Abstract Fun: Background

Oh boy, have I been having fun!  Remember my “Paint Mojo” exercise and the three sketches it produced?  I loved one of them so much I had to immediately try to recreate it in fabric  use it as the inspiration for a quilt.  (Did you the notice the shift in my thought process there?  I want to produce work LOOSELY.  If I just copy a loose sketch it’s still copying.  Not what I want.)

Here’s the sketch I was working from.  (The yellow-orange is more orange in real life.)

ketch for abstract art. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Since I wanted to work loosely I set some limitations for myself, so as not to accidentally copy.  First, I studied the sketch closely and selected fabrics that exactly matched my colors.  I also studied the composition, knowing that I wanted to emulate it, not actually copy it.  And then I put the sketch away.

Working on a muslin base, I began to arrange and layer fabrics.

Abstract art quilt in-progress. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

 I knew I was deviating from the sketch and I figured that was a good thing.  I switched the center shape to orange.  I love orange with blue-green.  (Although the orange is much softer than it appears in these photos.)

Abstract art quilt in-progress. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Abstract art quilt in-progress. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Once I had the muslin covered it was time to do A LOT of tweaking.  I spent a good bit of time on the shape of the central orange element.  I thought it was important for it to undulate and for the width to change in an interesting way.  I also added a thin yellow line to the edge of it, in places.

Abstract art quilt in-progress. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

I completed the background without ever looking at the sketch again.    And I was very happy with it. In my next post I’ll show you the addition of the graphic elements.

Ellen Lindner

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