Don't forget to enter your piece for Wide Horizons!

As you all know, this month is the time to enter your piece for this year's Wide Horizons exhibition, exclusively for Europe/Middle East members of SAQA. If you haven't entered yet, you still have time to do so until the 31st of this month of March. Here is the link:

http://www.saqa.com/calendar-detail.php?ID=4692

Be part of this wonderful exhibition, which will open in September in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines (France) and then travel to various venues!

Maryte Collard's contribution to "Concrete & Grassland"

European SAQA-member Maryte Collard from Lithuania has sent information about her quilt 'Lust for Life' which was juried into the Concret & Grassland exhibition scheduled to open on March 31.
This is what she writes:

I usually get my inspiration from the nature. I take a lot of pictures but making a quilt I don't replicate the picture. I get inspired by colors, lines and shapes. 

Walking on the cement sidewalk, I noticed a dandelion growing  out through the crack. 

I was amazed by the power of this humble flower and a lust for life it had. It was so inspirational to think that we can always find ways to overcome our own hurdles.

I dye my own fabrics now. Living in Lithuania it is the only way to have a range of colors that would let me feel free working on quilts. I had 15 shades of gray and that was the start. 

15 shades of grey

I made this realistically looking quilt and then I thought: hmm... I don't think this is what I want. I made another quilt that I named Breaking Through and I submitted them both for Concrete&Grassland show.

Breaking through

 I was very surprised to learn that Lust for Life was selected.

Lust for Life - detail

Lust for life - full view

What else is new in my quilting adventure? I entered SAQA mentorship program last September. My mentor is Brenda Gael Smith from Australia. Having Brenda in my corner gave me a clear understanding of my goals and a new direction for my art. I am working on a new series of quilts that I call Water Marks. I made 6 quilts since December!


Congratulations, Maryte!

The Song of Songs - Encounter art quilt group

The book incorporated Love Songs: between a lover and his wife, among family members and the love of Israel and their God.

Many verses were composed into songs that are an inspiration to feelings and emotions, describes colors and intensity, and glorify landscapes and way of life.

Each quilter chose different symbols she felt expresses the verse of inspiration in the best way: flowers or thorns, fruits (apples, pomegranates and grapes), depicted places, use traditional images and symbols to create colorful, realistic and poetic exciting quilts.

Some of the topics you'll find in this exhibition:

"As the lily among thorns": symbolizes Israel surrounded by a hostile environment.
"My Beloved"; "Doves eyes"; "The fairest of women": an expression of a private love.
"Doves in the clefts of the rock": descriptions of nature viewed from a home window or caves in the desert.
"Refresh me with apples"; "Apple among the woods": the female's voice point of view, seductive, full of love and loaded with Garden of Eden features.
"And the vines in blossom give their fragrance"; "Beds of spices"; "Into the garden of nuts": usage of the seven species to symbolize blessing and abundance, a source for love of nature.

“Encounters” was established in 2009 and it includes 15 Israeli Art Quilt artists. Our meetings are bi - monthly, and the emphasis in each meeting is the exchange of opinions, ideas, mutual enrichment and fertilization, practice new techniques and work toward exhibiting our works together. Group member are: Maya Chaimovich*, Rachel Covo, Eti David*, Rachel Elran*, Niza Hoffman*, Bella Kaplan*, Hava Katzir*, Ziva Keidar, Yemima Lavan*, Shula Liss, Nava Lieberman, Shoshi Rimer*, Shulamit Ron, Orna Shahar, Gisha Wogier*.

The "Song of Songs" exhibition will be held at the Jewish Community Center (JCC), 536 Huron St., London, ON, Canada.

March 28 through April 21, 2016. Opening hours: 10am – 3pm weekdays.

Report by Shoshi Rimer
SAQA members marked with *

Worn Threads - Thames Valley Contemporary Textiles

Worn Threads: an exhibition by Thames Valley Contemporary Textiles in the Henley-on-Thames, UK

For their latest exhibition Thames Valley Contemporary Textiles have made pieces inspired by a garment. Not only is the work innovative in its wide range of textile techniques but the stories behind the garments are fascinating e.g. How does an image of a daughter in a Tyvek forensic suit inspire a colourful Richard 111 cloak?

For more details about the group and the exhibition visit their website: www.tvctextiles.co.uk

Kate Findlay

Sandy Snowden

Dorothy Crossley

Kate Crossley

Well done members of TVCT

Images and Report by Sandy Snowden - Thanks

Fly Me to the Moon Images

Sandy Snowden has found out that she is allowed now to publish photos of her selected work. So here her images of her 'Moonlight Groovin' quilt. Once again - well done, Sandy

Congratulations, Sandy - Fly Me to the Moon

Cool news. My Moonlight Groovin' piece has been accepted into the Fly Me to the Moon collection!
It will travel to various venues as a part of the 50th year celebrations for the Moon landing commemoration. (Or however you put that in proper English!)

Since the quilts have only now been selected, the book part of the project is only beginning. It will be up to the publishers about which quilts go into the book. Still, the collection will be going places like the Space Center in Houston! So that will be exciting!

The list of other quilts and their titles are listed on the author's blog. Susanne M Jones. Possibly there are other SAQA Europe Middle East on the list? We can't show a photo of the work yet, but the titles of the quilts give an idea of the sorts of topics covered.

Well done, Sandy

My Corner of the World - Claire Passmore

A new SAQA member from our region, Europe and the Middle East, Claire Passmore, has had a piece selected for the Canadian exhibition, "My Corner of the World".  Congratulations, Claire.

The quilt is called "Forced Removal", The inspiration comes from South Africa and the forced migration of peoples from their home areas to new townships. Claire has had a home in South Africa for many years and ironically, she has recently been forced by local law to sell up her much loved South African home. She now resides between England and her new home in New Zealand.

 

If you have also had a quilt selected for My Corner of the World and live in Europe or the Middle East, please send Uta or myself, Christine, a photo of your work and some information about it so we can blog it for you.

I hope you have made your resolutions for the New Year and are stitching frantically.

Best wishes - Christine