Mixed Media Response

This piece took on a Valentine's theme and is a mixed media challenge response on stretched canvas.  Elements include beading, leather, embossed metallic tape, ribbon, paint, alcohol inks, stamping, glitter and a variety of pen work.  I had planned to do some machine sewing (couching) but ended up not being able to fit the canvas under the needle/presser foot to do so.  So, the piece took off in a very different direction than originally envisioned.  The beading design is based on an altered photo of a tree trunk.  The writing is 'life with magic' (repeated).

 

Nine Patch in White

Nine Patch in White

Framed 12" X 12"

 

I am really enjoying exploring the ways that texture and depth can be explored.  Besides the raised nine patches, I have used fringed selvages, cording, and decorative trim.

Texture View

 

I double batted the squares so that they would stand out.  I also used cording, selvage fringe, and decorative trim.  All of the fabrics are full of texture.  This is a darkened version to show the texture.  I pulled threads in the center square to create the pattern.

The Storybook

Hope I am doing all this the right way, so here it is.

I started to make this small and simple but got carried away and now I have moved on to something a lot larger.  I have actually created a 3-dimensional quilted book with a full garden scene and many animals.  The animals and girl are photoprints on muslin, glued onto plastic sheet and cut out.  Dressed the girl in a flowing piece of fabric, made the well out of stone-printed fabric on texture magic with dmc thread for the rope (pulling up bucket), long-stranded yarn, silk and plastic plants/flowers for vines, etc.  Quilted the whole background as well as the "page" and "book cover."  Decided I had better stop and take a photo of the first half to submit before it got any later.  Hope to hear your comments and critiques.  Thank you for a great challenge.  I apologize for the poor photo.  Sandi

Origami Poseys

This was a fun challenge and my first attempt at free-motion quilting. I used the patchwork square's background for visual texture, as well as the quilting, and added some Origami petals for flowers, which I first folded and stitched and then appliqued them onto the background. The centers of the flowers were heavily stitched with variegated thread and then added some puff ball trim around the centers to accentuate them even more. The one thing I wished I would have done differently was use a darker ribbon for the stems, since I think they tend to get lost in the background.  The piece measures 20.5" x 26.5". Comments are most welcome.

Heart Throb

No on can accuse me of having something done ahead of time for my own challenge!  If I'm lucky, I'll be late to my own funeral!  I was thinking about several different possibilities.  Right across from my sewing machine was a box with this red roping peeking out.

It is tubular and made of some synthetic material.  I purchased it several years ago on Christmas clearance  because I thought it had some quilt possibilities.  Since it is Valentines month, and the awareness month for women's heart health, I thought I'd be a little graphic and use this roping.

Here's my unfinished piece.  I had it together and ready to quilt on Saturday....and went to bed.  Sunday, we went to visit my daughter at Ohio University for her birthday....and when I went to finish it today, I broke three needles.  I think my timing on my sewing machine is off kilter, and since I spent the whole day on Wednesday of last week trying to drop my other  machine off to get the tension fixed...well...I'm without a sewing machine right now.

The blue line shows the sinus rhythm of a an ekg done in perle cotton by bobbin work.  The  roping you can see is used for the veins and arteries.  I hand embroidered the veins on the heart, and machine appliqued and then stuffed the various parts of the heart.  The sad thing is that the background is drapery fabric which needed stabilizing,.  So...before I appliqued it, I ironed decor bond on the back of it...bad decision.  My hands being not  normal  (meaning, affected by some drugs I'm on) ,  I couldn't needle the applique...so I ended up doing it by machine.

Not quite how I envisioned it...but..almost done.  The tape around the edges is to tell me when I have to stop quilting as enveloped this.  

Sea Anemones

I enjoy the visual texture of "micro quilting" and attempted to do that for the background using a piece of hand-dyed fabric.  The quilting was then emphasized by use of acrylic paints and ink.

The "anemones" are paper mache and twine that have been painted gold.  Solid color fabrics were then applied to the dimensional forms.  The gold star-shaped beads were a lucky find since they somewhat mimic the color and shape of the anemones.  It wasn't planned as an underwater piece or anemones specifically, but that's what it suggested in the end.  I'm happy with both the visual and actual textures.

The piece is 12" x 20".  I hope you enjoy it and feel free to provide feedback!

Robert Hartley

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!

Rainbow Owl

I saw a picture of a photoshopped rainbow owl and immediatly wanted to make it. This seemed like the perfect time to try it. The background is hand dyed fabric. The owl has knitted sweater parts, yarn, lace,and burned sheer organza . This was a fun challange - thank you. Oh, it measures 24x29"

Pat Havey

WORTHINGTON GLACIER

Here is my piece for this challenge, and a quote from my Alaska Journal:
July 29 2000
"As we drove down the road we passed a huge hanging glacier; then just the
other side of the pass...Worthington Glacier! We were able to walk right up
to it and could have actually climbed on it, if it were safe. There were
great gaping ice caves beneath it...you could see deep into the heart of the
glacier. The color inside was a deep lovely blue. The glacier was "ice
blue", excepting the leading edge, or 'face', which was black with rocks,
dirt and debris picked up on its slow, steady flow downhill."

The sky is hand  dyed cotton, with deconstructed poly batting overlay for extra clouds.  The mountain and glacier is several different sheers and two different colors of cellophane, one teal and the other aurora borealis, behind different sheers.  The 'dirt and rocks' are lace overlay.  The top edges of the ice is painted with a white shimmer fabric paint.  I used a soft mauve tulle over all allow quilting.

It is finished with facing and measures 19 1/2"x 22"

I am happy to have my 'Muse' back, and Loved this challenge Lisa!

I would love your comments and critiques...
Cherie

Panther Chameleon

I started this Friday morning, as soon as the challenge was announced. Most of the time since then has been spent sewing on beads. The rest went together quickly. I plan to continue adding beads - you can never have too many beads!

The background is a commercial batik, and the chameleon is dupioni silk. The beads are all #11 delicas. The eye is a cotton bead from India, and the leaves are two-sided, with a wire to help create the 3-D effect. Using beads for texture is one of my favorite ways to embellish, and the wire I put in the leaves makes it possible to bend them for a realistic appearance.

I had so much fun doing this that I plan to make a larger version; this one is 11" x 12" .

I would really appreciate any comments. I LOVED this challenge!

Pod, Again

This is called "Pod, Again" because I find myself drawn to creating pods over and over. Pea pods lend themselves easily to texture. The pod itself is rough; I've used both sides of a heavy upholstery fabric here.The peas are also decorator fabric - a bit lighter this time - and I also used both sides. The circle quilting pattern gave the piece the tiny little boost it needed. Over all it measures 6" x 8", but will be matted to 4.5" x 6.5"

Challenge 77: Touchy-Feely

Theme: Touchy-Feely

Host: Lisa Quintana

Due:  Feb. 2, 2013

I like to paint.   Many of my quilts have painted elements.  Not too long ago I looked at a quilt top I had finished and thought about the fact that if I had just been painting the piece, I would be done, but instead of painting an image, I prefer to quilt them now.  What is it that makes me want to create pieces of art in fiber?  I realized it was texture.   For a review of texture as a design element, look here:

http://daphne.palomar.edu/design/texture.html 

In traditional oil painting, texture may be physical texture like the thick impasto that Van Gogh achieved with thick paint and knife strokes or imparting the sense of texture by realistically portraying objects (visual illusion) such as was done in the Dutch Masters, such as Vermeer, or by the incorporation of textured pieces like Rauschenberg.  Pattern imparts texture as well.

As quilters, we can impart texture to our works with a variety of techniques and of course, fabric itself brings out a tactile response….if it didn’t, we wouldn’t have to have signs asking people “please do not touch the quilts.”  In traditional quilting, we learned about line and texture by the prints we used; different sizes of prints on our fabrics make for more interest, as well as the physical texture that quilting imparts. 

Take a look at this stuffed and corded white work quilt:

http://www.folkartmuseum.org/?p=folk&t=images&id=6647

Of course as art quilters, not only can we express texture with our quilting, but we can use threads, specialty yarns, embellishments such as beads and buttons…stones, found objects, and our choices in whatever textured fabric we wish to use.

So…get touchy feely!  Express texture either through tactile expression or a visual illusion. Try something you’ve never done before.  Incorporate layers of texture as only we fiber artists may do, with quilting and use of embellishment.  

For inspiration:

Vermeer.  I use him just as an example, I am sure you can pull up many other examples where the fabric in paintings look so realistic you want to touch it. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermeer

I have always liked Willem Kalf’s work because he usually incorporates glassware,  fruit being peeled and oriental rugs which were used as table coverings at the time because they were so expensive.   He manages to portray the rugs so that you can feel it, just by looking at it.  Part of the interest for me is the fact that he combines so many different textures in his paintings.

http://theredlist.fr/wiki-2-351-861-414-399-422-view-northern-european-baroque-profile-kalf-willem.html  (http://tinyurl.com/FFFC77-1)

Or for a little later period, look at Anne Vallayer-Coster’s work

http://www.linesandcolors.com/2013/01/19/anne-vallayer-coster/

Dimensional art work

Van Gogh’s sunflowers are probably the first thing which  pops to mind when you think of the three dimensional type of brush/knifework on paintings.

https://www.google.com/search?q=van+gogh+impasto&hl=en&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=EVL8UOrLEoGa8gTi2oCAAg&sqi=2&ved=0CDAQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=643   or http://tinyurl.com/FFFC77-2

But, check out Albert Pinkham Ryder.   Pinkham Ryder was an American who used very thick paint, and overworked paints, sometimes using paints which dried at different speeds which caused his paintings to deteriorate or change over time.  Still, take a look at how he uses texture in his paintings to move the eye and provide contrast.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Pinkham_Ryder

Of course Robert Rauschenberg incorporated a lot of texture, including an old quilt, in his famous “Bed.”

http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?

criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A4823&page_number=4&sort_order=1&template_id=1 or http://tinyurl.com/FFFC77-3

Go to the SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associations) website -  and watch the slideshow on the website.  The slideshow shows many works by Professional Art Members and Regional Representatives.  As you scroll through them, look at the different ways that texture comes into play.  Pay particular attention to pieces by Wendy Lugg, Chiaki Dosho, and Eileen Doughty.

http://www.saqa.com/index.php

For realism look at:

Nancy Cook, http://www.nancygcook.com/portfolio.htm

Kate Themel (in particular her still life pieces and her flowers which are in environment.

http://www.katethemel.com/gallery.htm

Denise Labadie’s stones are remarkable in imparting their texture, even though it’s fabric: http://www.labadiefiberart.com/ 

One final note: have fun with this!