Bucknam Quilt Highlighted in National Quilt Museum Video

Watch the National Quilt Museum's video about the Contemporary QuiltArt Association's exhibition "Light Show". One of Bonnie Bucknam's quilts is highlighted.

A Murder of Crows

Bonnie M. Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

Bucknam Receives Founder's Award at Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts

Bonnie Bucknam received the Denton Family in Honor of Dee Denton Founder's Award in the Open Show category at this weekend's Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts for her quilt, Bridge Controversy.  The show closes at 5pm today, so you still have a couple of hours to make it to the show.  The show features a craft fair at George Rogers Park, three special exhibits in the Lakewood Center, and the Open Show in the Pavilion Tent.

"Mastery: Sustaining Momentum" Opens at Dairy Barn Arts Center

Mastery: Sustaining Momentum, an exhibit curated by Nancy Crow, opened at the Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, Ohio on May 27th.  The exhibit runs through November 27, 2016.  Twelve artist are represented by three major works each.  The work is consistently stunning.  In addition, each artist has several small works which present some of the processes of designing the larger works. SAQA Oregon member Bonnie Bucknam is one of the artists in this exhibit.

1000 Palms Oasis

copyright 2016 Bonnie M. Bucknam

80" x 80"

Photo by Mark Frey

 Sea Ice - Cook Inlet

copyright 2016 Bonnie M. Bucknam

80" x 80"

Photo by Mark Frey

 Forest Trail

copyright 2016 Bonnie M. Bucknam

80" x 80"

Photo by Mark Frey

Here are some views of the gallery.

View of the gallery, including work by (left to right), Arturo Alonzo Sandoval, Heide Stoll-Weber, Judy Kirpich, and Kit Vincent.

View of the gallery, including work by (left to right) Helen McBride Richter, Bonnie Bucknam, Arturo Alonzo Sandoval.

View of the gallery, including work by (left to right) Coleen Kole, Margaret Boys Wolf, and Marina Kamenskaya.

View of the gallery, including work by (left to right), Marina Kamenskaya, Nancy Crow, and Leslie Joan Riley.

View of the gallery, including work by (left to right), Marina Kamenskaya, Gerri Spilka, and Nancy Crow.

 

Small works by Marina Kamenskaya.

 

Small works by Judy Kirpich.

The artists in the exhibit are:

 Margaret Boys Wolf

Bonnie Bucknam

Nancy Crow

Marina Kamenskaya

Judy Kirpich

Colleen Kole

Helen McBride Richter

Leslie Joan Riley

Gerri Spilka

Heide Stoll-Weber

Kit Vincent

Meet SAQA Oregon Member Bonnie Bucknam

Bonnie Bucknam of Vancouver, Washington

www.handwerktextiles.com

www.handwerktextiles.blogspot.com

1.  How would you describe the work that you make? Do you have an elevator speech? Have you found your "artistic voice"?

Most of my pieces are made using my own hand-dyed fabrics.  I work large and abstract.  My designs can be based on landscapes, my own photos, or ethnic textiles and crafts.

2.  What brought you to making fiber art? What is your art, sewing, or fiber background? When did you make your first quilt that you considered "art"?

I have been sewing since I was a small child.  I started a business in high school making purses out of burlap and cotton fabrics.  After making thousands of these bags, I had lots of scraps left over.  I decided to make a quilt, knowing nothing about it.  That first quilt took me years to finish, but by then I was hooked.  I have made quilts for the last 48 years! I made my first art quilt in the 1970's.  I made line drawings of rock music stars and machine quilted them. But I really began to focus on art quilts in the 1990's when I started attending the Quilt/Surface Design Symposium in Columbus, Ohio.  That is where I met Nancy Crow, who changed my life.

Stones Stars III - detail (Patti Smith)

1979 - Bonnie M. Bucknam

3.  Describe the steps involved in your art-making process.

My process varies.  Sometimes I sketch and abstract a design from a photo that I've taken or an idea I've developed.  If the proportions seem critical, I may blow up the sketch to a full-size pattern and cut my pieces from there.  Other times I just cut into the fabric and sew.  Then I usually make chunks which I piece together in some way. Sometimes I pre-select a palette from my hand-dyed fabrics, and sometimes I just add fabrics and colors as the mood strikes.  I machine quilt with a longarm.  Sometimes I hand stitch over the machine quilting.

Beach

Example of freecut quilt

2015 - Bonnie M. Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

4.  What is your one favorite or most common source of inspiration?

Most of my work is inspired by travel, things that I see.  I take lots of photos and abstract many of my designs from those.

5.  Do you enter your work in shows? What would you say have been your top three exhibits?

Crater

Quilt National 2011 - Best of Show

Example of piecing from full-size pattern

2010 - Bonnie M. Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

I enter exhibits all the time.  My three top are probably:

Quilt National - Best of show in 2011

Solo exhibit at the Portland International Airport in 2015

Color Improvisations - an invitational curated by Nancy Crow that was exhibited in Europe for two years

Tangle

2010 - Bonnie M. Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

6.  Describe your studio space.

My "studio" is about 1/2 of my house.  Half of the garage is set up as a dye studio.  In the other half I paint.  My car has never seen the inside of the garage.  My "living room" is my longarm room.  My "dining room" is my office.  Upstairs I have one bedroom as the sewing room and the loft for fabric cutting and storage.  The guest bedroom and the master bedroom also are quilt storage areas.

7.  How much time do you spend on your art? How do you balance your life between art, family, friends, day job, etc.?

I spend time every day working on quilts, painting, or other crafts.  During the day I might paint, dye fabric, quilt on the longarm, do paperwork or work on show entries.  After dinner I spend at least 5 or 6 hours in my studio/sewing room, piecing, or doing some sort of sewing or handwork.  Most of my outings - other than going to the grocery store, the library, painting class, and the pool - are quilt or art related.  I have a very small family and my son who lives with me cooks for himself, so I have very few obligations other than those I create for myself.  I do love to travel. Traveling inspires many of my designs.

8.  Do you work in other mediums or use unusual materials in your work?

I paint in acrylic but also use collage and  oil and cold wax.  I dye fabric, make hand-bound books, knit, make purses, and occasionally bead. Other than the dyed fabric, I seldom use these other media in my quilts.  Some of my quilts are hand-stitched as well as machine quilted.

Reflection - detail

2009 - Bonnie M. Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

Since 2009 I have also been working on sending quilts to needy kids in Guatemala. These are scrap utility quilts.  Lots of my quilting friends and acquaintances have donated their time, fabric, and talents to the project. To date we have sent 212 quilts!

Bucknam Has 4 Exhibit Openings in May

Mastery: Sustaining Momentum
An Invitational Exhibit Curated by Nancy Crow
May 27 - November 27, 2016
Gallery Talks May 27, 2016, 10am
Artists' Reception May 27, 2016, 5 - 7pm
The Dairy Barn Arts Center
8000 Dairy Lane
Athens, Ohio 45701 
(Photos will be posted after the show opening.)

My Corner of the World
Work by Members of SAQA, Studio Art Quilt Associates
May 21 - August 14, 2016
Stratford Perth Museum
Stratford, Ontario Canada

Willow Wood

c 2010 Bonnie M. Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey 

 

Artist as Quiltmaker
FAVA's 17th Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary Quilts
May 15 - July 31, 2016 
Members' Reception May 14, 2016
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 5pm, Sunday 1-5pm 
The Firelands Association for the Visual Arts
39 South Main Street
Oberlin, Ohio 44074

Seismic Activity

c 2014 Bonnie M. Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey 

Form, Not Function: Art Quilts at the Carnegie
May 13 - July 9, 2016
Opening Reception May 13, 2016
Carnegie Center for Art and History
201 East Spring Street
New Albany, Indiana 47150

Red Lightning

c 2014 Bonnie M. Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

Pre Order "Mastery: Sustaining Momentum" Catalog

 

You can pre-order the catalog for Mastery: Sustaining Momentum from the Dairy Barn Arts Center Shop for $20. http://dairybarn.org/product/mastery-sustaining-momentum-catalog-pre-order/

The catalog is a 54 page full color 11 x 11 catalog featuring the twelve master quilters.  Mastery was curated by Nancy Crow and presented by the Dairy Barn Arts Center and sponsored by The Chaddock Group.  This is a pre-order item and will be mailed out May 27, 2016 or it can be picked up at The Dairy Barn Arts Center’s Gallery Shop.

Product Description: 54 page full color 11 x 11 inches catalog with photographs of the three quilts by each of the 12 artists. The catalog will be shipped on May 27, 2016 for all pre-orders or you can choose to pick up the catalog here at the Dairy Barn Arts Center at the opening on May 27, 2016 or during the exhibition.

The Twelve Artists in the catalog are:

Margaret Boys Wolf

Bonnie Bucknam

Nancy Crow

Marina Kamenskaya

Kirpich  Judy

Colleen Kole

Helen McBride Richter

Leslie Joan Riley

Arturo Alonzo Sandoval

Gerri Spilka

Heide Stoll-Weber

Kit Vincent

Bucknam Exhibits in Two National Shows

SAQA Oregon member Bonnie Bucknam has two quilts in national exhibits opening in March and April 2016.  Ripple Effect will exhibit at Art Quilt Elements, opening March 18 at the Wayne Art Center in Wayne, Pennsylvania. And Bonnie's quilt Beach will debut at The Gala of the Unexpected at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah on April 14.  

Art Quilt Elements 2016
March 18 - April 28, 2016
Artist Opening Reception March 18, 2016
Wayne Art Center
413 Maplewood Avenue
Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087

Ripple Effect

c 2014 Bonnie M. Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

 

The Gala of the Unexpected: 25th Anniversary of the National Quilt Museum
April 14 - July 12, 2016
Artist Reception April 18, 6 - 9pm
National Quilt Museum
 215 Jefferson Street
Paducah, KY 42001
Hours: Year round Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm; March 1 - Nov 30 Sundays  1 - 5pm

Beach

c 2015 Bonnie M. Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

Bucknam's Work in Two Gallery Exhibits

Bonnie Bucknam has three pieces in two gallery shows opening this month. Gallery 114 is in the Pearl in Portland, Oregon.  The Collective Visions Gallery is in Bremerton, Washington.  Red Lightning will make its debut there. Please stop by if you're near to either area. 

Gallery 114 Winter 2016 Juried Exhibit
January 7 - 30, 2016
Opening Reception January 7, 2016, 6 - 9pm (First Thursday Art Walk)
Gallery 114

1100 NW Glisan, Portland, OR. 97209 Phone: 503-243-3356

Gallery Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 12-6pm

Bramble by Bonnie Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

Early Bloomer: Skunk Cabbage by Bonnie Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

Ninth Annual Collective Visions Gallery Show 2016
January 23, 2016 - February 27, 2016
Collective Visions Gallery
331 Pacific Avenue
Bremerton, WA 98337
Gallery Hours 11am - 6pm Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat; Noon - 4pm Sunday
Juror's Lecture, Awards Ceremony and Reception for Artists, 5pm - 10pm,
Saturday, January 23, 2016 5 - 7:30pm at the Admiral Theatre, 515 Pacific Avenue, Bremerton WA 98337, with a post event at the gallery 7:30 - 10pm ($20)
Peoples Choice Award and Guest Lecture, Friday, February 26, 2016, 7pm

Red Lightning by Bonnie Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

Bucknam Displays Work in Two Exhibits

 

Canopy by Bonnie Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

 

Bonnie Bucknam's piece Canopy is part of the exhibit "Finding Our Place: The Geography of Art" now showing at the Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Art Center in Dowell, Maryland.  The exhibit will hang through January 3, 2016.  There are numerous activities and exhibits at the Garden.  Stop by if you are in the Washington, DC area.

 

Bridge Controversy by Bonnie Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

 

Bonnie's quilt Bridge Controversy is part of the 35th Quilts = Art = Quilts at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, New York.  The show hangs from October 31, 2015 to January 3, 2016.  An opening reception will be held Friday, October 30, 4-6pm, admission $10.

Bonnie Bucknam and Linda McLaughlin at The Arts Center, Corvallis

Bonnie Bucknam and Linda McLaughlin: Contemporary Art Quilts opens at The Arts Center in Corvallis Oregon on August 27.  There will be an informal Brown Bag Art Talk at noon, followed by a reception from 5:30 - 7:30pm.  The gallery is located at 700 SW Madison Avenue, Corvallis, Oregon 97333.  Regular hours at The Arts Center at Tuesday through Saturday 12 - 5pm.  The Center will also be open on Thursday, September 17 from 4 - 8pm in conjunction with the Corvallis Arts Walk.  The exhibit in on display through October 3, 2015.  Please stop by!

Slalom Course

Bonnie Bucknam

2015

Photo by Mark Frey

Bucknam Launches Solo Exhibit at Portland International Airport

Bonnie Bucknam has a solo exhibit of four quilts at the Portland International Airport.  The exhibit opens January 1 and runs through December of 2015.  The quilts can be seen overhead in Concourse D, just before Gate D2.  This is past security, so you must be a traveler to view the quilts.

Caverns, Bonnie Bucknam's Installation at PDX Concourse D

Photos by Greta Blalock

Crater by Bonnie M. Bucknam

Photos by Mark Frey

Cavern by Bonnie M. Bucknam

Tumble by Bonnie M. Bucknam

Reflection by Bonnie M. Bucknam

 

Bucknam's "Sea Cave" Takes 2nd Place at Quilts=Art=Quilts

Bonnie Bucknam's quilt Sea Cave won 2nd Place at Quilts=Art=Quilts at the Schweinfurth Art Center.  Take a look at the wonderful group of winners. 

Sea Cave by Bonnie Bucknam

60" w x 72" h

Photo by Mark Frey

Bucknam Exhibits at Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights

 

Two pieces by Oregon SAQA member Bonnie Bucknam, Crater and Canopy, are at the Union Street Gallery in Chicago Heights, Illinois.  The exhibit, Material Matters, closes October 25.  If you're in the area this week, stop by.

Bonnie Bucknam Named Best of Show at Form, Not Function

Bonnie Bucknam's Tumble was awarded Best of Show at Form, Not Function, an exhibit at the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana.  Click here to check out the show awards.

Tumble by Bonnie Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

 

SAQA Members Exhibit at Rio de Janeiro Patchwork Design

Geology 4

Bonnie Bucknam

Photo by Mark Frey

 



SAQA Oregon members Bonnie Bucknam and Mary Arnold have quilts in the Patchwork Design exhibition in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Click here for a video of the show.

Bonnie Bucknam to Speak at Northwest Quilt Guild, Portland, December 9, 2013

Bonnie Bucknam will be the featured speaker at the Northwest Quilters Guild meeting on Monday December 9, 2013, at 7pm.  The meeting will be held at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 7810 SE 15th Street, Portland, Oregon.

Here's a bit about Bonnie's lecture, Sticks and Stones:

Bonnie Bucknam’s art quilts have won national and international recognition, including Quilt National 2011 Best of Show.  Her quilts are abstract interpretations of the natural world.  Join her as she takes you through the design and construction processes used in her latest two series of works. You’ll see her evolution as an artist and follow her creative process through the step-by-step construction of some of her recent quilts.

Crater, by Bonnie Bucknam

 

High Fiber Diet's Simply Red Opens in Coos Bay

Several SAQA members have work in the High Fiber Diet exhibit, Simply Red.  The reception at Coos Bay was lovely and artists Shirley MacGregor, Kimberly Connely, Diane Born, Elizabeth Bamberger, and Jill Hoddick (and husbands) were there along with 25-30 of the public. There was good food and wine and live period music. The gallery's board came and several made very gracious comments about the work.  Pam Pilcher's redwood quilt made the poster, and Jill's piece was featured in a local coast newspaper.  Shirley did a wonderful job hanging the show.

 

The gallery is a bit difficult to find. It is located at 1957 Thompson Rd, Coos Bay, just beyond the hospital. It is in the lobby of the Pacific Coast Medical Park, a medical building with no signs about a gallery or exhibit.  The hours are 7:30am - 5pm Monday through Friday.  The building is not open on the weekends.  The exhibit runs until January 17, 2014.

 

Lobby area of Pacific Park Gallery with Sara Miller's piece over fireplace.

Bonnie Bucknam's Dragonfly in the garden area of the gallery.

 

 

SAQA Oregon Members to Exhibit at SurFace Forward

SAQA Oregon members Kathie Kerler, Mary Ann McCammon, Bonnie Bucknam, Sherri Culver, Jill Haddock, Laura Jaszcowski, Karen Miller, and Gerrie Congdon will have work in the exhibition SurFace Forward at The Arts Center in Corvallis, Oregon. The exhibition dates are August 22 - September 29, 2013.  There is a receiption from 5:30 - 7:30pm on August 22, and a Brown Bag Art Talk at noon on August 28.  The Arts Center is located at 700 SW Madison Avenue in Corvallis.

High Fiber Diet's "Elements" Exhibit Comes to ArtReach Gallery, Portland

Mist Moonlight by Mary Arnold

 

The Elements fiber art show is coming to Portland in July! The classical elements - Air, Earth, Fire, Water - have captured the imaginations of countless artists. Come on a visionary journey with High Fiber Diet artists as they explore and imagine the elements. Please join us for the artists' reception on Thursday, July 11, from 6  to 8 p.m., as we celebrate with refreshments and live music.

 

Where: The ArtReach Gallery at the First Congregational Church on the South Park Blocks: 1126 SW Park Avenue, Portland. 

When: Thursday, July 4 to Sunday, July 28. The Gallery is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Bucknam Piece Acquired for Museum Permanent Collection

Bonnie Bucknam's work Tangle has been purchased by the Tuch + Technik Textilmuseum in Neumuenster, Germany to be part of their permanent collection.  The Museum was the last stop on the Color Improvisations exhibit itinerary.  That exhibit has now been dismantled and the unsold quilts returned to the artists.  Tangle has found a new, permanent home abroad!

Tangle by Bonnie Bucknam

85" w x 87" h

Photos by Mark Frey

Tangle, detail