Leigh Anne Lester

Weed, 2002, Hand sewn clear plastic vinyl, Artificial Arrangement, 2005, installation shot, Hand Sewn Clear Plastic Vinyl, Plexiglas, Thread, Utopia, 2002, Close up shot of installation shot, Weed, 2002, Hand sewn clear plastic vinyl

such simple materials making such an strong impact...see more here.

terri friedman

orange tsunami (detail), 2006, geyser with lei, 2004, acrylic medium on plexiglass, 62x41x3, yellow swell #2, 2005, acrylic medium on plexiglass, 48x35x3, landfill with ornaments, 2005, acrylic medium on plexiglass, 40x51x3, pink tsunami, 2006, acrylic medium on plexiglass, 48x35x3, yellow swell (detail), 2006

these are just so juicy...see more here.

kathy butterly

higher, 2008, clay, glaze, paint, 7x9x7, big gulp, 2008, clay, glaze, paint, 9x6x7.5, (k) new moss, 2008, clay, glaze, paint, 9x6.5x6, mesmerchandize, 2007, porcelain, earthenware, glaze, 6.5x8x6

when i was in grad school, kathy came to tyler to do a talk about her work, so i had the pleasure of learning about the thought process behind it as well as about how her art-making is fed by the events in her life-good and bad. after a studio visit with her, one of the ceramic grads described her as 'intoxicating'...i think so, too...see more here.

sunday church drawing

this series is called 'egg' and followed the stain series in 2005-2006. using inks, gouache and colored pencils, i was experimenting with chaos and control, the idea of controlling the happy accident.

steve gibson

Venetian Masque, 2008, Ink and gouache on Mylar, 18 x 18, Surfing on Mars, 2008, Ink and gouache on Mylar, 40 x 28, Rebel in the City, 2008, Ink and gouache on Mylar, 56 x 37, Italian Apparition, 2008, Ink and gouache on Mylar, 18 x 18

never underestimate the power of the doodle to add a bit of fun and freedom to the moment...see more here.

tilleke schwarz

rites, 1999, 65x65, used cloth, 1995, 75x70, beware of embroidery, 1993, 70x65

i'm such a HUGE fan and have been for over 10 years. she was one of the first fiber artists whose work truly excited me and inspired me to begin thinking about embroidery and stitch as a mark that can be used to SAY something, it's more than just a technique that must be mastered and done perfectly. every few months or so, i'll look at her work and i'm instantly rejuvenated! see more here and also read her interesting (and humorous) faq's here.

paula wilson

Data Unloaded, 2008, Mixed media on paper, 40 x 26, Shrine at Santa Rita Catholic Church, 2008, Collaged oil paintings on paper, spray paint, gessoed paper assemblages, inked paper assemblages, and oil on burlap, 140 x 74, Afternoon Morning Glory, 2008, Woodblock print, collaged paintings, metal filings, watercolor, oil on paper mounted to canvas with wooden slats, 43 x 56, Tomorrow's Tomorrow, 2008, Oil, spray paint, collaged/inlayed paper including woodblock prints mounted on paper, 50 x 50

fleeting, evanescent, fragments of a dream...see more here.

erin endicott

Healing Sutra #10 (Detail), Hand Embroidery on Antique Fabric Stained with Walnut Ink, Healing Sutra #10, Hand Embroidery on Antique Fabric Stained with Walnut Ink, Healing Sutra #6, Hand Embroidery on Antique Fabric Stained with Walnut Ink, Healing Sutra #5 (Detail), Hand Embroidery on Antique Fabric Stained with Walnut Ink

To stitch; a thread or line that holds things together - this is the literal translation of the ancient Sanskrit word "sutra". In the "Healing Sutras" I use contemporary embroidery on antique fabric as a canvas to explore the common threads that bind countless generations of women. Wounds - both physical and psychological - are given life using delicate, meditative stitches. Traditionally thought of as "woman's work", sewing is a time consuming and contemplative process, each thoughtfully considered stitch becoming integral to the whole.

i saw this work at the pittsburgh center for the arts last week when i attended the opening for fiberart international (see my other blog for the posts on this show). i saw tons of great work during the two days i was in pittsburgh, but erin's work was by far my favorite. with it's mix of drawing, stitch, control and chaos, she truly deserves the best in show award she won at fiberart international. i'm excited to see more work from her...see more here.

sunday church drawing

this series is called 'egg' and followed the stain series in 2005-2006. using inks, gouache and colored pencils, i was experimenting with chaos and control, the idea of controlling the happy accident.

my new sewn pieces

i made these pieces last summer at the society for contemporary craft while i was teaching a workshop called alternative embellishment. the students taking this workshop were particularly enthusiastic, so the facility gave us an extra hour or so each day to work in the studio after class. during this down time, i sewed these pieces using materials on my table and around the studio as well as started and finished them during that extra hour. it was fun and freeing to work with limited materials and to make something within a limited amount of time. those limitations curbed my inclination to think too much and just enabled me to do and make. these may not be masterpieces by any stretch, but they've informed my encaustic work immensely as well as sparked a renewed interest for me to begin making quilt or quilt-like pieces again. i'm also proud to announce that the second piece shown here was accepted into the juried show 'collective thread' to be held at the university of central missouri gallery of art & design in may and june. the acceptance into this show has encouraged me to move on with this work, so i've created three more of these pieces within the past week. stay tuned for some images coming soon....