Things'll be great when you're downtown... everything's waiting for you. Remember that Petula Clark song? Well, we took her advice this week and things were great downtown in Ocala, Florida. The purpose of the visit was to see the wonderful exhibit of hand-dyed tapestries and quilts created by Kay Koeper Sorensen of Quilts + Color. Kay's exhibit, Florida Ice, is on display until April 26, at the City Hall. Should you happen to be able to visit, you can get further details at Kay's blog.
Every piece just glows from within! Quite mesmerizing.
And Kay points out that each one is a treat for her to discover as her process goes along.
You can't pick a favorite because every one is so beautiful. And this is just a sampling.
Kay has included a bio, an artist statement, and a very interesting explanation of her process. I thought it would be particularly helpful to those visitors who may be unfamiliar with ice dyeing and wondering how she makes these beautiful pieces.
"Maybe you know some little places to go... downtown." We do! One of them is Harry's on the Square. New Orleans style with excellent food make it a popular restaurant. Mardi Gras all the time.
It's complete with interesting wall art.
Delicious food- I had the crab cakes. Yummy.
And more art on the historic brick walls. The building itself is old and nicely preserved, so the ambience is very appealing.
Ocala has a quaint downtown with attractive shops fronting on the historic square. Isn't this inviting?
The center of the square has this bandstand where music events, art walks, and other gatherings are held.
And there are a couple of Horse Fever horses painted or finished creatively by local artists on display. Ocala is in the heart of Horse Country, rivaling Kentucky for the number of thoroughbred horses along with many other breeds such as Gypsy Vanners, Paso Finos, Quarter Horses, mini horses, and more. There's more to Florida than theme parks, and Ocala is in the center of a beautiful rural area.
The Olive Oil Market on the square not only offers tastings of oils and balsamic vinegar, but also has this striking display of salt lamps. They have such a warm glow and offer some health benefits, too. We brought one home.
So, maybe I'll see you there... we can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares, and go downtown!
9 comments:
Thanks you for your lovely comments about my Florida Ice show.
Your post makes me want to jump on a plane and come visit!!!
great post Nancy! ! Yes i do recall Petula Clark's "Downtown"! now i will be humming that tune all day....What great colorful shots and a wonderful tour of Ocala. I really enjoyed Kay's ice quilts, they are amazing, reminding me of my kaleidoscope days! be well!
I loved your story of Downtown. Of course I now have that song ratteling around in my head. It was a great show and we too went to Harrys. Thanks floor sharing.
You are very clever to match Petula Clark’s “Downtown” song to your stroll of Ocala Downtown. Kay’s Quilts are beyond Stunning! They really grab your attention and hold you within. Awesome April Dear...<3
I have NO idea how I missed this post, but I am so glad I finally saw it. I have done ice/snow dyeing back when we had lots of snow in KS. Although her work is beautiful, I don't get how she creates these. They definitely look like whole cloth pieces, and it must be in the folding, but I would have liked to learn a bit about how she got these incredible designs. I didn't get what she meant when she said each takes from 2 weeks to 3 months. Does it mean the patterns are sewn into place? I guess I'm really, really confused, which is nothing new for me.
I remember visiting Ocala in the late 1990s. I don't remember the horses or the gazebo/bandstand, though.
I've heard about those salt lamps. These are all quite lovely. I hope it works well for you.
Love these mandala ice dye images! Frankly I have not been a big fan of most of the ice dye prints I have seen but these are stunning and different! Just wonderful. Looks like you had a lovely time, being Downtown. Yes, I'm old enough to remember when that song was a new hit.
I told you I was going to try your cereal and cracker recycling technique and I did. Yours was fabulous. Mine was sort of a flop, but I learned a lot and quoted you, too!
Not sue how I missed this post but I love those dyed pieces. They are so colorful and fun to look at.
Sounds like a fun day!
Love the title - Patula Clark :)
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