Tuesday, March 31, 2009




Dawn FFFC-31

I learned a lot from this challenge. My intent was to create luminosity by contrasting a light background showing through layers of trees. The problem came with the background I chose being too grey. Forgotten was the main concept that this luminosity was to be achieved by using color saturation. Scrambling to make this work I added some pure yellow by thread painting a glow behind one of the trees. It salvaged the piece but really didn’t fully accomplish the intent of this challenge. If time permits I am hoping to do a second piece that really glows. I did learn to keep working through my mistakes to get a finished work, and believe me when I tell you that there were a lot of mistakes on this one. If you don’t make some mistakes you never learn.

Thanks Susan, this was an excellent challenge! Comments are welcome.


Reworked piece:
I added the highlights along the tree trunks and branched, and this is the result "New Dawn". I'm sorry that the color is not quite true.


While cropping my photo I decided to play with the hue and the saturation and the next photo is what I should have made... I am calling it "New Dawn on Steroids"... It really demonstrates the effect of saturated color and luminosity. What fun.


9 comments:

Jan said...

I like your piece a lot. How about if you darkened the sky around the glowing sun to show more luminosity? That might draw the focus more to the sun.

Susan B said...

I think the yellow thread work created the luminosity you were looking for. Often in the best examples of this color plan, the bright pure color covers quite a small area but that area glows in contrast to the duller colors around it. So I think yours works.

I could not agree more about working through mistakes. It seems to pay off. I would never have made quilt 1 if I let mistakes stop me. Often they lead to interesting solutions.

janice pd said...

I like that you added the yellow glowing sun to this piece. I especially like that you put it off center for added interest. Would you show more glow if you added some sunlight to the sunlight side of some trees/branches?

Joni said...

Thank you ladies for your comments. I like the idea of adding some sunlight to the side of the tree and branches. I did think of darkening the sky for more contrast, but can't think of a way to do it without ruining the thread painting. I will see what I can do to make it a little better.

Sandra Wyman said...

No please don't darken the sky - this really captures the effect you get in woodland in winter with the light coming from behind the trees - don't risk losing that.

Cherie in Del Mar said...

I agree with Sandra, the glow in the sky is perfect, but I also think a glint of light reflecting on the 'sunlit' side of some trees could be effective. Really though, I love it just the way it is!
Cherie

Art by Rhoda Forbes said...

Joni, this is a wonderful piece of art. I like the light sky and the luminosity that you achieved with the stitching really worked.

Jan said...

Joni,
I love the transitions you've shown. It's almost like the sun is rising and becoming more intense as the day wears on. I especially like New Dawn on Steroids. So bright and vibrant and the stitching along the trees becomes even more luminous with the more saturated colors behind them. What a great trio to hang together!

Carole said...

I like this a lot... the thread painting in behind really gives it that light luminosity that is so prevalent, particularly in say about February. Very pleasing.