The Official Opening of Quilt en Sud

Tonight was the official opening of the Quilt en Sud Patchwork and Textile Art Biennial. This afternoon I had the honour of being one of four judges to choose the prize winners for two shows: 1) Les Pays de l'Adour (quilts from the region) and 2) The White Line Challenge. What a tough job being a judge is, and it involves a lot of negotiation between the judges. I can't post any of the winners yet as the names of the artists were hidden from us and I would not be able to credit the artist. I will return to the shows on Friday to take some pictures.

I will tell you that seeing these shows has inspired me. The work here is fresh and has a very different aesthetic from North American work. Photos to come in a few days.

Below is a picture of all the hard-working volunteers that pull the Festival together. Yesterday I had the pleasure of having lunch with the entire team. The ceremony was presided over by Francine Flattard (at right) who is in charge of the Quilt en Sud team.

Exhibiting artists were invited to speak for a few minutes about their work. This is artist "Patricyan", who is known for her sculptural work with textiles.

I explained, in English, what my work is about and what I am trying to achieve, and talked a bit about dyeing my own fabric. Translation was provided by Christine Lacroix, wearing red, to my right.

Catherine Bonte, President of France Patchwork announced the winners of the judged competitions below (to my right).

This is the view on the beach, as my husband and I were walking back from dinner tonight. Today's weather is a little like Newfoundland!

Tomorrow I teach my first workshop: Collage Tree. Since my French is very basic, I will have a translator work with me. Tomorrow night there is a bus tour and dinner of traditional Basque food. I'll be back to blog on Friday.