October Moon

 

“October Moon”
Copyright 2022 by Susan Brubaker Knapp
17.25" square. White cotton fabric, acrylic paint, cotton batting, interfacing, cotton backing fabric. Wholecloth painted, free-motion machine quilted.

Orange County Artists Guild Open Studio Tour 2022

 

I’m busy getting ready for the Orange County Artists Guild Open Studio Tour 2022! Last year’s event was terrific – the first time I’d done anything like it — and I’m eager to meet new people and welcome old friends to my home studio the first two weekends in November. I’ll have lots of new work, as well as notecards and a few prints, up for sale. 

Saturday, Nov. 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 6 from noon to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 13 from noon to 5 p.m.

There are 114 artists participating in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough. For more information and the map, visit www.OCAGNC.org/tour/

Come visit me at stop #65!

Frond

Frond

Copyright 2022 by Susan Brubaker Knapp
13x41"
Cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton batting, cotton thread, cotton backing. 

Wholecloth painted, free-motion machine quilted.

Ravens

I’ve been working on a series of ravens, new small pieces, all based on the same drawing I made about a year ago. The idea is to make some pieces that are originals, but faster to make (and therefore with a more reasonable price point to sell – $175). All are about 11-12" square, and painted with acrylic paint and then free-motion machine quilted. I'll have these for sale at the Orange County Artists Guild Studio Tour the first two weekends in November. Details are at www.ocagnc.org/tour

Raven in Azure

Raven in Chartreuse

Raven in Sapphire

Wisp

Wisp
Copyright 2022 by Susan Brubaker Knapp
19" square
Cotton fabric, acrylic paint, cotton thread, cotton batting, cotton backing. 

Free-motion machine quilted, painted.

Persimmons 2

“Persimmons 2” Copyright 2022 (30.75 x 14.25”) by Susan Brubaker Knapp. Wholecloth painted, free-motion machine quilted. White cotton fabric, textile paint, cotton thread, cotton backing fabric. 

Just finished this commission piece, based on the same photos I used as inspiration for the persimmon piece in my solo show at the N.C. Botanical Garden earlier this year. I love the color combination, and the way the echo quilting recreates the way the wind was vibrating the ripe persimmons on that October morning I took the photos at Lake Norman State Park near Mooresville, NC, about 10 years ago. 

For information on my wholecloth painting materials and techniques, please visit my blog post here: https://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/2014/01/faqs-wholecloth-painting.html

Here are some detail shots:

Quilting Arts TV – Series 2900

After several years of craziness because of COVID, we shot the 2900 Series of Quilting Arts TV last week! I had to skip the last taping because I have some health issues that put me at higher risk for COVID. 

The shows will start airing on many PBS stations across the country, and will be available for purchase (as individual shows, series, or the entire QATV library) in October. (See more information below.)

This new series will features guests Lea McComas, Denise Labadie, Helen Parsons, Valerie Goodwin, Carolina Asmussen, Luana Rubin, Margaret Abramshe, Heidi Zielinski, Valerie White, and Barbara Yates Beasley. If you follow me on social media, you can see lots of photos of the guests and the projects and techniques they are demonstrating (July 18-22, 2022) here: 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/susanbrubakerknapp/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SusanBrubakerKnappFiberArtist/

We shot the show at Golden Peak Media Studios in Golden, Colorado, for the first time (Golden Peak Media owns Quilting Arts Magazine) with an entirely new production team, and had the opportunity to refresh the set, which features a more neutral backdrop that really makes the art and guests shine. There’s new lighting and camera equipment, and the light on set has a different quality, too. 

BERNINA machines – the 570 QE, 770 QE, and the Q 20 longarm – were on set, as usual. BERNINA has been our sponsor since the show began!

On TV: Visit your local Public Television station’s website to see if the show is available in your area!

Get access to all 29 seasons: Video Downloads or Stream All Episodes on Quilting Daily

Valerie Goodwin

Valerie White

Barbara Yates Beasley

Carolina Asmussen

Denise Labadie

Heidi Zielinski

Helen Parsons

Lea McComas

Luana Rubin

Margaret Abramshe

Me!

with Jeanne Cook Delpit

EPISODE 2901: Layers
Today’s guests add depth and dimension to their artwork by building their quilted compositions one layer at a time. Lea McComas creates her complex quilts by adding elements from background to foreground, stitching each layer before adding the next. Heidi Zielinski creates pieced strata from short strips, paying attention to basic design principles as she makes her work.

EPISODE 2902: Slicing and Dicing
Technology plays a role in this episode as Valerie Goodwin works with a laser cutter to precisely cut fabric for her intricate map quilts. Next, Margaret Abramshe reinvents her less-than-favorite quilts by isolating focal images, cutting them apart, and assembling the pieces into entirely new works.

EPISODE 2903: Creating Transparency
Artistry is enhanced by the depth and complexity achieved through transparency. Helen Parsons mixes translucent layers of fabric paint using acrylic craft paint and textile medium for her work. Valerie Goodwin creates collages by layering sheer and opaque fabrics and adding hand stitching.

EPISODE 2904: Exploring the Quilted Stitch
Artistry abounds when art quilters stitch and sew by machine! Margaret Abramshe uses her knowledge of the human facial structure to guide her quilting and create contour lines. Next, using a longarm machine, Carolina Asmussen introduces couching work into free-motion quilting.

EPISODE 2905: Back to Art School
It’s back to school—art school, that is!—for refreshers in creativity that every artist can use. Lea McComas demonstrates how using a single point of perspective creates depth in her compositions. Next, Barbara Yates Beasley focuses on creating realistic eyes.

EPISODE 2906: The Art of Being an Artist
Meaningful artwork comes from thoughtful expression. Launa Rubin discusses the importance of creating quilts with powerful messages. Next, host Susan Brubaker Knapp demonstrates how she creates quick, custom artwork that enables her to reach a wider audience.

EPISODE 2907: Picture This!
Taking great photos is the first step for these quilters. Barbara Yates Beasley shows how she creates patterns from photographs for pet portrait quilts. Helen Parsons explains how she photographs her subjects for her art quilts, with tips on layout, lighting, and composition.

EPISODE 2908: Let’s Go!
Travel can have an enormous influence on the work of any artist. Luana Rubin shares some of the great quilts she saw at Quilt Canada 2022. Valerie Goodwin uses the map as a jumping off place for her art and explains how she creates map-themed art with a sense of place.

EPISODE 2909: Contemporary Appliqué
Mastering new techniques takes time and practice. This episode features Carolina Asmussen’s machine quilting, which pairs raw-edge appliqué with floral free-motion for a contemporary look. In addition, learn from Denise Labadie how mixing appliqué styles can create realistic stone textures.

EPISODE 2910: Paint and Dye
Art quilters explore many ways of applying color to fabric. Helen Parson’s “paints” are actually finely cut strips of fabric that she stitches with thread. Artist Valerie White showcases basic techniques for transferring images using disperse dyes.

EPISODE 2911: Surface Design Sampler
Pattern your own cloth with surface design! Valerie White creates texture with oil paints in a solid stick form to create texture and visual interest. Denise Labadie makes the stone fabrics in her work using paints and resists.

EPISODE 2912: Artful Imagery
There are many ways to apply imagery to a piece of quilted art. Lea McComas teaches her method for re-sizing human figures within a composition, so each appears in correct proportion. Heidi Zielinski uses paint to stamp imagery onto fabric or directly onto quilt tops to incorporate motifs without drawing.

EPISODE 2913 Exploring Color
Color is a big part of every artist’s work. Denise Labadie’s landscapes and skies are made with free-form strip piecing that create what she calls “color complexity.” Heidi Zielinski makes small collages that revolve around one color on the color wheel, and adds blending or contrasting stitching and beadwork.

Quiltfolk

I’m so thrilled to be featured in Quiltfolk magazine Issue 23: North Carolina, which is out today! The photo above shows me at the North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill with “Pink Coleus,” which I shipped off to the Sacred Threads exhibition today. It will tour with the traveling exhibition through 2024. The cover (below) features work by Kimberley Pierce Cartwright. 

Quiltfolk is a beautifully produced ad-free magazine that’s more like a book. They do four issues a year, focusing on traditional, modern, antique, and art quilters in an individual state. This issue is 164 pages of North Carolina quilting wonderfulness!

Use coupon code SusanQF23 for 20% off your purchase through Sept 30, 2022 at
https://www.quiltfolk.com/issue-23-north-carolina/

The photo below shows me in the doorway to our house, with a miniature version of “I See the Moon” (the larger original sold to Karey Bresenhan for the International Quilt Festival Collection). 

Photography by Azuree Wiitala and Trevor Holloway. Writing by Meg Cox.  

“Three Fishes #1”

I’ve been working on several series of small pieces to sell at the Orange County Artists Guild’s Studios Tour this fall. (I'll be opening my home studio to the public the first two weekends in November.) 

The piece above, “Three Fishes #1,” is the first in my small fish series, based on some of my fish drawings that I did for a huge piece (in progress) called “We All Swim Together.” This little piece is 11.5" square. Cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton batting, cotton backing. Wholecloth painted, free-motion quilted. 

The technique I’m using to create these pieces is outlined in my article in the summer 2022 issue of Quilting Arts magazine. It’s on newsstands now, and is also available at QuiltingDaily.com

“Reaching to the Light”

Just finished this new commission, “Reaching to the Light.” It is 43.25" x 65.5". Cotton fabric, acrylic paint, cotton thread, cotton batting. Wholecloth painted, stenciled, free-motion quilted. 

Small Buddhas

These Buddha pieces are some of the small pieces I’ve been working on to sell at the Orange County Artists Guild’s Studios Tour.  It will be held the first two weekends of November, so mark your calendar now! The dates are Saturday and Sunday Nov. 5-6 and 12-13. My home studio will be open to the public then, and I’d love to meet you. 

Details about the studio tour will be available on the OCAG website by the end of the summer. Last year, more than 100 artists in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough participated at more than 80 locations. 

Each of the Buddha pieces will finish at about 11.5" square and will be priced at $175. They are hand painted and free-motion quilted.  

A Commission: Peony #1

This small piece was commissioned, and is headed off to its new owner soon! “Peony #1” Copyright Susan Brubaker Knapp. 8x10" White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, ink, cotton thread, cotton batting. Wholecloth painted and sketched with ink, free-motion quilted. 

Want to know more about my wholecloth painting process? Check out my blog post here: https://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/2014/01/faqs-wholecloth-painting.html

Festa Della Terra 2022

What a wonderful afternoon! My friend, realtor Natalie Marrone hosted visual artists and a musician for Festa Della Terra at her home on April 23, and invited the public to stop in and drop off food for PORCH, a local hunger relief organization. This was the second Festa Della Terra. Visitors strolled through the woods and enjoyed art and music, had a beverage, and contributed to a great cause.