I finished this piece, except for sewing down my binding [is that cheating?] this morning. I decided to do abstracts for my series for two reasons, I never do them and need the practice and it is never ending for a series. I plan on using only geomtrics and when I can, a left over orphan block in my stash. I normally do more organic and representational pieces.
This piece is done on the diagonal with a complimentary palette of red-orange / blue-green. The background piece is some of my painted fabric, the base of the center piece is a left-over block and the other pieces are raw edged applique. The assymetrical border, I think, balances the piece. Strong color usually is perceived as heavier so the bottom and right hand side are the largest pieces of the red-orange.
I didn't set up lighting, etc. for photographing this but I will retake the photo after I sew down the binding and block it. Any and all comments are appreciated.
This piece is done on the diagonal with a complimentary palette of red-orange / blue-green. The background piece is some of my painted fabric, the base of the center piece is a left-over block and the other pieces are raw edged applique. The assymetrical border, I think, balances the piece. Strong color usually is perceived as heavier so the bottom and right hand side are the largest pieces of the red-orange.
I didn't set up lighting, etc. for photographing this but I will retake the photo after I sew down the binding and block it. Any and all comments are appreciated.
Janice
Hi Janice - This piece is interesting to me. Usually the addition of red-orange makes a piece very lively but, somehow, this seems quite serene to me. Even though is has those little squares roaming around, the piece as a whole seems orderly, not random. And the blue-greens are very calming.
ReplyDeleteThe wavy horizontal quilting gives a nice watery feeling to the background.
Congratulations on trying abstract and succeeding!
Janice, I think that this is a very good abstract piece, lot's of movemrnt and it does beg one to keep ,coming back for another look, As Roberta said the choice of colors are very calmimg, and I would visualize that combination as chaotic. Have you named it?
ReplyDeleteThanks Roberta and Rhoda for such positive comments! I haven't named the piece and naming for me comes harder than 'doing'.
ReplyDeleteNice movement and good use of color. Someone mentioned it feels serene - maybe the blue makes it feel that way - those pops of red keep your eye moving.
ReplyDeleteKathy
Hi Janice...I think it's the soft undulations of your background fabric that makes it feel serene, but the design elements certainly appear as chaos. My DH suggests "Chroma versus Chaos". He names alot of my quilts :))
ReplyDeleteGood job!
Cherie
A great abstract Janice. Good selection of colours.
ReplyDeleteThe assymetrical border to me makes the piece too heavy in the bottom right, just my opinion.
Great work.
thanks cheri, kathy and anna for comments. I respect all your comments. I think the border looks heavier on the right because my photography is wonky...like me!
ReplyDeleteA fascinating piece. Each time I go back and look at it my eyes dart to a different place. Yet then my eyes seem to quietly rest. A small detail - IMO - the square in the lower right that is the same fabric as the border if replaced by a different fabric would make that a little lighter in feel and then the border would feel perfect.
ReplyDeleteJanice, this is fantastic! What a good job you have done of 'abstraction'... lots of nice movement, the colors are just right and the simple horizontal quilting line is so effective.
ReplyDeleteThe way the pieces ovelap and some
go right off the edge add excitement, like what else is out there....
Well done! and I am certainly looking forward to seeing more of your work.
It's nice to see this color combination - it works really well. I also like that your borders are unequal - a great way to frame it.
ReplyDeleteHi Janice, love the color combination you chose...it's not one that most people think of, but it's gorgeous I think. And good for you choosing a series that is outside your comfort zone and also incorporates orphan block...love that idea!
ReplyDeleteI like how the little squares go out into the border...that adds movement and depth. There is a diagonal feel to the composition, though I think if the quilting lines were diagonal instead of horizontal it would emphasize the diagonal nicely. I agree about the last square there in the lower right corner...it merges into the border too much and makes it too heavy there. If it were my piece, I would remove that piece or fuse a piece of the background over it...so the other elements could float nicely.
So glad you're in the group, Janice...it will be fun to see your geometric abstracts!
Cynthia
Thank you all for your comments. I think you are right about the bottom square adding too much weight. I have fused a stack of the blue/green onto it and it was an improvement! You are all so smart, lol.
ReplyDeleteI like the way the squares just float over the background. I, too, would like it better without the bottom corner square.
ReplyDeleteBetty
Hi Janice,
ReplyDeleteThis is well thought out. The variety of square sizes adds interest to this.
I like the small pairs in the background. They seem more random than the larger squares; scattered like confetti.
Be fun to watch your series come together.