Bill Stearman, Quilt Maker

This one started out as a skill building Half-Square Triangle Sampler by Jeni Baker.  I learned a lot. As it grew, it began to reflect aspects of my life and I could see many of my joys.  In the past, some of these were masked by the Black Dog.  This quilt reminds me that there is always joy, and that for the moment, I seem to have my black dog mostly under control. Life is good. And ... check out incolororder.com  . Jeni Baker is a delight! (quilt back) Quilting by Deanna Gaudaur. Photography by Mike Gaudaur. quinte studios.com

Quilt making is very personal for me.  Each quilt tells a part on my life story. When I set out to explore the Drunkards' Path block, I found that I couldn't get Flying Geese out of my head, so I created a block that I call Flying Drunkards.  The flying drunkards are made with my own hand dyed fabric.  I had a good time growing this quilt. But as I worked on this quilt, I realized that it is a reflection of my life and the memories of my life; an attempt to make sense of it all.  It has been a colourful life, somewhat disjointed, often a bit chaotic, but so much of what I remember is hazed over, as if by clouds.  I know that it has been a good life ... I think ... but all that I can see are clouds. It seems after all these years, Joni Mitchell had said it all ... 'It's clouds illusions I recall.  I really don't know clouds, at all.' Quilting by Deanna Gaudaur. Photography by Mike Gaudaur. quintestudios.com

This quilt is a reflection of my life, and the memories of my life: an attempt to make sense of it all. It has been a colourful life, somewhat disjointed, often chaotic, but never dull.  Aspects are incomplete.  Some have been abandoned.  Many are fading away in lost memories. I realized, that after all these years, Joni Mitchell had said it all ... It's life's illusions I recall.  I really don't know life, at all Quilted by Deanna Gaudaur. Photographed by Mike Gaudaur. quintestudios.com

I am travelling to Golden, Colorado for the opening of this show, on February 5th. I am humbled by the talent of the other men who are in this show ... and honoured beyond words to have my quilt, At Peace, juried into this show.   Of course, being who I am, I am also giggling a bit every time I read my name in that list! I am travelling with a friend from the QuiltGuy quilting retreat, Jack Edson, seen here with one of his quilts.  He has such a unique style to his work.