the edge of autumn

In late summer, I love seeing how the greens darken in the woods and the light begins to take on that golden hue of September. What a magical time this is. My quilt "the edge of autumn" seeks to capture this journey into the change of the seasons. Of course it is part of my "thinking about tomorrow" series.

the edge of autumn--quilt--Ann Brauer 2020

Making it is basically very simple. First I design the basic outline of the quilt either on paper or in my mind. This is based on the concept of the quilt and the elements I want to portray. Then I begin sewing many thin strips of cotton fabric going through the cotton batting onto the back. I always tell myself to start with something I know.

detail--the edge of autumn--quilt--Ann Brauer 2020

Sounds simple doesn't it. The trick though is to get the colors just right. In this case I wanted a golden green hue and so I chose fabric that included that overall element. Don't you love that hint of sun peeking through the clouds? I also began adding just a hint of purple that will come later.

detail--the edge of autumn--quilt--Ann Brauer 2020

As you can see I am gradually making the shift to a darker palette. Still I incorporate hints of gold and yellow to break it up. Creating the quilt is simple but also not easy since I do have to balance the colors and fabrics. I don't want it to be too busy but I do want there to be life in the piece. Many fabrics are used only once or twice. Luckily I have a lot of fabrics and because this is what I do, I know what may be in my stash.

detail--the edge of tomorrow--quilt--Ann Brauer 2020

And gradually I go into the darker colors. Because these are commercially available fabrics I don't always have the  colors that I dream about. There are not that many browns with blues for instance. So I have to improvise. That is what color blending is all about. And no I don't use batiks--in case you were going to ask. While they are lovely, they have a stiffer texture and a different sheen so I don't find they blend as well although feel free to experiment.

So how do you start? My suggestion is to make something. Maybe a smaller quilt or even a pillow. Get to know the fabric and try. I often make potholders with a fabric that is new to me to understand all its tones and depth. After you have made one--or even as you are making one--pin it to your design board and see what you think. When you are done, look at it. Is it what you want? Did you find any surprises? What went right and what could you do better? Then make another. And another and another until you begin to teach yourself to create the colors you want.

See--I said the method is simple but the process is not easy. And most importantly, have fun!!!

I have more detailed images on my Etsy shop if you are curious or maybe you want to browse through the detailed images of other quilts I have made. http://www.etsy.com/shop/annbrauer

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.

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

seam by seam

I must admit there are times when making a quilt seems endless--and more than a bit scary. After all, I have spent so many days with it and while I may have a vision of the look I want in the end, I can never be sure it is going to work the way I want it to. Instead all I can do is keep sewing. Keep hoping. Look at my design board frequently. And test different fabric colors until it seems right.

It seems so simple at first. The little pieces fall into place. Of course there is the question as to how quickly I want the color transition to go. Was I a bit impatient?

process--ann brauer 2018

But I know I need to anchor the bottom of this quilt with a ridge line. Maybe it is the soil. Maybe the deep dark mountains. You decide. But doesn't it look different with the colors there.

process--ann brauer 2018

And now I can echo the dark of the mountains with the dark in the sky. Again I test colors.

process--ann brauer 2018

And start to add even more fabrics. I love the hint of rose. The warmth of the rusts. Gradually it is taking shape.

process--ann brauer 2018

Still there is a long way to go. I have the wonderful light on the top. The feeling of the endless sky looking up. Now to work on the bottom. More piecing and fretting. Is a quilter ever done?

process--ann brauer 2018

How do you work? How much to you start with a vision? Do you ever feel that the quilt will not get done?

the interlude--day 20

Sometimes one just has to get away if only for a night. Finally my large orders had been shipped. The rains at home seemed endless and cold. For a couple of years I had been wanting to go up to King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Vermont to check it out.

Yes, of course I try to always have a hobby. Maybe that sounds a bit cliched but something where I can be an observer. Quilt making goes right to my essence. It is who I am and what I do. So I want something that is more trivial--well, that is a harsh word--but let's face it, if my bread is a bit flat it doesn't matter. I can always make another loaf in a day or two.

Anyhow I love the mountains of northern Vermont. So similar and yet so different. A perfect little escape. So many different flours. So many possibilities. Then an overnight at the Hotel Coolidge in White River Junction. Again a brief escape. A lovely hotel with just enough history and atmosphere to add to the magic. Did I mention the Turkish restaurant around the corner? Sometimes escape can be so unexpected and simple.

The next morning sunshine and fabric to purchase. Bread to make with my new flour and then quilts. Of course.

I made this quilt--hidden lake-- a few years ago after another little adventure. We were hiking to a lake through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Although the trail was not that long, I remember the glimpses of the lake which was our destination as we the woods would clear for just a bit. Then it would vanish again as we continued walking until we finally reached our destination.

hidden lake--quilt--45x45"--Ann Brauer--image by John Polak.

pacing myself

From my cutting table I can look across the river and see my new studio progressing. Who is working today? I check out the vehicles. Watch what is going in. Soon, I tell myself. Soon. I will be there.

This week-end my wonderful step-children came for a visit. Of course I had to take them over to see my studio. They are both so busy they had only seen pictures before. When we walk in, I have to pinch myself that this place will indeed be mine in a week or so. Will they finish it in time? What will they be doing while I am in? Can't worry though too much. It is fabulous. The floors are the most wonderful grey polished concrete. They shine in their glory. The windows are light and airy. The lines are amazing. Oh I can't wait to show you all.

My neighbors ask if I am packing just yet. I explain that my life involves constant packing. After all, every time I do a craft show I pack most of my quilts. My display. My clothes. Drive to the show. Set up the booth. Take down the booth. Drive home and set up the studio--hopefully--a few less quilts. This is a skill I have perfected over the years. Remember I managed to be open for business after Irene so quickly that many thought I had planned the move before Irene.  Need I remind you. I hadn't.

One thing I have learned is that if I start packing too soon--if I quit making the quilts that I need to have to sell--I get nervous and waste time. Part of my life involves me organizing my time efficiently. Yes, I know that sounds very business like and almost sterile, but I like to make quilts. Being efficient lets me make more of them.

Another thing I have learned is that I have to be in the groove so to speak to make the quilts I want to make. When I return from a show, I have to get back into the groove. It takes a while.

So instead of getting nervous, I decide I must make a new quilt. After making the teal placemats, I decide I must make a teal quilt. Not large but good sized. Light and airy. The colors of the ocean. A quilt that will look great in the new studio.

teal placemats--13x19"--Ann Brauer

I think of my quilt--cold ocean. But this time I want it warmer.

cold ocean--45x45"--Ann Brauer

I start. As always I tell myself--make what I know. The greys. The teal progression.

twilight--quilt--Ann Brauer

I do like the rich colors. Need to get some more when I find them. I feel like I am hunting for just the tiniest scraps to add to the piece. Yes, I think I will go to dark sooner rather than later.

twilight--quilt--Ann Brauer

I like the effect of the sky against the beach. I think I need to add a row at the top.  Don't put in the sand color. Hmmm. I think about it. What about blue? That might anchor it.  Create the power of the sky against the grey. Worth trying.

twilight--quilt--Ann Brauer

How will it look when sewn together? Does the blue distract? Only one good way to find out. As I hand sew, I try to plan the move more. How should I do it? What goes first? How do I keep my fabric in order so I can find it easily? Where will I put my design board? I try not to get nervous.

twilight--quilt--32x48"--Ann Brauer

Yes, that does tie it all together. Aren't the colors rich and lovely? Now to finish it off. Press it. Clean off the threads. Take a few pictures. Figure out what to do next.

What do you think? How do you plan a move?

don't we all need choice?

Recently--as my followers know--I have been working hard getting ready for the Paradise City Arts Festival this week-end in Marlborough, MA. Oh how I love this show--the real start of spring for me. Enough great artists and artisans that your mind is swirling with possibilities. But not so many that you can't really linger and go back to the ones you like. For more info check out: http://www.paradisecityarts.com

Of course one of the problems with this show--or even any show--is that I want to have enough work. After all, my stock was picked over at the Baltimore Craft Show. And even during the holiday season.
And one thing I have learned from experience is that if you don't have a selection, the customers won't even stop and look at your work.

I mean isn't that one of the reasons the customers are there in the first place?

Now I know that each of these table runners are lovely in their own right and each will find its own good home but there are not enough here to take to the show, are there?

So I start making some more--a purple and a blue. Yes, this looks more like it--doesn't it?

Oh I do love this blue one. Want to bet it is the first one sold?

But still not enough. No, I think I need at least one more color--well, I probably could use several more colors but time is limited and I do have much more to do to get ready for this show. One more--a teal--should make the display look complete. What do you think?  How do you make sure you have enough colors for a show? What colors do you look for? Don't we all need choice?

landscapes, limens and mauve

It is definitely that time of year. The leaves are gone from the trees. Wisps of snow linger in the air.  Last night the wind was bringing in with great determination that cold cold air that turns the ground and the ponds hard and icy. Looking across to Massamont the woods are grey with just a touch of warm. A complex color that changes with the light.

I finish the wall hanging in grey. I am fascinated by the colors in this piece. Such a simple movement and design.  Does it hang vertically--like a tree?

Or is it a landscape? With bits of light in it. Stark but warm. Lots of hints of color.

 So many possibilities. What about using the color mauve? Pronounced to rhyme with stove.  Did you know that mauve was the first "invented" color? An 18 year old chemist in 1856 was trying to create artificial quinine. First it was called mauveine. Do check it out on Wikipedia.

I love the subtleties. How warm the bits of dusty red are. The complexities of the greys and blues. Such an interesting combination.

I love the subtleties of landscapes. Anne Truitt speaks of them as the line between the conscious and the unconscious--the limen of the world. Great word--limen.  I had to look it up myself. It comes from the Latin meaning threshold and is pronounced LY-men. From Wordsmith I find this great quote:

"Such to the dead might appear the world of living -- charged with information, with meaning, yet somehow always just, terribly, beyond that fateful limen where any lamp of comprehension might beam forth."
Thomas Pynchon; Against the Day; Penguin Press; 2006.

Pretty haunting isn't it? Perfect for this time of the year.

John O'Donohue--the Irish poet--spoke of landscapes as showing us the line between the inner and the outer world. A horizon that you are called to. Hmm. Check it out at the NPR show On Being. This is the time of that ambiguity when the inner and outer world are intertwined.

I love the thought of mauve. So many different mauves. A color that we can all recognize but also a created, invented color of the Industrial Age. Such a great contradiction. I want to make this quilt in all the different mauves--in dusty greens, slate blues, taupes--to capture all the moods of the horizon--what will I learn from this?  The thresholds--the ambiguities--the entrances. I see so many possibilities haunting me and want to go deeper. 

What do you think? Do you use the color mauve?

hidden lake--creating the promise

Have you noticed that sometimes a quilt just seems to happen. This time, I was finishing prairie hills. You may remember the soft colors of this piece. Based on fabrics that reminded me of feed sack cloth.
Check out this blog post. The sewing together of a quilt always takes forever. I want to see it done. Finished.

I woke up early one morning and had a dream of the next quilt. It was so clear. A large mountain--all encompassing. A field going into the distance. Where the field and the mountain met, water. Was it a stream? A lake? Clearly something I wanted to approach. The mountain a deep vivid green going up to the sky. A sunny day. Warm. The colors bright and pure. A counterpart to the dusty colors of prairie hills.


Was this from the movie A River Runs Through It? Or maybe it was in the White Mountains where my DH and I vacation? Did it matter? No--I just needed to start the piece. A few blocks of the dark brown. The green fabric was needed to keep me focused.

But how to create the feeling of water. I could see it glistening in my mental picture. I pin up some strips of fabric.

Not quite right. The color too blue. Too obvious. I remember a hike this summer to a waterfall. At first you of glimpses of the stream. Occasionally if the wind was right, you might hear it. But basically you were hiking up to a promise.

How would this look? I keep piecing. The mountain must be BIG. Not the small mountains around here. I don't have as many greens as I would like--but I don't want to stop and buy more. I search the studio. Fold and refold fabric hunting for those tiny strips of green that will be just right.

The quilt grows. I wonder if there should be sky at the top of the mountain. Or will that be too much design. Too realistic.

I decide to add just a hint of blue--teal maybe. It is a cloudy day and I am too busy working to want to get the light right for the picture. This quilt is impelling me to just sew.

But I am not sure the water is quite right. Too much red. I would not hike to that. Hmm. How disappointing. What if my idea was wrong after all that work? Should I have thought this quilt through more. I go home disappointed. Then the next morning I wonder if I should just add more blue here.
I pin up a piece.

Yes. Alas another fuzzy image. But this is just what I want. I take out just a bit of the blocks. Add a couple more pieces of blue. I do want the lake to be just glimpsed. A secret lake.

Wow--it is amazing what a simple tweak can do. Yes, that promise. The right blue--warm, summer. Just what I wanted. What do you think? Would you hike to this lake? Have you ever had a project where a simple tweak or two can change everything?

Now I must work hard and sew it together. After all I am doing The Washington Craft Show in November. Yikes!!!

solo show Contemporary Landscape Quilts

I just shipped my quilts off for my solo show Contemporary Landscape Quilts of Ann Brauer at the Landmark at Corporate Campus in Tarrytown, NY.  I'll post images from the show after it is hung. Thanks Wendy Kelley for all your work.

Here is the information about the show:

ART AT THE LANDMARK CAMPUS
Tarrytown, New York

ANN BRAUER
Contemporary Landscape Quilts

July 2 - October 1, 2010



Ann Brauer grew up on a farm in Illinois where she watched her grandmother make quilts. She complete her education to become an attorney Twenty eight years ago she moved to Western Massachusetts and began supporting herself making contemporary art quilts.

Brauer's work is in museum and public collections including the US Dept of State, the Springfield Federal District Court, the American Museum of Art + Design, NY Wool Institute, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the National Institute of Mental Health and the American Museum of Women in the Art both in Washington, DC. She has received an award of Excellence from the American Craft Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. The quilts are for sale. Viewings by appointment.

All inquiries should be directed to Wendy Kelley Fine Arts
www.artworksadvisory.com   203.912.1044

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?

more National Building Museum

OK--my love affair with this building continues as I learn more about it.

For instance DC can be really hot in the summer and the building was constructed before air conditioning so all windows open. The plan is for cool air to enter at ground level and the hot air to leave at the top of the ceiling. Simple and efficient wouldn't you say.

I love these columns--it turns out they are about 75 feet tall and each one is made from about 70,000 bricks. This is the view from the third floor balcony.  Elegant isn't it?

They are topped with a wonderful elaborate cornice. Don't you just love all of these curves and fronds?

Around the the balcony on the third floor are bowl-like structures with eagles.Need I say more?

Looking down from the balcony you can see the fountain in the central court and the carpet with an oriental design on the floor. My booth is just off from this picture.

Yet despite all of this elaborate ornamentation, there is also a simplicity of shape and structure that I find relaxing. For instance, look at these lovely shapes in the ceiling of a hallway. Aren't they glorious?

Or these arches and more arches going into the rooms that I presume were once offices.

 Isn't it wonderful when a building can keep showing you more and more about itself and make you observe your surroundings with greater care? I also do love the fact that it was built with a budget in mind. The architect was trying to meet the needs of the widows and pensioners from the Civil War--for instance I just learned that the reason the steps are so short and wide was to make it easier for the pensioners to climb them. The steps were also built so they could be hosed down when needed.

So much to see and I haven't taken any pictures of the outside. What do you think?