FIREWORKS AND BROKEN PLATES

I know I showed my latest "5th of July" piece in a previous post when it was in progress in the studio.... But here's the finished article, all professionally photographed and fancy. I've decided to call it "Quilting on the 5th of July."






Also, here's the latest piece in my ongoing series "Letters From People I Don't Know Anymore." The work is all quilts made from letters I've saved for years. This one is called "Broken Words, Broken Plates". The quilt blocks are based on a broken dish variation and the fabric is vintage cotton.






So far I've made six letter quilts and still have a suitcase full of letters just quivering with anticipation. I've been putting the quilts in shows as I finish them, but at some point I'd LOVE to have a show that's only work from this series. We'll see.....

GOODBYE MARY JANE



Well, after nearly two months of forcing everyone I know to eat Mary Jane candies so I could have the wrappers for a new dress I wanted to make, I finally got enough and the piece is done! It took six pound of the candy and a couple of upset stomachs to create enough yardage for the thing, but it was worth it. At least to me it was. I know a couple of people that might disagree.

HUNTING AND GATHERING

This year I gathered up more used fireworks than ever!! I finished a new 5th of July quilt the other day and I still have tons of stuff! It's very exciting.





I have separated out all the circles from the tops of fireworks because I love them. I suppose they come about when the things blow up and spew fireworks into the sky. All I know for sure is they're super groovy! I have a piece made with them worked out in my head that I'll start in the next day or so.

Hello Bird Watchers!

Welcome to the first posting of Magpie Makes Art, my art journal! Now people who are interested in my art can see where I'm showing my work, see photos of finished stuff, and get a look at what I'm working on at the moment.

"Magpie Makes Art" comes from my husband referring to me as "the Magpie" since most of my work is made from found objects or reclaimed fabric. Apparently I spend a lot of time flitting around picking up bits of shiny stuff and bringing them back to the nest. I usually need a lot of whatever I'm gathering to make whatever I'm making....So sometimes the nest gets a little crowded.


LUCKY CHICKEN BLUES



For those of you who have been fans of Lucky Chicken Ceramics, (my line of pottery and tile) I have to tell you that Lucky Chicken is on sabbatical indefinitely so I can focus all of my art brain on my mixed media and textile work. I'm sorry for any heavy sighs this news brings about, but a bird's gotta do what a bird's gotta do. Ten years was a great run for Lucky Chicken and I send out thanks to all of you who supported that work over the years. The good news is that before I closed the clay studio I got a lot of work to my galleries, and you can still find some Lucky Chicken Ceramics at Oregon College of Arts and Crafts, in Portland Oregon, May Lou Zeek Gallery in Salem Oregon, and Newman Gallery in Prescott Arizona.

http://www.ocac.edu./
http://www.newmangallery.net./
http://www.zeekgallery.com./

MAGPIE NEWS

I just had an opening June 22nd at Oregon College of Arts and Crafts of new work. It was a great night and I thank everyone who took the time to come out and see the show! That work will be on display there through July 30th. Their contact information is:

Oregon College of Arts and Crafts
8425 S.W. Barnes Road, Portland Oregon
503-297-5544
www.ocac.edu

Here are some pieces from the show....


"Wine Foil Study"
8"H x 6"W x 1/2"D
wine foils, wine labels, parchment, cotton backing, thread


"Wine Foil Quilt #2"
44"H x 42"W x 1"D
wine foils, cotton backing, thread


"Stamped #2"
27"H x 36"W x 1"D
stamps, envelopes, cotton backing, thread


For the month of June I was an artist in residence at the Espy Foundation in Oysterville, Washington. They gave me a wonderful little house as my studio and a stipend for food for the month. It was an incredible time of frantic art making and socializing, as the other four residents were super cool and had huge brains and we loved getting together at the end of many a work day and hang out, tell stories, and drink cocktails. Seven of the seventeen pieces on display at my show at OCAC where completed or made during this residency, and I have lots of new pieces in the works!

It's a great residency in a beautiful location, and anyone interested in the Espy Foundation should check out their site at: www.espyfoundation.org


Magpie At Work

Right now I'm gathering spent fireworks for my annual "5th of July" piece. I live in a sleepy beach community where everyone and their brother comes out from the inland towns and cities for the fourth of July holiday. They roast hot-dogs and marshmallows, build sand castles, shoot off tons of fireworks (my poor dog!!), and drive around wondering why they can't get the same amenities they're use to receiving in a city fifty times the size of our town. Then they drink vast quantities of alcoholic beverages, shoot off incredible amounts of fireworks (very often setting the dunes on fire) and go hunting for the perfect find at an antique mall or garage sale. Then they drink some more. Then they set off some more fireworks.
Then they leave.

On the 5th of July the locals here have a huge beach clean up. HUMONGOUS! Really, I'm not exaggerating. They fill up colossal dumpsters at every beach access.

So.....I go out every morning from the 1st of July through the 5th and gather up used fireworks to make this annual piece.
I started in 2004, and made a flag quilt that I put into a show in late July of that year before I had a chance to photograph it, so of course it sold. The people who bought it are wonderful and have no problem with me borrowing it to document, so maybe one of these days......

So last year I went out and got all sorts of stuff but was sidetracked by other show obligations and didn't finished my "annual" 5th of July" piece. I'm working on that now as I gather materials for my next one, so in the near distant future I should have a "5th of July 2005-2006", and a "5th of July 2006".

Thanks for checking in,

Shelly