Ohio Star: State Fair

Ohio Star: State Fair photoquilt

24″ x 24″
2016
$200

The Ohio State Fair attracts almost a million visitors to Columbus each summer.  Whether you go for the animals, the butter cow, the deep-fried foods, the games, or the rides, as the cliche goes, there is something for everyone.  This photoquilt came out of a series of panoramas I took at the fair in 2015.  In this photo, both the straight and the curved lines of the ferris wheel reflect and refract against the cloudy blue sky as fairgoers stream past or line up for a ride.  The wheel never fully resolves into a circle, instead merging into its neighbors, each of which is held in place by red steel girders which sometimes float in the sky.  The overall effect is like that of a zipper, stitching the fair to the sky.

I usually choose more austere subjects for my quilts because I tend to be drawn to clean lines and shapes, like in the Columbus Museum of Art.  But there are times, like in Ohio Stadium, when I can’t avoid a crowd, which usually sprials off into a tunnel of heads and feet.  When I use pictures with cleaner shapes, I feel like I have more control.  But, sometimes, I need to step outside of my comfort zone to see what happens when I start with a photo that is a bit messier and less organized.  Sometimes art, like life, and like the state fair, can be a bit messy and hard to control.

This quilt was displayed with You’re Not Going to Wear That, Are You? at the 2016 Ohio State Fair, where it received a Juror’s Choice Award and was called one of the most impressive works in its category by Nancy Gilson in the Columbus Dispatch.

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Ohio Star: State Fair photoquilt - original image
Ohio Star: State Fair photoquilt – original image
Ohio Star: State Fair photoquilt block
Ohio Star: State Fair photoquilt block ($100)
Ohio Star: State Fair photoquilt close up
Ohio Star: State Fair photoquilt close up

Ohio Star: Columbus Zoo

Ohio Star: Columbus Zoo

24″ x 24″
2016
$200

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is one of the finest zoos in the country.  Opened in 1927 and made famous by Jack Hanna, the Zoo has recently opened polar and African savanna regions.  On a recent school field trip with my youngest daughter, I was wondering how I would capture this sprawling place in one photo.  The front gates make a nice picture, and the manatees are a unique favorite, but neither one could really be framed in the way I wanted.  Fortunately, we made our way to the polar bears during feeding time.  There was a crowd up top, so we moved down below the water, where the bears were diving in and swimming around after bits of fish that were being tossed in by the keepers.  The fish that swim with the bears were also enjoying a meal.  With everything swimming around and the morning sun shining through the water, I got several interesting pictures of the bears, the fish, and the rays of light streaming through the water.  When sewn into to the Ohio Star pattern, the diving bears multiply and the fish become brushstrokes that create shapes and designs that I didn’t expect.  Overall, the palette really captures the feeling of being underwater.

 

Ohio Star: Columbus Zoo - original image
Ohio Star: Columbus Zoo – original image
Ohio Star: Columbus Zoo - 12" block
Ohio Star: Columbus Zoo – 12″ block
Ohio Star: Columbus Zoo - closeup
Ohio Star: Columbus Zoo – closeup

Ohio Star: Mark Koenig

Ohio Star: Mark Koenig photoquilt

24″ x 24″
2016
$200

This is the first piece I’ve done in collaboration with another artist and, therefore, the first time I’ve based a photoquilt on a photo that I didn’t take.  I’ve always liked my friend Mark Koenig’s photos because of his eye for dramatic color and line.  I recently gathered enough courage to pay him my ultimate compliment, “I like your photos so much that I’d like to cut them up and sew them back together.”  I admit that this is an odd compliment to pay someone, but Mark knew what I meant and agreed to lend me a photo for a photoquilt.  I first met Mark here in Columbus, and he took this picture in Ohio, so an Ohio Star photoquilt seemed appropriate.

After talking with Mark about a few of his photos, we decided on this image because of the jewel-toned color palette, the interesting angles, and the shape of the lights and the shadows they cast.  It was taken at Knowlton Hall at Ohio State, which I’ve photographed for a photoquilt before, but working with someone else’s photo put an interesting spin on the process.  For example, I usually don’t include people in my photos, but Mark’s friend Tiffany appeared in this one.  I was leaning towards cropping the photo in a way that excluded her, a slight that he assured me she would forgive, but her boots and their shadows still managed to sneak into the corner of the image.

In the end, some of the shapes and patterns that are seen in my other Ohio Star photoquilts appear again in this piece, but, at the same time, Mark’s work shines through and the result is a unique combination of both of us.

See more of Mark’s work on Instagram.

Ohio Star: Mark Koenig - original image
Ohio Star: Mark Koenig – original image
Ohio Star: Mark Koenig - block
Ohio Star: Mark Koenig – block
Ohio Star: Mark Koenig - detail
Ohio Star: Mark Koenig – detail

Ohio Star: COSI

Photoquilt: COSI

24″ x 24″
2015
$200

If you’ve ever been to the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, then you know the wonderfully kinetic sculpture just outside the main doors.  Science Spectrum, by William Wainwright is a tree-like windmill that sparkles in the sunlight and spins in the breeze.  The first time I photographed this sculpture, it was cloudy.  But I’m glad I returned on a sunny, cloudless day because the iridescent rainbow reflections of the sculpture shine even brighter against a deep blue sky.

Ohio Star: COSI - original
Ohio Star: COSI – original image
Ohio Star: COSI - block
Ohio Star: COSI – block ($100)
Photoquilt: COSI - detail
Ohio Star: COSI – detail

Ohio Star: PAES

Ohio Star PAES photoquilt

72″ x 48″
2012
$500

This photoquilt is based on a picture taken inside the PAES (Physical Activity & Educational Services) building at Ohio State, just inside the Scarlet Skyway, a red glass bridge that connects it to the RPAC.  Like in Ohio Star: Scarlet Skyway, the red glass gives every surface a warm pink glow.  The overall effect is of jewel tones and shapes.  The photos are sewn into a traditional Ohio star quilt pattern.  Individual blocks from this quilt, which were completed as part of the design process, have also been framed and displayed (below).  These blocks are from the top and bottom row of the quilt, which illustrates just how far the quilt evolves from one end to the other.

Ohio Star photoquilts | Other photoquilts

Ohio Star: PAES block
12″ x 12″
2012
$100

Ohio Star: PAES block
12″ x 12″
2012
$100

Ohio Star: Physics Research

Ohio Star: Physics Research photoquilt

60″ x 48″
2014
$500

This photoquilt is based on a picture of the stairwell inside the Physics Research building at Ohio State. The palette is restricted to browns, golds, pale blues, and whites. The photos are sewn into a traditional Ohio star quilt pattern creating the overall effect of an Escher-inspired series of neverending staircases.

As I normally do, I started by creating four 12-inch blocks which I sewed into a 24-inch square. I do this with lots of my quilts.  Some go on to become full-size quilts, but many do not. I custom built a frame for the 24-inch version (below) and then decided to make a full-sized 4′ x 5′ version (above). The full-size quilt received The President’s Award at the 2014 Ohio State Staff Arts and Crafts Show.

 

Ohio Star: Physics Research Photoquilt

24″ x 24″
2012
sold

Ohio Star photoquilts | Other photoquilts

Ohio Star: Scarlet Skyway

ohio star scarlet skyway photoquilt

72″ x 48″
2012
$500

This photoquilt incorporates an picture taken inside the Scarlet Skyway, a red glass bridge that connects two buildings on the Ohio State campus. From inside, pink light shines through the red glass giving everything a pink glow, including the structure which supports the bridge. This piece was a reaction to the strong lines and contrast in Ohio Star: Stadium Gates, which is all black lines on blue sky. Scarlet Skyway is a riot of color. The photos are sewn into a traditional Ohio star quilt pattern.

Ohio Star photoquilts | Other photoquilts

Ohio Star: Stadium Gates

Ohio Star Stadium Gates Photoquilt

48″ x 72″
2012
$500

Ohio Stadium, home of the Buckeyes, is surrounded by these gates, which incorporate the university’s “Block O” logo. In this photoquilt, the Block O repeats across the gates and is transformed into other shapes. The photos are sewn into a traditional Ohio star quilt pattern.

Ohio Star photoquilts | Other photoquilts

Ohio Star: Wexner Center

Ohio Star Wexner Center Photoquilt

60″ x 48″
2012
$500

The Wexner Center is Ohio State University’s art gallery. The striking white geometric exterior contrasts nicely against the deep blue of the sky in these pictures. The photos are sewn into a traditional Ohio star quilt pattern. This quilt received The Provost’s Award at the 2013 Ohio State Staff Arts and Crafts Show.

Ohio Star photoquilts | Other photoquilts

Ohio Star: RPAC

Ohio Star RPAC Photoquilt

72″ x 48″
2012
$500

RPAC stands for Recreation and Physical Activity Center, a gleaming glass building housing gymnasia, a track, swimming pools, and other recreational facilities on the campus of The Ohio State University. The red bridge connecting the RPAC to its neighbor is officially called the Scarlet Skyway. The photos are sewn into a traditional Ohio star quilt pattern.

This photoquilt was accepted to The Inaugural Juried Exhibition at the Riffe Gallery in Columbus, Ohio from November 5, 2015 through January 9, 2016.

Ohio Star photoquilts | Other photoquilts