November 10, 2009 by ovbrantley
Have a Cup of Tea - It's Not That Bad, 25 x 28 inches, by O.V. Brantley, 2009. SOLD!
This week I returned to my “Have a Cup of Tea” series. These quilts were inspired when life got a little crazy. I thought the solution was to make a crazy quilt. The point of the quilt is to acknowledge that life is not so great right now, but to have faith that it will get better. In other words, my advice is to have a cup of tea and ride it out.
I suppose everyone goes through these periods because these quilts seem to sell as quickly as I can make them. There will be new ones in my studio store before Thanksgiving.
Posted in My Life as a Quilter | Tagged O.V. Brantley, patchwork, African American quilter, fabric art, wallhanging, www.ovbrant.etsy.com, Have a Cup of tea - It's Not That Bad, crazy quilt | Leave a Comment »
November 7, 2009 by ovbrantley
A Different Drummer #9, 15 x 18 inches, by O.V. Brantley, 2009.
A Different Drummer #9 is the last quilt remaining in the series. All of the others have found new homes with my loyal collectors.
This series was named for the fabric on the back of each quilt. The fabric was named A Different Drummer and was created by African American quilter Sonie Ruffin.
Visit my studio store if interested in this quilt or to view others.
Posted in My Life as a Quilter | Tagged A Different Drummer #9, African American quilter, ethnic, fabric art, O.V. Brantley, patchwork, Sonie Ruffin | Leave a Comment »
November 4, 2009 by ovbrantley
Heaven's Highway, 25 x 27 inches, by O.V. Brantley, 2009.
Sometimes a print catches my eye and moves me to make a quilt. Such was the case with the center panel for my recent creation. It appears to me that the figures in the quilt are joyfully on their way up, so I named it Heaven’s Highway. A border from an Australian print adds to the uniqueness of this piece. It is listed for sale in my studio store.
Posted in My Life as a Quilter | Tagged O.V. Brantley, quilts, ethnic, patchwork, African American quilter, fabric art, wallhanging, ovbrant.etsy.com, Heaven's Highway | 1 Comment »
November 1, 2009 by ovbrantley
Is it a trick or a treat when the United Nations calls and wants permission to use a photo of one of your quilts? I certainly thought it was a trick. It was so random and unexpected.
India and I were enjoying a day off from school because it was parent teacher conference day at Lovett. After leaving our conference, I glance down at my IPhone, and there is a message from my Flickr photo account with the subject line “Request to Use a Photo of One of Your Quilts for UN Exhibit Project.” Sounds like a trick right?
As it was explained to me, ”a group of Geneva based diplomats have launched a project called “Quilt Challenge” (www.quiltchallenge.org) to support the Global Fund in the international struggle against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The quilts in the show are going to be shown at the United Nations in Geneva. To accompany the quilt show, we are making four 6-foot high banner stands that describe in very basic terms how quilting builds communities. One of these banners has a short paragraph about African American quilting, and we wondered if you might have a higher resolution photo of this quilt that we could use.”
Well, I respond without any thought and say sure! Use whatever you like. (I try not to take my quilts too seriously, and it never occurs to me that anything I have created is worth knocking off). India (my official quilt photographer) and I immediately get busy and send a better photo off to my contact in Geneva, Switzerland.
At any rate it was not a trick. I have been honored by having a small picture of From Africa to Atlanta By Way of Arkansas included on a United Nations banner that will be exhibited at the United Nations in Geneva.
How cool is that!
From Africa To Atlanta By Way of Arkansas, 72 x 72 inches, by O.V. Brantley, 2004.
Posted in My Life as a Mom, My Life as a Quilter | Tagged African American quilter, From Africa to Atlanta by Way of Arkansas, Global Fund, India Brantley, O.V. Brantley, United Nations | 1 Comment »
October 29, 2009 by ovbrantley
Wicked Woman, 36 x 36 inches, by O.V. Brantley, 2009. For sale at www.ovbrant.etsy.com.
Wicked Woman is somewhat of a self-portrait. It was created to remind me that we all have two sides to our personalities, and one of them is not so nice. (In fact, Wicked Woman was created from left-over blocks from a quilt called Queen of Everything which represents my good, happy side). The important thing is to acknowledge our shortcomings, and then to work on keeping them under control.
Queen of Everything, 64 x 64 inches, by O.V. Brantley 2008.
But since it’s Halloween, I think it iso okay to let Wicked Woman out of the closet for a few days. If you run into her, be afraid. Be very afraid.
Boo!
Posted in My Life as a Quilter | Tagged African American quilter, ethnic, fabric art, Halloween quilt, O.V. Brantley, ovbrant.etsy.com, patchwork, Queen of Everything, wicked woman | Leave a Comment »
October 28, 2009 by ovbrantley
Fatou's Forest, 45 x 55 inches, by O.V. Brantley, 2009. For sale at www.ovbrant.esy.com
A Witch and Her Cat
At our house we are always well stocked with candy for Halloween. We dress up, decorate the house and anxiously wait for the neighborhood trick or treaters.
Fatou’s Forest is a nice transition from the red and orange brilliance of the North Georgia mountains to the darker colors of Halloween. It is a purple and green batik braid quilt, currently offered for sale in my Studio Store.
Posted in My Life as a Quilter | Tagged African American quilter, braid quilt, fabric art, Fatou's Forest, O.V. Brantley, patchwork, www.ovbrant.etsy.com | Leave a Comment »
October 25, 2009 by ovbrantley
Sassy Sunflower, 36 x 50 inches, by O.V. Brantley, 2008. For sale at www.ovbrant.etsy.com.
This is the perfect time to take a trip into the North Georgia mountains, and yesterday I did just that. The fall foliage was absolutely magnificient.
The purpose of the trip, however, was to attend the fall festival of Crane Creek Vineyards. It is nestled in the mountains near Young Harris, Georgia, and it was a beautiful setting for a wine tasting. My favorite was a red one called Hellbender.
There are several vineyards in the North Georgia mountains — so many that we can now boast of having our own wine country. Check out www.georgiawine.com. My friends and I are committed to visiting each and every one of them. Meanwhile, I am sure a quilt will come out of such a wonderful day of friends, nature and wine.
I don’t really have a quilt that captures the beauty and magnificence of what I saw yesterday, so Sassy Sunflower is as close as I could come. Sassy Sunflower is on loan to the Mills Senior Multi-Purpose facility, located at 515 John Wesley Dobbs Drive in Atlanta. It will return home when the Christmas quilts go up. It is listed for sale in my ETSYstudio store.
Posted in My Life as a Quilter, My Travels | Tagged African American quilter, Crane Creek Vineyards, fabric art, O.V. Brantley, quilts, Sassy Sunflower, www.ovbrant.etsy.com | 1 Comment »
October 25, 2009 by ovbrantley
Menopause Circles 2, 32 x 40 inches, by O.V. Brantley, 2009. For sale at www.ovbrant.etsy.com.
This week we went to Pittsburgh to visit the University of Pittsburgh because it is one of the 10 schools India is considering attending. Reportedly, it has a wonderful sports medicine program, and that is India’s current, stated goal in life. As we toured the college and the beautiful city that Pittsburgh has become, it hit me. The college search process is worse than menopause!
Menopause is marked by mood swings, extreme body temperature changes, stress and this general feeling that life as you know it is about to change. So it is with seniors in high school who are worried about getting into college.
One minute my teenager is extremely confident. The next minute she is sure no college in America will let her in. Then she wants to go far away, but the next day she is sure she wants to be close to home. Trying to be helpful, I suggest, “How about a nice women’s college?”. She looks at me like I have just sprouted horns.
Yes, the college selection process is much worse than menopause. I can handle menopause. Pray that I survive choosing a college.
Posted in My Life as a Mom, My Life as a Quilter | Tagged African American quilter, fabric art, India Brantley, Menopause Circles 2, O.V. Brantley, patchwork, quilts, sports medicine, University of Pittsburgh, www.ovbrant.etsy.com | 1 Comment »
October 23, 2009 by ovbrantley
India's Prima Ballerina Stars, 71 x 89 inches, by O. V. Brantley, 2001.
India’s Prima Ballerina Stars is currently on loan to the Cleveland Avenue Library, 47 Cleveland Avenue, Atlanta, GA as part of its Breast Cancer Awareness program.
I tend to document my daughter India’s life through quilts. This quilt was made for her to remind her of her ballerina years. She participated in numerous recitals and danced in the Atlanta Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker at the Fox for two years.
Posted in My Life as a Mom, My Life as a Quilter | Tagged African American quilter, Atlanta Ballet, Breast Cancer Awareness, Cleveland Avenue Library, fabric art, India Brantley, India's Prima Ballerina Stars, O.V. Brantley, patchwork, quilts, The Nutcracker | Leave a Comment »
October 23, 2009 by ovbrantley
Like most quilters, I believe that my quilts have healing powers. That’s just another way of saying I believe in the power of love. There is much love stitched into every quilt I make. When I make one for someone who is ill, I try to include an extra dose.
Elegant Pink Hearts was made for Mildred Schmelz who was diagnosed with breast cancer. She tells me she is cancer free.
If someone gives you a quilt, treasure it and wrap up in it often. There is power in those stitches.
Elegant Pink Hearts, 65 x 77 inches, by O.V. Brantley, 2007.
Posted in My Life as a Quilter | Tagged African American quilter, Breast Cancer Awareness, Elegant Pink Hearts, Evora's Earth, Mildred Schmelz, O.V. Brantley, patchwork | Leave a Comment »
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