let me explain

I loved this fountain in a park in Madrid. The woman seems to be saying "Wait, wait! let me explain!" It has a background of stone with carved letters in Spanish. Someone took the time to underline the word "catolica?" It intrigued me enough to try to translate it via Google Translate (always a fun experiment). I got this:

Everything passes, one thing you will be told and it is your job well done. Noble is the man calls and just who every day renveva her. Excitement, wise, to discover the order of the world, including the irony is responsible father, and service mission patricia, political, must be Catholic. That is, universal, apostolic, ie chosen, Roman, ie one. Also a culture free state of solidarity in space and continuity in time that everything is not tradition is plagiarism sin nature, are sickly leisure and solitude. Let each io cultivate that angelic graces him in friendship and dialogue.

Admittedly a bit foreign, eh? Love that phrase:

"Let each to cultivate that angelic graces him in friendship and dialogue."

Maybe I need to get a real translator to help me understand. What kind of animal is that exactly?

Letting the sky in

Sky roof, Madrid

I love how the architect of this art museum remembered that the most beautiful visions can sometimes be over our heads. Seen in Madrid at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, devoted to modern art. The museum was brimming with some of my favorite artists: Miro, Picasso, Gris, Calder and Braque.

3D printing in Barcelona

Saturated with history, Barcelona is the home of Gaudi, a master architect with brilliant, wacky and radical vision. We were lucky enough to tour several of his buildings while visiting. The ultimate was Sagrada Familia, his masterpiece basilica in the center of Barcelona. It is a world heritage site. The building is still being built according to his plans and will not be completed until at least 2026. A perfect example of "more is more"

One surprising thing was the use of 3D printing to recreate some of his designs at scale for the architects and builders. An interesting juxtaposition of the old with the new. 

Not in

My Insomnia piece did not make it into the Quilt Visions juried show. I admit I am a little disappointed yet it also gives me an opportunity to think about other ways to show this work. I don't have many pieces that represent my latest directions in stitching. This is one of them and I have several others I want to pursue. I think I may take some time to work on other pieces with the goal of creating a show. For now I am taking a break from all of it. Returning to the studio in April.

time away

I spent a delightful weekend in Little Rock meeting many SAQA members (and potential SAQA members) at the Southern Voices regional exhibit. The folks there were gracious with their praise of my work and eager to talk about art and quilts and how sometimes they are the same thing. 

Upon my return I walked into my studio to see this work in progress with slightly new eyes. It's about 80% done...I think...but still lacks something. Not sure what that is yet. So I wlll let it stew for awhile. Many of my pieces go through this rest time. It is always a challenge to reinvigorate my excitement about a piece after I leave it for awhile. There are times when the piece gets put away for months only to reemerge with new life later. This one may be one of those. 

I do love those scallop edges though. 

work in progress, Connections, Paula Kovarik