Dena Crain: Artist/Teacher in Kenya

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH, 12″ x 12″

Each Spirit Work has a story, and this one is no exception. Because these pieces are quilted first without prior design, then hand painted to add color, each design comes from my subconscious. To learn more about the making of Spirit Works, visit the Gallery and follow the links you will find there to see other pieces in the series.

Lately, what has been uppermost in my conscious as well as subconscious mind is the loss of some of my favorite jewelry. We were robbed by a thief, someone we know but cannot prove his involvement. Taken were some of my favorite earrings, lovely pieces that were all gifts to me.

This small work illustrates my mental state in a way that permits me to make something positive out of the experience. Theft can happen at any time, in any place, in any manner and to anyone. None of us is immune from violation by our fellow human beings. So sad - we consider ourselves higher on the evolutionary scale than other animals, yet sometimes our behavior is far worse than theirs.

Nevertheless, these stolen items are mere things, objects of no consequence in terms of the importance of life and death. I shall survive this loss, and something good will come of it for me, I’m sure.

“Diamond in the Rough” will be for sale at auction by Studio Art Quilt Associates in their One-Foot Square Auction in November, 2008. For more information, visit SAQA

MOON DANCE, 13 1/2″ x 13 1/2″

Quilted without prior design, then hand painted, each of my Spirit Works pieces has a story behind it. In this case, the story is a small one, to match the size of the quilt.

Full moon can be spectacular at Lake Baringo. The moon rises, of course, in the east over the Laikipia Escarpment which rises sharply above that side of the Lake. Its rays shine down on the lake in an ever broadening splash of light more than a thousand feet below the lip of the escarpment. Clear, star-filled skies are subdued by the moon’s brilliance, and the Lake lies placidly at her feet. The village sleeps, and all is quiet but for the soft breezes through the acacia trees. Truly, full moon at Baringo is an awe-inspiring experience!

However, the moon works its magic on all the little creatures and plants under our feet as well. Some flowers here blossom only at night, their lovely heads closing quickly against the sun’s harsh glare. Insects, arthropods, worms - all those creatures for whom the sun is anathema - appear and flourish, seen only when the moon is full and your patience is high. The beauty of this world largely escapes us, unseen during the normal course of our own busy lives.

“Moon Dance” captures the essence of this underworld on a night when the moon is full and the underbrush teems with silent life. I hope it conveys to you some sense of the mysterious and the beautiful.

To see other Spirit Works and learn more about the processes involved in making one of these lovely pieces, visit the Gallery and explore the links you will find there.

Students at Quilt University have been taking my online quilt design class, Darned Quilts, in record numbers. I have been very pleased about that, so much so that I have set up a Yahoo! Group for Darned Quilts alumnae.

Those who have joined the Yahoo! Group are quilters who have been seriously inspired by the concepts of Darned Quilting. They have applied the methods and techniques they learned in my class as they have moved forth in their own creative ventures. The quilts you will see in this online quilt art exhibition are the product of their efforts.

Each artist worked independently but in community with others who appreciate the possibilities of Darned Quilts. Their work typifies the kinds of explorations in the media which can be undertaken by using Darned Quilting methods.

I sincerely hope you will enjoy seeing these wonderful works of art, and that you will want to join the increasing numbers of quilters who are working with the methods and concepts of Darned Quilts! Be sure to view all four pages of the Best Darned Quilts, as the best of the best is not necessarily on the first page!

If you would like to purchase any of these fine works of art, contact me and I will put you in touch with the artist.

Find more information on Darned Quilts online quiltdesign classes at Quilt University. See you there!

SOLAR POWER, 42″ x 25″, Cheri Norris

The Rahimtulla Museum of Modern Art in Nairobi, Kenya, has moved house!

Previously, RaMoMA rented space in the Rahimtulla Towers on Upper Hill Road, near the British High Commission building, to house their gallery and a tiny storage area. That space served them well for many years, but the time had come to expand and that meant moving out!

Now the artists and administrators are comfortably settling into their new permanent home on 2nd Parklands Road, just down from Sarit Centre in Westlands. I attended the opening, and was pleased to see that the building is gorgeous and a fantastic venue for the work displayed there.

Part of the new facility includes a wonderful new Gallery Shop. It’s a perfect place to find small works of art, special things at reasonable prices. Donna Donahoo, the shop’s manager, has recently accepted some of my Cherished Treasures for sale there.

My works now on display and for sale in the Gallery Shop include:

If these pieces sell well, I shall be delivering new ones to the RaMoMA Gallery Shop in coming weeks.

To learn more about RaMoMA and the contemporary art scene in Nairobi, check out Msanii. You can contact RaMoMA by email at ramoma@africaonline.co.ke or by telephone at +254 (0)2 374861278.

The next couple of months are going to be busy ones for me at Quilt University. Because I will be traveling and teaching at international quilt festivals during the second half of the year, all my teaching for Quilt University for 2008 has been squeezed into the first half.

Classes opening soon include:

• Designer Pinwheels - May 24
• Math for Quilters - June 7
• Reflections - June 14
• Darned Quilts - June 28
• Structured Fabrics - July 5

Registration for these and all Quilt University online quilt design classes opens on Saturday, 5 weeks in advance of the class opening date. Classes fill quickly, so mark your calendar for the opening days of registration and for the class opening dates as well.

See you at Quilt University!