West Hartford Art League Honors Two Ways of Looking at Seaside Goldenrod

Two Ways of Looking at Seaside Goldenrod

Today I learned that Two Ways of Looking at Seaside Goldenrod, my fiber collage, received second place in the West Hartford Art League's Members' Juried Exhibit.

It consists of two images: on the right, a photo, printed on fabric, of a clump of seaside goldenrod overlooking Cape Cod Bay; and on the left, an interpretation of that same scene, this time rendered in felted wool.  The felted wool image is the first and only thing I've ever made with that process--I took a class in July 2011 through West Hartford Continuing Education.  The felted image and the photo are mounted side by side on a double background:  first, a piece of painted quilt batting, which in turn is mounted on a pieced backdrop that suggests sand, sea, and sky.

Here's the photo of the view that formed the inspiration

Here I am loving the view

Here I am at the awards reception

Actually, two of my pieces were accepted into this show.  Here I am with the other piece, Windy Ravine.

Here I am receiving my award for Seaside Goldenrod--a $100 gift certificate to Jerry's Artarama--from West Hartford Art League Executive Director Roxanne Stachelek

This recognition was all the sweeter to me because just a few days ago, a different juried competition, elsewhere in Connecticut, rejected two of my fiber collages.  Adding insult to injury, the terms of that juried competition required me to drive one hour to deliver my pieces for consideration in the show, and then, after they were rejected, drive another hour to pick them up.

I called that drive the Parade of Shame, and today's award erased that sting.

Many thanks to juror Debra Goertz for choosing my work for acceptance into the show and for honoring it with an award.  Also many thanks to West Hartford Continuing Education teacher Elena Gibson for her July 2011 class in wet felting.