Magical Arts Fridays - An Interview with Quilter Peggy Gatewood

MM: Peggy where did you get your love of quilting?

Love of quilting -not sure-had several relatives that quilted.

MM: Have other family members followed in your footsteps?

My granddaughter made her first quilt when she was 10

MM: Tell us about the quilters guild of Parsons and what you have learned from some of the quilters?

The Quilter's Guild of Parsons is a great group of women who teach, encourage, and support anyone who loves quilting.

They always share tips they've learned, are quick to help if you're having problems or want advice, or fabric from their stash. We make and donate quilts to the local Red Cross for fire victims in about 7 SEK counties.

MM: I have seen and voted for some of your quilts. Do you have a quilt that has more meaning than the others?

.Probably the quilts I made my Mother. I made a puzzle quilt since she loved jigsaw puzzles and a Seven Sisters quilt since she had 7 sisters

MM: Do you have a favorite quilt that you have made?

. Probably my Dog Quilt. It has won several ribbons. 

MM: I know you work for the local vet clinic. Has this inspired some of your quilts? Tell us about the clinic and the animals. Do you own pets?

. I have worked at the clinic for almost 30 years  as manager and have done every job. We treat all species of animals. I like dogs the best and  I'm always on the lookout for dog print fabrics and have made several dog quilts. I have 4 rescue dogs-Monkey, Kashi, Hank and Frank. When we were challenged to make a quilt about our experience with the Parsons Tornado, I made one featuring my dogs . My Aunt, Sister and Mother were with me that night at the Guild's Guest Night and the dogs were home alone.

MM: How does this work for you? What I mean is do you see a pretty flower garden or hear a story maybe attending an event but how and where do you get your inspiration for the beautiful quilts to make?

. I'm usually inspired by the fabric first and then find a pattern. It's a personal thing for each quilter. Some people love 1800's fabrics. I find them drab looking. I usually use bright cheerful fabrics. My friend, Nancy Tiede and I are known as the "bright" girls. People usually pick out our quilts right away

MM: Is there someone you would like to thank that has inspired you?

. My Aunt Regina probably inspired me the most. She always had a quilt in the frame.

MM: Okay for some get-to know you questions. What is your favorite meal, place to vacation, dessert, song, book, holiday, magazine, quilt show/s, color, other hobbies, movie/s and shows to binge watch?

Personally-food-anything Mexican, we cruise to the Caribbean every year-attached is a photo of a T Shirt quilt from some of our cruises. Anything chocolate, old school R & B music, mysteries, no favorite holidays-they're too much work, PEOPLE mag, any of the PBS quilting shows are good. I like to knit baby hats for the Purple Campaign. Bad Santa is a guilty pleasure movie, I don't watch much TV, but I  like Project Runway and Lucifer-and try to catch the Royals games.

MM: Do you have some quilters words of wisdom?

Don't be afraid to try something new and know everyone has to rip things out-often.

MM: In closing what would you like to add to this interview as far as a quilter quote or story?

. I encourage anyone thinking of taking up quilting to jump in. Ask for help at your local quilt shop and visit a quilter's guild meeting in your area. They're very friendly people.

Magical Arts Fridays - An Interview with Quilter Dru Ann Love

MM: Dru Ann, what is the first quilt that you made? Do you still have the quilt?

The first quilt I hand-made was in 2003 and yes I still have that quilt.

MM: What advice do you have for beginner quilters?

Have fun. Everyone has an opinion of how you should do a task; pick the one that works best for you.

MM: How many quilts have you made?

I’ve made 136 quilts since I started in 2003.

MM: You interview authors, review books and attend conferences. Do the authors you meet, books you read and the conferences you attend inspire quilt related themes? If so tell us about some of them?

I did make a quilt of my Malice Domestic experience. I received Nancy Drew panels and made placemats and with the Nancy Drew fabric I made a small quilt.

MM: Do you have a favorite quilt shop/online store that you like to shop for fabric?

I go to City Quilters in New York City on West 25^th Street and a friend introduced me to fabric.com.

MM: What was the easiest and the most difficult quilt you have made?

The easiest quilts for me to make are pillow covers. I can do those in under 2 hours. The hardest quilts for me to make are the large size ones, which I just completed. It came out to be 38” x 56”.

MM: Are any of your quilts family and memory related quilts ?

No, I’m the first and only member of my family that quilts.

MM: 2016 is here so what quilt ideas do you have in mind for this year?

I create quilts on a whim. Right now I’m working on a quilt to cover the small end table I have.

MM: Do you also quilt wall hangings, table runners, lap quilts and other quilted items such as totes or handbags?

I’ve made wall hangings, table runners, lap quilts, small centerpieces and coasters.  Haven’t tried making totes yet, but it looks interesting.

MM: Are you a member of any quilt groups?

Not right now. I used to be but where they held their meeting was difficult for me to get to, so I let my membership go.

MM: Do you attend quilt shows?

I went to one and it was fun, but no, I don’t attend quilt shows.

MM: Where is your favorite place to quilt?

My living room – it has the space I need.

MM: While quilting do you binge watch television shows, movies, listen to audio books or does music spark your imagination?

The TV is on when I’m quilting. I can only quilt by natural light, so it’s mostly daytime quilting for me.

Dru Ann & Terri at Malice Domestic 2015

MM: Leave us with some quilting words of wisdom?

Just have fun with the creative process.

My quilting blog is: http://www.dallsite.com/

dru’s book musings: http://drusbookmusing.com/

Magical Arts Friday: An Interview with Julie Kent

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE KENT: PARSONS PUBLIC LIBRARY YOUNG ADULT SPECIALIST

By Pamela James

MM: Julie, give us the backstory on how you came to work for the Parsons Library?

JK: I read the advertisement in the paper for this job and decided this was something I had always wanted to do.  I love the books and the people who come into the library. 

MM: Tell us about how your idea for a coloring day at the library came about? 

JK: I read on a Librarian Facebook page that this phenomenon was very popular in a number of libraries in the USA.  Many of the libraries had discovered that patrons really loved being able to come in and just relax.  I talked to Delores and Jean and they agreed with my idea to start this. 

MM: Do the coloring days stay the same? Explain to us how this works for you? 

JK:Currently we are coloring each Wednesday afternoon for an hour.  We tried several time frames for the program and this is our current program.

An hour seems to be enough for most people to get started on a picture.  They take them home to complete. 

MM: Has anyone completed a colored piece?

JK: We have several pictures that were colored and brought back to us to post. We plan on offering holiday inspired pictures to color and then post as a sort of holiday decorations. 

MM: Do you think you will have a coloring contest?

JK:Our plan is to have a coloring competition soon.  We haven’t decided exactly what that will entail so far.  I have been thinking that it might be fun to do this in December.  We haven’t ironed out the details as yet.

MM: As a young adult specialist for the library: what does this entail?

JK: My job has spanned from Young Adult programs to Tech Tip programs for Adults.  My basic duties include purchase of books and movies for YA, and planning monthly programming for YA usually in the form of a movie or craft program.  During the Summer Reading Program, I plan and usually complete the craft programs that are done for that session. We have had beading crafts, origami, made terrariums, duct tape wallets and other craft items.  I am usually at the Reference Desk during the day, checking books in and out and answering questions for patrons. 

MM: What programming do you have planned for the library? 

JK:We often help patrons access their e-books and audio books on tablets and phones by helping them to download the programs and set them up.  In addition we have had programs on the new Sierra program card catalog, Encore, that is used to find, place a hold, and renew books from home on your computer.  We show patrons how to use this program and it gives them a lot of control over their checkouts and can even offer a way to track the books they want to read and the ones they have already read.

MM: I know you work with a lot of talented ladies. Have any of your coworkers colored a picture?

JK:Several of my co-workers have taken pictures home to complete.  They are some pretty creative people.

MM: Tell us about the different designs and styles you have for patrons to choose from and since this has started what will come next for 2016?

 JK: We have several books that we ordered from Dover Publishing that are adult coloring books.  We also have gotten many pictures from Pinterest and have a coloring account on Pinterest for the Library.

At the coloring sessions, patrons can request a certain subject; today one wanted celestial pictures with the moon and stars, and another one wanted complex pictures of animals: Lions, Elephants and Gorillas. 

MM: Okay now for some fun questions. What is your favorite meal, dessert, books to reread, song, movies and drink?

JK:  I love going out to eat in Joplin at Hu Hot.  This restaurant does stir fry with ingredients that you pick out.  They always have vegetables, lean meat, eggs, and sauces to complete your meal.  This is a buffet-type restaurant so you can go through the line as many times as you want. 

Desserts are really my downfall.  I love chocolate French silk pie, tiramisu, ice cream and cheesecake. That about covers desserts lol.

I have always loved Janet Evanovich books because they are mindless and funny. I am a fan of John Grisham books, J. A. Jance books too.  As far as young adult books, my very favorite is Mike Mullen’s Ash Fall series.  I can re-read them and love them. I also love books that keep me thinking.  Mysteries fit into that category.

I love quiet music: Enya, Native American flute music by Coyote Oldman.  I also love Bruno Mars.  Actually I love most music.  Different genres for different moods.

Currently my favorite movie is Pitch Perfect. I have seen it many times.  I like the music it in.  I also am a fan of The Hunger Games movies, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies and of course, Harry Potter movies. 

I love coffee drinks.  I usually have one cup of coffee when I get up in the morning and may have a dessert type coffee when I eat lunch at Remnant Café here in Parsons.  I am fond of the Butter Beer drink (Harry Potter drink). 

MM: If you could sit down with any five authors dead or alive who would they be and what would you want to know?

JK: I really like James Patterson as an author.  I believe he has the whole author thing figured out. He puts out (with another author) a book every month or two.  He also has become a noted children’s author, writing books that young kids and young adults find entertaining.   I think I would just like to spend some time talking about his writing and how he started.  I would love to write a book too so think this might be very helpful.

Janet Evanovich is another author I think would be interesting.  I would be interested in finding out where she got the very funny characters in her Stephanie Plum series.  Do these people really exist ??

Dana Stabenow writes books about Alaska and the Native American tribe members who live there.  I like hearing about the tribal customs and the lifestyle. 

Mike Mullen writes YA books. His series beginning with Ash Fall is a big favorite of mine.  His story begins with the super-volcano in Yellowstone exploding and how the people affected handle the problems that occur.  I really enjoy these books.  They seem very plausible to me and the problems the people face are real.

MM: Lastly, what do you want to say to your patrons about the coloring days?

JK: The Color Your Stress Away program is a lovely way to handle stress.  It is nice we are giving adults permission to color.  Most of them have felt guilty about doing something they may have thought was childish.

JK:  Thanks for giving me an opportunity to tell you about our programs and a bit about myself.  

Magical Arts Friday - The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, My dad and inspiration

Today I want to talk about Vincent Van Gogh's amazing painting:  The Starry Night.  It was my father's favorite painting and as the anniversary of his death is tomorrow, I have been thinking of him a lot.

I never even knew he loved this painting until I was an adult.  I was surprised, because I always just thought of nature pictures in association with him. It was a whimsical side of my dad and his imagination I didn't know about.  I bought him his own print and a book of Van Gogh's work.

I have to admit, I liked Van Gogh but was never really drawn towards his work until that point.  I wanted to see what my dad saw.  Of course, you can never do that.  Art is a personal experience.  The more I looked, I saw the colors and the swirls and saw why people are drawn into this painting.  There is so much to see in the quiet of the night sky.

I have always been fascinated by Van Gogh himself - not just because of the ear thing - because he was a tormented man trying to express himself in a way that went against artistic traditions of the time.  Considered mad and his art ridiculed, it is terrible to think of how hard it was for him.  I think it was his story that made me see how much Art can be a calling.

Vincent van Gogh

Of course, his life has inspired other art as well -- the brilliant film with Kirk Douglas - Lust for Life .  Which of course, also inspired a great soundtrack by Iggy Pop - Lust For Life Soundtrack.  Anthony Quinn won an Oscar for his performance as Paul Gauguin.                                             

Another thing that I really was fascinated by was the book Dear Theo by Irving Stone.  

Which brings me back to The Starry Night.  The painting itself inspired an episode of Doctor Who - Vincent and The Doctor.  Who would have thought?  Vincent plays a pivotal role as he is influenced by a mysterious creature that leads him to paint a version of starry night with

 a Tardis in it. 

 But wait - The Tardis is exploding?

BTW - I have that poster.

So now it has inspired an episode of a widely popular tv show?

If you look on the internet there are tons of images where people have run with their own inspiration from that.  Doctor Who Starry Night/Tardis images. On an on it goes.

My personal favorite was the:

So art inspires more art as well as people like my Dad.  My own Starry Night item is his mousepad which I use every day at work - a constant reminder of Dad.

So, the last thing I want to say was that my Dad's light night was in hospice - the had his bed out on a lanai room.  He loved the out-of-doors.  So when he passed, it was under The Starry Night he loved.

Terri

Magical Arts Fridays - An Interview with Artist Kim Power

Magical Arts Fridays

An Interview with Kim Power

by Terri Parsons

Check out her WEBSITE!

MM:  You have been so creative and artistic as long as I have known you.  It is definitely in your blood.  Did you always know it was going to be your career?

KP: We’ve known each other for about thirty years, wow. It has been a while! You’re right, it is in my blood, literally. My mom was an interior decorator and my dad designed lamps so they were into art and there was always something creative going on at home. We also had this fabulous batik artist next door when I was growing up. I don’t know that I thought of it as a career as such early on but it has always been something I had to do. Whether it’s in visual media or in words I am driven to express myself. I’ve also always had a curious mind so making art was the perfect way for me to continue learning throughout my lifetime.

MM:  You work in multiple mediums.  What do you like about each?  And are there any other mediums you are interested in exploring?

I really believe in the element of play. Art can be serious when it comes to technique but I think all artists need to take time to find out what the materials can do when you just fool around with them. I keep asking myself, “What if?”

I started off learning fiber art at James Madison University with Barbara Lewis. I also had a terrific painting teacher in Frank Hobbs. Ultimately though, I’ve also been my own teacher. I mentioned I had a curious mind, right? So along with my education I’ve always researched on my own and tried different techniques and materials. I loved working in the medium of textiles because it was so experimental at the time. New materials and tools were constantly coming on the market. Also, when I was beginning to work in the medium it was still very new to the contemporary dialogue. The P&D Movement gave it great credibility and fiber artists were pushing the envelope on for textiles being considered a real art form rather than, what was then a derogatory term, a craft.  I would look at artists like Pacita Abad and Faith Ringold and see so many possibilities!

I got into painting much later. Basically, I wanted to improve my compositional and drawing skills so I could take the textile paintings I was making to another level. I was so lucky because I found the perfect teacher in Hakim Tourdiev in The Netherlands. He was a friend and a mentor along with being and excellent instructor. He would work with me for a few weeks on a painting and then I would work for several months doing more paintings and pushing my abilities as far as I could go. When the opportunity arose for us to come to NYC, I was thrilled to be able to continue my studies. I was able to take figure drawing with Costa Vavagiakis and Michael Grimaldi at the Art Student’s League and with the skills they instilled in me I applied to the New York Academy of Art. I studied painting there under some amazing teachers like Vincent Desiderio and Dik Liu. Roberto Osti’s, Artistic Anatomy class was phenomenal. I got not only a strong foundation in figurative studies, but also a deeper understanding of what art is and what I want to do with it. I had abandoned textile art for my new love of painting, but when I needed to rely on my strengths, the language that I had developed in textiles served to inform my painting. Acrylic and oil paint give the ability to describe form and space on a flat surface and it is that which intrigues me. At the same time, getting back to my roots has been very satisfying. It is the interplay of these two worlds that intrigues and challenges me today. If I could explore other mediums, I think it would be mediums that relate to sculpture, which doesn’t exclude the ones that I am working with now. Ultimately, the materials I work with are chosen to express an idea and not the other way around. I see something in my minds eye and I ask, “How can I make that happen?”

MM:  I was lucky enough to be at your very first exhibit at JMU and was so proud!  Tell us something about favorite moments at some of your exhibitions over the years?

KP: That’s great that you remember that! Thanks for you’re your kind words. Favorite moments, hmm… Well, I had this amazing moment at an exhibit I had at the Salle Basse in France. A woman was discussing my large textile paintings with me and at a certain moment in the conversation she began to cry. It had to do with the way the colors affected her and the imagery as well. That was really powerful to me because I realized the immense responsibility we have as artists, that we are touching peoples lives, communicating something to them that we just can’t say in words.

The other one I will share with you is when I showed my series, Women in Transformation at The Glenview Mansion. Just accomplishing that with the time and effort I put into it, to see it completed in the gallery was a great thing. My mom had died that year and it had slowed me down quite a bit. When I realized I was behind for the deadline, I spent days and nights, catching only a few hours of sleep for several months, embroidering these really intricate pieces. I realized then that there is a fine line between creation and destruction because I was forced to slow myself down in order to do a good job even though I was rushing to get it all done. It taught me a lot about what we can achieve when we really believe in something.

MM:  How do you sift through all the things that inspire you and focus to start something?

That’s a terrific question. I am inspired by many things every day. Here’s what I do: I write down everything, so it doesn’t get lost in the storm. I also document a lot of visual information, through sketches and photos. Lately, I’ve been working on a series of paintings of my friend Monstah Black. I started it at the Academy and am on my last piece with the imagery I’ve developed. Working on series is perfect for me because I have this seed of an idea and I can expand upon it till I’ve said everything I want to say. I’m a gatherer, so I hunt down all the information I can on a subject and that leads to associations that lead to new ideas. It’s an evolving process. When I have enough to start with conceptually, I begin with a sketch. When that is ready, I decide how I’m going to handle it, though the whole time I’m sketching I’m already playing with several ideas in my head. I try stuff out and try to keep it open for as long as possible so I don’t tie myself down to something that’s finished before I’ve been able to develop the idea fully, then I just keep at it till everything feels as complete as I can make it without overworking it.

MM:  How do you deal with it when what you are trying to do isn’t coming out the way you want it to?

KP: There’s a lot of head banging and I have the bumps to prove it. No, just kidding. As I mentioned, I try to keep it open. I fully embrace the motto, “There is no such thing as a mistake. There are only possibilities.” Sometimes I need to walk away or turn it away for a few hours. Mostly though, if something isn’t working, I’ll work on a different part of the painting and that will help the part that I was working so hard to develop. Letting go can be hard but the moment I see I’m holding on too tight I do just that because experience has taught me that trying to get it “right” is not the answer. Also, I’m willing to fail, because failure leads to learning. At every moment I have to be able to say, “I’m just going to try this.” Making something too precious kills any chance I have to discovering new things.

MM:  You have lived in a lot of interesting places.  How have they each inspired your work?

A sense of place is very important to me. Home is where the heart is, as they say and my heart is in my community. Wherever I’ve lived, France, The Netherlands, New York City, I’ve always looked to develop that. In France, I was in living in the countryside so that played a role in the imagery I developed. In the Netherlands I was surrounded by the painting of the great Flemish masters, so that had a big influence on the subjects I was exploring. NYC has given me a connection to the urban aesthetic, though now that I’m in the Bronx, I’m surrounded by beautiful parks and not just high-rise apartments. The feeling of the space and the things that I witness everyday become part of my painting, directly or indirectly.

MM:  You are teaching others now.  What are the best moments for you?  The most frustrating or challenging?

KP: Actually, I’m not teaching right now, although I did have the wonderful opportunity last year to be the Teaching Assistant to Patrick Connors at the New York Academy of Art, a teacher whose skill as an artist and knowledge in education I greatly admire. The class was Portrait Painting. Being in charge of his uninstructed sessions reminded me how much I love to teach. That moment the light turns on and someone has grasped a concept is so great. Then, you get to see where they take what you’ve taught them and that is even more special because everyone has their own way of expressing the same idea. I don’t feel frustration unless someone just doesn’t put any effort in at all and that’s rare because who doesn’t want to be they best that they can be? I think what is challenging is figuring out how someone learns, because we don’t all learn the same way. I may say something to you that makes total sense but someone else might struggle to understand it. That’s a positive thing for me because it means we aren’t all the same. We all see the world in our own unique way and I love trying to figure out how someone else thinks.

MM: Conversely, in your own studies – what have been the best moments?  The most challenging?

KP: I’ll start with the most challenging. That would be going to the New York Academy of Art. Working to find my own voice amongst such talented colleagues while being sleep deprived and trying to learn as much as possible in a short time was intense, to say the least. It was also the best moment because it forced me to take a stand on what I believe in. You can study forever and develop your technique but until you try to use those skills to say something that matters to you, you will just be incredibly skilled. Skill is nothing to scoff at. I am constantly trying to improve my skills, but it helps that I have a vision and goal that I am working towards. Being an artist means that I am constantly learning and that is something I love about it. It is infinite.

MM: If you could give one word of advice to others as to how to tap into their own artistic creativity what would it be?

Play.

MM:  Who are some of your own favorite artists (historical and contemporary)?

Top of the list would be Andrew Wyeth. His Helga paintings brought me to tears and made me want to paint. Rembrandt, for sure. I especially love his later paintings, you have a sense that he is so familiar with his material that he can do whatever he wants, so visceral. Tim Okamura’s and Jonas Burgert’s paintings really turn me on. John Singer Sargent’s painting is pretty sexy too.

MM:  Do you ever look back at something and say WHAT was I thinking?

Haha! I don’t usually do that because I know at each moment I was trying to figure something out. That doesn’t mean I haven’t made some awful things. Some of those I keep just to remember what I was trying to learn. I try not to be too critical because doing that creates a block in the process.

MM:  What’s a typical workday like for you?

KP: I have the freshest ideas when just I wake up. I’m lucky enough that my studio is in my home, so as soon as I get up, I’m in there, looking at what I did the night before. I always try and leave something for the next day that I need to develop or “fix,” that way I can jump right into it. I grab breakfast and make a plan of what I want to get done that day. I work for a few hours painting or preparing surfaces to paint and take a break for lunch then I’m at it again. It sounds a bit mundane, but making art is a job. I don’t just work when the muse inspires me. I have to put the time in or it doesn’t get done. I take breaks to do admin or research and that gets me thinking about other things so I have fresh eyes for my work. If I’m particularly into something, I only stop when I absolutely need to sleep, or the cat insists that I have worked hard enough and it is time for a long scratch.

MM:  Now – what is your favorite…

        Color(s)? Peacock Blue

        Foods? Raisins

        Vacation spot? Paris, France

        Music? Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”

        Movies? “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”

        Books? “The Glass Bead Game” by Herman Hesse

        Drinks? Champagne, of course!

        Scents? Lavendar

        Down-time hobbies? Reading, knitting, yoga.

        Museum? Musee D’Orsay

MM:  What is the accomplishment of which you are most proud?

KP: I think that would be the current body of work I am finishing. It has taken me so many places and I have learned so much from it. A selection of them is in FreshPaintMagazine’s London Issue this month!  

MM:  What’s next for you?

KP: Several things are going on at this moment. While I’m finishing up my latest painting, I am also beginning a career as an art writer. I have written for the BrooklynRail and QuantumArtReview so far. I’m also planning an exciting new series of paintings that I’ll be starting in the New Year. I’ll keep you posted!