Next in the studio
Like every artist, Geraldine is working on her next series. She’s been toying around with sketches of ballet dancers, and those may prove her inspiration. Or, perhaps her daughter in Pennsylvania will send photographs of her picturesque backyard, a subject that Geraldine has been eager to capture on canvas.
THE GIBBONS: works in glass and cloth
In a way, it was art that brought Cynthia and Patrick Gibbons to Eagle’s Trace. A longtime quilter, Cynthia says that fellow quilter Jan Quigley told her about the Erickson community and the couple was inspired to come and see for themselves.
Now, both are active members of the community and the growing art colony that has sprung up.
The art of glass
Patrick, known as Dr. Gibbons before he retired as a math and science teacher from the Fort Bend school district, took several classes in the art of stained glass.
“I was intrigued by the art, and just wanted to find out more,” he says. “I took one class in the Tiffany style using copper foil, and another in a different method of leaded glass, the process for church windows.”
The artist, who is also a woodworker, is currently creating a series for a lighted box that sits outside the couple’s apartment home. The series will feature a different theme each month, with patterns taken from books and magazines.
I almost never use a design exactly as in the book. I take a couple and combine elements, adding creative touches and changes of my own,” says Patrick, who is a native Houstonian.
The creations add depth and richness to their home and those of his three daughters including beautiful Tiffany style lamps in their living room. Patrick’s favorite is a backlit image of St. Francis, which lights the kitchen.
The quilt as art
Cynthia, the other half of this creative duo, caught the quilting bug from her daughter and took her first class about 12 years ago.
Though there is a large frame in the clubhouse room that is used for meetings of the quilting and needlework group she helped form, she also has a quilting frame in the sewing room of her home. And, of course, as with all quilters, there’s a closet filled with all sorts of beautiful, colorful fabrics.
Quilting projects in various stages of development can be found throughout the room. On the frame, ready for quilting, Cynthia has a lap quilt that is made of leftover pieces of a quilt she made for a grandson.
Draped casually over a sofa is a stunning quilted wall hanging, which features Japanese dolls and images. Each block of the quilt as well as the border is intricately stitched. “I like the hand quilting,” she says. “It shows up so nicely, much like sculpture.”
An album serves as a gallery of the projects Cynthia has completed. Crib quilts for her grandchildren, full-sized quilts donated for fund-raising projects, quilts that went to college with granddaughters—each one is beautifully and precisely stitched.
LINDY DALY: inspirtation everywhere
While many artists search for their inspiration, artist Lindy Daly’s problem is quite the opposite: “I love to paint everything, that’s my problem. And I even like to change styles. I guess I’ve made a career out of having fun,” she says.
And, quite a career it has been. Lindy, who teaches from her home at Eagle’s Trace and does demonstrations, has accumulated quite an impressive resume.
She began her art studies at Texas Tech University and also attended Columbia University in New York City. And, as many artists do, she spent time in Europe, painting the landscape, architecture, and people.
Through the years, she has garnered a list of accolades, including many first places in competitions through the southwest region. A professional who has been represented by many galleries, Lindy’s work is currently at Austin Galleries, one of the premier art and antiques dealers in the city of Austin.
Plein-aire inspiration
Though Lindy confesses to loving to paint most everything, some of her most inspired works are landscapes. “I just started a series of tonal landscapes, subdued paintings. All these you see here, these are tonal paintings I’ve been working on,” says Lindy, as she shows a series of landscapes, each with beautifully rendered settings and exquisitely colored skies.
Lifelong passion
True to her comment that she likes to paint everything and try many styles, Lindy’s home at Eagle’s Trace is decorated with her work.
In the kitchen, a stunning abstract adorns a wall. Entitled Greek Village, the 30- by 40-inch oil is uniquely intriguing, capturing the colors of a sun-washed island village. Her living room shows off several beautiful floral arrangements as well.
She sells much of her work on commission and is currently working on a multi-piece project for another resident at Eagle’s Trace. As well, Lindy donates her time for the Bereavement Group, painting the memory boxes that are given to parents whose babies are stillborn or have died at birth, and she has donated a painting to the Treasure Chest.
JADE BOEBINGER: fabric jewelry
Look up fabric jewelry on Google and you get a little bit of everything, from tablecloths decorated with metal fruit to necklaces with knotted fabric beads to purses made of ribbon. It’s not until you actually see the fabric jewelry made by Jade Boebinger that you understand – and realize – its art and beauty.
“I learned fabric jewelry about four years ago, from a friend who learned from Helen Banes, the person who started it,” says Jade Boebinger, who moved into Eagle’s Trace in January 2006. “Fabric jewelry is very creative. People stop me on the street and ask about it when I am wearing a piece, as it’s so unusual.”
Weaving the art
Fabric jewelry originated with Banes, a weaver who was looking for a way to continue her craft even when taking a full-sized loom wasn’t feasible. The innovative artist began to integrate beads and thread, weaving the pieces together into wearable art.
Jade’s creative foray into the art began with lessons from a friend. Now, the Eagle’s Trace artist devotes up to five hours a day, weaving colorful floss, stones, and decorative pieces into one-of-a-kind, exquisite necklaces.
“I might start with a theme, or a pattern. I use stones, or maybe a piece of jewelry that I can take apart as the centerpiece,” she says. “Then, cotton pearl floss is incorporated into the design. Every design depends on what I start with – the centerpiece or an idea.”
Art treasures in a drawer
Ask Jade to see her creations, and she modestly pulls open a drawer in her sunny, corner apartment home. Tucked inside are layers of beautiful pieces, each one more intriguing and more beautiful than the next.
One features a piece of jewelry, another has rich stones woven into the design. And still another, decorative metal pieces or small pieces of pottery that she also makes. Another has a piece of ivory from a trip to Africa.
Time well invested
Books are filled with patterns and Jade says that while she uses these as starting points, she is always adapting and changing, making the pattern suit her idea or the decorative piece she has chosen.
As well as creativity, time is a factor. “The smallest ones will take about three weeks or so, with me working about two to three hours in the morning and maybe another two or so in the afternoon,” says Jade. “People don’t realize how long it takes – and how much attention. It is time consuming, but when I see the piece evolving, it always makes me think that I’m glad I’m doing this.”
To discuss this article, click here!