12/04/11
It is with huge relief that I announce the completion of my most recent piece! The portrait is of Demeter, the Goddess of the Harvest from Greek mythology. Based on a model I photographed nearly 3 years ago, I started work in fabrics back in March of this year. It is a far more complex piece than anything I have attempted previously, as you will see. And finally, I am done. Please check out the gallery to see my latest quilt.
I recently created a Facebook page for myself as an artist, under the name “Margot Lovinger, Artist”. Please join me there (“like” me) to keep up with recent news, exhibits, new pieces, and eventually, works-in-progress. And please feel free to share the Facebook page and my webpage with anyone who you think might be interested. Thanks, everyone, for your support.
9/24/11
What a summer it’s been! Oregon is just a beautiful place to be in the summer, with sunny, blue skies and moderate heat, without humidity or mosquitoes. We had a blast– camping and hiking and exploring. Now that autumn is looming, things are settling down a little. Our sweet son Elliot just started pre-school (he loves it!), giving me a few hours each afternoon to work in my studio. At last! I think my work will benefit greatly from this– it will be the most time I’ve had to work on my art since before he was born.
I received some wonderful news a couple days ago that I wanted to share with you all. A new book by Martha Sielman is in the works– she’s the writer/curator of Art Quilts- Masters: Major Works by Leading Artists, Vol. 1 + 2 and the Executive Director of Studio Art Quilt Associates. Her new book will be titled Art Quilt Portfolio: People and Portraits, and I have been selected to be a featured artist in this book! There will be a section that will have an in-depth look at my work, including an interview with me and up to a dozen images of my art! As you can imagine, I am positively thrilled to have been chosen for this. It will be a wonderful opportunity to expose more people to my work, and an honor to be featured among some of the leaders in the world of art quilting. The book is being published by Lark Books, the same group that published the gorgeous book 500 Art Quilts, which I am so proud to have 2 pieces in. It doesn’t come out until Spring of 2013, so I’ve got a while to wait, but you can be sure I’ll remind you about it as the date gets closer!
4/12/11
The past couple of months have been busy ones for me, both in my studio and out of it. I have been invited to join a small group of wonderfully talented fiber artists here in Eugene called Material ARTistry. It’s great for me to have other artists with whom I can talk about challenges, exhibit work, bounce ideas around, etc. And I am so fortunate that, aside from being incredible artists, they are also turning out to be lovely friends. I feel very lucky to have found them, and look forward to seeing what the five of us can do together!
I think the best way for people to hear about what I do is for their friends to tell them about it. I’m a firm believer that word-of-mouth is the best kind of publicity, because it’s coming from someone you know, and whose opinion you respect. So if you like what you see here, tell someone else about it! Tell a few people! I would be so grateful for your help in spreading the word about what I do. Thank you so much!
1/2/11
Thank you for visiting the newly relaunched MargotLovinger.com. With the indispensable help of a good friend, the site has been redesigned to make it easier to read, easier to navigate, and (most importantly for me) easier for me to update and add pictures to, which means you’ll be seeing new work and work-in-progress and reading news updates from me more often. You’ll also see a few new features on the site, including an expanded “In the Media” section, and more information available about each piece in the gallery. Please have a look around and let me know what you think of the new site!
The last three years have not been artistically productive ones for me, as my full attention has been absorbed by our son, Elliot, who was born in late 2007. Spending all my time with him has been deeply rewarding, as I’ve watched him turn into the confident, thoughtful, silly, joyful little boy he is today. While I have certainly missed working in my studio, I don’t think there’s anything better I could have been doing with this time. Soon, he will be starting pre-school, which will allow him to learn in the company of his peers, and which will allow me more time to devote to working on my art. I think this will be a very good thing for both of us!
In autumn of 2010, my family and I reluctantly left Seattle and moved to Eugene, Oregon. It’s a lovely city, much smaller than we’re used to, but with lots of opportunities we wouldn’t have elsewhere. We’re still feeling fairly new to town, and don’t know many people yet, but we’re learning our way around day-by-day, and each finding our own place in this community.
With all of the change that the past few years have brought, I have been very fortunate to have the support of many good friends, family, and fellow artists who have offered much encouragement and wisdom. I am forever grateful for the strength I have taken from these exchanges, and hope to be able to provide the same. Thank you, as always, for your support.