Win Dell’Ario’s TRUE COLORS Exhibit

I love going to solo exhibits of art quilts. I get a chance to see a body of work by one artist and that can be revealing, surprising and — did I mention fun? The only thing better is when I know the artist.  I slipped under the wire for seeing this exhibit advertised as WINIFRED’S THREADS: A collection of colors and ideas, played out in pieces of fabric and stitched into stories . . .

That’s Tom, Win’s Quilting Assistant, always the first to give her constructive, critical feedback on the creative process.

Amish Buddy I, made entirely of felt (from the local hardware store!), welcomes your entry to Win’s office. Simple Amish quilt color blocks hold escaping bubbles.

But the pieces hanging inside are primarily silk with bits of designer upholstery fabric here and there. Win muses over Penny on the Tracks (L), “Industrial detritus surrounds the train tracks where we used to see the train roll a penny out like pie dough. Do kids get to pull pranks like that anymore?”  To Do List (R) was improved when the Quilting Assistant  assessed the coral squares. “They need buttons,” he said. “Buttons it is,” replied Win.

I love the rich silks with the hardware of zippers and metal beads and found objects. It’s so rich. And aren’t they stunning on that wall color?! Win is an award-winning designer of kitchens and bathrooms by day — renegade art quilter by night — so her sense of artistry in her work comes as no surprise.

How about some charming Mobile Homes in the corner. This mobile was one of few art pieces not for sale and I completely understand why. On the wall, Vacation — Win describes it as “Quadrants of paradise. Dark exotic locations, tropical landscapes, clear azure waters, sun & surf & beach, speak of island getaways.” Unfortunately, my photograph doesn’t reveal the hand beading and incredible texture of the piece. (The cow painting is not by Win.)

A small, framed silk nine-patch — utterly charming! Win describes Pimento saying, “Log Cabin is a classic quilt pattern. This quilt uses nine log cabin blocks, turns them wonky, and ends up in a martini. Cheers!”

Win’s inspiration for making this piece came from a magazine photograph showing a simple painting of geometric shapes in a living room. The painting didn’t have those wonderful zippers!

This is just a few of the pieces in the exhibit. I missed seeing several pieces that sold. Guess that will teach me to calendar these events earlier.

All this art makes one hungry so off to Sam’s Chowder House Restaurant we went. Located at 4210 North Cabrillo Highway, it was just minutes from Win’s Main Street office and right on the beach. Win, my husband David, Mendelssohn and Taylor (our Bichon Frise boys) and I sat on the patio with this view while we had lunch.

Lunch was wonderful. . . the view, well it just doesn’t get any better. Period.