Ellen Lindner: Art & Creativity

Do you have Crepe Myrtles in your area?  They thrive here in the south and I just love them.  Not only are their blossoms beautiful, but their shapes and their trunks are as well.  I especially like the way the branches droop when they have heavy blossoms on them.

To start designing the quilt, I played around on the computer, using two of my own photos.  With photo editing software, I can cut each plant away from its background, move it, resize it, etc.  Very easy!

Eventually, I decided to feature just one plant.  This is my sketch, complete with three different values in the pink flowers.  Something I’ll need to reproduce.

I construct my quilts collage style, using a piece of muslin for support.  I had fun creating the sky.  I like to use a variety of patterned fabrics to add interest.

Have you ever noticed that the sky is lighter at the horizon than it is up at altitude?  My mom, who’s a painter, taught me that trick.

I thought I was very clever when I decided to use white and green prints where the sky and grass meet.  Like blades of grass, I thought.  But, it wasn’t very effective.

So, I cleaned that up, lowered the horizon, and softened the edges of the shadow.  Then, it was time to start on the foliage.  I put a few “place marker” fabrics in position, as a reference.

Being “clever” again:  I was hoping I could use the dark green and light blue print as delicate foliage near the edges.  We’ll see.

Ellen Lindner