Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Blobs

I probably spent more time on this challenge than any other FFFC to date; not because I had a great idea I had to try but because I thought the concept could be executed in 15 minute bites. So between cooking, baking, cleaning, entertaining and all the other duties that accompany a major U.S. holiday, I stole minutes here and there to create the blob designs on my computer using Adobe Illustrator. I then printed it out in black and white on an 11" x 17" piece of fabric and spent many more 15 minute stints coloring in each oval with Inktense pencils. The first border is a piece of my shibori that I quilted in ovals to continue the shapes. The outer border is a piece of commercial fabric that actually has subtle tone-on-tone ovals in the design. The finished piece is 17" x 23".

12 comments:

Silvia "OrkaLoca" Dell'Aere said...

This really remind me a microscopic view of pig's liver cells (I'm biologist and I study veterinary, so this is good for me :) )
I like the design and the colours of the blobs and outer border.
The only thing that doesn't convince me is the colour of the inner border, it seems to block my eyes when they try to go from the central design to the outer border.
I don't know what colour could be better, I instinctively would say purple.
Just MHO :)

Wendy said...

Kathy, I love this one! Brilliant! I immediately thought of an embryo! Mitosis and all that... What I really like is the way you've blended the grey blobs on the edges of the main design and then the quilting in the first border that continues the motif. Excellent example of theme and repetition! and I do like the orange border which echos some of the oranges in the interior. Way to go!

Sharon Robinson said...

Wow, this is very appealing piece to me, Kathy. It reminds me a little of the pictures they use to show us to check for color blindness... I agree with the comment about the inner border, to me it sort of blends into the outer blue blobs.. but maybe that was your intent. I think the quilting lines on the outer border work well to focus the eye on the piece.

I love all the interesting techniques everyone had been using. I'm using my printer on fabric for the first time in this challenge, something that would never have occurred to me before being part of this group. Thanks for describing your process, I learn so much that way!

Kathy said...

When I saw the thumbnail photo on the group page, I thought I was going to be seeing peonies! There was so much work put in to this project and the outer quilting works very well to draw the eye into the piece. I, too, would like to see the inner border a different color, maybe closer to the edge blobs, but I do like the dark/light halves. So much more to see in this one than those peonies!

Art by Rhoda Forbes said...

Very interesting work. The colors are great and draw the eye into the work. The border of 'blobs' is a nice addition. I would say this is a great use of one shape.

Jan said...

Interesting! What a lot of work using various techniques all to your advantage. It reminds me of cells and the grey border is like a slide in which they seem to be trapped while the orange border seems to be offering some escape for them. I think all the colors work well together.

Unknown said...

This piece is done very well. I like the use of the brighter yellow in the main section as it helps to draw the eye inward. To me the blue and the grey shapes blend together well. I too have been using my printer for these challenges and have found it to be a great tool to add to my arsenal. A very nice piece.

Cherie in Del Mar said...

I get the feeling of being sucked into the deep center of something. The border leading the eye inward combined with the blobs arranged from dark into the light almost pulsates with life. Great interpretation of the challenge!
Cherie

LAQuilts said...

Love the technique. The outer border is interesting that it's not quilted in circles. I wonder what it would like if the circles continued. Very fun.

Veronica said...

I was really able to appreciate the work that went into this piece when I zoomed in and saw the shading in the blobs and the outline of each one. I like the quilting in the border - it draws your eye to the center of the quilt.

Cynthia Ann Morgan said...

Hi Kathy, very cool effects with the color, shading and textures. Your work is so neat, orderly and precise...what could you do to mix it up a bit for fun? Some disorderly conduct of the blobs or borders or overall shape of the piece could be fun
Great job, Kathy...you're an inspiration
Cynthia

Carole said...

Kathy the name on this one threw me... I didn't recognize it as 'blobs'.. sorry... it looks like 'pebbles' to me.. a fine artesan walkway... I want to touch it. I like how the lights play off the dark and to me your borders play well together. Well done!