Life in Abstraction

I am extremely happy to announce that my piece, Life In Abstraction, has been selected as one of the 45 art quilts to tour as the Shifting Tides: Convergence in Cloth - SAQA Show from 2019 - 2021.  The show debuts in California to coincide with the SAQA National Conference. The show then tours via museums and galleries in Alaska, California, Canada, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

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©2018, Amanda Snavely, All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Sam Garnett

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Detail of Life in Abstraction

©2018, Amanda Snavely, All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Sam Garnett

Tour Schedule from SAQA’s website as of January 2019:

First Venue:
Venue Name: Works/San Jose
Address: 365 South Market Street, San Jose, California 95113
Exhibition Run Dates: April 19 – May 5, 2019

Venue Name: Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum
Address: 703 South 2nd Street, La Conner, Washington 98257
Exhibition Run Dates: June 1 – August 24, 2019

Venue Name: Chehalem Cultural Center
Address: 415 East Sheridan Street, Newberg, Oregon 97132
Exhibition Run Dates: March 1 – April 24, 2020

Venue Name: Wailoa Center, State Parks, DLNR
Address: 200 Piopio Street, Hilo, Hawai’i
Exhibition Run Dates: July 1 – July 30, 2020

Venue Name: International Gallery of Contemporary Art
Address: 427 “D” Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Exhibition Run Dates: August 26 – September 30, 2020

Venue Name: Pratt Museum
Address: 3779 Bartlett Street, Homer, Alaska 99603
Exhibition Run Dates: October 1 – 31, 2020

Venue Name: Visions Art Museum
Address: 2825 Dewey Road, Suite 100, San Diego, California 92106
Exhibition Run Dates: January 1 – April 4. 2021

Venue Name: Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
Address: 165 Forest Avenue, Pacific Grove 93950
Exhibition Run Dates: July 1 – September 30, 2021 (working dates)

Metamorphosis - SAQA Global Show

I am extremely happy to announce that my piece, Unveiled Existence, has been selected as one of the 25 art quilts to tour as the Metamorphosis - SAQA Global Show from 2018 - 2021.  The show opens at the International Quilt Festival - Houston, Texas in November 2018.  The Metamorphosis show then continues on to other venues including the International Quilt Festival - Chicago, Illinois in April 2019.  

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Unveiled Existence

38.5" x 33"

Silk Organza, Loosely Woven Fabric, Cotton Thread, Metallic Thread, Polyester Thread

Photo By: Sam Garnett

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Detail of Unveiled Existence

Photo By: Sam Garnett

Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) is an international organization that promotes art quilts.  

An art quilt is defined by SAQA as “a creative visual work that is layered and stitched or that references this form of stitched layered structure”.

The word "references" allows for a broader understanding of the art quilt that welcomes growth and development of individual style. This may include:  

• more 3D work and work in media other than fiber/textile/fabric/cloth

• techniques and materials not found in traditional quilting

• framed, unframed, bound, and unbound work

                                                                               - Definition from SAQA website

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Detail of Unveiled Existence

Photo By: Sam Garnett

Detail of Unveiled Existence

Photo By: Sam Garnett

View fullsize

Detail of Unveiled Existence

Photo By: Sam Garnett

Unveiled Existence consists of numerous layers of hand dyed silk organza.  A loosely woven fabric is used as the middle layer to add another level of texture.  I also used both silk screen and discharge processes to alter the hand dyed  silk organza.  The top layer is embellished with hand stitching using a variety of threads.  

Ice Dyeing

Saturday was a fabulous day of experimenting with ice dyeing with Sheryl LeBlanc and Judith Quinn Garnett.

The process steps we referred to for this experiment were from Linda Johansen.

Prewash fabric with Synthrapol if it is not PFD fabric.

Make a Soda Ash Solution:

• 1 Cup of Soda Ash
• 1/2 Cup of Salt
• 1 Gallon (16 cups) warm water

Stir until dissolved.

Soak the fabric in the Soda Ash Solution for 10 minutes.  Wring out fabric.  Scrunch, pleat, or fold the fabric as desired and shove it in a small (32 oz. ideal) clear container.  Clear containers allow you to see the dye penetration.  The tighter the fabric is gathered the more crackling and resist.  Break up a bag of ice in to small pieces (as small as possible).  Cover the fabric in the containers with a layer of ice.  Immediately sprinkle dry MX dye powders on the ice (roughly 1/4tsp or more per color).  Wait for the ice to melt.  Rinse.  Final wash in machine with Synthrapol.

I use Dharma's MX dyes primarily and have referenced my samples with their dye color numbers (unless otherwise noted as a ProChem Dye).

Silk Organza - Truffle Brown (135), Azure (56), Golden Brown (113)

Silk Organza - Truffle Brown (135), Azure (56), Golden Brown (113)

Silk Organza - Truffle Brown (135), Azure (56), Golden Brown (113)

Silk Organza - Musk Melon (ProChem 200), Deep Orange (6), Rust Orange (8)

Silk Organza - Musk Melon (ProChem 200), Deep Orange (6), Rust Orange (8)

PFD Cotton Sheeting - Brazil Nut (116), Buttescotch (ProChem 115), Truffle Brown (135)

PFD Cotton Sheeting - Avoacdo (33), Moss Green (134), Bronze (37)

PFD Cotton Sheeting - 

PFD Cotton Sheeting - 

PFD Cotton Sheeting - Maroon (16), Black Cherry (111), Fog (L-14)

PFD Cotton Sheeting - Bronze (37), Eggplant (115), Black Cherry (111)

PFD Cotton Sheeting - Gun Metal Grey (150), Charcoal (41), Storm Grey (Pro Chem 6160)

PFD Cotton Sheeting - Black Cherry (111), Plum (19)