every studio. I did, however, chance delaying the team with a longer pause when visiting the fiber artists.

Studios!

Studios are all in one building and are large, with high walls and lots of natural light. Artists bring their own supplies and I was impressed with how little each one had. I suppose that hauling your own studio on a flight might be difficult.

Residences

The campus is inviting and invigorating. It's no small wonder that artists are inspired here. A reason for such a setup I had not considered before is that the residents are inspired by each other. 

Residences

After the open studios, we trekked off to the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA).  

North Bayou Des Glaises ~~ finished!

I finally have a finish that I can show you. This is a small hand quilted art piece that I started weeks ago. I should have finished last week, as planned, but bipolar depression can get in the way of lots of should haves. Anyway, it's finished now and I love it.

It is Bayou Des Glaises at Bordino Crossing. Bordino Crossing is the bridge that is closest to my late grandmother's old home place. She died in 1991 and I still think of her and miss her. I'd worked on another piece with a part of this green-brownish water and loved the outcome. For this one I decided to focus on the water. 

Bayou water is slow moving and carries lots of sediment, which makes it muddy brown. All summer long algae, water lilies, and small shrubby trees tend to cover the top of the water so that there's much more green than brown at this time of year. 

If you really look into the bayou, you might see every shade of green and some shades of brown, red-browns, and khaki browns. Much of the colors depend on the soil, the green growth, and (honestly) whatever rot there may be. 

To capture the movement of the water, I used big stitches that sort of sway but not much. The water can move so slowly that you can tell only if debris happens to be floating by. And where lily pads cover the surface, movement is barely perceptible. 

I like to finish these little quilts by mounting them on gallery frames that Richard makes for me. I square up the edges and zip them through the serger. Stretching them on the frame takes patience because this is quilted fabric, not canvas.

As with regular quilts, mitered corners are especially nice, but even more difficult. The folds create an extra thick layer on the back and staples are not cooperative. I've been considering going back and stitching the corners on the side edges to see if I can sharpen them just a little. What do you think about using monofilament thread? I really dislike using it, but will reconsider if it will make enough difference to warrant the fight. If you use this thread, would you mind recommending your favorite brand? I'd be ever so grateful.

		Quilt Stats
	Name:	Bayou Des Glaises at Bordino Crossing
	Size:	7" X 9"
	Fabrics:	various green fabrics from stash
	Pattern:	art quilt of my design
	Backing:	reclaimed green fabric from stash
	Batting:	100% Cotton
	Binding:	none, framed
	Quilting:	hand-quilted using big stitches
	Completed:	November 2019

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Houston 2

Baton Rouge MQG November meeting

I am still playing catch-up for last week. The BRMQG had its November meeting with several show and share ideas. Also, a treat for me, the president brought in a guest from Germany. Bridget and Marquita met in an airport. One had a quilt sticker on her luggage and the other saw it. Of course, they struck up a conversation.

Yvonne's take on a women
in history challenge

 Bridget decided to attend the Houston Quilt Fest and contacted Marquita (they've kept in touch) and the two decided to make a road trip. One from overseas, the other from Louisiana. Awesome, right? 

Also, Marquita has a long-arm and invited Bridget to spend a few extra days at her house and quilt some of her tops. Bridget obliged and came to our modern meeting. 

Sharon's butterfly quilt, made for a friend

Isn't this a great story? I love that quilters are so caring and giving. 
Anyway, the story spoke right to me. You know I approached Bridget after the meeting. She showed me some photos of her work and we "chatted." Another five minutes and I'd have asked her to send them to me so I could share them with you. (I'm perhaps a little bold.) 

The top that Bridget completed while
in BR...or maybe Marquita's

Bridget's sampler quilt

 But I didn't have those five minutes and there was a bit of a language barrier. Bridget speaks English with an accent, but I hear with a country girl, Cajun ear. We made it work, but we struggled. And laughed. Besides I was trying to see as much of her work as the few minutes allowed. I didn't get to the request. There I was, flipping pictures on her phone, asking way too many questions, and then asking her to repeat it. Because, you know, I'm a nut. Do you think she left thinking she was lucky to get away from a fanatical, raving lunatic? (No, really. I read the paragraph. I think I'd be scared of me.)

Lori's most recent finish

Lori's block for a new quilt

Wouldn't you have loved to be there? Even knowing there was a lunatic in the house? 

Pin It Weekly #297

It's been a minute since we've met new followers. Here's Salma Shehada and her board on rugs and rug making.

These pins are from Amber Rush Moore's Quilts of Valor--a nod to this week's Veteran's Day. Thanks Amber!

Amber's Quilts of Valor board impressed me. And just like that there's another section on "heart, quilts." For now it's the first one, but my OCD librarian tendencies will move it into ABC-order, so don't be surprised.

These last ones come from Leesa Stroman. I love her color studies board.