Ready for Spring sale!

 ColorForm 10, 14.5" x 20.5" SOLD

ColorForm 11, 19.5" x 23.5"

Here in Chicago we have had a tough winter. Almost 70" of snow so far, 4 school snow days, rain, ice, 50 mph wind gusts, and potholes. So spring can't come soon enough! I am going to have a pre-spring sale of several of my ColorForm quilts. These are approximately 18" x 24" and usually sell at gallery shops for $300. For the rest of February they will be $150  each. There will be 2 more listed tomorrow. Email me at gail.baar@gmail.com, to arrange payment by check or Paypal, or to ask any questions.

Snow and Quilts at Dunlay's on the Square

It was a snowy drive into the city of Chicago today, as I went to Dunlay's on the Square Restaurant to hang some of my quilts. The restaurant is in the Logan Square neighborhood, that has historical boulevards, greystones and bungelow-style homes. There are quite a few wonderful restaurants in this neighborhood that we have enjoyed visiting, and one of them is Dunlay's on the Square-right across from the square the neighborhood is named after. It was fun to go into the restaurant before it was open, and see all the blank walls, and fill them with colorful art. There was room to hang 16 quilts. I tried to hang both large and small pieces, including 2 groups of smaller ColorForm quilts. I left some business cards...so we'll see what happens! In the meantime, I am grateful to Dunlay's for allowing me to share my art.

A Beginning

The top picture is one of the last etc. pieces I have left, and I like the colors on this one. But it is only 8" x 10". The bottom picture shows the beginning process of making something bigger. I am using the colors of the etc. to make a new piece that will be 6-8 feet wide. Getting the colors to work is a long process, and it is interesting to see what changes need to be made to make something quite a bit bigger. You can only see part of it-there are 2 more sections to the left. Of course, I never have just the same colors to work with, so there are adjustments to be made. And I don't want to just copy what  I did before. It is hard to stand back to see what I am doing-but here is where a camera comes in handy. Just looking through the camera lens lets me see things a bit better. Other times, I walk out of the room, and then come back in. This is the fun part. Other times, it is just plain hard!

A New Year

I ended 2013 with a solo exhibit of my quilts-it was great to see some of the larger ones on a big wall, and a group of the small ColorForm pieces all together along a hallway. When they all came home, I decided to reorganize my closet space, and put each series together so I can find them easier. Since several of them have found new homes, I began the new year making some new, small ColorForm pieces. And now I am ready to work with some new ideas I have had, and and gear up for an exciting year ahead. In February I will be able to have a large group of quilts at a wonderful restaurant in the Logan Square neighborhood, in Chicago. In April, I have one of my large ColorForm pieces in a show in Dallas, TX in the Museum of Geometric Art. It is called "Quilts: the New Geometry".

 And so I think of a quote I saw recently, by Stephen Sondheim:
"White. A blank page or canvas. So many possibilities."

The Big 5 - 0!

This is ColorForm 50! It is 18"H x 19"W.  I enjoy making quilts in this series. Making small ones like this is a good way to practice for the bigger ones, and discover ways to connect shapes.

Art on the Wall

There are people who don't think of fiber art as something to put on their walls. I like to put my newest quilt up on our dining room wall, so I can look at it for awhile until the next one comes along. I have a hanging rod that I can slip it into, which makes it easy to change from one to another. But sometimes that is too high, and I have to measure and hang it lower. I love the fall colors on this one, and the lavender too!

Found in my closet!

I know with a title like that you are going to think my closet is a mess or that I am not organized! But sometimes when I get towards the end of a piece, I am anxious to get on to a new idea, and I think that is what happened with this. I also felt I needed to put it away and look at it with fresh eyes. These shapes balance on each other, yet they are each a strong shape on their own. There are sections of machine stitching that go different directions which are fun to look at up close or farther away. The curves in the stitching is a contrast to the big shapes and straight lines. This is Green x 3, 46"H x 43"W.