I’m excited to announce that my quilt Singin’ the Blues has been accepted to the latest show at Gallery Syre in Bellingham. Titled “All You Need is Love,” the exhibition will feature work by 45 artists from across the continent in a variety of mediums. The works will fill the entire gallery space with “art as a messenger of love and universal understanding.”
The show opens Saturday February 11, with a reception from 6 to 8 pm, and runs through April 15. I hope you get a chance to check it out.
Parkinson’s disease has surfaced as the fastest-growing “movement disorder.” I am one of the nearly 1 million people in the United States who battle this disease. Among the many symptoms that I deal with is balance. Through medication and exercise, I can slightly reduce my balance problems, but they will stay with me until I die or a cure is found. More information can be found at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
One of my art quilts, “My Battle with Parkinson: Balance 1,” is being featured in a publication and has been juried into a Surface Design Association (SDA) Washington regional exhibit. In addition, “Balance 1” will be featured in the seasonal mailing from the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation beginning in December. When I was notified, the editor made the following comment: “This is such a striking pattern; the colors and fragmentation actually unite our message as an organization for people with Parkinson’s.” If you would like more information, contact the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation.
“Balance 1” has also been juried into the “Surfacing” show. This online exhibition, which was open to all SDA members and the public, can be viewed on the SDA website.
Eight of us participating artists were joined by jurors Gail Harker and Francesca Piñol in a conversation recorded on November 15. You can watch the hourlong conversation here. I’m the first slightly nervous artist to speak.
“My Battle with Parkinson: Balance 1”
Size: 22″w x 22″h
Materials and techniques: Cotton fabrics hand-dyed by Liz Axford and the artist, polyester quilting thread; machine pieced and quilted
Statement: When I inherited beautiful hand-dyed circles by my friend the late Liz Axford, it gave me the opportunity to combine them with some of my fabrics to portray “Balance.” Losing balance is one of many Parkinson symptoms as the disease progresses.
The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation annual benefit auction has opened and includes my quilt “Lavender.” Bidding has already begun online. You can also sign up for the digital live event October 1 at 6 pm PDT. All funds raised directly serve Northwest Parkinson’s communities, including the one in which I’m active in Bellingham.
“Lavender”
Size: 12″w x 12″h
I approach the design and construction of my quilts much as an artist approaches a canvas. Each quilt is made up of individual pieces and/or blocks but visualized it in its entirety. Although my work is rooted in traditional quilt making, I continually strive to create works that break the established mold.
I usually work in a series, with each quilt unique but building on a theme. I collage and piece improvisational cotton and silk fabrics that I have dyed myself. I quilt by machine, using lines that enhance the piecing or tell a story on their own.
Bidding on quilts, including my “Social Distancing” donation, in Section 3 of the SAQA’s annual benefit auction has opened and will continue through October 3. All proceeds help support SAQA’s exhibition programs, publications, and education outreach. You can find full details about how the auction works here.
The Fiber Optix show at Penn Cove Pottery on Whidbey Island continues through October includes two of my quilts. The gallery has done a beautiful job of hanging the exhibition.
Melisse Laing 