Foreclosure Quilt : Albuquerque, New Mexico

II hope everyone is having a nice holiday break this week! One of the things I think we are losing is the ability to relax and take a few days off every now and then. I managed to squeeze in one more foreclosure quilt before taking this week off and wrapping up a phenomenal year. There has been a sudden jump in foreclosures in the Southwest so my next few pieces will be focused on this region. This piece is of a newer neighborhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Albuquerque Foreclosure Quilt, 2011. 35" x 47"

This is one of my larger pieces at 35" x 47". I chose to zoom out of the neighborhood a bit  so you could see the large scale of foreclosures. You can find neighborhoods that look like this in pretty much any town in the United States these days. Clearly something is wrong but not much is being done about it.

Albuquerque Foreclosure Quilt detail, 2011. 35" x 47"

Most of the newer developments of Alburquerque are comprised of large scale arterial roads set up in a grid with smaller neighborhood streets curving around within them. Not the most pedestrian friendly way to live with those busy roads everywhere. The blue areas are either civic (schools, libraries, etc.) or unbuilt right of way (culverts, creeks, etc).

Albuquerque Foreclosure Quilt detail, 2011. 35" x 47"

All of the materials I used on this piece were scraps I had lying around in the studio. My next piece, Phoenix, is well under way and should be finished early next month. You might have seen a sneak peek in a recent post. I feel a sudden burst to make more quilts after reading all the news lately around the mortgage crisis.

Thank you Lari for pointing out this recent 60 Minutes segment on Cleveland, Ohio. One of my recent pieces was on Cleveland. Jim Rokakis has spearheaded so many projects there, he's an unsung hero in my book.

Foreclosure Quilts in New American Paintings

My work's in print! My foreclosure quilts are included in New American Paintings: Pacific Coast Issue 97.

Image courtesy of New American Paintings

As some of you know, this is a very popular national competition so it's quite a coup to have your work accepted. Only forty are chosen out of thousands of entries. I almost didn't enter since my work has predominantly fiber. But the entry details said they were looking for any medium as long as it was mostly 2D. I'm glad I went for it.

Image courtesy of New American Paintings

The funny thing is very few mixed media artists are represented which I found a bit strange. I think that actually makes my work stand out more. Alas, no pictures of my pages yet as I have to wait for foggy days to photograph.

Image courtesy of New American Paintings

Check out their blog page to see the full list of artists included. There's quite a lot of talented artists out here on the left, ahem, I mean west coast. The magazine is available in most major bookstores as well as those wonderful small, local bookstores (which is really where you should be shopping anyway!).

work table : Albuquerque and Phoenix

I don't know about you but when December hits, I go full swing in the studio. Something about nearing the year's end sets me off in a panic and I try to finish as many projects as I can before the holiday break. This is also a time of year, like most people, I reflect on what I've done over the past year.

work wall with Phoenix (left) and Albuquerque (right) in progress.

Having had a few sales of my foreclosure quilts (yeah!) means I don't have as many to pieces to enter into shows and galleries and that sets me off in a panic. What is really important to me about these quilts is to create as many as are needed and get them out into the public. This month and next, the foreclosure quilts will be featured in two magazines, Uppercase and New American Paintings. This means I need to have some new work to share with a broader audience.

Albuquerque in progress (detail).

Foreclosures are picking up in the Southwest again so I've spent this December studying New Mexico and Arizona. What I've found is shocking and doesn't take more than a few clicks on the internet to see just how severe foreclosures are there. The foreclosures are incredibly widespread in these cities. No neighborhood has been left unaffected but there are certainly focused pockets of devastation.

Phoenix in progress (detail).

I've discovered more data is being openly published about home sales throughout the US which brings to light even more foreclosures than are obvious on the maps from RealtyTrac.

Phoenix fabric study.

For example, what seems like an honest sale on the map, is really just a flip from one bank to another. Hmmm, is someone making money off of this? Of course! It's still happening and there is no regulation in sight to put a stop to it. To read the latest on the mortgage crisis, head over to my foreclosure series page and find links to the latest articles. Gretchen Morgenson has some new insights that are certainly worth reading.

Artist : Ana Hagopian

I learned of paper artist Ana Hagopian in Handmade Home which I featured last week. Two small images of her work appeared in the book but they instantly caught my eye.

necklace:tulip. Image from Ana Hagopian

Her intricate pieces can barely be called jewelry, they are much more works of art, no? 

necklace:blueberry. Image from Ana Hagopian.

The photography of her work certainly adds to their power. Dark, moody images capturing every texture of the delicate paper and reminding you that this is a designer based in Spain. Can't you just see those bold southern European women wearing her jewelry best?

necklace:snake. Image from Ana Hagopian.

She also has many light-hearted pieces, earings and rings that are so charming and delicate.

earrings:snow white. Image from Ana Hagopian.

The colors are rich and pure. I would love to know where she sources her paper and if she dyes it herself. The mix of blue and purple above is hauntingly beautiful and this coral is so intense.

necklace:coral. Image from Ana Hagopian.

Ana has her atelier in Barcelona and shows her work throughout the rest of Europe. Here's a peek of her space.

Image from Ana Hagopian.

She has many, many more pieces featured on her website (it was SO hard to choose which pieces to include here). She also has a new catalogue of her work available as a pdf here.

Noticed: Fog Linen Work on Handful of Salt

I've got another article over at the amazing Handful of Salt. I just can't get enough Fog Linen Work. Head on over and check it out.

Image courtesy of Fog Linen Work

Also, while you're there, check out the Handful of Salt holiday guide for some quality gift ideas. It's the best guide of quality craft I've seen!