What great representation we had from the Land of Enchantment at International Quilt Festival.  Although I tried to photograph as many New Mexico quilts as possible, I am sure that I missed some.  Great job ladies!

Adobe Row, by Michelle Jackson, Albuquerque, NM

Adobe Row was juried into the Tactile Architecture exhibit.  Michelle Jackson writes, “My inspiration is always color and, in this case, using color to show the unique interaction of nature and the adobe.”

Avian Architecture, by Judith Roderick, Placitas, NM

Judith Roderick is a very well know artist throughout our state.  Her work often features the birds that are her passion and hundreds of buttons that accent her designs.  Judith writes, “The male bowerbird clears a space on the forest floor.  He creates a large structure, a bower, or display area out of twigs, branches, sticks and grasses.  He decorates his bower in an amazing manner using his beak.  He chooses similar colored objects and carefully arranges them to decorate his area.  He chooses flowers, pebbles, moss, berries, and manmade objects, particularly if they are shiny. The drab female then comes and inspects the bower to see if he is a good enough architect and decorator to be her mate.”  This quilt was in the Tactile Architecture exhibit.

Ode to Dad, by Nora Bebee, Rio Rancho, NM.

Also exhibited in the Tactile Architecture exhibit was Ode to Dad by Nora Bebee.  She writes, “Doors in New Mexico are not only functional, but pieces of art.  Their structure and elaborate designs fascinated me.  My father was a building contractor and I spent many hours following him on job sites, looking over blueprints, emulating his work in whatever form I could.  It only made sense to me to quilt a door.”

Watermelon Moon, by Patricia Gould , Albuquerque, NM

Patricia Gould commented that her design inspirations were the Sandhill Cranes wintering in the Rio Grande Valley and the beautiful Sandia Mountains.  She writes, “I’m entranced by the beautiful pink colors of our Sandia Mountains in the winter.  The full moon also turns pink at times.  Sandia means ‘watermelon’ in Spanish so it is easy to see how the mountain range got its name. Sandhill Cranes from Nebraska spend the winter in the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico.”

Los Mambesis, by Jennifer Day, Santa Fe, NM

Jennifer Day is a well known photographer as well as a quiltmaker.  In Los Mambesis, she writes, “This quilt is based on a photograph I took of an old man on the plaza in Cuba.  Las Mambesis refers to the guerilla Cuban independence soldiers who fought against Spain in the Ten Years War (1868-1878).  This man would have been in his thirties in 1959 when the United States broke off relations with Cuba. Maybe his hat is a comment on international relations! He is a musician playing his instrument on the plaza for free for all to hear.  He is very happy with his craft.”

Eight Ravens, by Judith Roderick, Placitas, NM

Another of Judith’s trademark quilts featuring birds, this time the playful raven.  She writes, “I love watching ravens flying and wheeling through the big blue New Mexico sky and sitting on telephone poles as I drive along. A friend is a wildlife rehabilitator so I have spent much time with Po, her raven.  I have sketched him repeated and taken his portait as he exhibits his particular behaviors.  In this quilt, I have shown him in many of his guises, flying, standing, squawking against a background of a southwestern landscape.”

Geology, by Lorraine Hollingsworth, Albuquerque, NM

Lorraine writes. “Geology is inspired by the many layers and colors of the New Mexico landscape, from the soaring red rocks to the rivers and meadows and all the layers in between.”

Chaco 1, by Sally Wright, Los Angeles, CA

Okay, so this quilt was NOT made by a New Mexico quilter, but it was inspired by a trip to New Mexico, so it deserves to be included in this post.  Chaco 1, by Sally Wright was inspired by the makers trip to the iconic Chaco Canyon.  Sally writes, “Several years ago, my husband and I visited remote, starkly beautiful and mysterious Chaco Canyon in the Four Corners area of New Mexico.  There we were, fascinated by the distinct architecture of this ancient trading and religious center in the middle of the desert where the Chacoan culture flowered between 800-1250 AD.  This quilt was made from photographs of a series of doorways in the Pueblo Bonito.”

Corona, by Betty Busby Albuquerque, NM

And in the silent auction to benefit the International Quilt Association, I found this treasure by Betty Busby, of Albuquerque , NM.  Sadly, I wasn’t there at the end to see how much this little treasure raised for the group.

Abo Canyon, by Gail Garber, Donna Barnitz and Michele Hymel

Lastly, there was our quilt, hanging in the exhibit, “In the American Tradittion.”  Abo Canyon Memories was inspired by my love of the Ganado Red style of Navajo Rugs typical of northern Arizona.

Thank you for joining me on a mini-tour of the quilts on exhibit at International Quilt Festival.  It was one spectacular show and I was privileged to be a part of the faculty.

See you there next year!

I love New Mexico!  It’s called the Land of Enchantment for a good reason and I embrace all of those reasons.  Many times, our state is overlooked by some while others seem to be unaware that we are a state at all.  New Mexico has a thriving and talented cadre of quiltmakers statewide.  The breadth and depth of their artistic talents deserve to be showcased.  I was so proud to photograph many New Mexico made quilts at International Quilt Festival, both in the competition and also in the special exhibits.  Below are four of the quilts that appeared in the IQA competitive exhibit.

Breaking Out, by Kathy Tolbert, Santa Fe, NM

Kathy Tolbert writes, “I often use small squares in pieced quilts.  I chose to let the small squares be the focus of this design.  The quarter-inch ‘shadows’ vary in color and value as they progress downward.  Since the squares ‘break out,’ I quilted is with five unique ‘arms’ that span all three panels.”  This hung in the Innovative Pieced category.

Dragon Blossoms, by Vicki Conley, Ruidoso Downs, NM

The colors in this quilt by Vicki Conley epitomize New Mexico, from the earthen browns to the brilliant turquoises.  This was entered in the Art Abstract – Small category.  She writes, “I began this original quilt in a Caryl Fallert class, using her technique for developing designs.  When I mirrored my original sketched pattern, an abstract Art Deco-style flower emerged.  The design was pieced with gradation fabrics and enhanced with machine quilting, piping, and bobbin trapunto.”

Green River Sunset ,by Patricia Gould, Albuquerque, NM

Typical of the landscape of the high desert, the muted browns and greens flourish in this beautiful quilt by Patricia Gould.  She writes, “This scene is loosely based on a photo I took in Dinosaur National Monument in southwestern Colorado.”

Larry, by Jennifer Day, Santa Fe, NM

Lastly, for this particular post – but not least, Larry by Jennifer Day, won honorable mention in the Digital Imagery category.  Jennifer writes, “This is a quilt depicting my sewing machine repairman.  I caught this photograph of him as he was repairing my machine one day.  Obviously, Larry loves what he does!  I printed his image on Belgian Linen and covered his head, hands, and sewing machine 100% in 63 different colors of thread.  The background is free-motion embroidery with less than 1/4″ between stitches.”

But, wait!  There are several more New Mexico quilts to show you, all of the ones that hung in the special exhibits.  It’s worth waiting for.

It seems appropriate to share this post on this Thanksgiving holiday.  I am thankful for all of the kindhearted people to open their hearts and homes to homeless animals.  I could not help but notice one entire Special Exhibit at International Quilt Festival.  The quilts were all about Dogs and Cats, each one cuter than the previous one!

Doggieminiums, by Pauline Salzman, Treasure Island, FL

At first glance, Doggieminiums by Pauline Salzman, appears to be a dog house quilt.  But on closer inspection charming little dog fabrics were inserted into many of the houses and most of the fabrics were dog prints of some sort.  Dog are one of my most favorite animals in the world and my house is home to my two current rescue dogs, Gabby and Miss Elaenia, both Cairn Terriers.  In addition to the Cairns, nine feathered kids, a.k.a. raptors, all of whom have a disability that permanently prevents their release to the wild, also call this place home (but they live in large flight cages out back, with heated perches and water bowls).

Doggieminiums Detail

Pauline writes about her quilt, “The rules are different here.  No one over 120 pounds.  Howling and barking are allowed before 10 p.m.  No growling is ever permitted.  Poop patrol is provided and there is a grooming and nail salon on site.  Pool at the club house is always open, no peeing in the pool  All doggie doors on ‘garage’; dog houses must be closed at dusk for the night . . . Association fees are one bone per month, penalty if late.  Late fees are one more bone.”

Pet Postcards That Came Home with Yours Truly

Pet Postcards raises funds by selling fabric postcards with  100% of the proceeds go to Friends For Life, Houston’s only no-kill animal shelter and rescue organization.  It’s the brain child of Pokey Bolton,  the Chief Creative Officer at Quilts, Inc., the company that puts on all of the International Quilt Festivals and Markets (among other fun, quilt-y endeavors).  Pokey’s goal for the 2013 International Quilt Festival was to raise $40,000 in the second year of the Festival’s Pet Project.  Would all of us pet lovers purchase enough of the post cards, which were totally adorable, to meet that hope!

Gabby and Miss Elaenia, now longtime, comfortable members of the Garber Family.

The big question was — would we visitors to the largest quilt show in the world buy enough of the little postcards to achieve the goal?  Pokey was nervous!

But thanks to the generosity of quilters from around the world who made more than 1400 fabric postcards, to those who purchased postcards at Quilt Festival, and to those who additionally donated money, in total

THEY RAISED $40,666.18!!!

Pokey writes, “THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR HELPING US GET TO THIS AMOUNT!  Thanks to your support, animals who wouldn’t have had a chance at life, will. They will be spayed/neutered, medically attended, cared for in foster situations, and find forever homes.”

Thank you, Pokey and Quilts Inc, for this Pet Project.  I hope that I can make some postcards for next year’s show! For sure, I will be back with wallet in hand!

Apparently, I must have been running out of time when I photographed this last set of IQA Competition Quilts (not included the New Mexico Quilts still to come) because it seems as if I skipped around through three different categories.  Note to self:  Take better photos of the signs next year!!  Nonetheless, the quilts below are remarkable and I loved each of them!

A Pocket Full of Paisleys, by Lorilynn King, Longmont, CO

Lorilynn King writes, “I decided to really learn my embroidery software.  I started digitizing the designs in mid-2010 and began stitching the final version in March of 2012.  The quilt took 10 months to complete.  Background quilting is my own design and was completed before attaching the paisleys.”

Gypsy, by Sharon Schamber, Payson, AZ

When I saw this beauty, I immediately knew that it must be another wonderful Sharon Schamber quilt.  The judges liked it too and awarded it a 2nd place in the Embellished category.  Sharon writes, “This quilt is an exuberant manifestation of the joy I feel as I continue to explore the amazing world of machine embroidery.”

Gypsy Detail

Here’s a detail shot of just a small portion of the masterful embellishment on this quilt.

True North, by Cathy Raines, Skiatook OK

I love this one!  Not only is the quilting by Cathy Raines beautifully done, the use of different quilt blocks as part of the landscape adds charm and appeal.  Of course, the row of Flying Geese in the sky is guaranteed to get my attention.  Cathy writes, “This quilt started with a grab bag of challenge fabric.  From strength-stability-grace-honor-family-love-peace and more came the vision for this quilt.  The scripture James 1:17 exemplifies the vision, as all these words are representations of God’s good and perfect gifts.”

Journey Toward Notan, by Jean Freestone, Osprey, FL

The positive-negative aspect of this quilt quickly drew me in.  Jean Freestone writes, “Notan is the Japanese word meaning dark-light, or the interaction between two opposites (yin/yang symbol).  Notan is explored through an exercise called ‘expansion of a square’, expansion meaning to created the mirror image around the the outside edge of a shape using the pattern found in side that shape.  I have expanded circles of traditional Japanese family crests.  The ‘river of life’ background depicts our own journey to achieve balance in our lives.”

OverJOYed, by Flora Joy, Johnson City, TN

How could one not just love the whimsical nature of this totally free-form quilt by Flora Joy!  She writes, “This FUN quilt was designed with astonishing quilting, beautiful embroidery, and a clever message behind each of the quilt’s five layers.  All the designs relate to the letters in the word JOY.  See who can find the greatest number or letter combinations that spell ‘joy’.”

Red Velvet, by Lisa Calle, Pottstown, PA

Red Velvet Detail

Another beautiful quilt, this time by Lisa Calle.  The quilting is simply superb as is her use of a limited palette of colors and fabrics.  The contrast created by the combination of the three make this a really lovely quilt.  She writes, “I fell in love with the gray and red fabrics and knew I needed to have them.  I had recently seen a Dresden Plate quilt and though these fabrics were perfect for it.  I used about 5,000 yards of my favorites thread.  It was 100% hand guided on my A-1 Elite.”

Memories of Scarlet Serenade, by Sharon Schamber, Payson, AZ

Closing out this post, here’s another beauty by Sharon Shamber, this time in the Mixed Technique category.  Like all of Sharon’s quilts, this one has incredible attention to all detail as evidenced in the photo below.  Some of the finest machine quilting I have ever seen.

Memories of Scarlet Serenade Detail

Sharon writes, “Over the past few years, I have been exploring machine embroidery techniques and pushing the limits of what can be done in the hoop.  This quilt is the culmination of that journey.”

Stay tuned!  Although this completes the bulk of the competition quilts, the New Mexico Quilts and the special exhibits are still to come.

I apologize for the lapse of posts these last few days.  I have been tied up with my other life, the life of birds.  This weekend is the big Festival of the Cranes down at Bosque del Apache NWR, where I have been leading daily raptor tours of the refuge and giving presentations about hawks, eagles, falcons and owls.  I’m heading down again shortly for today’s presentations, but then tomorrow and Sunday we are scheduled to host an outdoor public outreach booth featuring our live birds of prey.  A giant winter storm is approaching and I have this nightmare vision that we will all be trapped in our hotel for the entire weekend and never even make it down to the refuge.

But, here goes with two more categories.

Kazanoban 2 by Masako Sakagami, Toyama-shi, Japan

Masako Sakagami writes, “I live in Toyama, Japan.  Festival of Kazenobon celebrates harvest.  Using an old kimono, I used the sewing machine to free-motion the local folk song.”

Kazanoban 2 Detail

I found this to be a very interesting quilt with considerable detail throughout.  Her technique was to use small pieces of fabric covered with tulle and quilted.

A Work in Progress by Nancy Dickey, Magnolia, TX

Nancy Dickey writes, “A large-patterned floral fabric was the inspiration for this quilt.  Its oriental theme brought to mind a Japanese garden.  While thinking of the classic Japanese watercolor landscapes, with their hint of distant mountains, I visualized the idea for my own painting.”

Moon Drunk by Susan Fletcher King, Houston, TX

Susan Fletcher King writes, “One bonus of living in Houston is using our screened porch all year.  Occasionally, we are lucky enough to watch as the light of the rising moon shows a beautiful trail of small moths and other flying creatures that only come out at night.”

Greetings from Watkins Glen, by Julie Weaver, Mt. Vernon, ME

Julie Weaver writes, “This Alfa Romeo Formula One race car quilt started life as a photograph I took in 1970.  Later that year, I painted a large oil paining from that photo.  Forty-two years later, I used the painting as my inspirations for a ‘Postcards From Away’ challenge.”

Les Fleurs de la Maladie 2, by Helen Remick, Seattle, WA

Helen Remick writes, “These ‘flowers of sickness’ show the damage to my joints from erosive osteoarthritis.  Using a thick batting, and longer and finer needles with metallic thread allows me to continue, for now, the handiwork that I love.”

The breadth and variety of quilts displayed at the International Quilt Association competition is both amazing and overwhelming.  I have enjoyed writing these posts at a more leisurely pace so that I can take the time to better know and understand the talented quiltmakers that create these masterpieces.

More to come — but not until Sunday!

Another testament to the quality of the quilts in the IQA competition:  Only one of the quilts shown below was a prize winner, but all of them them were pretty amazing!

Jenny Bowker currently hails from Garran, ACT, Australia.  Her entry in the show is Margaret Rolfe – The Quiltmaker. It won Honorable Mention in this category.

Margaret Rolfe, Quiltmaker, by Jenny Bowker, Canberra, ACT, Australia

I was so stunned by the incredible detail in this quilt and the rich, sumptuous colors that I totally forgot to photograph the sign.  When I looked up Jenny’s website, I also found no hint of information about her inspiration for the quilt.

Magaret Rolfe – Quiltmaker Detail

Jenny is more well know for her quilts that depict Middle Eastern scenes.  Her website details her own history.  “I have been working in Textiles since 1997 – from the time I finished a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Visual) and decided to make just one quilt. My background – life before quilts – was in science. I am moving towards a melding of my fine art work and my textile work. I am interested in the way pattern comes into many parts of our lives and often include some geometrical piecing in my work as I think it keeps me technically on my toes and provides a key for traditional quilters to link to my work.  I have four children and a very supportive husband who worked as a diplomat for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. While following him I lived a total of fifteen years in Arab and Islamic countries. This might seem irrelevant to quilting, but has influenced my subject matter and much of my work reflects my love of the Middle East. I have lived in Syria, Western Samoa, Malaysia, Jordan, Jerusalem and Egypt.”

All Together by Hiroko Miyama and Masanobu Miyama, Chofu city, Tokyo, Japan

All Together, a collaboration between the husband/wife  team of Hiroko and Masanobu Miyama is a visual feast.  Masanobu also was the winner of the Superior Threads Master Award for Thread Artistry for his quilt, “Wind”, featured in one of my earlier posts. Hiroko writes, “This quilt is the first collaboration with my husband.  Our sons in childhood, granddaughters, dogs, and wild animals play together at the lily mountain in Nagao.  I appliqued my figure in high school days, too!  All figures, flowers, as well as white mountains, are appliqued with very tiny pieced.  This quilt took 1,600 hours to complete.”

Cochise – Once They Were Like the Wind, by Patsy Heacox, Green Valley, AZ

Cochise is obviously a labor of love with deep meaning for the quiltmaker, Patsy Heacox.  She writes, ” Most feared Apache, Cochise, a resourceful complex man, left his indelible footprint.  courage, integrity, discipline, intelligence, and generosity earned adoration by “the People” and respect by non-natives.  With the Dragoon Mountains at sunrise, Cochise stands in readiness.  Quilting patterns are horses, geckos, horned toads, agaves, and a star quilt pattern.”

It’s All About the Journey, by Tonya Littmann, Denton, TX

Can’t you just feel the joy radiating from this quilt?  Tonya Littman writes, “A photo of me with my favorite motorcycle inspired me to make this quilt.  Hand-dyed and commercial fabric and recycled men’s shirts have been fused to hand-dyed sateen and thread panted on my home sewing machine.”

Pet Store, by Pat Durbin, Eureka, CA

Charming!  Pat Durbin writes, “My twin great-nieces were so cute, I needed to use their image.  I placed them in front of a Victorian window I found in Ferndale, CA, imagining it to be a pet store.  I used their own dog, Timmy, as a hopeful volunteer, and my son’s parrot for the window.  It was a challenging piece with lots of different techniques.”

1938, by Melissa Burdon, Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand

Melissa Burdon writes, “I was inspired by an old black and white photo of my great aunt, grandmother, and father shopping in Wellington in 1938.  I love how it reflects a period of history, as well as making me think of my own childhood, going shopping with Mum.”

Parched, by Hollis Chatelain, Hillsborough, NC

Another masterful piece by Hollis Chatelain closes out this post where each piece is unique, original, and of exceptional workmanship.  Hollis writes, “The joy of drinking fresh potable water directly from a faucet is still a luxury in many places throughout our world.”

One of the things that I have most enjoyed about sharing these posts with you is reviewing what I saw and photographed at the Houston show.  Because I had also photographed almost all of the signs that accompanied the quilts, I was able to read what inspired their makers when they created these quilts.  I also looked up each quiltmaker and created a link to their websites whenever one existed.  It really helped me to have a better understanding for the women and men who exhibited in the 2013 IQA show.

But, there are still a few more to go.   Stay tuned . . .

Wow!  The competition in this category, Art Quilts – Pictorial, was fierce.  It is an honor just to have one’s quilt accepted into this show.  Winning an award, even an honorable mention would be like a giant scoop of icing on the top of the cake!  Enjoy this selection!

Oklahoma Windsong by Cherrie Hampton, Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma Windsong won the Future Of Quilting Award, sponsored by Omnigrid and a $1,000 cash prise.  The quilt, by Cherrie Hampton is masterful!!!  Sadly, I did not photograph the sign that accompanied this quilt so I cannot provide detail on the story behind the quilt.

Faith Alone by Jerry Granata, Palm Springs, CA

Another beauty by Jerry Granata.  He writes, “Doors represent opportunity and mystery.  This quilt was teh result of an art group challenge.  Fabrics were batiks, commercial cotton, and my hand-painted cloth.  Also used were vinyl, theatrical gels, felt, yard, ribbon, and twine.”

Does He Make My Butt Look Big, by Kristen Bryson, Houston, TX

The whimsical nature of this quilt, due in large part to the title, makes this a particularly interesting quilt.  Kristen writes, “This quilt was made in response to a challenge to enter the Ultimate Guild Challenge.  Our chosen them was “Out of Africa”.  When I saw the photo taken by Maqsood Mughal, I had my inspiration.

Aquarium by Yoshiko Miyamo, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Ken, Japan

Yoshiko writes, “The idea of a pair of quilts is adopted from traditional Japanese sliding doors. I especially tried to detail muscles which control beautifully delicate movement of fins.  I have realized from goldfish given the life in the aquarium that human life is given by the Earth.”

Ancient Echoes, by Jan Reed, Grass Valley, CA

Ancient Echoes won 2nd Place in the Art – Pictorial category, a complex quilt that combines the iiguana of today with ancient cultures.  Jan Reed writes, “This iguana is using his sunbathing hours to reflect on his ancestors’ interaction with the past glory of the Mayan culture.  over 250 pieces of fabric were used to create this image using both applique and reverse applique.”

Cock of the Walk, by David Taylor, Steamboat Springs, CO

How can one not simply fall in love with the creative, colorful and whimsical quilts of David Taylor.  He writes. “This is my second rooster quilt, and this one has a whole lot more attitude!  Finding the perfect had-marbled fabrics was the key to the feathers . . .  that, and amassing enough different red “textured” prints for his wattle.”

Honu Harmony, by Eileen Williams, Cedar Point, NC

Eileen Williams has captured the underwater scene beautifully with her exquisite detail in Honu Harmony.  I can almost imagine myself to be the snorkeler coming upon this scene.  She writes, “Earth’s oceans are home to vast numbers of sea creatures, many of which have become endangered.  Sea turtles are not on that list and are facing the threat of extinction.  We must work together to preserve these creatures and their habitat, and be mindful of the human effect on the balance of nature in our seas.”

Forest Spirit, by Hollis Chatelain, Hillsborough, NC

Closing out this section is another incredible quilt by Hollis Chatelain whose threadwork, painting,  and quilting always combine to create a masterful image.  She writes, “The drawing of Forest Spirit was made while visit the Milford Sound rain forest in New Zealand. On of the bewildering things to me is the fact that there is very little wildlife in this lush and compact forest.  Nevertheless, I knew that there were beings hidden among the shadows, forest spirits that I could almost feel peering out of the depths of the vegetation.”

Stay tuned .  . .

Back to International Quilt Festival!  As I look through the remaining images, it is interesting to me to see what captured my attention.  There is a definite preference for Art Quilts, but I didn’t take as many photos of the abstract designs as I expected. However, the ones that appear below really spoke to me, a combination of large and small abstract categories. Each was an incredibly creative endeavor with outstanding workmanship.

It all Comes Around, by Karlyn Bue Lohrenz, Billings,MT

Karlyn Bue Lohrenz writes, “I kept my hands and heart busy as I watched my 17-year-old granddaughter apply for, interview for, and accept a full scholarship to study abroad.  We went through many emotions as a family, and I finished this quilt the day she was greeted by her host family in Germany.”

Antelope Canyon by Kimberly Lacy, Colorado Springs, CO

I love the way the colors play on each other in Kimberly Lacy’s interpretation of a slot canyon.  Kimberly writes, “The slot canyons on the Navajo land in Arizona were my inspiration for this piece.  Narrow canyons of undulating sandstone capture light in unexpected and delightful turns and twists.”

Spider Lilies, by Enid Gjelten Weichselbaum, Rochester, MN

Sadly, my photograph does not do justice to this magnificent small quilt by Enid Gjelten Weichselbaum which won third place in the Art Abstract – Small category.  She writes, “I am intrigued by the elegant and sparse, leafless spider lily when in bloom.  A Jane Sassaman class helped me turn the lovely blossoms into and abstract quilt.”

Regeneracion de Elementos, by Marisa Marquez Cortezon, Madrid, Spain

This fascinating combination of elements by Marisa Marquez Cortezon converged in a single quilt, speak eloquently of the human life cycle.  Marisa writes, “Life is constant movement, ever changing through birth experiences, life, and eventually, death.  The forces of nature shape and mold us.  The circle represents the cycle of life. . . the elements that surround and affect us, and the Phoenix, the everlasting fiery bird, and its ability to overcome even death by reviving from its ashes.”

Bullseye by Barbara Oliver Hartman, Flower Mound, TX

Beautiful! Another masterpiece by Barbara Oliver Hartman in subtle tones.  Note the heavy quilting that gives this quilt texture that compliments the design.  Barbara writes, “This original design was a computer drawing that was enlarged to create a full-sized drawing.  I love to work with shapes that interact to produce an interesting design.”

BTW, if you are wondering why I haven’t shown any quilts by New Mexico artists, I am saving all of those for a special post about Quilting in the Land of Enchantment.

Stay tuned . . .