Rosalie Dace Asks, “Are We There Yet?”

Rosalie Dace taught Art and English at the high school, college and university levels in South Africa, before becoming a full time quilt maker and teacher. I first became aware of her phenomenal work in Quilting Arts Magazine, Issue 23, Fall 2006.

Rosalie describes her teaching approach this way:

My classes are for class participants to have fun while they are learning, and to go beyond where they thought possible. In a non-threatening and respectful environment, I guide students to work in the direction of their own interest so that each person produces individual work within the general theme of the class. For this reason I do not usually provide patterns or kits. All classes however are supported by extensive visual material such as slides, pictures, books and actual examples of techniques and possible interpretation. As an art educator, I encourage students to develop a thorough knowledge of the elements of design and learn to apply these to the medium of quilt making with confidence.

You can understand why I was very curious to find out what was going on in her classroom at Quilting By the Lake. It was obvious, entering the room, that her students were engaged and energized. Unfortunately, I had little time to spare for further investigation. Visiting her online gallery only inflamed my desire to delve into more of her work and participate in one of her workshops. (Her art quilts can also be seen on Fibreworks.)

One of her works that speaks to me most clearly is titled Are We There Yet?

Are We There Yet? ~ art quilt by Rosalie Dace

The artist statement for this quilt poses some of the questions I have asked myself:

This quilt is about questioning the direction we take through life. We seem to be heading to some desired destination, but will we recognize it when we get there? And what happens when we’ve got there? Is there rest and re-creation, or another ‘there’ for us to move on towards?

Personally, I do not think I will ever experience a sense of having “made it” or “arrived.” There is always more to learn, new challenges to take on, incredible friends to meet, amazing art to acquire lessons from. And Rosalie’s point about rest and re-creation is crucial. If I will never actually arrive, it is important that I learn to incorporate rest and recreation into my journey. Otherwise, I risk falling into fatigue and discouragement because all my energy is expended as I chase the immediate goal before me.

I love sharing my life journey, of which art is a very significant part, and will continue to reach out to as many others as I can. I am particularly drawn to those who crave the depths~who are willing to delve into themselves and their world for the symbols, images and words that will enliven their art and guaranty that everyone knows it is their art. This does not need to be a somber, heavy process. Rather, it is enlightening, joyful, and freeing. You are loosening the constraints that kept you from revealing and reveling in your true self.

Seeing Rosalie Dace’s work, and reading her teaching goals, reassures me that my direction is a sound one. I already knew it, but like the students who have a sense of what they want to say, but haven’t quite said it, reassurance from a compassionate and accomplished teacher can make all the difference for sprouting their own art wings.

That is what I always aspire to be with my students: a source of encouragement.

No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings. ~ William Blake

Such Wild Love

Mary Oliver, in her inimitable way, admits to emotions of wild love towards the sun:

and have you ever felt for anything
such wild love–
do you think there is anywhere, in any language,
a word billowing enough
for the pleasure

that fills you,
as the sun
reaches out,
as it warms you

as you stand there,
empty-handed . . .

Over the top? Our life depends on that fiery orb, and who has not felt a wonderful lift when sunlight broke through the clouds after a week of drizzle and rain? A billowing pleasure, indeed.

Today the neighbor’s tree seems to have captured the sun within its branches: the yellows and reds glow like fire. It is not just an artist’s spirit that is lifted and carried aloft by such a glorious display of color.

A small portion of the tree's glorious display

A single leaf

I love the way this leaf is framed within the pavement by a triangle of cracks. Somehow it is fitting that a drying leaf comes to rest on cracked pavement. I find the textures pleasing as well.

In a very short time, Photoshop Elements provides the beginning of a design. I shall work more on this, later.

As above, so below

Jill Bolte Taylor

I watched the amazing talk by Jill Bolte Taylor : My Stroke of Insight, on TED, Ideas worth spreading and was profoundly moved.

“We have the power to choose, moment by moment, who and how we want to be in the world.” JB Taylor

Three DYNAMIC women . . .wait, make that four!

I recently viewed a thrilling example of synchronicity, on Bonnie McCaffery’s site, that produced a stunning, award winning quilt! First of all, let me say that Bonnie’s contribution to the quilting community is immense. Just watch a few of her vidcasts, if you haven’t already, to substantiate that statement (and I love that she is an excellent business person as well as quilter). The particular vidcast that I am referring to here is #20. Meet Annette M. Hendricks, Gail E. Thomas, Helen Godden, three dynamic women from three countries (and two continents) who collaborated on a quilt despite overwhelming, geographical challenges. Bonnie, of course, is the fourth dynamo!

Just in case you missed it on Annette’s site, and if you still haven’t experienced your fill of this inspiring story and quilt, you can examine the back of the quilt and close-ups of the work here! It kinda makes you want to get up close and personal with some artsy fartsy friends, eh? Three visions are demonstrably better, or at least as good, as one!

You know, I was feeling in a bit of a funk for some inexplicable reason, and I realised it was because I am starting to take myself too seriously. My playful side is tickling me for more fun and frolic! The inner jester (or more appropriately, the fool) is wagging a wily finger and challenging me to get braver about just being myself, and drop any dreary imaginary standards demanded by the roles of professional artist or award winning quilter. I intend to spend more time courting my wit and whimsy. Wahoooooooooo!

By the way, a master at wit and whimsy is Margi Hennen, shown here juggling a few of her quirky dolls. Wait, make that five dynamic women. Forget it, there’s too many of you out there to count!

I want to live, and make art, more extravagantly than carefully!

Frisson

One aspect of art that fascinates me is adding personal symbols to my work. I think Lascaux–except the cave paintings are my own, and they are on cloth instead of a wall of stone. Jane Dunnewold has something inspiring to say about this:

Determining archetypes that have meaning for you is a springboard to a personal visual language. Creating work with your own visual language is the foundation for works roaming a very broad and artful terrain.

And, of course, you can explore Jane’s own website. She has rich offerings for anyone interested in art cloth, and many resources to aid you in your creative pursuits.

One of Jane’s students, Martha K. Grant, has taken symbolism to quite lofty heights in her own work:

I have created a design library of over 50 silkscreens and add to it regularly as the Spirit suggests a new theme or what I have come to see as a new dialect in the language of this interfaith dialog I am currently exploring. Later the Spirit of the fabric might suggest a particular garment that it wishes to “live” in, but at the beginning of the process the task (and the joy) is to create a piece of art on this particular length of cloth. It is similar to working on a very large canvas, for the entire surface must be integrated, decorated (even if the “decoration” is the blank quiet spaces), connected. The eye flows through the entire piece as it does across a painted canvas.

The idea of dialoguing with Spirit to create art resonates very deeply with me. I have always talked about art passing the “tingle test.” Martha expresses this much more eloquently:

I am often asked how I know which color, design, text or pattern to use, and how I know when a piece is finished. I reply that my body has become the barometer. It is a felt knowing, even a shudder.

The French have a wonderful word for it–frisson–which I have come to define as the Spirit passing through.

Don’t miss perusing Grant’s exciting body of work.