International Quilt Exhibition 2018 (2)

Quilt art, sometimes referred to as “soft paintings,” has more in common with fine art than it does with traditional quilting. The Brigham City Museum (Utah) is presenting the 46th International Quilt Invitational Exhibit from June 16 through September 1, 2018. The exhibit features universally prized quilts by artists from Europe, Australia and North America.  In today's post we're featuring U.S. artists. We hope you enjoy this selection of outstanding quilts!

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Fiesta by Cuauhtemoc K. Kish (California)

This is one of Cuauhtemoc's quilts from his "Celebration" series. He says he wanted to express the simple joy of everyday life in it. Fiesta incorporates the applique process with cottons on a burlap backing using some traditional fabric from Central America. The woman pictured here is wearing a traditional Bolivian costume.

Quilting lines that flow outward towards the edge of this piece give the viewer the impression that they are moving gently as the woman moves.Quilted with a domestic machine, these lines bring a sense of energy and motion to Cuauhtemoc's very eye-catching work.

Natalia's Russia by Melissa Sobotka (Texas)

Melissa made this quilt for daughter Natalie, who traveled to Moscow to study Russian. Melissa says that Natalie was enchanted by Russian history, art, and culture; and saw a beautiful Russia through her eyes and her camera's lens. This quilt was inspired by one of Natalie's photographs.

Melissa has incorporated excellent detail in her work by using stitching lines to depict the elaborate architectural details of each building.

Fall Ginkgos by Franki Kohler (Oregon)

Franki comments that she has been enthralled with the fan-shaped ginkgo leaf for many years; and every time she uses this simple leaf as a design element in her art, she falls more deeply in love with it. Her quilt features a spray of ginkgos in their fall finery.

Lovely thread painting here displays the slightly mysterious, ethereal quality of the ginkgo leaves, an ancient plant. Ginkgos have been found in fossils dating back 270 million years. 

Red Wheelbarrow by Laura Wasilowski (Illinois)

Laura's colorful work is based upon the William Carlos Williams poem of the same name:
so much depends
upon
a red wheel 
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens
Williams was closely associated with the modernist movement in literature. 

Close-up, Red Wheelbarrow

Laura's quilt was constructed with hand-dyed and printed fabrics, as well as fused applique. It is machine quilted. Her very artistic use of the dark background provides the contrast needed to display the burgeoning plants in the rich brown soil.

Lemon Tree in Tuscany by Sandra Bruce (California)

Sandra utilized a technique known as "Material Matrix" to interpret a gridded photograph, using her eye to reproduce the image with fabrics and piecing. It is based on a photo taken in Italy, which is a fond reminder of her trip. 

Because it is impossible to create perfect circles with this technique, the entire quilt was made (quilted, blocked, and bound) before Sandra added the lemons and some of the leaves. These were attached by hand, using applique.She free-motion quilted it on her long-arm machine. All the materials on this intriguing and beautifully-constructed work are commercial cottons and hand-dyed fabrics.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.