"Sketches from the Velvet Lounge"

    From the mid 1980's to 2010, my husband and I frequented the Velvet lounge in Chicago, home of live innovative Jazz. This was one of those places that seemed permanent, historic: a school for young musicians and a home for experimentation. I would sit in the dark and sketch the musicians. By the time the Velvet closed, I had about 100 sketches in various notebooks. I put them aside until recently, and decided it was time to gather them together as a tribute to the many master musicians, some now deceased. I transferred the drawings to fabric using my home printer. I tried to give an impression of the distinctive wall paper with a stamper I carved. I included the pendulous chandelier, and the African-print curtains. This became a quilt, finally finished in November of 2025.

This quilt will be exhibited at the Chicago Cultural Center from April 25 to September 27, 2026. Some of the sketches will be available as posters in the "Buddy" gift shop. 50% of proceeds  will be donated to the "Birdhouse.org.", helping to finance concerts in Fred Anderson park.

Fred Anderson                                       Hamid Drake

                                                                    Nicole Mitchell

Our New American Heroes

 My most recent work, "Our New American Heroes," was shown at the Bridgeport Art Center's Cardboard show in November. It depicts Fani Willis, Jack Smith, Tanya Chutkan, Letitia James, and Alvin Bragg. 18" x 24"

 Here's a slide show of part of my April 2023 exhibit of Artist Books at the Orland Park Library. 

The show ends May 2, 2023.

This show runs through April, 2023

 

 I have made close to 100 books out of discarded cardboard, paper bags, junk mail, and other scraps. I teach bookmaking classes all over the city of Chicago, and use mine as collage journals.  Here are a few pages from my most recent book/journal, which has content about the Corona virus. This demonstrates how historic events affect our lives personally.

                                                             Something in the air

                                                All dressed up with nowhere to go.

                                                                Rash.

                                                        Trans-oceanic call

 New mosaics creeping up the walls of my house, finished Sept. 10, 2021

It's Bigger Than Us

This is another piece I have been working on during the past year. Just finished, it is a large quilt called "Bigger Than Us," in reference to the unknown forces affecting our lives. There are 3-dimensional mutant forms rising above a background of patchwork scraps, and  panels of solar prints, all hand painted and hand quilted.