ORDER OUT OF CHAOS

Even though I may aspire to be many things as an artist, the one thing that seems to overshadow everything is my desire for order in my life.  Constant frustration at not being able to find that fabric, that pattern, that tool!   So, here it is.  I’m sorry I didn’t limit my palette.   The more I worked on it, the more I saw that my stash is a large part of my discontent.  And,  I was at a retreat with nothing more than a sack of fabric and some fusible. 

Totally Pieced

As hostess for this challenge, it wouldn't do for me not to participate. So I made two!  I saw Neo-plasticism and non-representational art as two distinctively different styles, even though the work of Piet Mondrian is listed as being in both categories.  "Off The Grid" is more in the style of De Stijl and "Audition" is more non-representational.


I used gradation fabrics from Cherrywood to create both pieces.  "Audition" is just that.  I took a 14" segment from a much larger piece that I had designed and have been unsure of where to place the colors and values.  So, I followed my suggestion and chose the various shades of the greys to tell me how it would work in the finished project.  "Off the Grid" was hoping to show depth as the darker fabrics receded.  Not sure I accomplished that and am not sure why.  Perhaps the darker pieces should grow ever smaller instead of ever bigger; the reverse of what I did.  I now see why artists work in series.  Never satisfied with their work, they do it over and over until they get it right.      

The Outlaw

I have only a passing interest in Wild West Art, but it is easy to see that Frederic Remington's Bronze "The Outlaw" is the favorite of many. My piece is fused fabric using ideas taken from Pablo Picasso.  I was out the door to go fishing in Idaho - grabbed a bag of scraps, my sketchbook, etc (no sewing machine) and my computer.  After a quick stop at Walmart, I was ready. But by the time I got to Jimmy Smith Lake, I had no internet access.  So, I had to improvise a bit on the cowboy because I couldn't remember what he looked like!  It was a challenge - would have liked a wider array of fabrics.  I used tulle to create shadows on my whole cloth background, but when I tried to fuse the pieces down, I couldn't use a hot enough iron or the tulle would melt. At one point I resorted to glue.

 

My embellishments include hemp for the reins, and small beads to attach all the limbs paper-doll style.  This was a fun challenge, but I see I have a long way to go. I am humbled by the talent in this group, but even it we don't like the challenge, we learn from it.

NOT QUITE O'KEEFE

  



I took a phote of this purple coneflower near Flathead Lake, Montana.  A few hours later the challenge was posted, so it seemed appropriate that this would be the flower for my challenge.  I have always been a fan of Georgia O'Keefe and thought maybe I could pull off something in her style, but I am dissapointed with the result.  This flower just doesn't seem to be the right type as so many of hers are much more sensuous up close. The closer I got to the flower, the smaller the quilt became, and I didn't see any improvement in the overall design.  But, that's what this exercise is all about; some are better than others.  I pre-quilted the background, stabilized the petals and then shaded them with water pastels.  I used two shades of pearl cotton for the stamens. 

Lucid

I have always been fascinated by the artwork on wine bottles. I am drawn to graphics that please me, and reject wines that do not. I also have a curiosity about Absinthe - when I was in Europe, I wanted to bring some back, but the Customs literature specifically said no. I think the purpose of these labels is to entice you - they impart a sense of pleasure and well being. Sort of like Alice in Wonderland: "Drink me! Drink me!"

This bottle of Absinth was on sale at Costco during the holiday season. Since I also have a black cat that is part siamese, the picture on the bottle caught my eye immediately.

The piece is mostly fused with a pieced base to look like a drape. I used water soluable crayons and pencils for shading. The glass dish was made with a silk crepe scarf.

This is my first challenge in over a year. It is hard work to be creative, and I tend to beat myself up as most artists do - there is so much talent out there. Enjoy! Now to go eat $20 worth of artichokes!

Nobody Says it Has to be Fair

The actual block has four names: Fair Play, Quarter Turn, The Pig Pen, and Wedding Ring. I almost didn't make this one -- couldn't think of a thing, but an article in an old QNM and Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Designs got me going. It is slashed, sewn, re-slashed and re-sewn to create the deviation from the original design.

Deconstructed Log Cabin

I started with a "liberated" log cabin made from fabrics in my scrap bag. Then, I stamped it all over with two colors - the gold didn't show up so I over stamped it with black. then I cut it up and sewed it back together mostly with 1" strips so I could maintain the original size.

Crazy About Blue Jeans

I snagged a pair of my daughters worn out jeans. I loved the texture and the worn spots. I made a crazy quilt background and top stitched with jeans thread to tie it together. I then rubber stamped it and added perle cotton stitches. The yo yo's are made from Talbots tie fabric and held down with miscellanous buttons. I finished it off with some star beads. Size is about 17x22 and is bound in tie silk.

Leave No Trace

When we are camping, we are always told to leave everything as though we had never been there. We always take a bag a clean up our camp area before we leave, sadly, often leaving it cleaner than when we arrived.

I took a picture of the desert near Borrego Springs, CA and enhanced the color. I then extended the horizon with similar fabric. After slashing and inserting strips, I collaged several "found" items - bottle tops, corks, Cal Trans fencing and some odds and ends.

Won't Forget Last Night

Somehow the thought of a magical evening brings to mind fireworks - and not the 4th of July kind.

My fireworks are all fused - my sewing machine did not like that, plus all of the quilting with metallic thread nearly sent me over the edge. My last thought was to bead heavily in sparkly beads, but decided to call it done and move on.

The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of its Parts

I am approaching a major birthday this year and wanted to portray who I am, but I have done so many things that it is impossible to “collage” a lifetime. So, this is where I am now. All my children, grandchildren, cats, job and hobbies are shown. The split in the “hairdo” has two meanings: one is my hair before and after chemo, the second is the fact that I use both sides of my brain – every day! The only thing not noted is that I would not be who I was today if it hadn’t been for my late husband’s guidance toward the real and the practical.

The techniques used, which are not necessarily my favorite, are portrait painting on fabric and photo imagery. First attempt and definitely need more practice.

Karen Markley

Welcome to the Neighborhood

I decided to sacrifice the process for the design. I hope I met the challenge. I used very simplistic shapes to portray the proportion and the scale as the house got farther away.

Karen Markley

MINESHAFT

There are many old abandoned mines in deserts and mountains. Sometimes when you stumble across one, it looks like a bottomless pit (it often is!) surrounded by plant overgrowth and rocks. Careful, or you might fall in! One slip of the foot sends rocks and sand tumbling down into the shaft.

Challenge 13 - done!

Whew! I can't believe I made it. There were several times when I just wanted to give up and throw it in the trash. If "fast" is the operative word here, then I will have to learn to simplify.

I have always loved going downtown and walking among the skyscrapers. When you look to the sky, the shapes are amazing! I discovered this view standing at my own front door. I have so many trees around my house that this is one of the few places I can stand and actually see the sky.

I learned a lot here. One is that you don't need to recreate each and every piece. The other is the quality of the thread you are using is very important when doing a lot of weird piecing.

Enjoy!

Karen Markley