Hi, when I read about this challenge an idea came immediately in my mind. I wanted to do an orca-related work. This first quilt is my "swimming orcas" but I think that it's just too much representational.
It is simply made by stips of hand-dyed cotton and silk (the black and wite), its size is 12"x12"
It isn't quilted yet because I don't know how to quilt it, and because while finishing this I had another idea.
Here is my second idea, "orka closeup", an iper-abstract orca. I know it isn't coloured, but at least black and white are colours :)
This also isn't quilted, size 12"x12".
Now I'm working on a third piece.
My problem with this challenge is that a color field piece has to be iper-abstract, and this put me absolutely out of my comfort zone. I'm a "pictorial type".
Nevertheless I really love the second piece. It's absolutely simple but I don't know, it really speaks to me :)
Comments and advices are welcome!
I love the colors in the "Swimming Orcas" piece. How about quilting it with the orca shape, larger ones toward the front, or lower part, becoming smaller as you go up? Then you could maybe do cloud shapes in the top light blue section. Of course, that gets closer to representational, but I see nothing wrong with that!
ReplyDeleteI love both pieces, and I like Tobi's idea of quilting orca shapes. On the second one I would quilt a huge orca. Good for you Sylvia, you've done a fine job!
ReplyDeleteI like the second one... mark-making on the 'Color Field' pieces seems to be non-existent visually, would some wavy type of quilting here and there suffice, with a quilt in the ditch the main quilting work? let the name leave the impression and people can visualize the orcas swimming under water? Just a thought...
ReplyDeleteI love both of these and think you have done a great job on the challenge! As for quilting, I think in the ditch following the seams between each color would be great
ReplyDeleteTake a look at the Judith Plotner link supplied for ideas on quilting. There are many quilting patterns that could be appropriate. Both of these will be stunning when completed.
ReplyDeleteSilvia, I really like the first one. I don't think it's too representational. You've just abstracted the orcas to black and white stripes. Without the name, viewers might come to their own, different conclusions.
ReplyDeleteI'm stuck on the quilting part too. Maybe a completely different abstract shape laid over the design?
Re mark-making, I really liked the second Dorothy Caldwell example, with the open white space and black splotches..
Hi, thank you all for your comments and advices!
ReplyDeleteAbout wavy quilting I've thought that I could quilt using the wave spectrum of the orca's click. It could be interesting.
I also think could be interesting using a different abstract shape laid over the design.
The idea of orca-shaped quilting is nice but I'd prefer something less pictorial for these quilts.
Don't be offended but I don't like in the ditch quilting, i feel it boring :)
thank you, I'll post new quilts photo when finished.
These are terrific. I like the first one best of all. Simple echo quilting of the lines, not just in the ditch, could be effective, IMHO. The small size may limit you to only one row in some of the stripes. Great job meeting the challenge, not once, but two times.
ReplyDeleteBoth of the pieces are very nice, but the second speaks to me. I think the choice of black and white along with the diagonal placement really creates the tension in the piece. There is also no focus for the eye along with no sense of image versus background. A very nice piece.
ReplyDeleteHi Silvia, Good job on both pieces. I really like the first piece for this challenge...it is subtle and interesting and I like how the colors blur at bit into the next value gradation. If this was my quilt, I would quilt it in very narrow horizonal lines all in one color so the thread color integrates the piece and further blurs the lines between the stripes.
ReplyDeleteCynthia
betty: I also have found that the small size is limitative. I'm thinking about doing a bigger version of the second quilt. I think at least 50"x50" may be more :)
ReplyDeleteLouise: thank you very much :) I also like the second most, it has something special.
Cynthia:Thank you for your suggestion about quilting. I think I'll end the third piece I'm doing for this challenge and then I'll quilt them using your and others nice suggestions
I adore both of these. The mountain and water are exactly what I see in Puget Sound, just a strip of white on top of the Olympic mountains would make it perfect.
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