Now that I have some fall leaves — albeit in fabric, I shall make an Art Quilt from it. Watch for it! I will soon post it on eBay. I will need to thread paint the veins of the leaves and … Well, you’ll see it soon enough. It’s a nice, fun project. I love quilting.
I thought I’d try to do something new, having autumn in mind. So I went looking for maple leaves. Well, the tree across from us is a maple tree, but it’s still green. That’s what happens when you live in the Middle East. Never mind, I can imagine fall colors — that’s what makes it an art quilt.
I have finally reached a point where the basis for this landscape art quilt is done. The design is my interpretation of the photo. I think you can see the two banks connected by a bridge. That’s what I was going for. The images are appliqued. The overall look will still change a lot once I start thread painting using free motion machine quilting techniques.
I had a great time at the fabric shop finding the right fabrics for my stone walls. It always energizes to visit the shop and be surrounded by beautiful fabrics. It’s like a candy store!
This project has been an education in proportion and perspective. The land and slopes are now in place. I need to add the foliage.If I did it right, you can sense the 3D quality. I really like the effect under the bridge. It looks like another land I would like to visit.
Here’s the latest version.
Whew. This has been a real challenge. I worked intensively on the right side of the river and this is what I have come up with. The method I used is called collage. I allowed a play between dark and light greens to give the feel of a hillside. I’d be glad to hear what you think. Is it too busy? I think I like it. I need to leave it and come back to it.
This morning I decided the flatness of the sides and the bridge rendered the quilt ineffective. So, back to the drawing board. I worked on the lightness:darkness ratio, (known as color value), on the bridge. I didn’t even tackle the sides of the river though I did remove them… So here is the current rendition. Sometimes if you take a break from a project, you may realize you do not like parts of it. You can always shift things around and rework them. Don’t give up. Look at the next iteration as a lesson learned. I say this as much for myself as for anyone who may be reading this blog.
I have laid out the elements in the scene using cotton fabric. It still looks very 2-dimensional because I haven’t added any embellishment or quilting yet. The quilting will bring out the depth in the piece. I will embellish with textiles, such as silk, lace, yarn, tulle and bits of colorful fibers. For now you can make out the basic scene. Compare it to the photo upon which this work is based.
My newest piece is based on a photo I took at the Ein Hemed National Park in Israel. The idea is to go from photo to fabric. Here is the photo:
I’m working on this project in the context of an online course I am taking from the Quilt University, called On Land and Sea by Susan Brittingham.
I’m up to the stage where I am choosing fabrics that will mirror this beautiful view. I especially like the window into the forest formed by the arch of the bridge. I’ll post some more photos as I progress in this new quilt art challenge.
Cindy
If you look at my newest piece, Along the Jordan River, I hope you can imagine walking along the water’s edge in northern Israel. The water’s movement is achieved by shifting fabrics slightly to show the flow and direction of the water. My family tells me it looks like a painting to them, though I used only fabric, thread and yarn.
I learned the techniques for this piece at a workshop taught by Phyllis Cullen.
Available at my Etsy shop.
Cindy
Being surrounded by beauty raises people’s spirits and outlook. I am very conscious of the harmony I create through color and choice of fabric. My favorite subjects are scenes from Israel. I love taking my own photographs and recreating them in fabric. I paint with thread much like a painter uses inks and paint. If you can walk into one of my scenes, I’ve done a good job!
See more of my work at www.cindyrquilts.com
Cindy