Passion has been defined as the object of a strong desire, compelling emotion, or even violent anger. This intense vigor is, at times, at the forefront of our drive and determination to get something accomplished. Perhaps one will have to maneuver through muck and mire to arrive at the sweet spot, but it’s the energy throughout the journey that fuels the enthusiasm of the drive forward. Meditate on something that stirs you up, then share your interpretation of passion in art quilt form.
Jurors’ Choice Award Winner:
“Anger” by Anne Garretson (New York, USA)
Twenty-five years into our marriage the state law changed and we made our union legal. Three months later she blew up our relationship. I felt thrown off a cliff, thankful for the safety net of loving friends. When you fall in love with an alcoholic, even a sober one, you love someone in a never-ending fight for survival. You fight for them, fight off enablers, fight against the disease. And you fight to save yourself.
Techniques & Materials: Cotton commercial fabrics, machine pieced and quilted. 60”H x 24”W
Juror's Choice Award Winner:
“Beckoning of Night” by Marian Zielinski (Georgia, USA)
This work was inspired by the neon lights of Broadway, a metonymic symbol of my life's work in the theatre and the passionate voice of light. Neon lights carry in their elegant, linear lines, a bright exteriority that is hot, alluring, exciting, fast, simple, and seductive in contrast to the night sky. This light is a beckon in the shroud of darkness to those who ache for passion and meaning in life.
Techniques & Materials: Dura-Lar Matte Film, Cold Press Laminating Sheets, Clear Packing Tape, Fiberglas Screen, Polyester Film, Archival Print Canvas, Acrylic Paint, Gel Medium, Pastels, Metallic Powdered Pigment, Lighting Gel Samples, Scenic Mylar & Plastic Samples, a bit of Paper, Plastic Craft Foam (Batting), Holoshimmer Polyester Film Thread (Needle), Nylon Thread (Bobbin), 100% Cotton Fabric (Backing, Binding, Hanging Sleeve only). Mono-printing, Photography, Digital Photo & Text Manipulation, Collage, Painting. 36”H x 22”W
Gallery Award Winner:
“Refresh-VI” by Ericka Carter (Washington, USA)
A passion for creating something of substance from raw materials led me to quilting. It is this same "making" that has helped me find the strength and resiliency to be found in what is sensitive and fragile. I want to portray the poetry in the visual.
Techniques & Materials: Hand painted silk, cut, composed against raw silk, direct machine appliqued, machine quilted, cotton batting, silk thread. 43”H x 45”W
“One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Starfish?” by Patricia A. Arndt (North Carolina, USA)
My trip to Maui was scheduled just before 9/11. I went with new eyes, looking at this world from a new perspective. Maybe an escape from my airline job, but never far from my mind. The under the sea world was peaceful, healing in a way. It drowned out the hubbub. Peaceful, serene, and just plain beautiful. I fell in love...
Hand and machine quilted, hand and machine appliqued. Beaded by hand, big stitch by hand. 51”H x 13.5”W
“Maui Dreams” by Patricia A. Arndt (North Carolina, USA)
On my second trip to Maui, started out with the same expectations of the snorkeling experiences. However, first day of snorkeling, I went down too far in the water and experienced vertigo, which lasted for the entire trip! We filled our days with car rides into the mountains, visiting museums, art galleries, and just sitting on the beach, enjoying the ocean views and sunsets. Vivid dreams of the undersea world I was missing...
Techniques & Materials: Machine and hand stitched, hand beaded, hand and machine appliqued. Background fabric was ice-dyed by me. 14.5”H x 42”W
“Dancing Ladies Among The Vines” by Marjorie Barner (North Carolina, USA)
This original Dancing Ladies quilt represent the passion of dancing. Dancing is one of my favorite activities. This is one in a series of “Dancing Ladies" quilts. There is a total of nine characteristics express in my Dancing Ladies: Joy, Happiness, Hope, Serenity, Charity, Faith, Grace, Strength and Wisdom. This quilt has four.
Techniques & Materials: 100% Cotton Fabrics. Machine pieced, and hand quilted with satin machine stitching along Applique design. Design was free hand cut and sewn onto the gold background before hand quilting. 51”H x 39”W
“Deck Reflections" by Judi H. Bastion (North Carolina, USA)
My passion is to use color values to capture the feeling of a rainy day, trees reflected in the water. I took this picture one rainy morning and knew that it would become a quilt design with the soft tones, lines, and shadows of the trees. The challenge for me in this quilt was to use grey tones and figure out how to construct the various sections. A photograph captures a moment in time that can be revisited.
Techniques & Materials: Commercial cotton fabrics, cotton batting. 53”H x 30”W
“Flamenco Swirl #3” by Joni L. Beach (Virginia, USA)
The Story~~"Flamenco Swirl #3" is an expression of the exciting, passionate Spanish dance that is accompanied by expressive guitar music, hand-clapping, and soulful singing. In the series, "Visions of Spain", this piece recalls the amazingly, dramatic, heart-felt Flamenco show experienced one Spring evening in Madrid. The graceful but strong movement of the dancing, the colorful, swirling dress, and pounding rhythm of dancer's feet on the stage awakened not only my senses, but my imagination! All performed with such passion...
Techniques & Materials: Rayon and metallic on cotton. Pieced, reverse applique, threadpainting, and free-motion quilting. 21”H x 13.25”W
“Spring Into My Heart Flutter-by” by Mary Beth Bellah (Virginia, USA)
Living at the edge of the woods, I've found inspiration and return frequently to the imagery and thematic use of trees in my work. The experience of living with nature as a daily part of life changes one's perspective and how one sees the world. This quilt is one in a series reflecting on my passion for nature and the integration of 3D and negative space imagery intertwined with trees and butterflies.
Techniques & Materials: Machine and hand stitched with embellishments Commercial cottons, novelty velour, springs, embellishments. 49”H x 34.5”W
“Tribute to Arbie” by Gwen S. Brink (North Carolina, USA)
This quilt marks a transition in my life from full time art educator/part time artist to full time retired person/artist. It was pieced during the last semester of my teaching career and quilted during the first week of my retirement. It reflects my passion for both teaching and art making. All of the fabric for the quilt top is repurposed from my worn out linen pants and clean up rags from my art room. Wear and tear is evident in these fabrics signifying the important work of teaching art to thousands of students over my 34-year career.
Techniques & Materials: Cotton batiks, silk dupioni, cotton batting, fabric paint, machine pieced, appliqued, machine quilted, beaded. 60”H x 60”W
“Mountain Meadows” by Lynne G. Harrill (North Carolina, USA)
My passion for mountains is life long and enduring. I love living in the mountains, walking in the mountains, and simply looking at the mountains throughout the seasons. Currently we live on a north facing slope, and I can see Mount Mitchell. I consider myself truly lucky to have the privilege of looking out the window every day at my mountains. "Mountain Meadows" is a very abstracted view from my living room window.
Techniques & Materials: Materials: commercial fabric, mono printed fabric, paint. Technique: Raw edge applique. 40”H x 58”W
“After Rain” by Lynne G. Harrill (North Carolina, USA)
Color is the main focus of my artistic interest. As a young child I "played" with my crayons instead of drawing with them. I would put them into color families, line them up in order of the rainbow and arrange them from light to dark. I'm still doing this; only now I use my hand dyed fabrics instead of crayons. After Rain is a monochromatic work using close to eighty tints and tones of gray.
Techniques & Materials: 100% cotton hand dyed fabric by the artist, 100% cotton batting, backing and thread. Machine pieced, machine quilted on home machine. machine applique, hand quilted and bound. 49”H x 40”W
“Freedoms 4”
by Mary A. Ritter (North Carolina, USA)
I am passionate about the constitution of our nation and its Bill of Rights. Freedoms4 reflects my concern that the freedoms we have enjoyed since the United States was formed are being eroded and destroyed. We, the citizenry, must VOTE, communicate with the elected officials, and be involved to preserve the rights embraced by our founders. It is not the intention for this piece to be pretty; the colors are meant to draw the eye, so the content will be studied and absorbed.
Techniques & Materials: Digital photography, all in the public domain or my own, and specialized digital applications; piecing, quilting, machine and hand embroidery, fabric painting; silk embroidery; cotton fabric printed by Spoonflower, hand-dyed cottons, embroidery and quilting threads, bits and pieces of this and that. 38”H x 36”W
“Redesigning Duckworth” by
Linda Strowbridge (Maryland, USA)
Connecting with Mother Nature gives me a great sense of inner joy and peace. The fresh air and surrounding flora can let you lose yourself, find yourself or free yourself from the everyday, enjoying the journey for itself. Hiking allows me to exercise my body and rest my mind.
Techniques & Materials: Machine pieced, hand appliqued, machine quilted and hand embroidered from commercial cottons, purchased hand-dyes and sheer fabrics. 35.5”H x 27.5”W
“Four Story Walk-up” by Linda Strowbridge (Maryland, USA)
"Four Story Walk-up" is part of my "Hapless Super" series which imagines the impact of an enthusiastic, if sometimes luckless, superintendent on a string of city buildings. Patched, repaired, slightly tattered and oddly shaped, the building facades show the imprint of his persistent efforts. But they also shine with vibrant color – a reflection of Hapless's passion and energy.
Techniques & Materials: Machine pieced, raw-edge applique and machine quilted from commercial cottons and purchased hand-dyes. 35”H x 25”W
“Bee Surprised” by Patricia A. Smith (North Carolina, USA)
I am passionate about fiber art. All types. I always want a challenge, something new. This quilt was from a photo I took of a Lilly Pond. I had never seen a lilly pad with such wrinkled leaves. The bee was a surprise. I didn't know it was there. The challenge was to create the wrinkled water lily pads and stamens.
After Rain is a monochromatic work using close to eighty tints and tones of gray.
Techniques & Materials: Silk, cotton, batik. Hand Painted, appliqué, embroidery. Domestic machine quilted. 30”H x 40”W
“Passion Tribute” by
Sandy Teepen (Georgia, USA)
I looked at my collection of Tom's columns with the idea of creating a memory collage after his death in April. His writings told me more about his life, and his passion became my collage quilt -- my tribute to my husband, who inspired me and is my passion.
Techniques & Materials: I used cotton fabric, muslin, digital photo copy, glue and adhesives and a ready-made vest on back. It was made with machine and hand stitching. 42”H x 35.5”W
“Fossil Ledge” by Eileen Williams (North Carolina, USA)
Diving for treasures under the sea is always exciting and challenging. Who knows what is lurking below the ocean’s surface.
Techniques & Materials: Machine and hand stitched with embellishments Commercial cottons, novelty velour, springs, embellishments, Batik fabric, acrylic paint, shells, shark teeth, french knots, fibers, cheesecloth, beads. Free motion hand guided quilting and hand sewn embellishments. 48”H x 18.5”W
“The Curtain Rises” by Marian Zielinski (Georgia, USA)
The Curtain Rises is a call to move beyond the maze, the architecture, the structure, and the circuitry of life and all the thinking and logic that attends to navigating the world. It is an invitation to engage with the essence of being and all her real, human emotions, especially her suffering and pain—her passion (in both the archaic and the contemporary meaning of the word).
Techniques & Materials: Quilt made of plastic polyester films monoprinted with acrylic and metallic powdered pigments collaged onto scenic muslin; Digitally manipulated original photograph ink-jet printed onto archival canvas; Appliqued acrylic-painted lettering, Free-motion quilting with holographic polyester thread and cotton batting and backing. 45”H x 60”W
“Woolgathering” by Marian Zielinski (Georgia, USA)
Passions require fuel. My passions are ignited by travel, new experiences, and developing new ways of seeing, feeling, thinking, and being in the world. "Woolgathering" is a reflection on habit, habitat, cycles, depletion, and restoration, and what it takes to keep passions burning in everyday life. It is like a circulatory system carrying re-oxygenated blood to emotions, ideas, and imagination. This passion is not sudden or violent but finds its depths slowly as a groundswell.
Techniques & Materials: Techniques: Piecing, machine quilting, mono-printing, commercial cotton fabrics. 48”H x 44”W
“Freedom of the Soul" by Valerie A. Paterson (North Carolina, USA)
The Argentine Tango transcends the turmoil of the day creating a space where only two can go. Each movement, each pause. Two souls entwined. Pure ecstasy.
Techniques & Materials: Seta color and shimmer textile paint, iron for design, printing on fabric using inkjet printer, machine appliqué. 14”H x 20”W
“Correspondence” by Nancy Lassiter (North Carolina, USA)
Letter writing is no longer in vogue, but my mother is still passionate about it. At 93, she is obsessed with correspondence. There are dozens of binders containing any documentation that has ever crossed her path. She is the keeper of family and community history.
Techniques & Materials: Repurposed clothing and other found materials. 24”H x 20”W
“Poppies at Sunset” by Debbie Herbst (North Carolina, USA)
Connecting with Mother Nature gives me a great sense of inner joy and peace. The fresh air and surrounding flora can let you lose yourself, find yourself or free yourself from the everyday, enjoying the journey for itself. Hiking allows me to exercise my body and rest my mind.
Techniques & Materials: Teabags, fabric paints, water solvy fabric, inks, free motion quilting, beads, raw edge applique, variegated threads. 15”H x 19”W
“Choices” by Maggie Dillon (Florida, USA)
My work reawakens a calm moment that is simultaneously ordinary and meaningful. I choose images that have photo-journalistic qualities and celebrate natural, honest situations. Piecing different shades and textures together, the fabric creates an open-ended story, encouraging the viewer to imagine the subjects as if they were characters in a book.
Choices gives you a peek into a possible love triangle. Is she choosing between the two men? Do they know about each other?
Techniques & Materials: machine applique, hand quilted and bound. 63”H x 41”W
“Boys of Summer by Dillon” by Maggie Dillon (Florida, USA)
A passion for creating something of substance from raw materials led me to quilting. It is this same "making" that has helped me find the strength and resiliency to be found in what is sensitive and fragile. I want to portray the poetry in the visual. The Ponderings series explores the calligraphic marks of branches against water, and the resulting "stories" written.
Techniques & Materials: Machine applique, hand quilted and bound. 33”H x 46”W
“Let Justice Roll Down Like a River" by Karen G. Ernst (North Carolina, USA)
This title comes from the book of Amos in the Old Testament and describes to me a passion for social justice. I was fortunate to be raised in a home where social justice was addressed and valued, and this has continued to be a passion for me and my husband and grown children.
Techniques & Materials: Commercial fabrics, cotton and polyester threads, fusible web, flannel batting, collage techniques. 51”H x 21.5”W
“Responsible Women” by Maggie Dillon (Florida, USA)
"Training in marksmanship helps girls develop into responsible women." My work reawakens a calm moment that is meaningful and ordinary at the same time. I choose images that have a photo-journalistic quality and celebrate natural, uninterrupted situations. The viewer can add their own story to the images as if the subjects are characters in a book.
Techniques & Materials: Machine applique, hand quilted and bound. 31”H x 39”W