Monday, July 30, 2012

What color is SHAME?

Worry? Boredom? Rage is easier to color but not to shape. I call on my Assistant.

These little vignettes are taking shape. My challenge is to keep them loose, not so structured, more painterly.
I take breaks to watch the Olympic extravaganzas. Now THAT is structure. How many thousands of times do those athletes do the SAME thing to perfection?

I prefer my sport.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

What if? Some Experiments....

What if I...

  • made smaller, faster quilts, not as labor-intensive, at smaller price points?
  • tried some new techniques with fusing and curved seams?
  • explored new color combinations?
  • created a series?
My new series is USELESS EMOTIONS. I will attempt to convey an emotion with color and design. Part quilting. Part therapy.

Starting with "Useless Emotion: Envy" In process. so far, fused pieces. stitching and embellishments to follow. This is a fun mix-it-up process.

Champion Companion


Who knew that his last social outing would be my quilt show?
Or that my last blog post would be on the eve of his death?
He was so excited to see me right back quilting after my show, obviously a sign that this time I wasn't burned out.
He loved it when I was quilting. He saw it as a positive, self-nourishing activity.

I loved to show him my latest creation, because he was my biggest fan and thrilled to the colors and compositions.
I loved brainstorming the titles for my pieces with him. It tapped his love of the way language can capture just the right feeling and tone of artistic expression.

He was happy to help however he could, this time meticulously pealing off the little pieces of fusing paper from 300 squares of silk sewn into strips. It saved me a few hours of tedium.

He was the smartest, funniest, most honorable person I've ever known. I wish I could show him my new series. He would have SO much to say on the subject of useless emotions. So here's to you, Jackie....