Yesterday was like a dream day. My friend Karen and I visited the Ridgefield Guild of Artists’ current shows and, after about two hours of eye-to-brain awesomeness, we left, nearly speechless due to being so full of the many thoughts engendered by what we had just seen.
Dayna Wenzel, whose solo exhibition is in the upstairs gallery, met us and a few others and gave us a tour of her show, Nature Unraveled. Dayna creates exquisite sculptural pieces which are composed of natural materials which are often juxtaposed with found objects which others might define as rusty old debris! The results are simply beautiful, as you can see in the piece above.
Having Dayna lead us through her exhibit was quite a treat. No matter how much I may be drawn to a work of art, there is always a heightened level of appreciation that happens in talking with the artist. We learned a lot about Dayna’s process, how she spends lots of time outdoors, experiencing nature with her dog at her side, and scavenging things that go others never even "see" until they lay eyes upon her constructions.
Many of her dried flower heads and pods come from her own garden, which makes me want to see it because I’ll bet it is gorgeous. She also has quite a collection of wasp nests. Now, I would love to get my hands a one of those gorgeous, papery globes but I never see them. Dayna, on the other hand, will tell you they are to be found everywhere! (Note to self: Less couch, more woods.)
After our really special visit with Dayna, we headed downstairs to wander through the current show, By a Thread: The Fine Art of Fiber. The collection of works, curated by Nancy Moore, is a wonderful offering of fiber art from some of Connecticut’s most exciting fiber artists at work today.
Here are but a very few pieces I enjoyed seeing on yesterday’s visit.
FRANCINE EVEN :: SMALL WEAVINGS :: LEFT :: PETITE CHOSE #11 :: WOOL, RAW SILK, LINEN, WAXED LINEN. RIGHT :: HARMONY :: HAND-DYED EUROFLAX LINEN.
I love Francine’s display of small weavings. I forgot to count, but there must have been about twenty of them, each one beautifully displayed in simple 8 1/4" x 10 1/2" shadowbox frames. If I were buying, I’d want to buy one (or more) of these. I would have a very hard time choosing which one to buy.
JENNIFER COYNE QUDEEN :: THE RED BOAT :: TEABAGS, DIGITAL PRINT OF PHOTO TAKEN BY THE ARTIST, THREAD
Jennifer’s massive wall hanging - 71" x 54" - is a definite show-stopper. Visitors yesterday couldn't help but gather in front of it and ooh and ah. Lucky for us, Jennifer was there to tell us all about this tantalizing piece made from tea bags.
LIZ ALPERT FAY :: POCKET FULL OF CHANGE :: HAND-DYED RECYCED WOOL, PEARL COTTON, BUTTONS
Of course I had to stop and gasp at Liz’s 54" x 60" quilted wall hanging. That’s a lot of pennies!
Another piece by Francine, this one larger (23" x 23"), quite colorful, and hooked rather than woven. She is a woman of many talents.
SHEILA HICKS :: COLZA REEVE :: COTTON, SILK, LINEN
What a gem this little piece is, by Sheila Hicks. I think it’s why we have the phrase, "Oh, my God!" I just love it. I forgot to measure it, but it’s small - about 8" x 12" or thereabouts.
DAYNA WENZEL :: IT STARTS WITH A SEED :: DRIED RUSSIAN SAGE STEMS, RECYCLED TEXTILES, THREAD (PHOTO COURTESY THE ARTIST)
I’ll end with a "start" from Dayna’s upstairs show. Isn’t it just lovely?
If you are anywhere near Ridgefield, CT, I hope you’ll make a trip to see these two very inspiring shows of fiber art, each of which will remain on display through June 19.
NOTE: I apologize for the less than stellar quality of my photos. I meant to bring my camera but ended up having to use my iPhone.