Archive | December, 2023

A New Technique for “Effervescent”

By Ellen Lindner on December 31, 2023 in Uncategorized

Maybe you’ll remember a couple of months ago, when I was experimenting with mono printing. When I tried it (with thickened dye) on slick vinyl, the dye beaded up badly. At first, I thought it was worthless, but then I realized that the resulting lacy effect was both beautiful and useful. So much so, that I stitched a small sample into a whole cloth quilt. I’m calling it Effervescent.

Effervescent, an art quilt by Ellen Lindner. AdventureQuilter.com

As you can see, I’ve used black stitching to outline the shapes. I love the effect.

Effervescent - detail, an art quilt by Ellen Lindner. AdventureQuilter.com

The piece is available for purchase. Find the dimensions and price on my website.

Ellen Lindner

I Think I Learned Something

By Ellen Lindner on December 22, 2023 in Uncategorized

After making each art piece I like to study it to see if I can figure out what works and/or what does not.

I was particularly happy with this recent quilt, Exuberance, so I studied it a bit. My question: “what makes it successful?”

Exhuberance, an art quilt by Ellen Lindner. AdventureQuilter.com

Exuberance

I think it has a strong composition, good use of colors, and effective use of value variations. What about the white circles in two corners? How critical are they? They certainly add interest, but is there something more?

To help me figure it out I also looked at this quilt, Raking Season. It has rust and black circles made with same stencil as the blue and white above. While I think this quilt is very successful, it doesn’t have the sparkle of the first one. I think maybe it has to do with the color of the circles. The light ones add sparkle.

Raking Season

Hmm, something to think about. Maybe all my quilts need some light spots to add that sparkle.

To test my theory, I made sure to select some light fabrics for the quilt I’m currently work on. These were my “definite” fabrics when I first started moving them around. As you can see I’ve got some white and black areas in several places. I know they’ll attract attention, so I’ve got my eye on them as I add more fabrics and move things around.

Slowly creating and enjoying it.

Ellen Lindner

Collaging with Magazine Pages

By Ellen Lindner on December 18, 2023 in Uncategorized

Do you ever hit a creative stumbling block? Or just don’t have the mental stamina to take on something major? How about a quick little collage with magazine pages.

I especially like doing this with calendar images. Since the images already relate to one another, it makes for easier going.

Here’s one I did with winter birds.

And with Western/Native American motifs.

These are NOT meant to be works of art. Or even inspiration for something else. They’re purely a playful exercise in arranging colors, shapes, and values. Just a moment of creativity. I love making them.

Of course, magazine pages are also great if you’re trying to make an abstracted version of something realistic. In that case, I tear the pages, knowing that everything will be somewhat imperfect: just what I need for abstracting.