the shows of Ann Brauer

Ah--home at last. How green it is. The pear trees are blooming--the peach blossoms are pink--ready to open. The forsythia are still bright yellow.  I  have a row of peas up. Though right now I must confess that the best crop is the weeds--why do they always grow so well?

But alas I leave again for another show this week-end. Now normally I wouldn't do a show immediately after the Smithsonian (which was fabulous by the way)--but I love doing the Paradise City Arts Festival shows. Have you ever been to one?  Not only are there wonderful crafts but they also have "fine art"-- paintings, sculpture, photographs. (Don't get me into the discussion between fine art and craft at this hour in the morning--please.) In the middle of the show is an exhibition gallery--this time the show is about Love. My booth is right across from it so you can see my new quilt from a distance.

For me though the best part of the show is that there's work that I can easily afford. I always treat myself to some little wonderful memento--maybe another mug this time? Or a gift for my sister? If you're in the Philly area do check it out-http://www.paradisecityarts.com--it's at the Convention Center Hall D April 30-May 2. Maybe I'll hang this piece in my booth, what do you think?

Meanwhile I'll have several of my quilts in "A Sense of Place: The Fiber Art of Ann Brauer and Karen Henderson" at the Blue Stone Gallery in Milford, PA through June 6. I don't know if you've ever seen Karen's work--thoughtful woven, manipulated landscapes in hauntingly dreamy colors. The town of Milford itself is quite lovely set in the Delaware River Water Gap--really interesting architecture amid rolling green hills. http://www.bluestonegallerymilford.com.

Then home--so many orders to fill. All those people who saw the Chronicle piece on Shelburne Falls coming into town. http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/23154823/index.html

I can't wait to finally plant my garden--getting up each morning, weeding, finding new things growing. The birds singing. My cats chasing moths and little ants. But more of that later. After all it is supposed to be cold and rainy for the next couple of days.

I do hope to see some of you there. What is your spring like? Do you ever over-schedule for good reasons?

upcoming shows of Ann Brauer

Wow--all of a sudden it's spring. Daffodils, forsythia, the chorus of peepers. This year it happened so quickly--one day there was snow on the ground and brown--the next day the grass was green and I was planting my peas.

I've been so busy I barely have time to observe the changes except in the small wonderful ways--the door to my studio is now open, I can hear the rush of the river. On the way to the post office I can walk across the Bridge of Flowers in beautiful Shelburne Falls.

Later this month I am honored to be doing the Smithsonian Craft Show at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC April 22-25. This is one of the premier shows in the country--over 1300 applicants for 125 spaces. Needless to say I was surprised and excited to get in and have been working non-stop to get ready. If you are in the area, check it out. http://www.smithsoniancraftshow.org

Then I will be in a lovely two woman show--A Sense of Place--at the Blue Stone Gallery in Milford, PA April 30-June 6. I am looking forward to seeing the work of Karen Henderson who has some wonderful subtle takes on landscapes. Check it out http://www.bluestonegallerymilford.com

For those in the Boston area,  watch for this quilt on Channel 5's Chronicle--they came out to western Massachusetts to film Josh Simpson and other artists in Shelburne Falls. They even stopped by my studio. This was a favorite piece--see if it is included. I'm not sure when it'll be aired yet--I'll try to let you know.

Then I have the Paradise City Arts Festival at the PA Convention Center in Philadelphia--but more on that later. http://www.paradisecityarts.com

prairie dawn

There has been an interesting discussion on the Studio Art Quilt Association forum about whether realistic or abstract pieces sell better. I am not sure there is a standard answer to this one although usually I find that my simple color studies do better than my more realistic pieces. For instance my quilt red barn, blue silos is loved and admired--although I still own it. Maybe there is too much detail or I just need to find someone who knows what a Harvester silo is.

On the other hand, prairie dawn just got a new home because of its title. In this quilt I was trying to capture how large the sky was on the farm I grew up on. Interestingly, its new owner bought the quilt precisely because of the title--she grew up in North Dakota. Now I want to make a whole series of quilts capturing the hugeness of the sky and the feeling of freedom it implies. Tomorrow I will get more blue fabric--wonderful navy, rich purples, and all the teal I can find.

 Luckily I will be having a show at the Blue Stone Gallery in Milford, PA with Karen Henderson this May entitled "A Sense of Place" so I can continue exploring this concept.  Check it out at http://www.bluestonegallerymilford.com. I will write more later.