thinking about tomorrow

It all began with one quilt "ocean sunrise" and a decision I had made a few months ago to use it for an ad I was running. After all it was a cheerful calm quilt that made a statement and that would fit in so many locations. Indeed, even before the ad ran I had sold that quilt. OK--I could make other variations on the theme. Why not?

ocean sunrise--37 x 47 inches--ann brauer 2019

Then of course my life and the lives of everyone else got turned upside down by the pandemic. I was depressed and feeling lost for the first week or so. Should I make masks--there was a definite need for them but my sewing machine was not right for that project.) Should I make political quilts about the virus and deal with my fears that way?  Then as luck would have it, the promoters of the craft show where I had run the initial ad decided to use the internet to support their artists. (Thanks Paradise City.)

And soon I got a phone call from a wonderful woman who needed a bit of cheer. After some discussion I agreed to make her a smaller version of "ocean sunrise." What a relief it was to have a purpose. I called this quilt "thinking about tomorrow" to relay the optimism that we can indeed make it through this. At least that is my hope.

thinking about tomorrow--32x48 inches--ann brauer 2020

The ad also resulted in a customer needing "that evening in July." I was on a roll. A series was being born.

that evening in July--quilt--Ann Brauer--40 x 40 inches

Next was another custom order "one morning in June" to hang in a specific place among other lovely works of art. Don't you love the colors?

one morning in June--Ann Brauer 2020--quilt--30 x 40 inches

Oh so many designs danced through my head. All I could do was snag one from that nether space and start sewing. Most of them I made smaller so I could finish them more quickly. The object was to tell a story then move on to the next one. After all I had a purpose.

There was "the clouds will lift" about that break in the storm where there is just the hint of sun to give you that feeling of hope.

the clouds will left--24 x 40 inches--ann brauer 2020

"Anticipation" was a dance of light in the sky just before the sun--or is it the moon--rose. What fun I had playing with these shapes.

anticipation--ann brauer 2020--24 x 40 inches

"The promise of tomorrow" is just a happy quilt. Don't we all need to be happy sometimes.

the promise of tomorrow--24 x 40 inches--annbrauer 2020

And "summertime" is my most recently finished quilt. The one that tries to capture the warmth and comfort of the sky on that perfect day in summer.

summertime--30 x 40 inches--Ann Brauer 2020

A series was born. Indeed I know there is more to come as I am piecing the next quilt in the series which I think will be called "the edge of autumn"--but you will have to wait to see that one. What fun to see these quilts all together--too bad they take so long. And beyond that--there are so many more quilts I want to make so stay tuned. I usually post them on my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop and frequently add them to my Instagram posts. And now my studio is open--or should I say OPEN--if you happen to be in Shelburne Falls.

the power of making

Outside the October sky hangs glum and grey against the colors just starting to change. Inside the news goes on endlessly as those in suits and ties talk "sincerely" of pain and then use disinformation in their quest for power.  Tempers mount. A friend is almost in tears. We all know the feeling of resignation that the want us to have.

Shelburne Falls--October 2018--Ann Brauer

Of course I turn to my beloved fabrics and sewing machine in my search for solace and purpose. After the last show there is so much I need to do. Orders to fill. I am sold out of phone cases. Yikes. I know I need more eye glass cases and place mats. A few table runners in popular colors. Of course more potholders. Time to get busy. High class worries. I have three more craft shows and one sale ahead of me, after all. So much to do. So little time.

But though I turn to classical music or silence, the clouds still hang. I like working with colors and fabrics and feel so fortunate that I can do so, but I know I need more. Then I remember--did I ever forget--that in making wall art--getting lost in that world--I can regain my sense of purpose and energy. Don't we all need art now more than ever? Maybe I can capture the colors of the trees in autumn. So I start sewing.

As usual, the questions--what comes next? Shall I take the obvious way? What about the bottom? Will green tie it together? Such questions. And yet, there is an answer and the drive to add the fabric, one piece at a time. This is why I make quilts. And why I must make another and another.

color of autumn--quilt--Ann Brauer 2018

And you--what is the power of art in your life? How do you cope with the external world and maintain your own sense of self?  Do your quilts ever just fall into place?  

thinking big

Sometimes a new year forces me to take stock and reconsider the quilts I am making. Now of course I love the intricate piecing with the suns and moons, the mountains and sky. The soothing landscapes with complex colors and patterned fabrics that tell countless stories. Oh I do enjoy all the possibilities that these present.

Quilts--Ann Brauer--2017

And yet I wanted more. I missed the scale of my large quilts. The ones that would take over a space and make a statement of strength and power. How big could I go? I was glad to take a break from large quilts--they take over the studio and most importantly my mental energy--but there is a power there that I wanted to rediscover if I dared.

Well, there was only one way to find out. Start. So one morning at the beginning of January--or maybe it was the end of December--the days do become a blur--I did a couple of experiments. After all a new quilt would have to include all the knowledge and skill I have gained with the smaller curved pieces.  Then without too much thought I made the first sample blocks and pinned them to the design board.

View from my window--work in progress--Ann Brauer--2018

That didn't seem like a lot although maybe it gives you an idea of the scale and size. One of the samples is on the bottom left.

View from my window--work in progress--Ann Brauer 2018

I had to keep moving forward. This took forever. Or should I say forever! But I knew that I wanted the color progression on the bottom to highlight the over all design. Keeping track of designs that will come is one of the hardest parts about going big--especially when it will be weeks before I see the whole. I need to keep faith in my work and my vision even though others told me to make more potholders and placemats for the Baltimore Show.

View from my window--work in progress--Ann Brauer--2018

Still it gradually progressed. Of course I had to test my methods to make sure that my idea would work. Was I really crazy. What would the finished quilt look like? Those are my first tests of joining the blocks on the bottom left.

View from my window--work in progress--Ann Brauer 2018

Slowly I join the rows. Yes, I am making this quilt one block at a time. After piecing I quilt the blocks individually and join them together. I know there will be so much hand sewing so I try to break it up a bit.

View from my window--work in progress--Ann Brauer 2018

And also test colors for the bottom of the quilt. I have an idea. But will it work. Again I pin fabric to the design board to contemplate as I sew. It is hard to see the progress isn't it? Days of work and I have added one row. What was I thinking?

View from my window--work in progress--Ann Brauer 2018

Slowly though the quilt grows. As you can tell it is taking over the design board. If you note, I did finish the top row and joined it together since I know that when I finally sew the long rows together the quilt will be BIG and hard to maneuver.

Then comes the time of silence. The quilt is simply too big for the design board. Pins will not hold it up and so I have to rely on memory and faith. This part is so hard. After the weeks of work and struggle I just have to trust that my concept for the art is good. The colors will work. The blocks will add to the quilt and the statement. Day after day I go into the studio and do the hand sewing until I have to find a different task. Now is the time for potholders and placemats. Something simple I can finish when I can't face another long seam. (Did I forget to mention that I hand finish all the bindings. Well of course I hope you realize.)

Then finally. I can't wait any longer. Sure I have some threads to clean. Perfection is there but it can wait. I haven't named it yet although I know it's name. I simply must hang it up and learn from it. I need to absorb this quilt and wish I had time to make another one. Later as they say. 'Tomorrow is another day."

View from my window--95x95"--Ann Brauer--2018

And yes, each block is quilted individually. I didn't want the quilting to lessen the impact of the black outlines. This is  among other things a quilt about quilting.

view from my window--detail--Ann Brauer 2018

And for those of you who have made it to the end and are wondering, the name of the quilt is "view from my window." It is about 95x95". I can't wait until I have my wonderful photographer take even better images of it. But in the meanwhile, please let me know what you think. Thanks.

I get inspired

Sometimes I get inspired. Finally this summer I had time to create a new series of quilts. What a wonderful feeling that is of freedom and adventure. Concentration and excitement. Where will the new work go? How will others see it?

Where did this vision come from? I must say I don't know. For me that is the fun of it. Clearly it is part of my line of landscape quilts that evolved from my new studio. And yet there is a feeling of light and joy in them that draws me forward.

As I get ready for the last day at the Paradise City Arts Festival in Marlboro, MA and then do final preparations for the One of a Kind Show in Chicago I have decided to begin a series of posts that highlight some of the new quilts.

And what a way to begin with mountain sunrise. Sure I have made quilts that capture the glory of the rising sun. One of the best parts about the darker days of winter is that I get to witness it more frequently. This time though I am also influenced by the gentle power of the mountains containing and defining the light. At least that is how I see it. What do you think? What inspires you?

mountain sunrise--40x40"--copyright Ann Brauer 2017--image by John Polak

Paradise Perks

I'm offering 20% off select Old Favorites at the Paradise City Arts Festival in Marlborough, MA next week-end with this coupon--I'm Booth 135.

You can download my coupon here and check out the others also. I wonder what other quilts I will add to this selection. I must go through my studio and see what I find. They will be work that I love but am not currently making and so I don't tend to bring them to shows and it becomes a Catch 22. Why not? (Of course this offer does not apply to orders or recent quilts but I will try to have a good selection.)https://festivals.paradisecityarts.com/spring-marlborough-perks

winter light--about 96x96 inches--Ann Brauer

pink butterflies--24x48 inches--Ann Brauer

3 landscapes--36x36 inches--Ann Brauer

skyscraper--8x64 inches--Ann Brauer--select colors available

field table runners--12x40 inches--Ann Brauer (this design only)

river of summer--38x38 inches--Ann Brauer

hidden lake--40x40 inches--Ann Brauer

Finally.....

Yes, it is Thanksgiving Day. I do have a turkey to cook and a pie to make. But still I finally get a chance to update my blog with a few "new" images. Well, actually these were take by my wonderful photographer John Polak last March. Well, except for "desert days" which I snapped myself. Can you tell I have been going non-stop since then?

Still I have one more show--the One of a Kind Show in Chicago December 1-4 at the Merchandise Mart. This should be an adventure. So I decided to add images to my blog post (and even send a note off to my photographer to make an appointment after I return.) Don't we all need color and art in our lives right now?

First here is "two suns." I am not sure of the story of this quilt but I do love the colors and the exuberance.

two suns--quilt--ann brauer--2016

Then there is "prairie sun." Can you tell that I grew up on a farm in the Midwest and love the power of the sun against the horizon?

prairie sun--quilt--ann brauer--2016

"Ocean sunrise" has the reflections of the sun on the water. What do you think?

ocean sunrise--quilt--ann brauer--2016

Then there is "abstractions on the night". I am not sure of the story here either--sometimes I like quilts that express something that I can only ponder and imagine. Maybe you know what I was trying to say?

abstractions on the night--40x40 inches--quilt--Ann Brauer--2016

Finally there is my quilt "desert days". This is the start of a new direction for me where I create complex but simple quilts that read as landscapes. This quilt is already sold although I am working on a new one for the OOAK Show.

desert days--quilt--37x47 inches--Ann Brauer--2016--SOLD

So what do you think? An interesting progression from where I was at the beginning of the year to my more recent landscapes. Hmmm. If you are in the Chicago area, I hope you will consider coming to the OOAK Show. It should be fun.

For more information on that show, please visit their web site: http://oneofakindshowchicago.com/

I am Booth 5121 toward the back.

Then in February I will be doing the Baltimore Craft Show at the Convention Center. March sees me at the Paradise Arts Festival in Marlboro, MA. And of course you can also visit me at my studio in Shelburne Falls, MA or check out my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/annbrauer

the quilts of Ann Brauer--November edition

Dear all,

All I can say is wow. We are having the most glorious autumn I can remember. After a couple of killing frosts and even a report of S*** in October, the weather has turned beautifully mild and sunny. Every day I try to do finish a few more chores in the garden before heading to my studio to finish orders and create a few more items for my studio. Of course, even there I spend a lot of time gazing at the colors on Mount Massamet and the reflections on the Deerfield River knowing that soon it will indeed change.

Meanwhile there is so much going on. I am getting ready for the Paradise City Arts Festival November 20-22 at the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough, MA. I can't say enough good things about this show--there is so much fun work from stocking stuffers to major wall art and sculpture here--as well as live music, good food and even plenty of free parking. To find out more about this show and to get $2 off your admission ticket please check out their web site: www.paradisecityarts.com The wonderful show promoters have been using an image of my quilt "red sun" for some of their promotions.

red sun--quilt--40x40 inches--Ann Brauer

Then the next Friday--which conveniently is the day after Thanksgiving--Moonlight Magic returns to Shelburne Falls. What a great family event this is--there are candelaria on the sidewalks, cookies baked by the Women's Club at the Information Center, the stores are open late and there is even a parade with Santa through the center of the village. I do hope at least some of you will drop by and say hi. I plan to be celebrating the publication of my new quilts in the Winter Edition of Art Quilting Magazine due out on December 1, 2015. I can't wait to see the article and all the images of my work in this publication.

You can also see one of my quilts in the exhibit  at the Fuller Museum of Craft in Brockton, MA. Finally I will be doing the Holiday Morristown Show in Morristown, NJ in December. Let me know if you would like to receive a postcard for one free admission to this show.

Whew. That was a lot of news, wasn't it?

Of course you can always find many of my quilts and accessories on my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/annbrauer or feel free to contact me directly.

May your autumn be filled with plenty of sunshine and warmth with just the hint of the colder days and longer nights to follow.

Thanks so much for reading.

it is what it is..

Ah Baltimore. The grand behometh of shows. The show where dreams come and go. The place of so much hope and anticipation for here is the possibility of magic. Some shows have been for me amazing. The year the couple could not decide which quilt to purchase and bought both. That was sweet. The year I couldn't wrap orders fast enough--I thought I might sell out. That was sweet. The year I received one of their awards--they only give out a few each year. Oh, that was indeed sweet.

Of course I forget the year of the blizzard. The city was almost shut down. An interesting adventure. Or the year I was tucked off in never never land. A break even year. The year of the first Gulf War. Sure people came and numbly walked the aisles. Not a year to remember though--the customers just wanted to forget the War.

As I get ready every winter, I try not to remember the more painful years. After all, this is my chance to get inspired. To make a statement. To see how my work measures up to the best of the best (and all the rest.) Don't you just love that rhyme?

I envision my booth. Plan it in my mind's eye again and again. What pieces do I need to make a statement--as strong as the other booths around me. I dream of the public being amazed by my work--why shouldn't they be? But even if they are not, I know this is just the start of the year. There is so much to learn--so much tweaking to do. So many questions to ask. This is not about me but about them. I am asking them to spend their money. To live with my work in their home. It is a privilege to respond to their questions. To listen. I am humble by the experience.

I love how light and airy my booth looks. The new flame series seeming to stretch toward the sky. I love the colors. The dance of the the flames. Doesn't it look good?

Baltimore booth--Ann Brauer

Well perhaps not as good as it looks in the studio. The studio is gorgeous and complete. The walls are real and clean. I do not need to have all the soft walls and light stands. I don't need to push everything together. There is a place at the studio and everything is in its space. That was the first warning.

The second was the little mumblings I heard in the distance. The ones where people whispered--this is work that is in transition--as though this was a bad thing. Maybe it was. Now I did want to show even more flames but there were just too many snow storms. Too many distractions. That I will give myself a pass on--I tried. I aim to stretch my work every year. That I think is a plus. I don't want my work to be static. I will give myself a pass there also. Although I could have presented the whole better. I push my work and sometimes it takes a while for me to find the whole amid the possible. Yes, I could have done better in retrospect--why do I always have more to learn? Sigh.

The third was not me. A snow storm. On Saturday. Normally the best day of the show. And Sunday was just Sunday. Those who had to see everything. I give myself a pass here--the weather is out of my control.

Still there was something to learn. Something I can do better for my next show. Paradise City Marlborough in March. My customers told me repeatedly that they wanted quilts that were five feet long instead of 80 inches. Eighty inches is too long for all but the largest tables. While I love the larger hangings, most walls are only 8 feet tall and so there is not enough room to hang a quilt that is 80 inches long.

That is a good idea.  So I start my first wall hanging. Grey just like the one that I sold but not quite as long. This one will have gentler colors just because.  I can make a couple for Paradise.

Flame wall hanging--Ann Brauer

I start with the colors and outline. Add more colors. I want it to work either as a table runner or a wall hanging. Practice is always fun.

Grey flame--Ann Brauer

And keep adding, one row at a time, the colors slightly different from the one I sold but such a good color. I need to make a couple more so I can make them in the colors people want. Enough so I can make custom orders in the color people need for their home. Yes, I wanted to make more anyway.

As for the booth--yes, I want to improve the booth but first I want to make more wall hangings. See what will happen. After all the best way to not have my work look transitional is to make more pieces so customers can feel reassured I can make a quilt just for them.

And you, do you find you learn something new every time you do a show or finish a new piece of art? What are your lessons? How do you make new work but still stay consistent with the market?

the quilts of Ann Brauer--it's sNOwing again

Dear all,

Yikes. It is almost time for the Baltimore Fine Craft Show. February 20-22 at the Baltimore Convention Center. I am Booth 1207.

I have been working so hard getting ready. I got inspired to make a new series. Are they flames? Spires of hope? Rivers. I am not sure. I just know that I love them. This is a snapshot of the largest of the quilts. Don't you love how the colors just dance together? The quilt itself is about nine feet long.

quilt--Ann Brauer

Then there is this more controlled quilt--I am not sure if that is the right word--rhubarb fire.

rhubarb fire--40x40"--quilt--Ann Brauer

And the long blue flame. Not the best of my images but it is 80 inches long and can also be hung vertically. Wouldn't it look great over a bed?

quilt--Ann Brauer--13x80"

Well, there are several more quilts in this series. I am taking them all down to my photographer this Tuesday--weather permitting--and will have them at my Booth in Baltimore. Speaking of Baltimore, if you go to their web site you can pre-purchase tickets at a slight savings.  Friday evening between 5 and 8 tickets are only $5 for those who want to just a hint of the show. And while you are there, do check out the Made Room installations. My quilt --river of green--will be prominently displayed there. For those who want a blast from the past, the CERF+ Booth will have some images of my destroyed studio. They were so helpful after Tropical Storm Irene. For more information on the Baltimore Show:
http://shows.craftcouncil.org/baltimore

river of green--38x38"--quilt--Ann Brauer

Meanwhile, if you can't make it to the show, I have been posting more quilts and other items on my Etsy site. http://www.etsy.com/shop/annbrauer  In March I will be at the Paradise City Arts Festival in Marlborough, Massachusetts March 20-22. Do check their web site for discount tickets and more information. http://www.paradisecityarts.com

Well, enough for now. I hope you all manage to stay dry and safe. I will put the images of my new quilts on my web site as soon as I get them back.

Thanks.

The end and the means

OK world--did you hear me? I thought I explicitly promised myself that I would NOT do technical work again. No more traditional patterns. After all I make art quilts, right? And I am tired of sewing straight lines. Or rather since I have been sewing a lot of straight lines recently I am tired of following patterns where the work has to be exact.

Been there. Done that. Isn't it more fun to choose each fabric as I sew. Get into that groove. Isn't that what it is all about?

But what happens when I see in my mind's eye something new I just have to make? I try it--of course. And I like it. There is something with the regularity and the precision that I just have to go for even if it is the log cabin pattern and even if I do all the work free hand so it really is not that precise.

I mean look at that pattern. Simple. But such dimension. There is a space there. A story in its regularity.

black white and red runner--12x40 inches--Ann Brauer

Or here--such a feeling light and depth. The window promises something. Isn't that all I can ask for?

plum runner--12x40 inches--Ann Brauer

Or here.

visions of light--38x38 inches--Ann Brauer

I play some more on the design board. Pin it up. It doesn't have to be perfect. I just want to see it.

design board--Ann Brauer

Do I really want to go there? Isn't it going to drive me crazy? But wouldn't it be perfect as a table runner in a modern home? What about a headboard over the bed?

No time like the present. After all if you are super busy--why waste time wondering if you are going to make the quilt. Just do it.

I cut the fabric for the yellow centers. I think I prefer the brighter yellow. More like sunshine isn't it?

I plan the colors of the outside. The colors of autumn.

And start to sew.

Will it work? Is this a waste of time? Will it drive me crazy?  I haven't made enough to know for sure.

Making two does take almost twice as long. Like duh?

But I keep going. And going and going. Now at least it takes some of the form I want.

Finally I can play.  Interesting but too expected. This was not what I intended in the first place but I wanted to see it.

OK--more like it.

And now to sew on the binding, A quilt maker's work is never done, is it?

Not bad though. I think I can get it done before Paradise City this week-end. Was it worth it? Can I make more? Is it more or less technical than the flowing river runner next to it? But that is another story. Argh!!! For another day and another blog. Meanwhile I hope I will see some of you at Paradise City at the Tri-County Fairgrounds in Northampton October 11-13. For more info www.paradisecityarts.com or maybe the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show November 6-9 at the Philadelphia Convention Center. www.pmacraftshow.org