-
Travel Log- Spring 2018 (2)  (1 of 5)


My Virginia trip happened to coincide with the 55th Annual Woodlawn Needlework Show. This show is held on the historic property of Woodlawn, which is the portion of Mount Vernon that George Washington gave to his nephew and step-granddaughter, Lawrence & Eleanor Lewis. (2,000 acres- nice gift, right?) Stop there. Yes, that means Martha Washington was widowed, with children, when she married George. Did not absorb that in history class, but it turns out Martha was a pretty remarkable woman of her time.  

The Show is described as the oldest needlework show in the US and includes submissions in cross stitch, embroidery, beadwork, smocking and more, with divisions for seniors, adults, and juniors, (ages 10-13). Everything must be completely done by hand. I had a general idea of what to expect, but I had the perspective of one who improvises to make simple labels for my quilt backs.

Anticipating that there might be work I would want to remember, I asked about the photo policy when we bought our tickets. In this setting, the viewer has the opportunity to get pretty close to the work, so it would be tempting for any serious needle worker to want to capture the details on display. Out of courtesy for the artists, they asked that any photos be done from a distance. Fair enough. 

It turns out that this policy was a wise provision for the viewer. Beyond its protection of the work, it was a gentle nudge to take in and to appreciate one’s surroundings, to think about where you were and enjoy the atmosphere of this historic site. It was an instruction on how to view the whole show.  



 Footnote: For you history buffs here are some quick facts about the first First Lady of America:   http://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/martha-washington/ten-facts-about-martha-washington/)
and a bit of information on this historic site:   www.woodlawnpopeleighey.org

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

The Huntington- Galleries (3 of 3)

-
Image
If you're not into gardens, or there's just so much sun you can tolerate, there are plenty of indoor galleries to visit at our destination spot. After all we're talking about The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. ( https://huntington.org/ ) The gallery exhibits cover a wide range of art movements, styles, and periods. (In fact this would be a great place to study millinery designs for women's hats. LOL)  This vast collection is not exclusively one of painting.  Many art forms and disciplines are represented. And it's really interesting to have divergent styles to compare and contrast in one visit. We happily stumbled on the American Art Galleries. Walking into this room felt like coming home, with it's nod to American quilts and textiles.   This yarn sewn rug attributed to Hannah Rosina Maynard Phillips stood out to me. Loved the rich colors and the intricate floral design.  Contrast Hannah's piece with this one by artist Cai Guo-Qiang a
Read more
-
Ability to be Creative Ability , ( noun )- aptitude, intelligence, innate qualities, powers, potency, talent, capability, competence, proficiency, knowledge, technique, craft, skill, dexterity, artistry, facility, mastery, experience,understanding, faculty This is a partial listing of the synonyms for the word "ability" in Webster's New World Thesaurus . It seems to me that these words can be divided into two categories. The first category would be nouns which people generally think of as qualities that come naturally to the individual-  "innate qualities" . I propose that everyone has intelligence, capability, dexterity, even artistry, though some might say people possess them in varying degrees, and in different combinations. But isn't that called "individuality"? Now consider the second group of words. These are nouns that can be acquired: knowledge, experience, technique, skills, mastery . These are things you have with practice !
Read more

The Huntington- Textures & Colors (2 of 3)

-
Image
  There is so much to visually take in when you're surrounded by the natural beauty at The Huntington! Whether you soak in the vibrant colors and incredible textures of the many floral species, . . .  Or you pull back to absorb the magnificent collective textures created in the various themed gardens like the bamboo forest: or the cactus garden: There are also subtle color palettes created in garden displays that include a variety of plants: And then there are the man made textures that are thoughtfully scattered throughout the gardens: Plenty of inspiration for, say, quilt textures, and color choices; even shapes and design elements to borrow for future projects.
Read more