As I mentioned in the last post, my art quilt group, Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists, often has group challenges based on drawing inspiration from a particular photo. This was the photo we selected for our 2009 challenge.
Photo credit: Martha Wolfe
We decided on a vertical orientation, with measurements of 18″ x 12″. Here’s the group display. Very different, right?
This was my piece, Northern Light.
I never really cared for this quilt, I think maybe because of the color combination. Whenever I’m disappointed with a quilt I like to examine it and think about what worked and what didn’t. These are some things I think I did well:
– Used the soft peach glow of the candles as the predominant color.
– Mimiced the grid lines of the windows as design elements.
– Created interesting leaves, inspired by the foliage in the windows.
Here are those leaves up close. Some are stitched sheers. Others are painted and melted plastics. I like the way they curl and buckle, lifting away from the quilt surface. That might be something to try again on a future quilt.
However, I think the combination of peach and yellow-green just doesn’t work. And maybe the whole foliage thing is a little heavy handed. To test that theory, check out the in-progress background, below. I think it was better before I added the leaves.
If I were doing this quilt again, I think I’d keep the background about the same. Then, I’d add a FEW leaves in maybe a rust color. NOT green, something sorta monochromatic.
So, remembering to be inspired by the photo and not controlled by it, I’ve started on a new challenge. This is the inspiration photo. Photo credit Kathryn Robinson
This photo was taken in southern France. We selected it because it has a lot of different components, which gives us many options for working with it.
What would you want to mimic from this photo? Colors, shapes, foliage, flowers, steps, the door, the bench? Oh yeah, we’re using a vertical orientation: 36 x 24. Would that influence your decision?
I can guarantee all the resulting quilts will be very different! Mine is nearly complete, but I’m not allowed to show it until the March unveiling. (That’s hard for me!) Of course, you’ll be the first to see it, after the DDFA gals, that is.
Ellen Lindner
I love this piece pre-leaves, gorgeous use of those colors and neat variations on the shape. Maybe, just maybe the leaves are too similar in value? The colors should work, the shapes are great, the concept is lovely…all I can think of is a lack of dark values and if they are backlit from a window the greens would be deeper….maybe? More contrast? Can’t wait to see what you choose from the new one.
Right, Cindy. It was definitely better pre-leaves. I think if I were to do it again I’d make the leaves very subtle. Maybe just hand or machine stitched, lightly stenciled or some such. Maybe in a sorta dull orange or rust color.
Although I am a green leaf person, I have to agree that this quilt is more successful before the leaves were added. Then the “with leaves” is also a very interesting piece! This inspiration photo was an unusual one to use, but it really sparked a variety of works. The France photo is bound to produce wonderful results!
We’re on the same page, Martha.
I’ve just finished the recent challenge piece, but we don’t unveil them till March. I hate to wait!
I love this color combination. Could it be that these are softer tints than you often use? (might be my screen) The first thing I noticed was the translucent leaves. Maybe the leaves blocked too much of the “window”.
I am enjoying seeing the interpretations that your group comes up with. My small group will probably do this sometime this year. I have a hard time not being “literal”, so to see all these possibilities is very valuable to me.