a new gee's bend...

i thought, well the holidays are coming, i should do something special in the studio....a new piece of some sort...then it struck me a new gee's bend piece would be not only a creative challenge but so special this time of year...so as my fingers went page to page, talking to my mom all the way in florida over the phone saying, 'what do you think of this one, what about this one (for she too has her own book)', i finally decided...

the new piece is named: Qunnie after the quilter Qunnie Pettway who was born in 1943. the piece that inspired me was her 'housetop' quilt, circa 1975.

here's a small glimpse of the area of gee's bend where she lives; taken from 'the quilts of gee's bend'...(2002 Tinwood Books). Qunnie is on the right in this photo.

"The neighborhood has been home to many of the area's most important quiltmakers. On one of its streets, a little dogleg land of no more than 600 feet, in Roosevelt-era 'project' houses, live Leola Pettway, Lucy T. "Lunky" Pettway, Annie Bell Pettway, Arlonzia Pettway, and Lizzie Major. There will be no ongoing legacy here: the youngest quiltmakers in Sodom, and the only two even moderately active ones, are Rita Mae Pettway and Qunnie Pettway, ages sixty and fifty-nine.

tonight as i was reading through the book gathering information and searching the internet for more history on Qunnie, I sadly came to her recent obituary. i was truly saddened for this life that is now gone, but her work and inspirations will live on. my new game board takes on an even more special tone to me, for i hope i did her proud...

Qunnie Pettway:

"The great-granddaughter of Dinah Miller who is said to have arrived in the United States aboard a slave ship from Africa - the Clotilde which docked in Mobile Bay, Alabama prior to the Civil War. Qunnie learned to quilt House Tops under the tutelage of her mother, Candis Pettway. In 1960 after she married, she found her unique artistic voice and began making patterned quilts including Wedding Ring - which she learned from her sister - Chestnut Bud, Bear Paw and Crazy Z. Qunniea’s daughter, Loretta P. Bennett is one of the youngest quilters actively creating extraordinary quilts today."

the painted piece is on the drying racks...it will be a week or so before i can post my 'inspired gee's bend' game board...

to see other game boards, here's my link: dallison.squarespace.com

and after hours and hours of waiting....

(painting by: baret boisson, american artist)

the President of the United States of America, the Commander in Chief, the 44th American President - in other words, the top dog...came through our little town, made a quick stop and headed down the mountain...



i cannot tell you how exciting this happening was for all of us, for nothing like this ever, and i mean ever happens up here. schools were let out early, children were gathered, fed and hauled back out to line the streets.

helicopters, state troopers, sheriff and police cars, hummed by with lights and sirens blaring....(and i pretty much can say, that our local departments had sirens on for just the thrill of it, for they were running up and down the streets an hour before the motorcade arrived). boys will be boys at any age...

so i packed up eli, and my friends 3 boys and headed to an empty building at the beginning of town...knowing if he took any turn at all, we wouldn't miss him....the police stopped by and blocked it off and therefore us in, but said that we could stay there, i guess he probably thought 4 boys, and took mercy...

an hour went by, then more, then more cars with sirens....and finally the bus turned the curve....we jumped (well not me), up and down, waved madly (yep, that was me), and in all of 4 minutes it was over...

a moment of history captured in these young boys hearts....forever

i doubt there will ever be another President to come through, but you never know...we did show him our southern mountain hospitality at the candy barrel though, and eli did hold up the painting that baret boisson did for him that hangs in his room....so maybe he will pass the word on....

if you need some fall or winter color for your home, here's my link: diane allison-stroud

and as i opened the box...

i know exactly how each and every one of you feel when you open your door and find to your glee a box of carefully packed game boards for your home....the excitement of cutting the tapes, pulling out the stuffing until finally you reach the piece that you had envisioned...holding it up before you, looking at every detail....and oh my you must think, color!

i too....excitedly opened my box, with a smile from ear to ear....my heart pounding in glee, for i had no idea, not really, what mylette had painted for me....and as i pulled, tugged and it finally gave in to me, my eyes danced with happiness, as i giggled with my new love....

belle ~ in all her splendor...!

mylette welch

hit the target of our belle....from lying on my favorite pillows on the couch, to the bling heart necklace eli bought her for valentines day....and please note that slight curve of her mouth, for she is smiling; you may beg to differ saying, dogs don't smile, but i have watched her do this a thousand times and she really is using extra muscles to pull her mouth into a smile for me....the colors are simply stated; amazing, the technique of mylette's work is full of depth and our hearts combined, how else could she see it so clearly?....i couldn't have been more surprised nor elated with her vision of our belle...




when eli asked me to tell mylette that belle 'needed' a jeweled crown, mylette explained to me that she has found that it is better not to 'dress' our 'loved ones' for she said she has found that people tire of that overtime....and she didn't want us to tire of belle's portrait....eli understood this - an artist is an artist and they hold on to their beliefs...so he was ok with it...

so you can imagine eli's surprise when he helped unwrap belle's portrait and found to his delight a jeweled crown of hearts....fitting in so many ways...

there is nothing like a boy and his dog....

thank you so very very much mylette - you have captured belle's heart intermingled with ours....

please check out mylette's studio/website, i bet you will begin to smile...

Mylette Welch

goodbye sweet sweet summer...

yes, i do have to say goodbye to the sweetest of summers...as much as i want to fight the next season from coming, just a bit longer...i must say goodbye.






life has changed drastically in just a week for school has started and football season has started...need i s-p-e-l-l it all out....you know exactly what i mean. schedules, papers and more schedules...organization, rules and no more running amuck.





humfff....i do get a bit of rebel going on in me still at my age, for our leisurely evenings have changed to watching the clock and repeating myself to 'you know who', shower, read, bed, homework and on and on.








but i'm optimistic this year ~ i think all will be well and everyone will enjoy the upcoming fall season...and i will be snuggling myself in the studio painting at a nice and easy pace...and in the back of my mind i am thinking of winter...and preparing for it...as i sit here and stretch like a cat, i am thinking of what's to come...and trying not to...





the great news in the studio today is that finally the round game boards AND the chinese checkers are now available. these are really my favorite pieces to make and i think it's for the sheer reason that they are so difficult to finish, but when they are done, WOW, i just love them. i love the chinese checker pieces because they have texture and they take me back to when i was a little girl playing on the floor with my grandpa...i guess no matter how old we are we can go back and be 5 again, even if it's just for a little while...








if you are in need of some color for your home or a gift, here's my link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com

losing time, or is it summer?

as the days have grown longer, i seem to be misplacing time....it's been nearly a month since my last blog and i have a list that is growing longer and longer about whats going on in the studio, in the appalachian mountains, in my life as a mom and wife...artists to feature, photos to share....



summer i guess has just slowed me down from my 'normal' order of things...my schedule is here and there...and 'playtime' has been stealing me away from my little world of art....there is truly something unforgettable about making s'mores with friends over the fire pit; having a potluck on the 4th and viewing fireworks from the yard with friends; children playing with sparklers while the older ones light fireworks (snuck across the border) with hubby...these will be the days that they will remember for many years to come...there is truly nothing more beautiful than summer in the mountains, it makes you forget your have responsibilities altogether...and i'm loving that!




a birthday has come and gone....phew, hard to believe i'm 52 already....so i felt the need to paint my toenails cotton candy?










here are some photos of your collections; i just love it when you send these to me, i can feel part of your home and life:





(that's my room above, yep i do love purple and pink!)

it amazes me that we have so many different styles; yet game boards look so beautiful in each and every room...art makes our homes 'us'....when my friend comes over she always says that walking through my house is so fun for her; every corner has someones art, it is what makes our home 'us and unique...

ok, that's my first step into the blogging waters again....i have much more to share; next week though...

if you are in need of color or art, here's my link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com

thank you for our independence...

my dad sent me this video....
it will make you cry....
tears = human...

this video is by Lizzie Palmer





"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

new summer game board for your collection...

for months and months i've wanted to create this reproduction piece....i actually had planned on having it for my 1st web show...but as life does every now and then, it interrupted...but summer is now here and it is the most fun season of the year for me....freedom freedom and more freedom...which then, as you know, just encourages more fun and creative things to happen...

i wanted to do a new piece to celebrate summer, and thought this was the perfect time to make it...i absolutely loved the original piece, but i was unable to find the date on any research that i sought...but based on the auction price from 2003, i would have to state it was probably from the 1800's.

the above piece was auctioned by new york's christie's in 2003, it was originally from the rose anna and john kolar's collection. the kolar's felt that christie's had the track record when it came to auctioning pennsylvania german folk art. game boards were winners at this auction, "the most expensive one (above) boldly juxtaposed pinwheels with mondrianlike grids of color", as it was described from an article.


the original piece sold for $41,825.

my rendition of this piece takes on a slightly different mood, a little deeper and a little richer. my original intent was to have a 'bright summery' feel, to the piece, but later found that my piece was less light hearted and more intense...it had more depth and a story to tell....








i spoke to a new artist friend of mine; carlin davis, about my thoughts of the piece and this is what she had to say:





"Summer is vibrant but it also has its peaceful, lush, restful places, too. Places where you can have a respite from the breath-snatching heat and humidity and relax in the soft shadows and cool burbling waters."



and i liked that - her interpretation of summer is really mine as well, for i might 'think and visualize' bright color and play, but what i really see are all of the shades of summer....







there are so many shades to summer...summer to me is awaiting and then breathing in the new blooms in my garden, days of swimming at the town pool, hikes in the shade of the mountains and sitting under my massive oak trees in the shade....so in my initial disappointment of not creating what was in my mind, i created what was before my eyes....thanks for that insight carlin...




"shades of summer" is a limited edition of only 10 pieces.....warm shades of olive yellow, dark forest green, black, rose, pink and a golden yellow



19" x 19" - limited edition of 10 pieces (only 7 still available)
$245.00 + shipping

just email me or give me a call if you would like to order one for your home....

dianeallison@charter.net


or if you would like to browse my site for another piece to collect, here's your link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com

summer is officially here....

(in my mind) at least... all morning eli has informed me the following; this is my last day of elementary school, this is my last day of recess, this is my last day my last day my last day....

eli is so ready for summer break to start - for normally he's one of those kids that absolutely is pointed to details; especially grades...i asked him, do you know what your grades are, no, he answered, which in itself is very odd for him for he is always searching for perfection in himself...but he's thinking swimming, hiking, going down the rapids, building a tree house, baseball, going to see the crawdads play...certainly not grades, not today!

i am ready for summer....no bedtime, no get-up time, no anything time...just endless summer time to do as we choose...and maybe a nap or two under the breezy window...

the whole family spent the day in the flower garden this weekend....it had been neglected for years...at one time it was a 'perennial' garden full of beautiful blooms, but after all of the good intentions were never fulfilled it turned into an overgrown garden of rarely anything but green....so things were dug up, moved and planted...now we can enjoy the upcoming years of delphiniums, hollyhocks and black eyed susans blooming and spreading year after year...

in the studio....as you know i'm diligently finishing up every ones game boards and having a fun time painting all the designs... i will be shipping artwork to texas, illinois, new york and utah tomorrow...and onto other parts of the country next week...can't thank you all enough for your support...i absolutely love what i'm doing...

the feel of the studio is optimism at it's best, everything is perfectly timed...and meant to be exactly how it is...a smooth groove i could say...off to a new mindset, called SUMMER!

if you are in need of some color for your own summer season, here's my link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

all things considered...

you know how life goes....as soon as you think you've got it all figured out and things are easy-peasy, here comes the shuffle...

and i'm dancing as fast as i can...school ends in a matter of days - and there seems to be a high-pitch sound running through my towns skies....i think the kids couldn't possibly get more 'bouncy', a nice way to put it - and i will be heavy on the teachers gifts for hanging in there this last week...

as my blackboard clears from all the game boards that you have ordered -my mind starts to dance around new ideas and new pieces that i will be painting over the summer...i already have a piece planned to paint in july....here's a peek...

and as things seemed that they were calming i was given a wonderful opportunity by the philadelphia historical society...




designing and painting flags to be displayed throughout the area, including betsy ross' home....can you imagine my excitement? what a thrill and a tremendous honor to be involved in an undertaking that is so special...it will be a project that is very close to my heart...for i just love love love history...



so as my black board clears, the timing is perfect, isn't life funny that way?

if you would like to look at game boards, here's my link:

dallison.squarespace.com

8 days left...

every morning when i hop out of bed, i'm told a new number....after all, school is almost at it's end....

and every morning i am made to realize that my little one is a 'pre-teen' now...how can that be - it's a mix of happy (for him) and a sadness for me. i realize i have a long way to go until i have the deep seated feelings of an empty nest - but i think having one son way ahead of eli makes me even sadder along the way - for i see just how fast time has gone by...

and as he counts down the days i too am counting down the number of days where i still have a studio to pick and choose what my day will be...that will change and more chaos will sit in, but it will be a welcomed chaos, for i count how many summers i have him still with me...

in the studio there's a mad hustle and bustle going on - the constants of drawing, painting, sawing and staining to the beat of my own drum - generally that beat is a hustle and bustle for me...

as my young one is in need of me less and less a baby has made a grand appearance into my days...certainly this must be part of a 'great plan' for it seems that a baby shows up in our lives just when they are needed...so i'm enjoying cooing and rocking my friends little one at every chance that i can get...there is just something about that lower lip starting to quiver just before the cry escapes that i can't stand to miss out on...

the weather has been a scare for weeks with endless rain and storms long into the night, leaving my plans of baseball games or studio work up in the air right along with the wind...

i look forward to summer - looser schedules, late nights outside with the fireflies, baseball games and NO RULES, so to speak -

it's time as my mom says, to put my tiki torch outside...(referencing the last of "the middle" show of the season - all of my families favorite... )

hope these last days of school for you and your kids, and for all the teachers that follow my blog bring you lots of laughs, hopes of things to come and a delightful summer season...

Summer: Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice. The date of the beginning of summer varies according to climate, culture, and tradition, but when it is summer in the southern hemisphere it is winter in the northern hemisphere, and vice versa.