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

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

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

between the storms--day 16

Don't you love how--if you commit to a goal--and tell others you are going to do it, you actually get it done. Now posting clearance items for 20 days is a lot of work. I have to go through the work I have and find the quilts that have been here too long. Then I have to admit they need a new home even if I don't get the price that I feel they deserve.

Still the word "clearance" does have the word "clear" in it and there is something liberating about creating new space in the studio.

This is the case with my quilt "river of gentle autumn." I made a number of quilts in this series when I was building the new studio. The object was to create works that would sell to help me pay for the building and I made a number of them. What wonderful studies in color and place they were.

Now I only have two of them left. This one I call "river of gentle autumn." Don't you love the peaceful colors? At 38x38 inches it occupies space while fitting in many locations. This is one of the last I made of this series and also one of the last quilts I made that relied on quilt as you go to provide the texture and substance. Therefore I have reduced the price from $675 to $375.

river of gentle autumn--38x38"--quilt--ann brauer 2015

Don't you love the subtle contrast between the free flowing river and the geometry of the banks of the river?

detail--river of gentle autumn--quilt--ann brauer 2015

Of course it is signed.

detail--river of gentle autumn--quilt--ann brauer 2015

To see more images of this quilt, please check out my Etsy shop here.

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.

go big or go home--part one

Let's face it. Chicago is big. There are lots of people. Traffic from all directions. Buildings that stretch to the sky and then reflect it.

view of Chicago from Merchandise Mart

The lions at the Art Institute are big.

lions outside of Art Institute--Chicago

One of my favorite paintings by Georgia O'Keefe is so big they had to build a special wall just to display it.

clouds--Georgia O'Keefe--Art Institute

So last year after doing OK at the One of a Kind Show I decided that I wanted to go big. Wouldn't my work look great in a larger booth? They give me the hard white walls, the carpet, the lights. Sure the show is a long hard drive from home. The lines for load in and load out are carefully controlled chaos. And the price to do the show is--let's face it--big.

Still I told myself I wouldn't know until I tried. When I was offered a larger booth I decided I had to try. Let's face it, I decided to rebuild my studio because I knew I had more quilts to make and I wanted to make them. Quilts can be more than fine craft and I want to make big quilts that transcend the medium. I spent all autumn working for this show.  I had other fairs to do and orders to fill, but I kept imagining myself in this large space.

Of course I didn't have nearly enough time to get all the quilts in my imagination done. How delighted I was to read that Claude Monet was frustrated that his wonderful stacks of wheat paintings took much longer than he wanted to complete. Don't you love to read labels at the Museum.

stack of wheat--Claude Monet--Art Institute

I set up the booth. Thought it looked great in its largeness and splendor and then waited. Is it the kiss of death if other artists think your booth looks grand?  Or was it because it was Thursday? Did I forget to convey the idea that these are quilts? Does that matter? Should it matter? After all it only takes a couple of good customers.

Or maybe there is more I need to do to achieve my idea. My concept. I'll try to keep you posted. Meanwhile wish me well. If you are in the Chicago area my booth is 4123. I would love to know what you think?

booth--OOAK Chicago--Ann Brauer 2017

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

textile curator

I am honored to have some of my recent quilts featured in the most recent blog post by Textile Curator. Thanks so much. http://www.textilecurator.com/latest-art-quilts-by-ann-brauer/

seasons of the marsh--32x72"--Ann Brauer 2017--image by John Polak

selling at craft shows

OK--it was not easy to post the second half of my interview with Clara on different textile sites. Argh!!

I am posting it here for your info.

https://claranartey.com/fine-craft-show-textile-art/

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

finishing the quilt

I don't know about you but sometimes I find it hard to finish a quilt, especially if it is a custom order which means I must send it off to its rightful home. After all, I have spent a lot of time working on the piece--I have to figure out how I am going to make it. What tweaks will make the quilt just right for its location. After all, the customer usually wants specific colors and sizes. They have honored me by wanting me to create their vision for their home. Think about it for a moment.

Sometimes as is the case with this quilt, the customer the customer liked the colors of an existing quilt but it was not the right size. Since I was going to be remaking the piece, they also wanted me to change the bottom of the quilt to incorporate a design element from another quilt of mine.

OK--I could do this. Of course this meant I had to think about just the right colors and proportion for the new size and design element. I wanted the quilt to sing and be more than the sum of its parts. And I did learn something when I made it. That is the fun of custom orders. They push me to see my work in just a slightly new direction. Now I want to make another in this series--different colors, different feeling. But a quilt that I am curious to see. I should start it as soon as I get to the studio today. That is the best way to get the quilt done.

another fine day--24x60"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2017

above the desert

I love this quilt. It is one of those series of quilts that I created to give a certain feeling that I could not put into words. I know there is a story here--although I am not sure what the story is. Maybe you can tell me....
 

above the desert--27x61"--annbrauer 2017--photo by John Polak

I did it!!!!--day 36

What better way to celebrate 36 years supporting myself making quilts than to post 36 images of quilts I had made, I thought. Sure the number seemed large--would I have 36 things to say? Would I actually manage to post every day for 36 days? That is a commitment. While I had written a blog for a number of years, it had fallen by the wayside  as I created a new web site, worked on my Etsy shop and posted on social media. Still I liked the concept of writing about my quilts so I decided that it was worth a try.

The only way to do it was to start and then keep carrying on. I wasn't going to worry if people would read it. This was an exercise for myself. I could do it. Some days I confess I had little to say. A lovely picture, a few words. Other times the quilt had a story I wanted to tell. When I make a quilt, I tell myself to just keep going. If I can do just a bit of what I know every day then eventually the quilt will take on its own life and get done.

That was the story of these three pieces. It was an order that came on the phone. It seemed like it wouldn't be that difficult. Three quilts, each 32x72 inches. Each designed to look like marsh grasses with the light sparkling through them. I had made smaller variations on this theme and so I took the commission. My schedule was full and I couldn't start right away.

When I did begin, I realized these were going to take a lot longer than I had anticipated. Size does matter. I was working with one very large piece of fabric. The sheer volume of the piece meant that adding the fabric was more labor intensive. I had to remember what I had done previously since I couldn't see the whole as I worked. Still I kept going forward. Piece by piece. A bit every day.

Even getting one of the hangings done didn't feel like progress since there were three of them.  Still the only way out was through. Finally. Finally. They were finished. I could have their images taken and send them off.

Now the studio seems a bit empty. There are walls to fill. New quilts to make. And as to my blog posts, I do intend to keep creating them although not every day and not always about my quilts. The celebration itself will continue with cupcakes on Saturday July 8 from 2-6 during Second Saturday in Shelburne Falls. So mark your calendar. Stay tuned. Thank you for reading.

scenes from the marsh--96x72"--Ann Brauer 2016, 2017--images by John Polak

my mother's mother--day 34

When I think of my mother's mother, the word I would use is "nice". She had wonderful white hair. She did not live with us but would come and when she came to visit us she would sit on the porch and count the number of white cars that went by on the highway. She would bring my sister and I color by number sets with pencils and then sit at the dining room table and help us complete the images. After all she had attended the Art Institute of Chicago when it was a finishing school for young women.

When she left my sister and I would redo her coloring since it was always too light. We called her Grandmother.

And yes, she also made quilts. Not the intricate original quilts of my other grandmother but the carefully pieced quilts that women did back then just because it was the thing to do. The Grandmother's Flower Garden and Trip Around the World. The appliqued flowers. All in wonderful soft pastels.

She died when I was still in grade school. Only later did I learn that while she may not have been much of an artist, she was a sound business woman who guided my Grandfather's string of grocery stores through the Great Depression. When they finally closed, she then ran the Candy Stores which supported the family for many years after that.

I also learned that rather than dreading her regular visits to us on the farm, she looked forward to being in the country which was where she had been raised.

As an adult I wish I had gotten to know her a better. What was the price she paid for being both nice and a business woman back then? How did she balance every thing?

In many ways, this quilt--Summer Garden--which I made a number of years ago is a tribute to her and that generation. Its sister is actually in the collection of the American Museum of Art + Design in New York (although they don't usually show it)  and was part of the Six Continents of Quilts Show in 2001. How hard this quilt was to make--can you see the roots not only in Grandmother's Garden but also in the log cabin pattern. Each of the seams had to be tied off at both ends. I even used different colors of black fabric to give even more substance to the piece.  Of course each block was different. And yet the whole is certainly more than the sum of the parts, at least in my opinion.

summer garden--about 90x90 inches--Ann Brauer--2001--image by John Polak