memories of mist

I start a quilt thinking of the softness of the mist as it rises from the ocean. The calmness of the sky anchored by the firm shore. Don't you love the ripples in the prints of some of the fabric that add to the story of the quilt.

 A friend then sends me a quote from Albert Camus.

"The sky was green. I felt happy."

memories of mist--40 x 40 inches--quilt--Ann Brauer 2020

Doesn't the quilting add to the texture of these colors and fabric? The little starfish in the prints makes me smile.

detail--memories of mist--quilt--Ann Brauer

 And another view.

detail--memories of mist--quilt--Ann Brauer

Doesn't this add yet another layer of meaning to the quilt? I must contemplate it more as I prepare for the Baltimore Craft Show in February. How quickly it is coming. I am Booth F-6 to the left along the wall as you enter from Pratt Street.https://craftcouncil.org/shows/acc/american-craft-show-baltimore

To see more of my quilts you can also check out my website www.annbrauer.com or my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/annbrauer

memories of summer

Sometimes the title says it all. Think of that perfect day in summer--blue sky, the grass is green, the possibilities of the day are unlimited and yet there is no need to test the limits. I call this quilt "memories of summer". What do you think?

memories of summer--32 x 48"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2019

which way is up?

Some quilts are so versatile. They can be hung sideways, upside down, right side up. Always a different look. What fun. Which do you prefer? Don't you love all the different colors that create the greys?

grey flame--12 x 40"--Ann Brauer 2019

grey flame--12 x 40"--Ann Brauer 2019

grey flame--12 x 40"--Ann Brauer 2019

autumn solstice

It may be hazy, hot and humid this week but soon indeed "autumn solstice" will come.

autumn solstice--30 x 60"--ann brauer 2018--photo by John Polak

autumn solstice--detail--ann brauer 2018

daybreak

What a fitting name although a bit bittersweet to show a quilt that has a new home. In this case, I am honored that my quilt "daybreak" was chosen for a space where it may comfort many. On the other hand, I will miss it. They have promised to send me an image once it is hung and I promise to share it with you. But that is for later. For now, it is thanks for the memories and the inspiration.

daybreak--16 x 40"--ann brauer 2018

mountain sun

Ta da. The quilt is done and sold. It was one of those orders I had been fretting about over the winter. At 30 inches wide by 70 inches long it was a strange shape meant to go in the staircase. You know that long blank wall that you see as you walk down the stairs.

I wanted it to tell a simple story with the sun rising at the bottom. A color study that was also of a time and place. One of the challenges was to use the measurements to add to the story. Shouldn't the sky be dominant? Rising far above the mountains. And yet it shouldn't be just a color--with that size I wanted there to be a continuing interest and development. Again there needed to be a complexity to the colors.

Of course the only way to get the quilt done was to begin. I always tell myself to start with what I know and trust that the quilt will develop as I grow into it. But what a bulk of fabric this was to work with. Still I knew the sun and started.

mountain sun--detail--2018

What colors should I put in. After all, these would determine the colors throughout the quilt. How quickly should I have the colors progress through the palest tans and greys into colors with more substance and texture. How hard it was to be patient.

Still I kept sewing. The only way to get the quilt done was to move forward and trust that it would come together.

mountain sun--detail--ann brauer

Was the quilt getting too busy? As I worked I knew I wanted it to have those splashes of color and light. But still it was important to maintain the calming feeling that I knew the customer wanted. Still all I could do is keep moving forward. Notice how I added a bit of the horizon to give me some guidance as I kept piecing.

Finally though it was done. Don't you love the complexities of the colors?

mountain sun--30x70"--quilt--ann brauer 2018--image by John Polak

Don't the hints of blue sparkle against the tan while the colors move from light to dark and then back to light again seeming to echo the horizon and meadow. At least that is my thought.

And here is a detail. I love how the gently radiates its light against the grey of the mountains.

detail--Mountain Sun--quilt--Ann Brauer--photo by John Polak

I hung it in the studio so I could study it a bit.

mountain sun in studio--quilts--ann brauer 2018

And sure enough a couple dropped by to consider fiber art for their home. Maybe if I made another one in plum to coordinate....  Wouldn't that be lovely. Now that order has not come through yet but it does lead me to think. First though I do have a few other quilts I must complete. Isn't that how it works. One quilt inspires so many more. The only question is what to make next. I guess that's high class worries.

Count Down to Spring--Only 20 more days

Can you believe it--the Vernal Equinox is Tuesday March 20 at 12:15 pm Eastern Time. So soon. And yet so distant.  I want crocuses NOW. Not another Nor'Easter.  Oh well. Time for a spring cleaning.

I need to go through my studio and find the quilts have been here too long. Maybe part of a series from a few years ago. Not quite what I am making now. Maybe they were at a gallery. Or maybe they were a direction that I did not continue. Certainly when I do a craft show, I cannot take everything with me.  I only have a mini-van and a designated space. I need to present a concise statement of my current work so I don't overwhelm my customers. So some of these quilts hang around and become even more dated.

Anyhow, I decided this year that I will post one work a day at a reduced price until spring actually comes. Some will be larger quilts at reduced prices. Some will be smaller items that need a new home. When they are gone, they are gone. If they aren't gone by spring, I may relist at the regular price. I do like many of these quilts after all.

So here goes. The first quilt is aptly called "colors of spring." I love the colors and the simple lines of this piece. Wouldn't it look great against a white wall? Maybe in your kitchen or sunroom? It could even make a statement in your office or hallway? At 38x38" inches it will fit in so many locations. Hanging is simple as I have sewn strips of looped tape on the top and bottom.

colors of spring--38x38"--Ann Brauer 2014

Don't you love all the wonderful colors in these piece. Here is a bit of the detail of the work.

Detail--colors of spring--Ann Brauer 2014

And the wonderful blues in the quilt.

Detail--colors of spring--Ann Brauer 2014

Of course it is signed on the back. You can also see the looped tape for hanging. I will send you the matching hooked tape and strips of faux wood for hanging. It is simple.

Detail--colors of spring--Ann Brauer 2014

Anyhow, I have reduced the price from $625 to $375. If you want it, I listed the quilt on my Etsy shop here. https://www.etsy.com/listing/208562454 Or as they say, tomorrow is another day and I will have another listing as I wait for spring.

memories of the eclipse

It seems such a long time ago that my DH and a friend of his drove down to North Carolina to see the total eclipse in all its splendor. Not me. I had quilts to make. Sure I went outside and saw the light change color even through the hazy clouds. I even felt a very mystical breath of cool air at the height of the eclipse here in Massachusetts. And of course I looked at the wonderful images on the internet.

Luckily one of the quilts I was busy creating was this custom order of the eclipse for a person who was traveling to the St Louis area to experience totality. What fun I had imagining the sun gone dark with the memories of the warmth and light hidden by the moon. And of course the corona focusing our attention on its marvelous light against the dark sky with bits of stars peeking through.

Sure it is not an exact replica--that was not my purpose but just a broad simple statement of the event.

What do you think? Did you get to witness the event? Have you seen an eclipse?

memories of the eclipse--40x40"--copyright Ann Brauer 2017

the color of the thread

OK--this is not the largest decision I will make today. Not

the largest one I will make in the course of creating this quilt. But still--it matters. As everything about the quilt does create the effect of the whole. And if I get it wrong, I can guarantee you that I will not know about it in time to change it. So of course I spend time thinking about it and trying samples.

Let me step back for a moment. This time I am working on a quilt that portrays the eclipse. It is a custom order and the purchaser knew what he wanted. Indeed he told me the colors and the concept which luckily is a concept that I was eager to pursue. Dark red/black center--white corolla--surrounded by deep blue sky. What a great concept. So much power in this quilt.

eclipse of the sun--ann brauer 2017--quilt

Now coincidentally I am loosely studying some of the landscapes of Marsden Hartley. I am not sure I will make it to the see the retrospective at Colby College this summer but I am drawn to the simple power of his paintings and looking at reproductions of this work did influence this quilt.

But now the question at hand is what color should I use to quilt the work. Now the color of the thread adds just a bit to the piece. There is a slight tinge from this stitching. There is also the decision as to how much I want the quilting to stand out.

My technique to decide is simple. I hold up the possible thread colors and step away from the quilt. How do the different colors relate to the quilt? Based on my experience with other quilts, what will the effect be on this piece.

My first choices were either blue, yellow or red.

eclipse of the sun--quilt--Ann Brauer 2017

I have used yellow a lot on my quilts but I think this time it will stand out too much against the dark blues and reds. The blue would look great for the two outer colors but I worry about it against the red which I want to look dark like the whole in the sky the sun became when the moon passed over it.

OK--that may lead me to check out different reds.

eclipse of the sun--quilt--Ann Brauer 2017

Not bad--although I fear the dark red will become totally lost in the center and the brighter red may stand out too much against the blue. Mmmm. Something to ponder.

I look through my thread colors again--what am I missing. Suddenly it occurs to me--red and blue combine to form purple. How would that work. Certainly it would keep the two prominent colors balanced and would tie them together with lines that would show against the white.

eclipse of the sun--quilt--Ann Brauer

What an interesting concept. I'll think about it overnight and then decide. After all, I want to finish this quilt. My mind has been planning so many more quilts and I still have four craft shows to do.

What do you think? How do you choose what color to quilt with? And have you seen the Marsden Hartley exhibit?

the memory of red hills

Sometimes a quilt is more than a quilt. At least that is my latest thought. Those who have been in my studio recently--or those who follow me on Facebook or Instagram or Etsy--may have seen that I am starting to mount some of my quilts on stretcher boards. What a different look it gives. In the once sense the quilt takes on an added importance. Each stitch seems to become more significant. The quilt is also a given size.

Now I have occasionally mounted quilts before. I used to frame a few of them just to show people they could. Customers have also had quilts framed. They do look great.

On the other hand, I miss the immediacy of quilts as fiber art. Something that everyone can relate to.  For a long time I have resisted the preciousness of mounting quilts. Does it make them more than they are. I can feel a different reaction to the mounted pieces when customers view them in the studio. And I know that it will be harder to display them at a craft show. I can't just lay the extras out on my shelves to have customers go through them. I can't fit them so easily in my plastic boxes for transport. I haven't even thought about shipping yet.

It will be interesting to see what happens. Certainly I will bring a number of them to the Berkshire Craft Show August 11-13 at Monument Mountain High School in Great Barrington. What a wonderful place to test them out.

Is this a method I will continue? I don't know. But for now I can feel an energy and life in the new works that is pushing me forward. What do you think? Do you mount your work? Do you appreciate mounted quilts or would you rather they were just quilts.

the memory of red hills--12x36"--Ann Brauer 2017

the memory of red hills--12x36"--Ann Brauer 2017

more than a quilt--day 31

By now it should be clear that I love making quilts. I love looking at the many wonderful fabrics and playing with them to create wondrous new landscapes that the viewer can linger in. I love making lovely potholders and eyeglass cases, placemats and table runners that can be used and enjoyed every day. Even the smallest scrap of fabric can create an inspiration for me. That is me and how I think.

But recently I have also been experimenting with giving my quilts an even more formal presentation. An existence that takes them beyond the soft and friendly to a place of even more substance if that is a good way of phrasing it.

These are quilts but--and I hesitate to say this--are they also making a statement that quilts can be more than quilts. Or are all quilts something more but we don't always realize this?

I don't know. For me I am like a kid in a toy store with something new to play with. I'm not sure where this will lead. I am not even sure it matters but I am having fun. And isn't this part of what life is about? What do you think?

two mounted quilts--2017--ann brauer

how fickle I am--day 27

For those following loosely my posts on Instagram, I have been playing with wonderful soft muted colors the last week or so. How soothing there are in the misty days of late spring. How much each leads me on to the next one.

But yesterday I realized I needed to start working in brighter blues and reds. I sold a wonderful blue and red table runner the other day out of the studio. It is a color that I should have in stock. After all, I am both an artist and a business woman.

blue and red runner--ann brauer

My brighter large wall hangings have found homes.

And I do need to work on an order for a bright sun. So much to do.

it's a new day--quilt--ann brauer

Luckily when I began pulling out the fabrics, I fell in love again with the colors of the sky. So many complex blues that almost sing happiness.  Those wonderful bright reds and purples with just the hint of the sky. And those yellows. What fun this will be. Do you ever switch up? How to you change colors? My Instagram site is https://www.instagram.com/annbrauerquilts/ if you want to follow me there.

summer dawn--day 22

Overnight it seems the world has changed. The sun is bright and clear. A fresh dry air mass has moved in bringing the eagerness of the new day.

What more can I say? What more need I say?

summer dawn--40x40 inches--quilt--Ann Brauer--photo by John Polak

october sun--day 19

Finally I am half way through this project. I was chatting with a friend while getting my morning coffee recently and she noted how ambitious I was to post 36 quilts for 36 years. Yes, that is a lot of quilts. And a l-o-n-g time.

I do love this quilt though--it is a large version of my piece "october sun". At 96x96 inches it was meant for a bed or a large wall. Of course each block was different although also the same.  Needless to say the center of the quilt came together easily but the two outside rows seemed to take forever. When I made this quilt I did not have my large design board so I had to remember the colors to get the whole to work. That was a feat in itself but don't you love the subtle but defined change of color so that the whole seems to almost pulse with life. What do you think?

october sun--96x96 inches--Ann Brauer

finally June!!!--day 18

Finally the weather is warm. The sun is shining. What a perfect day to come to Shelburne Falls if you are in the area and enjoy all the activities celebrating the river.

july!!!--about 24x50"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2016

the frame job--day 16

Quilts are art.  At least quilts can be art. By now that is an uncontested statement. Still sometimes a quilt needs to be formally mounted for a specific look or location.

Years ago I would have a framer mount the quilts for me. It did help sales since customers could picture the quilt in a more formal setting but it was also expensive and time consuming. Then the framer I had used moved on to different things.

I read detailed descriptions and tried to do it myself from scratch.  After all, I was smart and should be able to figure this out by myself. But that took a long while to do and was frustrating. I could not recoup the time I had put into the quilts. Not a good business plan.

Finally though, as I have frequently found, if I keep toying with an idea in the back of my mind, I may come across a solution to the question. Doesn't persistence pay off? This time it was my friend Cindy Grisdela who wrote about her method for framing. I might be able to do this. Certainly I had to try. Check out her tutorial on her blog. https://cindygrisdela.com/mounting-art-quilts-on-canvas-tutorial/

It was scary after making the quilt to then cut it apart. Wouldn't the flow of the quilt be different? But this was an experiment. What was the worst that could happen?  I would destroy a lovely quilt in the process. And it was lovely, wasn't it?

prairie memories--wip--quilt--ann brauer 2017

Still I had to know if her ideas would work with my quilts?  I had already invested in the frames and other supplies. So I mumbled a few words of encouragement to myself and cut. Very different isn't it?

prairie memories--wip--quilt--ann brauer 2017

And I proceeded to frame the quilt. What do you think? And now I need to make another and another until it becomes not just Cindy's way of framing but also my way as I tweak the method to make it look great for my quilts. That is what is fun about it, isn't it? There is always something new to explore. Some new path to learn.

prairie memories--12x36"--quilt--ann brauer 2017

What do you think? Do you try something new? How do you make it your own?

high class worries--day 14

Sometimes I work with a customer and together it seems we push the design until it becomes more than I thought it might when I started. That happened with my triptych "notes on twilight". Don't you love the purple grasses with the gold circles dancing through it. Isn't the quilt free and graceful but also restful and calm? One of those pieces that I could study and always find something new?

This quilt does have a presence. It is large--the center piece is 40x40 inches and the two smaller ones are each 20x40 inches. I have it hanging on the back wall of my studio and love looking at it as I pass by.

But alas--as I told you--this was a custom order and the customer wants it. Of course this is what I wanted to happen but still I will miss it. Such a hole on my wall. I remind myself, paraphrasing Alice B Toklas, if I didn't need to replace the spot on my wall, I would not have room to hang another quilt. (Well actually she said if her uncle had not died, someone else might not have been born, but you get the idea.)

Or as a friend of mine would say, "That's high class worries."

notes on twilight--quilt--Ann Brauer 2017--photo by John Polak

detail--notes on twilight--Ann Brauer 2017--photo by John Polak

you never know what may happen--day 13

Many many years ago--just before I got my studio in Shelburne Falls--a group of some of my favorite artists decided to try a tour of our various studios in the West County area. What fun it was working with all these artists to plan the event and see their studios. What a lot of work it was. We sent out a mailing list, press releases, put up signs. 

At this time I was working in the basement of my DH's house so he even put a door in. I cleaned my space. Made some form of munchie and then I waited. Gradually cars showed up. Not a lot but enough. After all, the studios were scattered over many winding country roads and you had to be dedicated to make it to all the places.

Still I had a few sales and met some great people--both the other artists and the customers. A couple months later I bought my studio in Shelburne Falls and my studio was now open to the public most of the time.

Last year I was working in my studio--not the same studio but that is a story for another day--when a couple walked in. They had actually been to my studio in the country those years ago. Finally they had their house at the end of the world. Their business was established. And now it was time to begin decorating their house with local art. How honored I was that they chose my quilt "rainbows of autumn" to reflect the view from their home.

How much it confirmed my belief that you never know when that next casual conversation may be remembered for years until finally they have the perfect space for your work.

rainbows of autumn--quilt--ann brauer--photo by John Polak

rhubarb fire--day 11

Spring will come and spring will go. Each one different in its own right. This year two unseasonably warm days and then it snowed. What more can I say?  Last year was so dry I had to mulch as I planted and water as sparingly as possible.

I made this quilt "rhubarb fire" thinking of the spring that refused to come. Even the rhubarb would not raise its ruby and green stalks although I checked it every day after work. How hard it was to be patient.

rhubarb fire--40x42"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2015--photo by John Polak

Or hung the other direction for a different look.

rhubarb fire--40x42"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2015--photo by John Polak

always always rainbows--day 10

Last night first there was hail. Ugh. I feared for my peas and tender young flowers. I feared for my car and our solar panels. It was bigger than a quarter and made such a racket as it hit the windows. Soon the storm passed and it started to clear. I went outside and looked but no, there was no rainbow. Sigh.

Then sitting inside as the sun came out my DH called me. Yes, finally a rainbow. Beautiful and full across the evening sky. The perfect finish to the day.

This quilt was large. One of the starts of a new technique where I tried to simplify the work by creating color studies. Can you tell that I like the work of Morris Louis?

dreaming of rainbows--quilt--about 96x100 in--Ann Brauer--photo by John Polak

 

 

detail of dreaming of rainbows--quilt--Ann Brauer--photo by John Polak