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SHELLEY BRUCAR
FIBER ARTIST
Buffalo Grove, IL
60089
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| The Narrows in Zion National Park - one of my favorite places - where you have the breathtaking experience of being surrounded by canyon walls. |
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COMMISSIONS WELCOME
Call Shelley to talk about designing
a unique piece of art for your home or office
847-921-4364
I love working on commissioned pieces because they give me the opportunity to go further with my art than I might go on my own. A commission is a collaboration between my vision and my customer's vision. This often means that I will be working outside my comfort zone and forced to grow.
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| "MORNING REFLECTIONS" in customer's home |
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| "WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS" in customer's home |
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Colors, textures and patterns on fabric fascinate and energize me. I use cloth, dyes and thread as a painter uses canvas and paint. I start with white fabric, dye it, screen it, put color in, take color out, paint it and stitch it. I have gradually moved from layering of fabric to more whole-cloth surface design and from mostly representational to more impressionistic, allowing the piece to lead and inspire.
A long-time interest in photography made it natural for me to use this medium with cloth. Camera in hand, I study lines and markings in nature and on man-made structures for creating unique screens which become my tools for adding color and texture to my work.
The tranquility of the natural world is my inspiration. I want to share this sense of serenity, to encourage the viewer to let go of life’s daily demands and step into the art.
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SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Impressionist Landscapes in Fabric, Simply Chicago Art, Evanston, IL July, 2010
Simply Chicago Art Gallery, Evanston, IL, April, 2009
Garlands of Barrington, Barrington, IL Dec 11, 2008 - Jan 12, 2009
Elmwood Park Library, Elmwood Park, IL July 7 - Sept 7, 2008
Prairie Center for the Arts, Schaumburg, IL January, 2008
Old Town Art Center, Chicago, IL Aug, 2007
Indian Trails Public Library, Wheeling, IL May, 2007
PUBLICATIONS
Quarry Books, 1000 Artisan Textiles, May, 2010 publication
Quilters Newsletter Magazine, Feb/March, 2010
Lark Books, 500 Art Quilts, January, 2010
SAQA Transformations 09: Reflections, 2009
SAQA Portfolio 17, 2009
SAQA Portfolio 16, 2009
SAQA Portfolio 15, 2008
SAQA Portfolio 14, 2007
SAQA Portfolio 13, 2006
TELEVISION, NEWSPAPER
Pioneer Press, November, 2008
Daily Herald, January, 2008
Comcast Cable, "Artist to Artist" Nov, 2007 - Feb, 2008
SELECTED EXHIBITS
2012
13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, Traveling Exhibit:
Waukesha Civic Center, Waukesha, WI
Blue World/Green World, Traveling Exhibit:
Prairie Center for the Arts Schaumburg IL,
Pump House Gallery LaCrosse WI
2011
Fine Art of Fiber, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL
Some Like It Hot and 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird
Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts, Schaumburg, IL
Stitched Together - Art & Science: Art Quilts by Midwestern Artists
Fermilab Batavia, IL
Conversations in Stitch, Traveling Exhibit:
Anderson Art Center Kenosha WI,
Bloomingdale Park District Museum Bloomingdale, IL
Ties That Bind, Sheldon Galleries, St. Louis, MO
This Land is Your Land, SAQA online exhibit, www.saqa.com
Fiber Art Invitational - Material World, Wilmette, IL
Half the Sky, Park Forest, IL
Shimmering Sky, SAQA online exhibit, www.saqa.com
Beauty and Joy, SAQA online exhibit, www.saqa.com
River Quilts, National Quilt Museum, Paducah, KY - by invitation
13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, Traveling Exhibit:
Simply Chicago Art Evanston IL, Northville Art House Northville MI,
Prairie Center for the Arts Schaumburg IL
Midwest Meditations, Simply Chicago Art, Evanston, IL
2010
Fine Art of Fiber, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL
Midwest Meditations, Bloomingdale Park District Museum, Bloomingdale, IL
Some Like It Hot, Simply Chicago Art, Evanston, IL
13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, Circle of Arts, Charlevoix, MI
SAQA Transformations 09, traveling exhibit
Anchorage, AK and Visions Gallery San Diego, CA
2009
13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, Gov French Gallery
Fine Art of Fiber, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL
Winds of Change, Traverse City, MI
SAQA Transformations 09, traveling exhibit
Birmingham, England, Grants Pass, OR, Guilford, CT,
Anchorage, AK and Visions Gallery San Diego, CA
SAQA Musings
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum, Grand Rapids, MI
Illinois Artisans Gallery
2008
Simply Chicago Art Gallery, Evanston, IL
Fine Art of Fiber, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL
Evanston Lakeshore Art Festival, Evanston, IL
Illinois Artisans Gallery, Whittington, IL
Milwaukee Street Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
International Quilt Festival, Rosemont, IL
Northwest Cultural Council Corporate Art Gallery, Mt. Prospect, IL
2007
Fine Art of Fiber, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL
International Quilt Festival and Market, Houston, IL (Invitational)
Northwest Cultural Council, Corporate Art Program, Rolling Meadows, IL
Nature of the West: Contemporary Quilts (Invitational)
National Historic Oregon Interpretive Trail Center, July - Sept, 2007
International Quilt Association, Spring Festival, Rosemont, IL April, 2007
Haus Gallery, Chicago, IL 2007
Anderson Arts Center Gallery Gift Shop, Jan, '07 - March, '07
Winter Juried Exhibition, Anderson Arts Center, Kenosha, WI, Nov '06 - Jan '07
2006
Fine Art of Fiber, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL
The Human Condition, Studio Art Quilt Associates
Quilts for Change, Cincinnati, OH
International Quilt Market, Minneapolis, MN
Denver National Quilt Festival, Denver, CO
International Quilt Festival, Chicago, IL
2005
International Quilt Market & Festival, Houston, TX
Quilt Expo, Madison, WI
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Shelley's Teaching Schedule:
"PAINTING WITH FABRIC"
Scheduled for May, 2010
Private guild class
"STITCHING FOR DESIGN"
Not currently scheduled
"EXPLORATIONS with FABRIC PAINT"
North Suburban NeedleArts Guild
January, 2012
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CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:
PAINTING WITH FABRIC
Use a background fabric or several fabrics as a canvas for fusible and raw edge appliqué to “paint” with fabric. This is a design class; sewing machine is not needed.
1 or 2-day class
STITCHING FOR DESIGN AND TEXTURE
Follow-up to “Painting with Fabric” class. Each student brings art quilt ready to be stitched. Different stitching designs for each quilt top will be discussed and demonstrated. Students will practice free-motion machine quilting and start stitching their art quilts.
3-4 hour class
EXPLORATIONS with FABRIC PAINT
Experimenting with various paints and application techniques to see the wide range of effects that can be achieved.
2-3 day class
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COMMENTS FROM SHELLEY'S CUSTOMERS
"I hung "Filtered Light" on top of my family altar yesterday and wanted to thank you again. I am a BIG forest lover and this piece evokes such comforting feelings for me. I feel lucky to have snapped it up before
someone else got to it."
"I decided to give the quilt for Mother's Day yesterday. She loved the quilt and said it was the best gift that she received since we've been married! Thanks so much…"
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"Omigosh - the finished quilt … commissioned that my hubby received for his b'day is ASTOUNDING! Thank you SO much for all your gifts and talents..."
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"I don’t think there is a day that passes that I don’t look at my tie quilt and smile."
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"It's better than what I expected!"
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"The quilt was a smashing success!! It is now proudly displayed in their family room and I have had wonderful comments on it. Thanks again for helping me give my parents a great keepsake!"
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