Mary Cassatt's "A Woman Sewing"
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Every now and then you come across someone who makes an instant impression on your life.
One such person was Ruth Stoneley, quilter, fibre artist, teacher, shop owner, mother, friend and Churchill Scholarship recipient... to summarise her incredible presence...
Many tributes have been written, one of the most moving was by her great friend, Judith Baker Montano... see link at the end of this article.
I had the pleasure of meeting Ruth for the first time in 1983... to say that she made an impression can best be summed up by the following ....
PATCHWORK AND PEACE
As I climbed the many stairs
I felt it reach out to me
We sat, coffee in hand,
amongst the clutter
that only 'moving in' can arrange..
and yet, the feeling was there
all around us.
In her company
I felt surrounded by tranquility
yet knee deep in energy.
The patchwork of her life
enveloped her
not merely in the marvellous fabrics
awaiting her creative talents
but in her assortment of baskets
and interesting glass jars.
An old fashioned urn sat in a corner
resplendent with rolls of fabric
spouting from it's top
where once there'd been steam.
She explained her life
and her ideas and dreams
and wove them into a quilt of visions.
She was so content in her life
at peace with the world.
Today, I met a lady and her soul.
© Crissouli
Ruth Stoneley portrait by Richard Stringer.
Ruth introduced me to many ideas, one being the process of printing photos on fabric, something which I had admired, but hadn't got around to trying... This is but one of her pieces.... part of a beautiful memory quilt.
Sadly Ruth passed away in May 2007.
She lives on in the incredible pieces she left behind and the lasting memories of all who knew her.
Ruth Stoneley, Australia 1940-2007 | Quilt: It’s not all sweetness and light (detail) 1983 | © The artist | view full image
Ruth Stoneley: A Stitch in Time
13 July – 7 October 2013 | Glencore Queensland Artists’ Gallery (Gallery 14), Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) | Free admission
Opening Hours
10.00am — 5.00pm Monday to Friday
9.00am — 5.00pm Saturday and Sunday
9.00am — 5.00pm Public Holidays
To complement 'Quilts 1700–1945', the Gallery presents an exhibition
of contemporary quilts by the late leading Brisbane quilt-maker Ruth
Stoneley (1940–2007).
Links re Ruth Stoneley...
http://www.judithbakermontano.com/weblog/2007_10_17.html
http://www.artabase.net/exhibition/4820-ruth-stoneley-a-stitch-in-time
http://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/exhibitions/current/ruth_stoneley_a_stitch_in_time
