Wanderlust has me thinking a lot about past travels and of places yet to see. “City of Color” is loosely influenced by travels in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Prague and Toledo, Spain, and also by places I want to visit - Morocco as well as southern parts of Spain. Toledo is a place where three great religions and cultures once thrived and co-existed. The historic synagogue there was designed by Moors, and later became a small church. This, spoke to me, even as a secular Jew, and I decided to create some fantastical versions of various religious buildings. When I discovered a vibrant remnant of recycled silk print that actually had symbols or shapes reflecting some of the great religions, I made a Mosque, Synagogue, Church, and some other type of Orthodox church.

Three years ago, walking up this hill in the medieval part of Vaison-la-Romaine with my friend Irvin, I was busy taking photos of all sorts of enchanting architecture and landscape. As we walked, I said to Irvin that one day I hoped to take the impressions of the buildings and turn them into something more colorful, and here it is

Further up the hill in medieval Vaison-La-Romaine my fantasies of color really took over. Made with vintage kimono silks, stitching and painting, this version is much more colorful than the original!

Mixed Media fabric and paper Small art quilt with lots of color play.

“Rooftops of Avignon” is a highly impressionistic version of the reality that I viewed with my dear friend Sèb, from the Rocher des Doms, where terraces and gardens offer incredible views of historic Avignon. (Provence, France)

Seems that taking to the sky is on my mind. Only in fantasy for now. Blues and greens for serenity and cranes and other birds for freedom. 
Made of vintage kimono silks and Japanese papers, tulle, fabric dye and acrylic paint. Some kimono pieces were over dyed to provide depth and unity. 

“I wish that I could fly
Into the sky
So very high
Just like a dragonfly” 
(Lenny Kravitz)

Continuing to revisit places from my travels, “Full Moon Over Jerusalem” is based on a photo I took two years ago, looking out from my AIRB&B, on my first night ever in Israel. When posting that photo, I wrote “THIS year in Jerusalem!” There really was something magical about being in that place of my ancestors! A sense of belonging, different from anything previous experienced. This was created mostly with vintage silk kimono fabrics as well as some cotton, wool roving and yarn.

The one word names of these two improv art quilts are embedded in the quilting. These mixed media art pieces include Japanese fabrics, batiks and other cottons. Pieces were printed and painted with acrylic paint, appliquéd with additional fabric and yarns and then quilted.