Believe it or not, this was inspired by my screen saver on my computer. Since I last posted, I had to get a new puter (not sure I like Vista, it likes to crash with my stick drives and camera)… I picked the Aurora Borealis for my screen saver and Saturday night I realized, hey, that could be the quilt for this month’s FFC.I started on Sunday with blue and yellow fabric paint, sun-painting the background. I folded and dried, then added more paint and folded and dried…. the end result wasn’t quite what I wanted but the greens came out, so I added some metallic paints and then had a big blob of blue that I didn’t like …. so more paint and the landscape was born… sort of Northern Lights meets Devil’s Tower. But it was more blue… so I added the black and then started to see a reflection in the foreground, like the lights reflected in a mountain lake. The transparency is, of course, the blending of blues and yellows to make the greens, plus the metallic overlays….
I did see the Aurora as a child in Wisconsin. It was awe inspiring and sort of scary at the same time. When I journeyed to Alaska in 2006, we didn’t see the lights, but I wish we had. Maybe this is what they look like up there in the far north.
Now back to a major project…. this was fun and very organic. Comments and critiques, of course, are welcome!
Transparency is tough to depict using anything but sheer fabrics but I think you've done a great job by using the blending to create colors as a transparent effect. As to the horizon, I'd cal it a low horizon. Great job!
ReplyDeleteWendy, I like this piece and the way you let the blending of colors control the design. The reflection has a wonderful transparent quality to it. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteWendy, Beautiful job of blending the colors and creating a dazzling effect. The reflection adds a sense of depth to the piece as well as the illusion of transparentcy. Wonderful job on this challenge!
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the above. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy... a great piece.. certainly shows us transparency CAN be achieved using a medium other than a transparent one.
ReplyDeleteI am impressed!
Hi Wendy, this is gorgeous. The black rock against the yellow and blue light and the reflecting pool below is so striking. Very cool effects...you captured the look of transparency as well as luminosity. Great job
ReplyDeleteCynthia
Nice piece. Thanks for explaining the sequence of how this quilt emerged.
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteThis is a stunning piece of work. I am so glad you worked with something other than transparent fabrics to create the images. I feel I have learned something just seeing what you have done.
I think on of the parts of the piece that actually helps to create the illusive transparent aspect of the lights is the blurred section in the centre foreground. If the rock had been solid, it would have had a much flatter look.
What would you think about tring to stitch into the Aurora Borealis in such a way to make a bit more of the castle in the air effect. I think it would be hard to pull off, but if done right might add even more intrigue to the light show portion of the image.
And finally, to me, one of the best bits is the transparent reflection! It is so realistic.
Thanks so much for showing this.
Sandy