Ok ok ok

After several requests for pictures, I'm going to just throw up a bunch with a few brief comments.

Here is Sarah Smith's journal. It's quite lovely. Of course, Sarah is one of the Frayed Edges and I owe so much to her friendship and creative spirit.She wanted a "neighborhood" shot of her journal quilt to see the other artwork hanging near by. The quilts were hung in alphabetical order by the artists' last names.And here is an even wider shot. The journal quilts generate an enormous amount of talent. So very inspiring. In fact, I think it's a bit difficult to really appreciate the artistry in each piece when they are hung one after the next and they seem to go on and on and on. Which is wonderful, of course. But if any one of these pieces were spotlighted in a gallery or at your local library or even in your home -- you would stop in your tracks to absorb every detail. Congratulations to all involved.

Speaking of beautiful journal quilts. Here is Gerrie's. I adore it! The grids, the colors, the composition, the quilting, the images -- perfection.

And here is Terry's which I also adore! I remember when Terry's blogged about handstamping that checkerboard arch. Wow. Terry has such talent for a beautifully spare composition filled with many wonderful details.And here is my friend Sherrie's journal. Honestly, I would have picked this as one of my very favorites, even if I didn't know Sherrie. Great surface design and inspired embellishments.There was also a special exhibit of several quilts from the Creative Quilting book. You can see Sarah again in the self-portrait in the middle. And Gerrie again with her portrait of granddaughter Mia. That's Elizabeth Poole's nude on the top right -- she has mastered the use of gradations in nude portraits. And Elin Waterson's swimming pool portrait. (I really love Elin's work. I'm always trying not to copy her.)But wait, here's Gerrie again! So sad that she wasn't there in person. That's her quilt, A Thin Place, on the top left in the Small Art Quilts category.Here is Kathy York's Vertigo which won second place in the Whimsical category. I hope to see this quilt again in the Dallas Quilt Show.Of course you remember Kathy's amazing quilt, Synchronized Swimming. There was a whole article about it in Quilting Arts recently. It was not accepted at Houston. Hmmmm.

And there is Liz Berg -- in the cloth at least. Not in person. I really love her work and her very impressive series work. Her's in the brownish piece with the lines and circles.

This is Barbara Hartman's work. It's spectacular in so many ways. Barbara spoke at the Dallas Area Fiber Artists meeting last month. She was delightful and impressive! She's been in Quilt National twice and exhibited every year at Houston for many many years in a row. This kind of consistent success is pretty amazing.

And here is Dianne Hire! (Well... her quilt, obviously.) I just love Dianne. I took a class from her in Jacksonville, FL when I was pregnant with Benjamin. Little did I know that I would eventually move to Maine and have the pleasure of seeing her again quite often.

Seeing this super dynamic quilt was also a pleasure!

Here is my friend Tonya Littman's dragonfly getting eyed by a hungry lobster. (I'm sorry I can't say who made the lobster. I just had to get him in the picture as a nod to my love for Maine.)

The wings on the dragonfly are totally sheer except for the amazing stitching. Next time I see Tonya, I must ask her exactly how she managed that process.

I have not made specific requests to any of these artists for permission to post their quilts, but I have tried to note their names and links as best I can. If any of you artists would like copies of these pictures, just let me know and I'll be thrilled to forward you a copy.

Later in the week, I'll post pictures of the treasures that jumped in my shopping bag while I was in Houston.