Natural Healing (SAQA Regional Exhibition)

Natural Healing

Natural Healing An exhibit of contemporary fiber art Presented by Studio Art Quilt Associates of New Mexico 2015-2016 Since the dawn of history, humans have used plants and animals to cure the sick, heal wounds, and promote health. Our challenge for Natural Healing was to create a representation, in a 20x30� piece of fiber art, of one or more plants or animals that contribute to human wellness.

Inspiration could be from ancient or cutting edge medicine.

tExhibition Schedule 2015 First Unitarian Church, Albuquerque, NM, October 11-November 20, 2015 2016 Hubbard Museum of the American West, Ruidoso Downs, NM National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD Inova Cancer Center, Fairfax, MD University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Who are we?

SAQA is an international organization that promotes quilting as an art form and serves to educate the public about the history of quilts and their significance in contemporary art. The exhibition is open to fiber artists who are members of the New Mexico region of SAQA. Contemporary art quilts are part of a revolutionary movement that has transcended the once strict barriers between the craft of quilting and fine art, filling a niche somewhere between sculpture and painting. These artists combine their exceptional skills in working with fabrics, threads, and their artistic insights to craft stunning tactile creations that inspire, elevate, and encourage reflection.

Ann Anastasio, Santa Fe, NM aanastasio@comcast.net

Oak Leaves and Acorns Native Americans used ground oak leaves to heal wounds and they also used ground acorns mixed with other natural materials for headaches and minor pain. With commercial fabrics, I machine pieced the background, acorns and leaves using different random piecing designs for each shape. The background is diagonally machine quilted. $400

Jane Ann Bode, Sapello, NM jadbode@gmail.com

Chicory When dried, roasted and ground,

chicory root is used as a substitute or additive to coffee. Its root contains inulin, which may help with general health: its flower is used as a folk medicine for everyday ailvments, and the ancient Romans reportedly used the plant to help cleanse the blood. Its bitter leaves are appreciated and may be used in salads, or other dishes, as it is in the same family as endive. I wanted to pay some tribute to this pretty blue flower. NFS

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Jane Ann Bode, Sapello, NM jadbode@gmail.com

Blue Healing Blue flowers were so

plentiful this summer. Chicory can be used as a folk medicine for everyday ailments.

Rocky Mountain Columbine tastes sweet, and its seed can be used as a parasiticide to rid the hair of lice. Pleated gentian leaves and roots have been used in tea to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Birdbill Dayflower leaves may be used as a throat gargle to relieve sore throats. Harebell root can be made into a compress to be placed on a cut or other wound to stop bleeding, reduce swelling and speed healing. Wild blue flax can be made into fiber, what better use to a quilter! NFS

Sandra Branjord, Sun City, AZ okredfox@yahoo.com

Unconditional Love Love in its many

forms is a powerful force in healing. Whether it be from our family, our friends, or even our pets, love is a basic need. It can be a smile, a touch, a hug, or even the wet splash of Fido’s kiss on our face. Studies show that people with a support group heal better and faster.

Like an infant without love, FAILURE TO THRIVE, is a very real premise. With this quilt I hope to show that that support can come in so many different forms. Family, friends, and pets, Love is a very healing ingredient. $690

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Schatzi Brimer, Santa Fe, NM sbrimerartquilts@gmail.com

Honey, the Golden Elixir Honey has

been called “Liquid Gold”, the “Nectar of the Gods” and “the Golden Elixir” and for good reason. Since ancient times, honey was used for medicinal purposes. As early as 2100 BC, honey’s use as an ointment and drug was recorded. Aristotle (384-322 BC) referred to honey as being a good salve for sore eyes and wounds. Today, honey is known to possess antimicrobial properties and aides in wound-healing. It is thought that honey also demonstrates anti-bacterial properties against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Honey may also suppress coughs, soothe burns, act as a sleep aid, boost immunity, treat dandruff and has anti-fungal properties. A remarkable substance, and it tastes good too! How sweet is that? NFS

Schatzi Brimer, Santa Fe, NM sbrimerartquilts@gmail.com

Hollyhocks

Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) flowers can be made into a medicinal tea.

It may help to soothe mouth and throat inflammations and is believed to promote gastrointestinal, respiratory and urinary tract health. The leaves can be applied as a poultice for chapped skin, splinters, areas of painful inflammation and swellings. $475

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Betty Busby, Albuquerque NM fbusby3@comcast.net bbusbyarts.com

Salix The use of willow bark dates back thousands of years, to the time of Hippocrates (400 BC) when patients were advised to chew on the bark to reduce fever and inflammation. Willow bark has been used throughout the centuries in China and Europe, and continues to be used today for the treatment of pain. $700

Betty Busby, Albuquerque NM fbusby3@comcast.net bbusbyarts.com

Sea Urchin: SpTransformer Sea urchins contain immune proteins with anti microbial functions. Bonnie Lun is focusing her doctoral research on one that she has renamed SpTransformer. This compound, part of the ShapeShifter group, will have profound beneficial effects in future medicine. $700

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Shannon M. Conley, Moore, OK la.emperatriz@gmail.com shannonconleyartquilts.com

Two Blind Mice and a Wild-Type Knockout and knockin mice are genetically engineered to carry mutations in their genome to model debilitating diseases, critical since it is difficult to study many diseases in human patients. The scientific and medical advancements that have resulted from use of these models cannot be overstated. This quilt re-interprets my fluorescein angiograms-pictures of the blood vessels in the eye-from mice with diabetic retinopathy (top) and macular dystrophy (bottom), as well as their normal or wild-type counterpart (middle).

We use these specialized mice to study the pathobiological mechanisms associated with these blinding retinal degenerations and to develop and test novel treatments. $500

Vicki Conley, Ruidoso Downs, NM vicki1onley@yahoo.com, vicki-conley.com

Opium Poppy The beautiful poppy,

Papaver somnifermum produces the powerful drug opium and its many derivatives including morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and heroin.

Physicians during the Greek and Roman times used opium as an analgesic, as a sedative and to treat cramping and diarrhea.

Opiates are such effective therapeutics that they remain first line treatments for pain.

Friedrich Serturner isolated morphine from the poppy in the early nineteenth century.

This was the first isolation of an active ingredient from a plant and in 1827 Merck began commercially producing it. The Greek god of dreams, Morpheus, inspired Serturner’s original name morphium. $300

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Jennifer Day, Santa Fe, NM jennifer@jdaydesign.com

Buffalo Gourd and Petroglyphs My ranch in New Mexico was a major intersection for people thousands of years ago. There are petroglyphs that have been dated as being 5,000 years old. These archaic images tell stories. I have chosen an image of a petroglyph that is almost covered with Buffalo Gourd for this project. The buffalo gourd has also grown on the land for 9,000 years. The people used it as a medicine. Several plant parts of buffalo gourd have medicinal attributes that tribes implement into their culture. The IsletaPueblo Indians boiled the roots applying the infusion to chest pains. The Tewa grind the root into a powder drinking it with cold water for laxative effects and the roots are eaten as food because of its sweet starch content. The juice of the root is also disinfecting and remedies toothache. The baked fruit rubbed over rheumatic areas will relieve pain. The seeds and flowers help control swelling. The buffalo gourd is truly a healing plant.

My quilt is based on a photograph printed on fabric. I covered the petroglyphs in thread, blending colors together to give a coarse feel, much the same as the chiseled rock. The plant is also covered in thread, although I left some of the leaves without thread to give a translucent quality to the art. The background is free motion quilting that also is reminiscent of the texture of the rock. $1800

Vicki Conley, Ruidoso Downs, NM vicki1onley@yahoo.com vicki-conley.com

Flanders

Poppy The unwarranted invasion of neutral Belgium became a rallying point for allied forces in the early days of the first world war. The poppy fields of Flanders (in northern Belgium) were one of the most visually striking sites of the demoralizing and interminable trench warfare which characterized the conflict and during which so many soldiers gave their lives. Ever since then, the poppy has been given out as a remembrance of fallen service members.

This outward and visible symbol helps us cope with the sacrifice others have made and helps to heal our spirit. $300 8

Nicole Dunn, Los Alamos, NM

nicole@dunnassoc.net, dunnquilting.com

Corn Lily Veratrum californicum, also

known as Corn Lily or False Hellebore is a poisonous plant native to mountain meadows of North America. However, in researching this amazing plant, I found out that its flower essence has been used to help with symptoms of menopause in women by practitioners in Mexico. Also, a derivative of the plant, called Cyclopamine, is currently undergoing clinical trials for treatment of hard to treat cancers such as hematologic malignancies, chondrosarcoma, and pancreatic cancer. $600

Suzan Cloud Engler, Panorama Village, TX suzan@suzanengler.com

Chicken Soup Every culture has a

version of Mama’s chicken soup, that magic elixir that can cure a common cold or mend a broken heart. Chicken soup is reported to cure the common cold and reduce high blood pressure. It is a miracle cure in a bowl. Mama was right, this will make you feel better. $900

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April Whiteside Foster, Santa Fe, NM aprilspring43@msn.com

Cone Snails Conus spp. - Cone Snails -With

over 500 species and each one having about 100 different toxins in its venom, these sea creatures have been described as having “the largest and most clinically important pharmacopoeia of any species in nature”. Cone toxins are being looked at that could help treat, epilepsy, depression, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, tobacco addiction, lung cancer and Parkinson disease. Among the compounds found in cone snail venom are proteins that have enormous potential as pain killing drugs.

These drugs would treat chronic neuropathic pain from sources such as diabetes, cancer or MS. Research shows that they can be up to 10,000 times more potent than morphine without the morphine addictive properties or side effects.

The cone snail is found world wide in tropical and subtropical waters vtand ranges in size from 0.5” to 8.5” in length, they have intricate shell patterns, the foot is strong and muscular and may be colorful. $650

Cheryl FitzGerald, Albuquerque, NM cherylf@swcp.com cherylfquilts.com

Manzanita

Manzanita is a common name for a small tree or shrub found in western United States that has been used by traditional healers, most commonly for urinary tract infections and treatment of poison oak rash. It is a Spanish word that translates as “little apple” for its small reddish berries which ripen in late summer. In this quilt I wanted to focus on its characteristic berries, leaves, and twisting branches. $600

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Cynthia Fowler, Santa Fe, NM melifowl@yahoo.com

Penicillium There was a time when a simple cut

finger could result in loss of limb and life. Everyone viewing this quilt has in some way been affected by the discovery of penicillin in 1928 and the plethora of anti-microbial agents that followed. The discovery of penicillin from the mold Penicillium, ushered in a new age of antibiotics derived from microorganisms and marked a true turning point in human history: doctors finally had a tool that could completely cure their patients of deadly infectious diseases. Penicillin was like magic. It was so precious, that syringes were reused without washing in between doses.

No one wanted to waste a drop of this “liquid gold”.

Like so many scientific advances, the discovery of penicillin was due to serendipity and the curiosity of a scientist, Alexander Fleming. Subsequently Howard Florey, Norman Heatley, and Ernst Chain developed methods for manufacture and application in humans that resulted in the ability to mass-produce penicillin in quantities great enough for distribution and mass use in combat troops during WWII. NFS

Cynthia Fowler, Santa Fe, NM melifowl@yahoo.com

Medicinal Leeches

The application of leeches is one of history’s oldest recorded medical treatments.

Egyptian medics believed that letting a leech sip a sick patient’s blood could help cure everything from fevers to flatulence. In medieval Europe, leeching was so prevalent that physicians became known as “leeches”.

Application of leeches was standard medical practice until the mid 1800s when other therapies took their place. However, in the late twentieth century, medicinal leech therapy made an international comeback. They are now used following surgery to stimulate circulation in tissues threatened by postoperative venous congestion, particularly in delicate areas such as fingers, toes, ear, and scalp reattachments; limb transplants; skin flap surgery; and breast reconstruction. When presented with the facts, most patients are willing to undergo a few days of leech therapy in order to greatly improve their chances for a successful surgical outcome. NFS

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Vicki Gadberry, Silver City, NM evgadberry123@hughes.net

Botanicas

Fabricanas This is a sampling of “botanically illustrated” healing plants rendered in fabric - Mexican Poppy (Aregemone mexicana/Papavereacae), relieves inflammation, antidote for snake poisoning, treatment for asthma; Sunflower (Helianthus annus/Asteraceae), lowers cholesterol, treats bronchial infections, and as a leaf tea, works as an astringent, and Century Plant (Agave americana/ Agavaceae), anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and treats digestive orders. $300

Betty Hahn, Sun City, AZ bghahb49@aol.com bettyhahnfiberart.blogspot.com

Standley’s Cloak Fern While in New Mexico I

met a young man who works for the Forest Service.

I asked him if there was a plant mostly grown in the Southwest United States that was used for medicinal purposes. He stated that there was a fern with a pentagonal leaf shape that was used by the Seri Indians for fertility. He called it a cloak fern.

I discovered the fern grows here in my area in the Phoenix mountain preserve and across Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico. It is called Notholaena standleyi and was used by the Seri Indians as a fertility aid and for general good fortune. It is now used in the treatment of Herpes virus. It can be found nestled in cracks of granite rocks. The front is green and the back is light yellow with a border of greenish yellow. When faced with drought conditions it curls up to protect itself. $650

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Lorraine Hollingsworth Albuquerque, NM laholli@live.com

The

Apothecary Historically, an apothecary was a person who prepared and sold materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients. They were an important part of European and Colonial towns and cities.

Some eighteenth century apothecaries also practiced as doctors or physicians. The apothecary started out in the 14th century as a seller of spices and drugs. Today, there are still apothecaries that specialize in herbal and other natural products, some of which have been in operation for hundreds of years. $750

Michelle M. Jackson Albuquerque, NM

michellejackson@quiltfashions.com www.quiltfashions.com

Blueberry

Swirl Blueberries are considered a “super food�. They are nutrient dense; low in calories but high in fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K. They are king of antioxidant foods and are known to protect against aging and cancer. $650

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Michelle M. Jackson Albuquerque, NM

michellejackson@quiltfashions.com www.quiltfashions.com

Lemon Squeeze Lemons have strong

antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers. They contain citric acid, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, pectin, and limonene that promote immunity and fight infection. $650

Nancy James, Belen, NM nanytutu@gmail.com

The Mighty Yew; Taxus brevifolia Anti Tumor Wonder The Pacific Yew, a conifer,

was traditionally used for archery bows and canoe paddles. Native uses also included removal of under arm hair. The pulp was applied to wounds; a tea was made from the bark for a lung medicine; the berries were eaten to stop menstruation (a contraceptive). It was known to impart strength when a person was rubbed with it or was washed in it. In 1991, researchers discovered that a drug called Taxol could be extracted from the bark. Taxol has found to be effective in controlling ovarian and other types of cancer including breast, melanoma, leukemia and sarcoma. Because the trees were being decimated for Taxol, it is now being produced synthetically. There is a company in Montana that sells oils and salves that are produced from the Montana Yew tips, not hurtful to the trees and has been found to be beneficial. NFS

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Suzy Komara, Ruidoso, NM skomara55@gmail.com

Cayenne – Capsicum annuum The

fruits of the Cayenne pepper are usually dried and ground into a fine powder. The medicinal/ healing properties speed metabolism due to high amounts of capsaicin which increase circulation and blood flow to all major organs. Capsaicin may support a healthy energy balance and suppress appetite and is beneficial for weight loss. Cayenne is also claimed to be an aphrodisiac, help digestive system, regulate blood pressure. NFS

Colleen Konetzni, Rio Rancho, NM collyquilt@msn.com

Mint Tea Mint is a simple to grow herb with many health benefits. My favorite is mint tea for indigestion. $250

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Colleen Konetzni, Rio Rancho, NM collyquilt@msn.com

Rosemary Rosemary been used as a culinary and medicinal herb from ancient times. It comes from the arid Mediterranean and is known to relieve muscle pain, improve memory, boost the immune and circulatory system and help with indigestion. $200

Mary Mattimoe, Clovis, NM

mary.mattimoe@gatech.edu, marymattimoe. com

Arnica Arnica, although poisonous if

swallowed or ingested, contains thymol derivatives, which have antimicrobial properties. Arnica could possibly work magic on inflammation, bruises, and burns of lesser degree. $325

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Anita Marsh McSorley, Albuquerque, NM amcsorley@q.com

The Useful Raspberry The raspberry plant

is grown in many climate ranges around the world. Not only does the fruit provide nutritional value, being high in iron, folic acid and Vitamins C, B and A, but the leaves contain phosphorous, potassium, calcium and iron. Tea made from the leaves has been shown to possess anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and astringent properties.

Early in our history, midwives prescribed tea made from raspberry leaves to be drunk prior to birth to tone the uterine muscles for labor and delivery and after the birth to help the uterus return to normal. The Chinese used the fruit to help eliminate toxins from the liver and blood.

Being rich in iron, raspberries can fight anemia.

Drink 3 or 4 cups per day of an infusion of 3 tablespoons of dried leaves per liter of water to treat diarrhea. The sedative and antispasmodic effect the berries have on the uterus, makes raspberry juice a useful treatment for menstrual cramps. Drink up! $200

Anita Marsh McSorley, Albuquerque, NM amcsorley@q.com

Globe Mallow in the Desert Globe Mallow is

a shrubby perennial native to the Southwest. The Navajo word for globe-mallow means “medicine that covers� and has been used for centuries to treat and cure many ailments and afflictions. As one of the Navajo Life Medicines it is used to treat stomachaches, improve appetite, stop bleeding, cure coughs and colds, treat diarrhea and sore throats. The flowers, boiled in oil and water, with a little honey and alum, have proved good as a gargle for sore throat. Globe Mallow is one of the wild flowers I see growing along the roadsides in the Jemez Mountains where I spend a lot of time $200

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Ginny McVickar, Pleasant Hill, OR mcvickarg@gmail.com

OSHA~

The Bear Plant Osha, (Ligusticum porteri) or Chuchupate, also called bear root, is a perennial herb that inhabits the Rocky Mountain Region above 9,000 feet. The beneficial part of the Osha plant is the root, which has long been used

by Native Americans for cold, cough, and other respiratory ailments. Osha root is, arguably, the best American herb for lung and throat problems. Bears would look for Osha and consume the plant roots directly after emerging from winter hibernation or when wounded or sick. $950

Frances Oldham Murphy, Surprise, AZ francesmurphy50@msn.com

Echinacea purpurea ‘Maxima’ I have

always been fascinated by the Echinacea flower. I love the contrast between the floppy pinkish-purple leaves and the spiky redgold center. When I look back through the photographs, sketch books, and “doodles” I have accumulated throughout my life, I find the Echinacea flower in abundance. As a natural remedy, Echinacea stimulates the immune system and is said to shorten the duration of the common cold. $750

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Judith Roderick, Placitas, NM rainbowpaintr@comcast.net

Sacred Corn Corn has been a sacred plant

to many indigenous peoples of the Americas for millennia. Mayans, Aztecs, and many Native American peoples worshipped Corn Gods and developed myths about the origin, planting, growing, and harvesting of corn. Corn appeared in their Creation Stories, as the Source of Creation, as a Corn Gods and Goddesses, as medicine and food for the people. Corn dances are still performed each year in the Southwest.

The pollen is sacred and the corn silk has been used as medicine. Corn is one of the three sisters, with beans and squash, and has been important nourishment in the Southwest, eaten fresh, dried and ground into cornmeal. Cornmeal is also used as an offering. This quilt depicts the red, yellow and blue corn, the corn silk and the pollen. It is whole cloth hand-painted silk, machine quilted, with hand-sewn buttons. $450

Gale Oppenheim-Pietrzak Santa Fe, NM goppie@sbcglobal.net

Coffee Coffee drinkers are more likely to resist

development of dementia and Alzheimer’s later in life. Coffee appears to lengthen the “when” for individuals with certain chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Plus it wakes you up in the morning. And I used coffee to naturally dye the silk used in all the fabric in this quilt. $350

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Judith Roderick, Placitas, NM rainbowpaintr@comcast.net

May Apple, American Mandrake, Podophyllum peltatum This is a nostalgia

quilt for me, as I fondly remember a carpet of May apples emerging in the early Spring in the woods near my home in Western Pennsylvania, when I was growing up. I always enjoyed their umbrella-like leaves and lovely white flowers.

Native American tribes used their dried and powdered root as a laxative, to remove worms, and as a topical treatment for skin cancer. They often ate the ripened fruit also. Modern medicine has found compounds in the root, or rhizome that contain valuable constituents such as quercetin that are being studied for their healing anti-cancer properties. This is a whole-cloth, hand-painted silk quilt, that was machine quilted and embellished with hand-sewn buttons. $450v

Lynn Rogers, Rio Ranch, NM kblr049@aol.com

Sacred Datura – Datura meteloides Known by other names such as moonflower or Jimson weed, Sacred Datura is a beautiful plant with large, white flowers, made famous in paintings

by Georgia O’Keefe. It is native to the Four Corners region of the United States, Texas, California and south into Mexico. The Aztecs made a poultice for wounds from this plant, but most often it is known as an entheogen, which is a plant that is ingested to induce hallucinogenic effects for religious or spiritual purposes. Large variations exist from plant to plant, and a given plant’s toxicity depends on its age, where it is growing and the local weather conditions. These variables make it exceptionally hazardous to use as a drug. In traditional cultures, users needed to have a great deal of experience and detailed plant knowledge so that no harm resulted from its use. NFS

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Vel Saddington, Albuquerque, NM velsaddington@yahoo.com

Jellyfish News Prevagen is a unique brain

health supplement made from apoaequorin.

It is a calcium binding protein, and is the same family as those found in humans, but was originally discovered in one of nature’s simplest organisms - the jellyfish. Ironically, the calcium binding protein enhances cognitive functioning in human brains and the jellyfish has no brain. $400

Denise Seavey, Santa Fe, NM den@insiteworks.com

Foxglove Digitalis purpurea, (Common

Foxglove), has been used in the treatment of heart conditions since 1785. Digitalis, a derivative of Foxglove may be prescribed for patients with atrial fibrillation. Strolling through Europe this past summer, I was fortunate to see this magnificent flower.

Materials used include acrylic paint, batiks and cottons. $325

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Nancy J. Steidle, Santa Fe, NM mssnjs@aol.com

Just

Breathe Elderflowers and elderberries have a long history of use in natural healing. A hot infusion of elderflowers or a tincture/syrup made from elderberries makes a wonderful remedy for the onset of upper respiratory infections. The relaxant effect of elderflowers is a bonus in treating asthma and can be used to soothe nerves, ease anxiety and lift depression. $1450

Lynn B. Welsch, Mimbres, NM lbwelsch@hughes.net

Monhegan

Island

Goldenrod

Goldenrod is used around the world to treat tuberculosis, diabetes, enlargement of the liver, gout, hemorrhoids, internal bleeding, asthma, arthritis, inflammation, muscle spasms, infections, and blood pressure. It acts as a diuretic and is used in teas to “flush out� or treat and prevent kidney stones.

Goldenrod is often blamed for seasonal allergies when Ragweed, which blooms at the same time, is responsible! $600v

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Hope Wilmarth, Spring, TX hlwilmarth@hotmail.com

Lily of the Desert The ancient Egyptians

called aloe vera, “lily of the desert”.

I call it my patio bandage. I have a huge potted aloe by my back door. When the occasion arises, I snap off a frond, rub the sticky yellow fluid on a burn or bite and soon the healing begins. $750

Martha Wolfe, Davis, CA mwfiberart@me.com

Chinook Salmon have played an important

role in medicine in Native People’s history, in totem images symbolizing health and stories that remind us that nature is our first source for healing. Today, modern pharmacology recognizes the valuable “medicines” provided by salmon. A rich source of vitamin D and calcium, salmon promotes bone health, as well as helping control blood sugar and boost immunity. The omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA may reduce inflammation and the risk of heart disease, improve cognitive function, enhance fetal development and a host of other benefits. $900

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