The Bee Holder

The Bee Holder, art-quilt 30.5"x30.5"
This piece was purchased by the University of Houston and
hangs in the University of Houston Women's Resource Center.

Picasso meets Klimt was the initial inspiration behind the imagery of this art-quilt. However, as the work evolved I began to receive symbolic nudges.  Thinking about beauty being in the eye of the beholder, the phrase 'bee holder' flashed into my mind and I was off to research symbolism associated with the bee.  I learned that just one of the many associations was 'right use of creativity and imagination'.  That did it!  I adjusted my pattern to include two arms wrapped around the woman's knees rather than one, and placed a vintage bee stickpin between her thumb and fore finger.  The orange hair, which was part of the original design, fit perfectly with the representation of creativity as orange is the color of the chakra associated with creativity.

Update:  Purchased by U of Houston in the fall of 2013!!!

Journey Women

Journey Women,(aka Blue Lady) 12"x30" art-quilt

It was great fun designing and executing this piece and it has proved to be the jumping off point for several works in this style that feature women as the main subject. Upon completion I intuitively heard the name of my closest friend. Then I saw how much the figure resembled her.  Synchronistically, the flower symbolism also represented her family.  Therefore it seemed only fitting that this piece hang in her home.