stormy coast--an old friend returns for a visit

Sometimes I get the chance of revisiting an older quilt which I had almost forgotten about. In this case, the quilt had been safely tucked away in a closet at a gallery. I had barely remembered it was there when I went looking for something else.

What fun it was to see it again almost like reuniting with a friend you haven't seen for quite some time. So much in common although your lives have also changed. Don't you love all the different colors and fabrics. The sweep of the ocean and the curves of the coast. It was fun to see how I had worked three separate panels together to tell a story. And of course it was fun to remember some of the fabrics which I had used up years ago.

stormy coast--quilt--Ann Brauer--2015--37 by 39 inches--photo by John Polak

One of the aspects of this quilt I had forgotten was that the quilt could be rotated for a different effect. This one almost looks like grasses coming into the sky doesn't it.

stormy coast--Ann Brauer--quilt--2015

And this orientation could be a gentle rain. I am not sure. What do you think?

stormy coast--quilt--Ann Brauer--2015

Here are a couple of details for those who are curious.

detail--stormy coast--Ann Brauer 2015

detail--stormy coast--Ann Brauer 2015

Would I make the same quilt again? Of course not. Even if I tried for the same effect, my knowledge of how to manipulate fabric and the effect of different patterns has changed. Of course I also don't have the same fabrics. Need I say more. But I still like this quilt and put it on my Etsy shop so maybe it can find a new home. http://www.etsy.com/shop/annbrauer

What do you think? Do you ever get a chance to contemplate older pieces and see if they still hold up.

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.

one morning in march

Some quilts come together so easily. At least I have no memory of the struggles I am sure I had getting the fabrics just right. Sure I had to think about the different pinks and magentas. Were they too bright? Too warm? How did they work against all the wonderful greys?

I knew I wanted to capture that time before the leaves bud out but when there is just the hint of spring. The days are getting longer. The sky is a bit warmer. The ground is beginning to reappear after its winter sleep. Spring will come. What fun I had playing with the colors and getting the overall statement. What do you think?

one day in march--40 x 40 inches--quilt by Ann Brauer 2019

And here are a couple of details of the quilt showing the hints of pink and yellow sky.

detail--one day in march--quilt by Ann Brauer 2019

detail--quilt by Ann Brauer 2019

I like it so much I have it hanging in my studio over some pillows so I can study it frequently.

one day in march--hung in my studio--Ann Brauer 2019

I am trying to get ready for the Baltimore Craft Show this February 21-23 at the Convention Center. So much to do. So little time. For more information on the show check out their web site: https://craftcouncil.org/shows/acc/american-craft-show-baltimore 

This quilt is also in my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/annbrauer

one morning

It was a bright sunny day last spring when I knew I needed to celebrate the season. Sure it took me longer than a day to finish this quilt--of course. But I still remember the joy I felt when I made it. I call it "one morning in spring". Can you see why?

one morning in spring--30 x 40"--ann brauer 2019

dreams of autumn

What a lovely day it is. The first hint of the crisp cool air of autumn even though it is only August. Amazing how my perspective and energy changes. And yes, I finished this quilt "dreams of autumn" just in time for the Berkshires Craft Show next week-end at Monument Mountain High School in Great Barrington, MA www.berkshirescraftfair.org. One of my favorite shows with so many wonderful artists. If you are in the area I hope you will visit. I included a coupon for reduced admission in this post.

dreams of autumn--32 x 48"--quilt--Ann Brauer

dreams of autumn--detail--Ann Brauer

after the storm

Sometimes the name says it all. I remember those wonderful hot days broken by the splendor of a thunderstorm. Then the clouds lift and just as the sun is setting, there is that thin band of light. Tomorrow will be a delightful day full of promise and the fresh smell of the rain. Isn't that a good parable to live by?

after the storm--quilt--ann brauer 2019--photo by John Polak

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

hot off the sewing machine

One of the reasons I love having a studio open to the public is that I get to test public reaction to my new quilts as I finish them. Now of course I don't always listen but sometimes it is reassuring when customers are immediately drawn to a new quilt. That happened this week-end with my quilt "suddenly spring" which I just finished. Aren't the colors wonderful?

suddenly spring--32 x 48"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2019

And hanging in my studio in Shelburne Falls.

suddenly spring--studio shot--ann brauer 2019

April morning

What a difference a day makes. Suddenly the front has passed. Rain fell last night--enough to water the garden and lawn. The flowers look refreshed. The air is a delightful cool temperature full of energy and projects. It won't last but for now it is meant to be enjoyed.

April morning--40 x 40 inches--ann brauer 2019

April morning--detail--ann brauer 2019

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.

half way there!!!

Today's entry in my Count Down to Spring is my quilt Color on the Mountain. I made it several years ago as part of my landscape series. Then it ended up in a gallery hiding a fuse box. I still love it but it is not in the style that I am currently making so I decided it was time to reduce the price from $875 to $675.

Don't you love the colors? There is a hint of the sun rising or setting at the horizon.

color on the mountain--32x48 inches--Ann Brauer 2012

At 32 x 48 inches this quilt will work in many locations.

color on the mountain--detail--Ann Brauer 2012

 Of course it is signed.

color on the mountain--detail--ann brauer 2012

To find out more, check out my Etsy shop HERE.

only 13 more days--tra la

OK--only 13 more days until spring. Repeat after me. Thirteen more days. Yes, I am trying to ignore the snow falling around me. We could get 18 inches!!! Maybe we should be celebrating this snow. Thinking of winters past where it snowed into April or even May. After all it will help preserve water for the summer. There are no mosquitoes. I can't weed the garden. And it is beautiful.

Regardless it is time for the Count Down to Spring quilt. This is the other river quilt that I have left. Don't you love the colors in this one? Wouldn't it look great in a country home--maybe with lots of wood and views to the forest outside. Just saying.

autumn river--38x38"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2018

The river flows through the center of the quilt with the green outlining it. Have you ever seen rivers in dry areas? This is actually what happens with the water creating a wonderful respite from the drier land.

autumn river--detail--ann brauer 2014

The browns are a wonderful rich color in long even rows.

autumn river--detail--ann brauer 2014

Of course it is signed. Hanging is simple since I have attached looped tape on the top and bottom. I provide the customer with the matching hooked tape and thin strips of faux wood that can be attached to your wall.

autumn river--detail--quilt--ann brauer 2014

I do like the simple colors in this quilt. However, I have had it for several years and it needs a new home. So I have reduced the price in my Count Down to Spring sale from $675 to $375. You can see more about the quilt on my Etsy shop HERE.

don't stop thinking about tomorrow

There is an apocryphal but oh so true story that I have heard for years--probably you have heard it also.

An artist is asked what she would do if she was given a million dollars. The answer of course is to keep making art until she ran out of money.

Isn't that the way it goes. Always there is another quilt to make. Another show to prepare for.

Next up is the Baltimore Craft Show February 23-25 at the Baltimore Convention Center. www.craftcouncil.org How I love this show. This is another large show with six hundred artists and lots of customers who are searching for an escape from winter. For me it is the first chance to define my work for the coming year. How can I create a body of work that carries on from what I have previously done, allows me take advantage of the insights from last year and reads as a cohesive whole. One friend noted that all of my square quilts reminded her of school bus windows. Interesting thought. Do I need to make more quilts that are other sizes? Another friend whose work I respect said she preferred my more abstract pieces. Hmmm. And of course there are all those who make comments about psychedelic colors. I hear these and put them in the back of my mind to gel.

I look at other art to feed my soul and to help me see new possibilities. What inspires me. What am I trying to say. I sketch lots of quilts that will probably not get made just to see if I could make them. After all,  I am not making quilts just to make quilts--I  want to make quilts that have a purpose. Although it can be important to understand the technique until it becomes my language, technique is not the content of the quilts--at least not for me. I want to speak with the viewer. What am I trying to communicate.

And I make lots of potholders and place mats as I think about it. There is no point in sitting idly by and fretting too much. That does not create art. Instead I sew and play with the fabrics.

This year I have decided to feature my quilt "mountain sunrise". I love the colors and the joy of this piece. So happy and confident. Definitely it will be a focus. But my booth is large and there are 600 exhibitors at the Baltimore Show. I need to WOW the crowd.

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

I make a long quilt--it's a new day. Not large enough to be a showstopper but still it was a quilt I wanted to make in a shape that could look great over a sofa or bed. Size does matter sometimes.

it's a new day--17x63"--Ann Brauer 2017

I look at other quilts I have made. I love the triptych in notes from twilight. That could make a strong statement in my booth.

notes from twilight--40x80"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2017--image by John Polak

And I start sewing with a purpose. Yes this is a quilt that I want to make. A quilt that will look great. And a quilt that should dominate the booth. Now there is just the long slow road to completion. One tiny bit of fabric at a time. I'll try to keep you posted.

And you--how do you choose what to make? How do you create a body of work?

the colors of summer

Does this ever happen to you? I start a new series and some of the last of my old work gets put aside. Sure I hang it occasionally but usually I leave it in the studio when I do a show. It is too big for the booth. If it hasn't sold so far, will it actually find a home if I show it. Yes, I do a cost benefit analysis in my mind at every show. Not because I am a strict business person--after all I am an artist--but I also have to think about selling the work if I want to continue to be an artist. That is just the way it is.

Still the quilt sits on my Desktop--I like to have inspiration there when I work on my e-mails or post on Etsy. It is in the studio where I see hints of it most days as I ponder the latest quilt on my design wall. Or study the quilts I have hanging on the walls for guidance and inspiration.

And yes, I think I need to see it again. It may work at the One of a Kind Show. I'm not sure. In my mind I revisit again and again on the white walls. This time my booth is 10x15. What a luxury. Should I have gone for the larger booth? I will never know unless I try. It just felt like the right thing to do.

And yes, "colors of summer" feels like the right quilt to bring. I love the complex colors created by piecing so many thin strips of cotton fabric. I love the change in size that affects the design of the quilt and that tells a story. I love the memory of choosing that bottom green row. Such a hard decision to make--I lingered over that colorway for days-- and yet I feel it anchors the quilt.

Who knows if it is the right decision? I may change my mind at the show and tuck it away. But for now I plan to pack it and hang it and enjoy it in all its geometric beauty.

colors of summer--quilt--Ann Brauer 2013--image by John Polak

What do you think? Does this ever happen to you? And if you are coming to the show please drop by my Booth 4131 and check it out. Thanks.

gentle morning

Sometimes a cloudy morning. The sun rises, the sky brightens but there are no shadows. Still there is a beauty in calm. There is subtle quiet--a time to breathe and relax. A time to admire all the subtle colors and changes. The little stories that combine to create a day, a place, alife.

This is another in my landscape quilts that I plan to bring to the One of a Kind Show in Chicago December 7-10.

gentle morning--40x40"--Ann Brauer 2017--image by John Polak

What do you think? Do you ever just sit and enjoy the moment?  Do you let your mind wander?

and the mountain

Sure it is not a large mountain. In the west it would probably be considered a foothill. Indeed the peak is only 1588 feet above sea level.  But to me, Mt Massamaett is like a friend that I welcome every day as it rises just beyond the Deerfield River in such a friendly and almost protective manner.

In the spring I can watch the green move up the slope. In summer it is green with the occasional bald eagle soaring above it hunting for a meal in the river. Of course autumn has the many colors of the trees from the first brilliant golds to the rusted reds of the oaks at the end of the summer. As the days darken I watch the line of the sun shine creep up the slope earlier and earlier. And of course there is the moon rising above it shining bright and full.

So many views. So many moods.

This quilt "mountain and sun" is one of new works that celebrates this mountain and the sky above it. I am pleased that it was chosen to hang in the Fine Art Gallery at the One of a Kind Show December 7-10 at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. Yes!!! Quilts are art.

mountain and sun--40x40"--Ann Brauer 2017--image by John Polak

What do you think? What inspires you?

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

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

colors of summer

I have been thinking about my quilt "colors of summer" recently as I renewed its listing on my Etsy shop. I still love this quilt but at 45x60" usually I don't display it at craft shows or even hang it in my studio. Oh to have unlimited wall space--sigh. Instead it is waiting with other quilts at the studio for just the right person. And I do list it on my web site and on Etsy.

When I made it, I was working in the studio in exile as I call it now. My view was of the geometry of the Iron Bridge across the Deerfield River with a hint of sky. Amazing isn't it, how location can influence one's work?

I loved the intensity of the colors as the thin seams almost created a work that appeared woven, not sewn with wonderful complex texture and color. It was one of my series of rainbow quilts trying to capture all the colors of summer in one piece of art.  Even now I  gently touch the many rows of fabric and feel its substance. Still I smile at the artistic pun of a quilt that looked woven in more ways than one.

The top rows of the quilt came together readily as I remember but oh those bottom rows. What color would create the right feeling and ground the quilt. So many mornings I would wake up thinking of solutions--should it just disappear in smaller and smaller colors. Should it look like water? Maybe the teal should move into a chartreuse to really sing? I would pin fabrics up and pace as I tried to imagine the colors that would work. Then make test samples to try to solve the dilemma.

Finally I chose the bright green of summer grass and leaves. A complete landscape just perfect for the "colors of summer", isn't it? Don't you love how it grounds the quilt and makes it even more of a landscape.

colors of summer--45x60"--Ann Brauer 2013--photo by John Polak

To see more of this quilt do drop by my studio if you are in Shelburne Falls or check out additional images on my Etsy shop.  https://www.etsy.com/listing/172682064/quilted-wall-hanging-colors-of-summer?ref=pr_shop