Underwater Odyssey 46"h x 38"w x 2"d © 2002 Commissioned by Mary Guertin, Oregon Update 5/18/03: featured in "How Can I Ever Relax When The Internet Is Beckoning 24/7?" article 1st Place at "Quilts Along the Bay" Barnaget, NJ Judge's Comments: Good Balance. Design elements in good scale with each other Dimensional pieces are excellent. Embellishments attached well. Quilting design well chosen. Edge finish is very well done. - Sandra Dorrbecker, NQA Judge, "Quilts Along the Bay 2002" Techniques: acrylic on commercial fabric, appliqué, reverse appliqué, embroidery, embellishment, trapunto, quilting, & ribbon work. Materials: cotton & tulle fabrics, metal jewelry& coins, plastic crabs & fish, twine, yarn, various threads, silk ribbon, beads, sequins, wood, glass, semi-precious stones, rocks, shells, and netting.

Patrick and Paula are the stars in this Art Quilt!

April 2002 Update: The idea for using silk ribbons for seaweed was one of those Aha! moments after reading a recent issue of Pokey Bolton's Quilting Art magazine. She featured beautiful flower petals and leaves created with ribbon. The yellow fish are plastic, the bright gold fish is metal, and the rest are commercial prints that I have painted with iridescent acrylics, embroidered, and embellished on top of. They sparkle more than the camera and computer screen can show. The seaweed is a created with a combination of appliquéd& trapuntoed cotton fabric and free-stitched, twisted silk ribbon.

March 2002 Update: Coral Section Technique 1. First I start with a flat piece of Hoffman batik coral pattern and hand-sew a continuous piece of twine along all the branches of the coral. I use a thread color that matches the 'water' behind the branches.(Blue upper left - looking at 'wrong' side of fabric) 2. Once this stage is complete, the fabric curls up into a ball shaped object. The effect is similar to smocking and there is some elasticity and flexibility in the shape (Yellow/Aqua upper right - looking at 'right' side) 3. Then I cut holes in between the branches of the coral and hem the edges back around the twine. (Rust lower right - looking at 'wrong' side) 4. Finally, I weave plastic fish (or tiny pillow like fish) in and out of the coral branches and tack a few of the branches to the quilt top. (Orange lower left - looking at 'right' side with 3 fish)

Exhibitions:

• Quilts Along the Bay Historical Society, Barnegat, NJ September 2002, 1st Place
• "Solo Exhibition" Ocean City Art Center, Ocean City, NJ October 2006

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