For a few years, I’ve belonged to a wonderful group of seven fiber artists from the Charlotte area, Fiber Art Options. It includes me, Nancy G. Cook, K. Grace Howes, Deborah M. Langsam, Janet A. Lasher, Linda Stegall, and P.J. Howard. This weekend, our group exhibition, “Orchids: Sensuality Stitched,” opens at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden (DSBG), near Charlotte. This is my first group show, and I’m pretty excited!
For a while, we’ve been wanting to have a group exhibition to show our work, and about a year ago, we decided on an approach: We would all take photos of orchids, mainly at DSBG, and then create a series of pieces based on these photos. The Garden has an “Orchid Spectacular” event that runs from January through March, and loves working with groups on events that will bring people to DSBG and tie in with their events.
Our goals were to increase our production, to work in a series (which several of us had not done before) and to create an exhibition that could travel to different places after its initial showing at Daniel Stowe. Lots of cities have orchid shows, so our exhibition would be appealing to many different venues.
I love creating quilts from photos I take, so I was very excited about working in this concept. I chose three subjects, partly for their flamboyant color, and decided that I would create each piece as a wholecloth painted quilt. This is something I’ve only started doing in the past year or so, and I wanted to improve my skills.
We decided that each of us should create three pieces approximately 24″ x 36″ (keeping the sizes the same was essential if we had to pack up the exhibition to travel to future venues), plus one smaller piece, 12″ x 18″, that would be based on one orchid species. Here we are working out the details of hanging the small pieces with the inspiration photos:
It was amazing to us how different each of the pieces were; we all have very different styles, techniques and approaches. Here are some of the members of the group hanging the show at DSBG on Feb. 4:
We wanted the pieces to hang well together, and worked to find a system using foam core and wire so that each piece could hang from either a nail or a rod hanging system. Most of the pieces were faced, rather than bound. Janet’s pieces are encaustic Shibori on paper, and are wrapped on wooden frames.
Here are my four pieces for the show:
I created a set of notecards of my work. Leave a comment on this post by 9am PST on Monday, Feb. 15th, and I’ll enter your name in a drawing to win a set!
You can learn more about our group and find links to members’ blogs and websites are on the FAO blog.
Want to go to the show?
“Orchids: Sensuality Stitched”
Feb. 6 through March 14, 2010
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Belmont, NC 704.825.4490
Susan Brubaker Knapp is the author of Appliqué Petal Party, a traditional needleturn appliqué title, but she also has a passion for art quilting. You can see more of her work on her website and read more about her processes on her blog.
44 Comments
The orchid quilts are so stunning – congratulations on the exhibit!
Oh how I wish I still lived in Charlotte! Congratulations on the show!
These are truly work of art. Wish I lived closer so I could see exhibit too. Gives us inspiration.
Hello,
Congratulations on the show! Your work is awesome!
~ Gabriela ~
these are amazing quilts. Lead Day also blogged about this show with additional pictures:
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2010/02/another-day-off.html
Amazing! and so sensually beautiful!
Congratulations to you and all who participated.
What a show…
thank you for sharing.
Your orchids are amazing not to mention beautiful. I would be honored to have a set of these cards! Will we get to see these in Minnesota?
Thanks, everyone!
Clarissa, We are hoping to make this a traveling exhibition, but need to contact more venues – perhaps other botanical gardens – and see if they are interested.
wow, so beautiful – thanks for sharing!
Wonderful – beautiful – Can you talk to some of the botanical gardens in the Puget Sound/Portland area for the traveling show?
your orchids are beautiful….i watched their progress on your blog!
you know if it travels, Atlanta has a botanical garden!!!! and i would love to see them in person!
thanks for sharing/ inspiring me!
shannon
Your work is beautiful. I would love to win the cards.
Just beautiful! I feel inspired :)
The exhibition looks wonderful!
I so wish I could go and see this exhibition, but it’s a bit too far from Australia… Beautiful work, compliments for all of you!
What beautiful work you do. Congratulations on the show
These are simply stunning – congrats on your achievement!
I was privileged to go this exhibit and see the quilts in person as well as talk to 4 for the artist and discuss techniques. It was an absolutely lovely afternoon and oh so very inspirational! Everyone was so enthusiastic in sharing information! I’m hoping a magazine will do a write up, or better yet, a book with each artist discussing the techniques in detail! It would be a great hit!
oh how I wish there were places near me that showed art like this. your work is awesome.
Your quilts are so awesome. Just beautiful. Wish I could go to the show and see them. Congratulations on the show.
Love watching your progress on your blog and wish I lived close enough to come see the show!
I just love them!
Beautiful orchids!! I wish I could see those in person.
I enjoyed seeing your create the quilts that grace the notecards, they are absolutely stunning.
Debbie
Love your work. Thank you for sharing them with us.
The show looks amazing, and the orchids are stunning! Wish it wasn’t on the other side of the United States! Will the show travel?
Sara: We are looking for future venues right now. If you have ideas (and contacts) for places that might be interested near where you live, please let us know!
I have been following the exhibit on Susan’s site. It looks like a FABULOUS way to spend the day.
Those orchids are so luscious!
Beautiful Orchids!!
Susan,
Your work is beautiful! I especially enjoy seeing the pictures of details and the process you use to create such wonderful pieces. I think you idea of cards is great … because it allows more people to see your work including those who are not quilters and wouldn’t travel to a quilt show.
Keep up the wonderful work.
Leigh
This show looks fabulous. Wish I could go, this is such a talented group of ladies! Would love to have one of Susan Brubaker Knapps orchid pieces, but just the cards is as good as the real thing.
Lovely work and beautiful cards. thanks for a chance to win!
Hello Susan-
I really loved your art quilts at the DSBG this past weekend. They look so real. The coleus is gorgeous, too. Best wishes for finding venues for your group’s traveling exhibition… Philadelphia has a huge flower show each year if you haven’t looked into that one yet.
-Donna H
I would absolutely love to see your show. However, I’m snowed in here in OH. I read your blog every day and love your Orchids.
I know I would not send out your note cards….I’d have to frame them….they are just so beautiful.
Smiles,
Kelly
The display of the quilts is just lovely, and I hope I will get to see it when I get back from my western trip.
The quilts are remarkable. The colors are so lush and brighten my spirit in this cold and grey winter season. Would love to see them in person sometime.
I enjoyed reading about your preparation for the show on your blog, and the exhibit looks great. Congratulations!
Kids often overuse a word like “awesome” but for these pieces, I think it is the best word!
The orchids are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
I love orchids and you have produced some beautiful pieces.
Susan, The quilts are stunning. Thank you for sharing the pictures- I shared them with my daughter who is a horticulture major as well as a quilter- she was awed! Congrats on a spectacular show!
Your orchids are amazing. I’m sitting here in Michigan seriously thinking, how can I get to North Carolina to see the show!! Wonderful work.
I love them!!! I am glad you brought yours and Nancy Cooks to CQG so I could see them in person. I would love to get out there no husband here and potty training don’t make a good combo for public right now.
love the colors…beautiful…