(sewing machine revving) - I started quilting probably 17 years ago and I think I probably started out as kind of just a... No, I did not, I was gonna say a normal quilter, but no, I didn't.

I started out kind of with optical illusions.

(bright quirky music) I am Anna Johanssen.

I enjoy doing various types of art.

I would say my style is a little bit different because I just don't like doing ordinary things.

That gets boring, I like a challenge.

Building successes, I mean, that's kind of my whole mantra because I've been a teacher for over 40 years and the best part was hearing the kids say in art classes, "I didn't know I could do that."

And they got success and they try things that are more difficult.

This one is Procion dye and this is what I was showing here with doing the stitching, put on the jewels.

This is a nebula.

I gotta get my eyes.

(sewing machine revving) Quilts are so underrated.

It seems like sometimes people think, well, I already have one I don't need anymore, but there's lots of hours that go into it, lots of love sometimes.

And this one is using scraps where I sew it to used fabric sheets.

It's bits and pieces of lots of stuff, this is my daughter's dress.

(bright music) One of the best homemade starches that I've ever made or used is one third cup of vodka and I add two thirds cup of water.

Give it a stir and then with a dry iron, take out your orneriest wrinkles.

Or I could do this (laughs).

- My ribbons are from county fair, state fair, for some paintings that I had done, making sunshine pickles and another one for sauerkraut.

So I kind of dabbled into that too.

I do cowboy action shooting.

So I've got some ribbons for getting first and second place.

That was like- - Wait, what?

(cowboy music) - I do cowboy action shooting.

We dress in the era of the late 1800s to 1900, and you have to shoot each weapon in exactly the order they say as fast as you can.

(gun fires) My sister and I do it.

We used to do it more when her husband was alive.

We have aliases, I'm Mule Town Molly, I'm the Grande Dame, Grande Dame however you want to say it.

(cowboy music) The original definition of Salmagundi is anchovies, meat, vegetables, all arranged on a plate and covered with a dressing.

In other words, it's a salad.

They're all different, but they come together as one.

I've always loved that word anyway, it's kind of poetic.

And so, I thought that's what my gallery exhibit is going to be.

It's Salmagundi.

So there's 65 pieces, pencil drawings, oil painting, acrylics, fiber art and the biggest, most beautiful dog you'll ever see in your life.

I think it's 55 by 65 paper pieced with over 1,000 pieces of a boxer that looked just like my dog.

One of the most fun parts of the gallery I have been told by the comments in the sign-in book is the 3D quilts.

You need the glasses to look through to see the effect.

And then, there's an interactive one where you can play around using the 3D glasses, see what works and what doesn't.

You have to use pure colors and then have a little bit of black surrounding it and that will separate it.

So the red is gonna come right out at you, the blue and the violet are gonna be way behind that you could almost grab it.

I got the idea from the fact that I was teaching a unit in art on it.

So then I got to thinking, now why couldn't I do this with fabric?

And this was just playing around to see how many animals you can find in it.

There's birds, deer, and this one really pops.

(gentle uplifting music) I think I like this the best of the fiber, but I love my cat and squirrel and of course, Francisco.

I just like things that aren't so ordinary and boring.

(bright music) The cowboy action shooting really shocks people when they hear that.

In fact, usually they say, "You?"

Because it's a little old lady shoots guns, real guns.

So I think it's the shock value.

Maybe I like that, maybe I like the shock value.

(bright orchestral music) It's just been a whole different way of life than going to school every day and teaching school.

And I'm looking forward to seeing what else I can learn how to do, figure out how to do.

(bright orchestral music) (bright music) - [Announcer] "Postcards" is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the Citizens of Minnesota.

Additional support provided by Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, Mark and Margaret Yackel-Juleen on behalf of Shalom Hill Farms, a retreat and conference center in a prairie setting near Wyndham, Minnesota.

On the web at shalomhillfarm.org.

Alexandria Minnesota, a year-round destination with hundreds of lakes, trails and attractions for memorable vacations and events.

More information at explorealex.com.

The Lake Region Arts Council's Arts Calendar, an arts and cultural heritage funded digital calendar, showcasing upcoming art events and opportunities for artists in West Central Minnesota.

On the web at lrac4calendar.org.

Playing today's new music plus your favorite hits, 96.7 Kram, online at 967Kram.com.

(bright music)