Saturday, February 02, 2013

Winter Stream

Original
16" x 20"

2/22/13 - I added some Angelina fiber to the stream to enliven it a bit, and using Inktense color pencils, added a bit of green to the shrubbery, and some darker brown in the foreground.
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I used some upholstery fabric for most of the background, the part at the bottom and center using the front side and the top and just below the stream using the reverse side.  The shrubbery is some home dec fabric, again using both front and back.  The stream itself is a heavy patterned fabric, overlaid with Angelina fiber held down with the addition of some white beads.  I used the fringed selvedge edge of the background fabric on the edges of the stream.  Just a bit of silvery fabric and some lace became the rocks on the near edge of the stream.  The tangles of thread from the fabrics was too good to throw away, so they added some more texture in the foreground.

I also added a bit of foil to create some frozen grasses here and there, but they don't actually show up that well.

I know this really needs something more -- suggestions and comments will be appreciated!

6 comments:

Ann In Fallbrook, CA said...

This needs some color, maybe a bit of green, red, or yellow. Not necessarily fabric though. Consider beads, embroidery, paint, etc. When you do the edging, think about adding contrast there as well, like dark binding or a beaded edge. You can really wake up your piece by darkening the foreground to give it depth.
Hope this helps,
ANN

Unknown said...

This is a great piece showcasing the use of some different fabric in quilting. I do agree with Ann about finishing the edge in a darker color to set the piece off. However, the monochromatic look of it does not bother me, although the suggestion of using more beads, paint, etc. would add more interest to it. Very well done.

Sharon Robinson said...

Hi Tobi - Nice combination of textures you've chosen. I don't mind the monochrome aspect at all. One thing I'd suggest is maybe adding something to the big white area in the center. Even though it has great texture, it still seems a little "blank" compared to the other textures around it.

Cherie in Del Mar said...

I agree with the others that the monochromatic treatment is nice. I would like to see maybe more, (lighter value?) , bushes fading toward the background perhaps,as well as some beads, or other embellishments to provide depth and textural interest. It feels just a little static with everything placed just in the middle.
Cherie

fastfriday said...

I agree with Sharon about adding something interesting in the large white area. That is definately what my eye is drawn to, but once it gets there, it needs some beading or something to keep my interest. Your other fabrics do create nice contrast around the edges of the white expanse. Pam Clark

Cay Denise said...

Tobi, I like the fact that you routinely make unusually-shaped pieces. For me looking at this piece, I wouldn't have known it was a landscape image without the title. What I do see is a strong secondary image. I think you call it shrubbery, but I'm seeing a creature who is bent over and reaching across the 'stream' (from background to foreground). Does anyone else see this? If you want the piece to remain a landscape, I do think some color would help. I see the green stitching when I open the image so its larger. But that tinge of color gets lost with the reduced size of the image. Without a greater color palette, my eye doesn't know where to go, and it picks up on the secondary image rather than the stream. Hope this is helpful.