Better Picture

This is a better picture. The colors are truer.

Finished!

Size Queen
© 2008 Mark Patro
96"x96"

The quilt is finally done! Yesterday I took it to the Fine Arts Gallery at Towson University where it was entered into the Annual Student Show. In this picture the quilt is spread out on the gallery floor. Curating for the show happens tomorrow afternoon. I'll let you know if it gets into the show.

The Studio Wall

Saturday brings the glorious sun and morning-after Halloween motivation.

After searching for an hour, then parking a mile away we wandered around the streets of Fells Point (Baltimore) last night looking at all the creative costumes. There must have been 100,000 people there, literally! It was truly overwhelming.

So back here at the studio I am assembling the last of Size Queen. Take a look at this week's progress.

More Progress on "Size Queen"

I have made some more progress on "Size Queen" recently. I heard myself telling a friend last week, "she has lips now!" I am excited to be nearing the end of this project.

As some of you know I started working on it last winter, February I think. It has been an arduous task. Most of the stress has come from self-imposed and school imposed deadlines.

Two week ago I put it on the long arm machine for the first time. simultaneously finishing the piecing on the last two feet. Its a big piece (in terms of art for the student show). Work for the show is normally smaller than 36" square. This piece is currently 108" square. my original intent was to make it 108"x156". I decided she didn't need a neck.

The Submission date for the exhibition is November 11th. Wish me luck and please come back for the exhibition-photo blog entry.

Hectic Season

With the start of school--my last semester, the frantic schedule is back in full swing. Some of you know I am putting together a studio business and a new website. Its not fully up and running yet, but if you want to take a look, feel free.

www.RainbowQuiltStudio.com

Wedding Equality

Wedding Equality
© 2008 Mark Patro
16"x38"

Story Telling Quilt Makers

I am fascinated with Faith Ringgold's work. I am doing some research on Story Teller Quilt Makers. If you know of any, or have a favorite please email that information. Your help is greatly appreciated...

The Maryland State Fair

Man-Sized Girly Quilt wins a Ribbon at the Maryland State Fair.

Fleur de lis

On another trip to longarming class last night, my quilting on the Something Old Something New Something Brilliant Something Blue quilt got underway.















I'm using a pantograph this time. We'll see how it turns out.

My Version of Christmas

My Version of Christmas
© 2008 Mark Patro
15"x18"

The Maryland State Fair is just around the corner and I have decided to put two quilts in the show. I started "Man-Sized Girly Quilt" toward the end of July last year and completed sometime during the first week of November. This quilt qualifies for the "First Quilt" category. I am also going to enter, "My Version of Christmas" in the "Christmas" category. The Fair ends on Labor Day and runs for a week plus. Hope to see you there.

Swirl Quilt Complete

Its been a while since I've posted anything. I've been busy with summer, but that hasn't kept me from sewing. Shown is the "Swirl Quilt", so named for the over-stitched S-spiral patterns. It took me about four, two-hour sessions to complete the long arm stitching. I'm happy with it. And as you can see its on the bed. We slept under it last night for the first time. Actually this is the first time we have slept under any of the few quilts I'm made myself.

I also wanted to mention the "Rosie Lee Tompkins" show at the National Museum of Women (on New York Ave) in Washington, DC. Her work is a celebration of color and texture, made mostly of velvet fabrics. Treat yourself. This show is running until September 21, 2008.

Blue Diagonal Grid Quilt

This top is finally finished. Its kept me busy while I have been long-arming the Swirl Quilt (Long Arm Project No. 2), which I expect to finish this week.


Blue Diagonal Grid
Quilt
93"x93"

Something Bold Something New Something Brilliant Something Blue

All I wanna be is Kaffe Fassett when I grow up! Well...I'll settle for his skill. I am greatly attracted to his palette. This is my second major quilt using his fabrics. The first is pictured on my very first post, way back when.


I think this one is gonna have to be square.

Long Arm Project No. 2

This is a quilt top that someone else started, to which I added a border. This week I stated to quilt it. This is the beginning of my effort.

I saw an art quilt blog last week, written by Denise Aumick
She has a purple piece on her blog which is freehand quilted and it inspired me. So here is my version of her style.


The purple side is the back.

Something Different Today

I have pieced my own design with Girly Man Quilt, I've pieced and painted my own design with Star No. 1. Today I decided to work on a collaboration with an unknown artist. And she does not know ("she" I am assuming). For all I know she is dead. I recently bought a quilt top on a popular auction web site. I was thinking of Bed by Robert Rauschenberg. He, of course, was the first to paint on a quilt on purpose. Well, the first I know of.

So, with ground broken, I've decide to appropriate a quilt top that had never been quilted. I am calling this a collaboration for semantic purposes.

This quilt was pieced in the 1940's according to the seller.

After I decided to alter its attitude, my question was: how?

My work is far more colorful than this top is. It needed a fresh look. I am imagining gasps of horror... "How would you like it if someone painted on your work long after your death?"

That is a strong question. But I live in the present. And it is now mine, and it needs more color. Color is good! Ask Peter Max, ask Vincent Van Gogh. There are any number of artists you can ask. (Yeah, I know Van Gogh is dead. I guess you can't ask him.)

So I have moved on. My aesthetic is different than those who came before me. I suppose those after me will say the same.

So I painted on it for better or worse. Does anyone have an opinion?


There is more to paint, and then it will need to be quilted.

Star No. 1 is finished

The Star is Quilted

Yesterday I drove back to my quilt teacher's studio in Bowie to long-arm quilt my most recent quilt top, Painted Star No. 1. I very much enjoyed seeing it manifest into a more finished quilt. I will post a picture of the finished quilt as soon as the edge is bound.

I am thrilled to be learning this new skill, but its not nearly as easy "as it looks on television." To all who have tried long arm quilting and succeeded, I appreciate your skills to a much greater degree than I did before yesterday. To those of you that haven't tried yourself, all I can do is encourage you to try. The sense of accomplishment is tremendous.

If any of you in Maryland want to learn, get in touch with me and I'll hook you up with the contact info and you'll be on your way.

It looks like a nice weekend ahead. I might just have to get down to the beach for a while.

The Studio Needs a name

Sitting on the sofa while watching the evening news my mind always wanders. My quilt books are cluttering the coffee table. Among them is my sketch book with yesterday's notes and tomorrow's hopes.

I'm thinking, as I flip through the pages, that I will finally be done with school in December--a fine arts degree in Painting. I'm also thinking I rarely paint any more. Except to design something with color.

I need to start pursuing my art work as if it were more of a vocation than simply the preoccupation that it is . I already call the first floor in our house:"the studio". The kitchen sees as much paint and fabric dye as it sees food preparation. The quilt piecing overwhelms the dining room table. Upon it sits my sewing machine, for almost a year now. The living room wall is where I paint and piece together my quilts. Its hardly the typical suburban house.

Needless to say I am energized with the merging of my painting and my new found desire to stitch together colorful fabrics.

I'm sketching while the taking heads on TV sound like the adults in a Charlie Brown cartoon. Gay pride month is June and I am reminded that its time to put the flag out. I scribble and think about a quilted version of the flag. Quickly, I ink down a flag fluttering in the wind. Then water-color the stripes. The next step is to draw a life-size version on which I added acrylic colors. (The results are posted above.)

I'm not yet sure where this will all go. Maybe I should just follow the passion. I'll keep you posted.

Leaning in that direction, I bought the web site name Rainbow Quilt Studio. The website will manifest itself sometime in the future.

The Painted Star No. 1

Star No. 1

Yesterday I traveled to Bowie to take a long-arm quilting training class at Special Occasion Quilts (http://soquilts.com). Julia has a wonderful APQS Millennium. She makes her own fabulous quilts and rents out time on her machine for aspiring long-arm quilters. I've decided to stoke my quilting desire and will be going back for more.

So, while I am working on completing the project of the year, which I hope to be finished by the end of August, I will also be working on smaller pieces to practice my machine-quilting skills.

This (smaller than my preferred work) wall-hanging sized piece, Star No. 1 (36.5"x40.5"), is made from a light weight muslin. I need practice with my "traditional piecing" skills as well.

My intention here is to quilt this piece and then paint on its surface. I have previously pieced painted fabric, but this time I will be painting after the quilt is assembled. I'll show you my progress in two episodes: once, after it is quilted and then again after it is painted.

Half Way Point

Are you as excited as I am. I have reached my goal--the midway point.

Thought I'd Share This

Bow Tie Quilt
74"x86"
(date and maker unknown)

I found this while shopping. Its just the quilt top, but i thought it a bargain at $35. I can practice my stitching skills and get a lighter weight spring/fall quilt made much more quickly.

Next week I'm going to take a long arm class. Maybe I can get this one quilted before I get serious about how to quilt the Size Queen.

Visualize Quilted Peice

The eyes are coming into view now. Four more 12"x12" blocks to be made and the halfway point will be achieved. Yay! I'm Glad its pouring down rain today... gives me a reason to stay inside and get some work done. The Wednesday deadline is looming. Hope is in the air.

I Haven't Decided yet

But I do know who it won't be.

Size Queen Update

Little by little progress is being made. The quilt is now almost half way done. I am getting more and more excited. there is COLOR in the design now. I am truly biting my lip to get to the brilliant red lipstick!

My goal is to finish the last ten blocks of the first half before Wednesday next week. If i get the next row fished you will get to see the red lip stick...

I guess I'll have to move the furniture soon...

Quilt Block - Sophomoric Clock

Sophomoric Clock or Dic-Doc
(quilt block pattern)
© 2008 Mark Patro




Sophomoric Clock or Dic-Doc
(Blanket pattern)
© 2008 Mark Patro

December 2006

Advent
© 2006 Mark Patro
36"x48"

Keeping a Watchful Eye

For those of you keeping a watchful eye on my progress with Size Queen. Here's a little more...

Silence is Their Tool

Silence is Their Tool
(Different Does Not Equal Deficient)
© 2008 Mark Patro
8"x11"

People in same sex relationships are denied complete equality under the law of the United States solely because of xenophobic and homophobic reasons which are primarily justified by ancient religious cultural language and doctrine which places more respect on tradition than on human dignity. Speak up.

Will You Take This Man
© 2008 Mark Patro
2.75"x3.75"

The Weight of the World
© 2008 Mark Patro
36 " x 39"

(The following words are written on the surface of the painting.)

"The world is not perfect. I am not perfect. You are not perfect because your mother is not perfect. Her teachers were not perfect. Religion is far from perfect. Your father and my father are not perfect. There are many things in this world that will never be perfect. All we can do is whatever we do. The burden of the world is that we want it perfect in our own way. It will never happen. We can, however, work toward it."

Quilted Betty

Quilted Betty
8"x10"

Good Tuesday Morning

Quilted Painting #1 (iteration 2)
© 2008 Mark Patro
16 " x 16"

Friday's effort

Yesterday I worked on developing some painted fabrics to use in "Size Queen." They are intentionally simple because they will be used in the shadow side of the face.

These plain muslin fabrics were "painted" by mixing several acrylic paint colors together and diluting them with water. Some of the spots materialize by not completely mixing the paint. Some of spots were added and allowed to dissolve into the wet fabric.

This process reflects how the color fields in my quilt evolve. Using two similarly colored fabrics, sometimes commercially available, and sometimes personally painted, I cut them into strips about 1 1/2" wides and sew them together alternately. Then I cut the sewn together strips into 1 1/2" wide strips (ninety degrees to the original cut) and sew them together in a checker board pattern. The third image is the result.

More Progress on "Size Queen"

I'm not writing much right now, just cutting, sewing, ironing and sometimes coloring fabric. Three of the twelve rows are now complete. My aim is to get another row done by Wednesday...

this will give you an idea of the scale of this work...

Quilted Painting #1

Quilted Painting #1
© 2008 Mark Patro
11 " x 12"

Equality = Mutual Respect

To start the weekend off I've decided to "play" with an idea from sketches in my notebook. The first image was literally a "doodle" while watching campaign TV...at this point TIRESOME campaign TV. This sketch was made the day after Barak Obama's speech on racism in America. Consequently "Equality" was on my mind. This is the first sketch:

After thinking about this concept for a few days while working on other things, I thought about how the colors and patterns might affect the message it presents.

Since "Gay Marriage" (o.k., o.k.)....Same-Sex Marriage (don't want to leave any one out) has been on my mind in an art-work kind of way recently. The colors in the Gay Pride flag just banged me on my head when I visited the People's Place Quilt Museum in Intercourse, Pennsylvania. (An amazing place if you are at all interested in sewing, Fabric or quilts.) The display in their window was a delightful moment.


This is their web site if you are interested:
http://www.ppquiltmuseum.com/

Anyway, I bought a few fat quarters of the window-displayed group of fabrics. It was so handy of them to put all the colors in one prepackaged group!

Bringing them home motivated another drawing in my sketch book:
As you can see I have decided to make this piece more about Marriage and Equality than simply about Gay Marriage.

Equality here is the primary emphasis behind the meaning of this work.