Tough Cookie. Acrylic on panel, 5 x 5 inches (10 x 10" framed), 2015 by Sarah Atlee.
To purchase Tough Cookie, call STASH at (405) 701-1016 or contact me directly at sarahatlee@gmail.com.
Things I Hope People Say at My Funeral One Day
"She was a tough old broad. A real dame."
"She was tough as nails."
"She was one tough cookie."
Tough Cookie will be on display at STASH as part of Wyld Flowerz through 11 November 2015.
Square Peg. Acrylic on canvas panel, 7 x 5 inches (12 x 9 framed), 2015 by Sarah Atlee. $225
Interested in purchasing Square Peg? She is available at STASH through 11 November 2015 with the rest of the Wyld Flowerz. Get all the details here or email me directly at sarahatlee@gmail.com.
The opening was amazing, and I could not have ordered a more perfect evening.
Departures. Acrylic on canvas, 20 x 20 inches, 2015 by Sarah Atlee. $1,080
To purchase Departures, contact me at sarahatlee@gmail.com.
About Departures
I'm into Quilting. It influences my painting in a big way. I'm a member of the local chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild. What distinguishes "modern" from traditional quilting? There are no hard and fast rules, of course, but the MQG has a handy list of things to look for:
"...several characteristics often appear which may help identify a modern quilt. These include, but are not limited to: the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast and graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, expansive negative space, and alternate grid work. 'Modern traditionalism' or the updating of classic quilt designs is also often seen in modern quilting."
Improvisation is the element here that really gets my juices flowing.
But the Juices Were Not Flowing
Earlier this year I was noodling away on an abstract series, finding myself stymied. I wanted to go in too many directions. I was being fussy. I was thinking too hard. I was stuck.
I asked myself, "What if I painted the way I quilt - without fear?"
Sherri Lynn Wood and Improv Patchwork
In February 2015, I was lucky enough to attend QuiltCon and take an improvisational patchwork class taught by Sherri Lynn Wood. She taught us to be present in our space, and to cut, cut, cut and sew, sew, sew - without worrying about the overall design. It was a revelation. We made quilt tops that seemed to grow organically in our hands. The patchwork pieces grew, and I grew. I went home and pre-ordered Wood's new book.
Order your own copy of the Improv Handbook here.
Then I had to wait for, like, six weeks before the book shipped. What on earth was I to do in the meantime?
Departing
I took a painting that wasn't working. I laid down a stroke of color with my brush. Then I put down another, next to that. Then another. It became a row of stripes. It curved here and there. Another row grew next to it. I had found a path, and I followed it. I was through.
Save
Veruca Fry. Acrylic on panel, 7 x 5 inches (11 x 8.5 inches framed) 2015 by Sarah Atlee. $225
To purchase Veruca Fry, call STASH at (405) 701 1016 or email me directly at sarahatlee@gmail.com.
Wyld Flowerz - New Abstract Paintings by Sarah Atlee
Where: STASH (website, Facebook) 412 E Main Street, Norman OK 73071 (405) 701 1016 (map link) Store hours are M-Sat 10-6 and Sun 12-4.
When: 9 October - 11 November 2015.
Opening Reception and Hair of the Dog
Join us for the opening night party during the Norman Arts Council's 2nd Friday Art Walk!
When: Friday 9 October, 6-10 pm.
We have an amazing event planned, STASH's biggest of the year. Enjoy local craft beers and live music at a party to raise funds for the Bella Foundation! There's even going to be a pumpkin patch. Click here to learn more and purchase tickets.*
*This is a ticketed event, but you do not need a ticket to see the art.
Hope to see you there!
About Veruca Fry
I often dream about things that I'll paint later. In this instance, my dream was of a quilt design - 60-degree triangles in warm yellows and violets, gently transitioning from light to dark. When I awoke the design told me it was called "vocal fry."
For the unfamiliar, vocal fry is a way of modulating your voice so it combines moaning and creaking sounds. To make the sound, groan, then lower your voice, close your throat a bit, and just let it peter out until it starts sounding like bacon in a hot pan. It's the sound you make when you Can't Even.
The dream design told me later that day that it wasn't going to be a quilt, but rather a painting. And that I should make a miniature version to try it out. She also changed her name along the way. She's quite willful.
Stripey Lady. Mixed media on found fabric, 2005 by Sarah Atlee.
Mask Lady 2. Ink on paper (sketchbook page), 2005-06 by Sarah Atlee.
Yellow Girls. Mixed media on canvas, 2005 by Sarah Atlee.
Brideshead Revisited, Revisited. Oil on found fabric, 2005 by Sarah Atlee.