I've missed the last three challenges, and will be away three days this week, but I didn't want to let another one go by, so I jumped in with a real FAST Friday attitude. I decided I wanted to take the Goldsworthy challenge literally. I had an image in my mind of sewing a range of colored leaves onto fabric in a pattern or rhythm, but when I wandered around my yard, I didn't see any interesting leaves. Instead I was drawn to the feathery nature of the fennel, and the way it contrasts with the lamb's ears. Once I collected a handful of materials, a real sense of urgency came over me, knowing I had a limited time until they would wilt and fall apart. The two batik fabrics came to mind immediately as contrasts to the plants. So I set out to improvisationally arrange and stitch them. The idea was that they would be gradually "springing" up from the horizon line on each layer. But the reality of holding plants in place while running the piece through the sewing machine made that tricky.
I definitely realized how Goldsworthy must feel when he arranges leaves on water... "Get the Camera, Quick!" The piece is actually sandwiched with batting and backing, but I don't think it will survive a quilting or binding process. It's probably already wilted away while I've been editing photos and posting. Anyway, thank you for challenging me to go w-a-y outside my box. This was fun.
This is a very striking piece. The background really compliments the foilage pieces. I have played with real leaves in this fashion and have found if you press them and place them between layers of fusible webbing and under netting before quilting, they last indefinitely. A very nice idea and well done.
ReplyDeleteThe colors in this are great, and the variety of texture is interesting,as you say, by now it likely only remains a good thought, but do try Louise's suggestion. I have used large grape leaves with gesso on the back and an acrylic paint of the front.... while the leaves are fresh. When the coatings are dry, I press them in a book and they last real well. I hope you will try this challenge again, preserving the foliage.
ReplyDeleteSharon, this piece has a wonderful sense of "in the minute" and fragility similar to that of Goldsworthy. Ticia
ReplyDeleteFun! I'm glad you took the real elements of nature, I would love to see a photo once it's died out the purples turn into a beautiful shade of plum.
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