Kandinsky Revisted

I chose Wassily Kandinsky of Bauhaus fame because I really like how he used repetition of geometric shapes in his abstractions, but still had great balance and variety. My piece is based on one of his paintings called Decisive Pink. Comments welcome!

Cynthia

Ala Klee

Several artists came to mind immediately when I read this challenge: Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Georgia OKeeffe, and Paul Klee. I had just done a tiny calla lily quilt for a memorial service, so I wanted to find another motif/design concept. So I turned to Paul Klee.

Klee's Ancient Sound: Abstract on Black spoke to me of blocks in hand dyed fabric. I used only two cuts of hand dye (purple to green, and gold) plus the black. While the photo doesn't show it, the black is extensively quilted for texture, and there are creases in the greens that add to the effect.

I'm thinking now that I could have added a small piping to outline the blocks (6x6") and highlight the central design. Critiques are welcome! And thanks in advance!

Monet's l'Esterel Mountains

Here is my challenge. I confess I did copy with a few small variations.

I used acrylic paint watered down for the highlights. The tree trunk and grass was thread painted and the leaves were snippets.

I added tulle over the top to make it look more misty.

I am also adding a picture of the original.

Quilter's Window

My attempt at cubism. I was looking around the web and became inspired to give this a try, I especially like the works of Juan Gris and Fernand Leger. Not being a great artist, I couldn't get the hang of drawing things the way they did, so instead I used fused applique, made the picture I wanted, cut it into strips and reassembled to get the look I was after. This is based more on Juan Gris' work (notice the door and the window!) or maybe you don't!
For quilting I simply followed the lines of the shapes, then did a curvy line running around the border to break up all the angles. I am really happy with how this came out and know I am going to be making more .

What Would Mondrian Quilt?

Piet Mondrian immediately came to mind for this challenge. A late-night run to Walmart for supplies (I don't own any solid color fabrics), and the fabric is cheap 65/35 broadcloth for that reason. My machine does NOT like to sew that fabric, hence things tended to get a bit wonky when starting and stopping. How would the artist have done the quilting if he had worked in fabric? My decision was geometric, a simple square spiral, the width of my presser foot. Working with an 8.5x11" size in mind, the actual design is minimal in order to have enough room for quilting. It's straighter than it looks in the picture - but that broadcloth warps out of shape all too easily. Perhaps I will do another, of quality cotton fabric, and in a larger size. Certainly the next time I could be a bit more original in my choice of design. -Marilyn

Fishing Bridge

Easily completed since I had the small pieces of fabric already cut. I wanted to create a picture in the style of the wonderful old master, Claude Monet. When/If I try this method again I will use even smaller pieces so as not to get the stringy effect as seen in this piece. I used a solid piece of fabric for the sky and then took the various colors of fabric and placed them around to construct the picture. I then layered a piece of black tulle over all of this, pinned it down (but not enough since they easily move around when rolled) and quilted like crazy to hold everything together. I thought the frame using a woodgrain fabric worked well.

Mountain Pass (Chamonix and Martigny)

10" x 13"

I had in mind first M.C. Escher, and actually bought some fabric for a tessellated picture, but the fabric wasn't quite right for a real Escher effect, so I googled "landscape artists" and found John Robert Cozens, an18th century English artist. I liked his muted but mostly pale palette, but found it difficult to get my picture pale enough. I used the back side of the fabric for the brown hillside and the sky, but even after that, it was too bright. I finally layered two layers of fine white gauze over everything, with a bit more in the sky for the cloud layer, and did some thread-painting.
My intent was to avoid making too slavish a copy but to create a similar feel. It all came together much faster than anything else I've done!

Stone Spiral

What a fun challenge.

The initial four artist I thought of where - Georgia O'Keaffe, Salvador Dali, Picasso, and Andy Goldsworthy - but weird none were on the list - so I stated scanning art work on the list - none of it spoke to me so I went with my initial artist - Andy Goldsworthy. Here is a web site that has a sampling of his work - http://www.morning-earth.org/ARTISTNATURALISTS/AN_Goldsworthy.html

I like him as an artist - his pallet is mother nature and takes only what is available to him to create sculptures and what not. So I took some pebbles - sorted them by value and composed this piece only with my scraps that were in my sewing room - not quite the same as his work - but fun to do anyway. The pebbles were a bit of challenge - I really wanted them sewn on to the pieces but that wasn't a technical possibility all the time so I glued them then sewed them so you think they are sewn on. The piece itself measures 8 1/2 x 7 - I am attempting to work smaller.

Thanks again for this challenge - I have quite a few more pebbles this might be a gateway for a series of work.

Lisa
In Cloudy Seattle

Challenge 11

Challenge #11 – Friday, 27 July 2007

Challenge # 11 hostess: Cynthia Morgan

Theme: In the Style of the Masters

Find one of your favorites on these lists of famous artists or schools of art and create a small piece in the style of that artist or school of art. You could copy or adapt a specific piece of art, but it may be more rewarding to do something original using the style.

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/

http://library.thinkquest.org/J001159/artstyle.htm


Design Principle – Variety and Emphasis (Focal Point)

Sources and examples:

The Quilter’s Book of Design by Ann Johnston, Chapter 3

http://www.brigantine.atlnet.org/GigapaletteGALLERY/websites/ARTiculationFinal/MainPages/VarietyandEmphasisMain.htm

http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/principl/rhythm/rhythm.htm

http://awesomeartists.com/ART/mTheABCsOfArtEmphasis.htm


Variety – Adding elements that are similar, but different from each other can add interest without disrupting the unity of the whole. Ways to achieve variety: change line direction, change size, change color, change color value, change color intensity, change degree of complexity, change texture, change placement.
Focal Point – Creating one area in the design that captures the viewer’s first glance and sets the direction that the eye will follow throughout the viewing of the design. A focal point will emphasize a specific part of the design, which should contribute to the meaning of the whole design.
Variety creates Focal Points – If one of the variations of the chosen element is in high contrast to the rest of the piece, it can create a focal point for the composition

The Destiny of Flower Children

The Destiny of Flower Children

Burlap and Velor

So, I am a few months late!

I am working to get caught up on past challenges but did meet the time limit. I created this quilt in one night, but it took 2 days to add the binding.

13" wide x 16" tall

Fabrics: burlap and velor for the challenge of working with something you haven't used before, and 100% cotton quilters cottons.

While I must say this isn't the greatest quilt I have ever made, I do like the color, I am pleased with my machine quilting, and I had fun making it! That is the point right? Fun.

There are some things I would change, like my binding is not the greatest (binding is my greatest weakness), and I cut off part of a circle when I added the binding (on the bottom right- I know you are going to look now).

It was a good exercise and it felt good to lock myself in my sewing room for a while and just create!

Waterfall

31.5" x 13.5"

I scoured AC Moore for my purchased item, and a bag of "Iridescent Decorating Shred" cost $4.99, so was just under the limit -- not that I used all of it! It looks like Easter basket grass, except white/clear/silver, probably meant for wedding decoration. Adding the shred was the last step. I made a very thin mat of calypso blue Angelina and used that to partly couch the shred, which, by the way, is awful stuff to work with, and if this ever goes anywhere, it will have to be ve-e-e-ry carefully packed! I used some holographic film thread to hold it together.

The ducks came from a photo I got in New Zealand, a wonderful zoom shot that was only apparent as such when I could see it on the computer. You could actually see a drop of water dripping off the duck's bill! I did a little touch-up with a blue-metallic pen to adjust the ripples at the base of the waterfall, and a little bit of gold to highlight the ducks.

Africa Inspirations

This is my quilt for Challenge #10. About a year ago, I made a little quilt using some shark's teeth from an old necklace that I'd had for years. I loved the way that the quilt turned out, but had no more shark's teeth, so then I went on a mission buying shark teeth on e-bay! Who knew they came in such varieties? These are a long, ivory variety--don't ask me what kind of shark they are from! I also have some little shiny black ones that I intend to use someday.