Saturday, June 04, 2011

Art Deco No. 1 Bird

Thank you for this wonderful challenge. What a thrill to have this exciting subject for my very first one. Art Deco architectural design is represented with the bird cage. For the machine age, metal, and vertical design, I did a silver bird cage. Glitz and glam of that opulent period are emphasized with glitter in the bird's outline and cage base. I used sunburst rays for quilting and kept to clean, brilliant colors of the period. At first I thought of doing a cityscape or theater facade but our Blue and Gold Macaw kept calling "Mama" for me to let her out of her cage to sit with me while I worked. Voila! - the Ah-ha moment. So I drew an Art Deco parrot like Bo Jangles and appliqued her to the background. I managed the cage-building with quilling paper strips painted silver with a Krylon silver leafing pen, and the base with spray paint overlayed with glitter. I outline Bo with matching glitter glues, then glued on the cage strips. Then I used Art Deco numerals to add the challenge year and number for an address for No. 1 Bird. 21"x25" All critiques, comments and suggestions are very welcome. Sandi

8 comments:

Ann In Fallbrook, CA said...

Wow,Sandi - good job. I especially like the art deco numbers.

Cherie in Del Mar said...

What a neat cage! It puts me in mind of a peacock tail. The sunburst quilting really adds to your wonderful design...
Cherie

Kathy said...

All of your elements add up to a design that says art deco to me. Sleek, shiny, stylized--way to go! I love it!

Pam Harris said...

Great piece!! The numbers at the top really add to the composition. Very regal bird with the added glitz.

Julia in NZ said...

Fabulous design. Colours really evoke the period and your description of how you made the cage etc. show a lot of ingenuity.

Perhaps slightly more quilting would add even more to the effect.

It shows how much more authentic a work is if it shows something that means a lot to you.

Unknown said...

This is a fun piece and a great interpretation of the challenge. Your colors and shapes are pleasing to the eye and evoke the art deco feeling to me. You were very creative in your use of materials for your work. A very well done piece. Nice stylized numbers at the top. I too would advocate for more quilting as it would add more shadows, highlights, and dimension to your piece.

Jan said...

This is a fun piece! I love your color and subject choices. Perfect depiction of Art Deco (I think). I think your simple quilting lines help draw your attention to the bird and go well with the cage design.

fastfriday said...

To Ann/Fallbrook; Cherie/DelMar; Kathy; Julia in NZ; Louise; Jan

Hope that this is the way to respond?!?!
All of you are very kind with your comments, and most encouraging for a newcomer to this site.

I agree that I should have done more quilting, and would love to add it now but the glitter and paper-strip cage will not allow it. Probably some stippling or other design in at least every other section would have helped a lot.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and for your kind words.

Sandi