Textured Fiber Paintings – Page 11

Coptic (Hot Cross Seven)

When I was out visiting my parents last February, I took some of my art with me so they could see the pieces in real life, including several of the crosses from my Hot Cross series. My Dad suggested I include a Coptic cross, based on a small collection of Coptic crosses they have had hanging on the wall of their home for 50 years.

Coptic Crosses — These were a gift sent from Ethiopia and the inspiration for this piece.

So I took the photo above and added it to my design file.

While planning my art piece, I knew I wanted to incorporate all of the crosses mounted to that piece of green velvet but I also knew I wanted to include them as part of a larger piece. I did a quick image search for Coptic Crosses on the internet to find the traditional shape – as soon as I saw it, I knew how this piece would come together. There was a lot of fine cutting to create the smaller crosses and their design elements before fusing them all to the larger cross background. One color component from each of the small crosses was also used in a second smaller cross, integrating the colors throughout. To pull in the brass from the original metal pieces and the gold from the frame, I used gold and copper metallic threads in the quilting.

In hindsight, I do wish I had finished this piece with zig zag stitches to bind the top, batting, and back. Instead, I used my usual pillowcase facing. It took some effort to turn the piece right side out through the narrow leg of the cross; however, that effort does not outweigh my satisfaction with the overall piece.

Constructive criticism and comments are always welcome. Please share your thoughts!

Coptic (link to poem)

Coptic Cross

Coptic No. 1

Coptic No. 2

Coptic No. 3

Coptic No. 4

Coptic - Poem

Next up: Hot Cross 8 – Iron

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Celtic (Hot Cross Six)

The Hot Cross series continues with Celtic, the sixth in the group. I’m not going to present any false modesty with this piece — I’m in love with it. While the colors are much more subdued than my usual choices, I find them soothing. They work in just the way I’d intended when I designed it.

I’ve carried a fondness for celtic knots and spirals for years. It’s hard to believe it’s taken so long for them to appear in my work. I enjoyed making this piece so much, I expect to include knots and spirals in a lot of future art work.

As always, constructive criticism and comments are welcome. Let me know what you think.

Celtic (link to poem)

Celtic - Hot Cross 6

Celtic - Detail 01

Celtic - Detail 02

Celtic - Poetry Label

Next up: Hot Cross 7 – Coptic

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Criss Cross (Hot Cross Five)

I finally returned to my Hot Cross series! It was so pleasant to create art for myself rather than with the intention of creating for a specific exhibit.

Criss Cross is the fifth in the series and, frankly, I’m not satisfied with it. I tried something a little different — no fusing, just strips woven together against a background. As a result, the fabric, doing what fabric does, shifted. I have this on my list of things to try again in different colors and with strips prepped with fusible backing to eliminate the shift.

Whether I’m satisfied or not, Criss Cross was worth making. All experiments are worth undertaking. Sometimes the lesson leads to a discovery of what you do not want to do.

Let me know what you think. As always, constructive criticism and comments are welcome.

Criss Cross (link to poem)

Criss Cross (Hot Cross 5)

Criss Cross (Hot Cross 5) - Detail

Criss Cross (Hot Cross 5) - Poetry Label

Next up: Hot Cross 6 – a Celtic design

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Sunshine Doodle

SAQA put out a call for art for the next traveling trunk show, with no jury or acceptance process. The only requirement was the piece must measure 10″h x 7″w, no more, no less. I thought it would be fun and quick to work on a small piece, one that would travel with the show for up to three years (what a great opportunity to get my work out there!). While I was correct about the fun part, I was incorrect about the quick part. Turns out, when one is working small, more detail (i.e. quilting) is needed to really make the piece pop, or at least that’s how it worked out for me.

When I was pondering design ideas, through both brainstorming and doodling, I kept coming back to a doodle I’ve been doodling since I was in about 2nd grade. I’ve always called it my sunshine doodle. The only thing different between the very first sunshine doodle and a more current version is the current version doesn’t include eyes and a smile on the sunshine. Seriously, people, I’ve been drawing this thing for over 40 years. You’d think I would have come up with a new idea in that time, but apparently not.

Sunshine Doodle - The Doodle — The doodle

So there really was no contest when deciding on my trunk show art piece. After all these years, it was time for the doodle to become art.

Sunshine Doodle (link to poem)

Next up: Back to my cross series with Crisscross (Hot Cross Five).

Cacophony

I have a growing fascination with quirky, odd-shaped quilts. My first was Hulk Smash, my second, Jeep on the Grill. I had such fun making both of these, I want to make many more in non-traditional shapes.

I love making not square and not rectangular art. I enjoy creating my art in the shape of whatever the piece portrays.

My most recent piece plays with mouths. Or more accurately, lips. Fiber lips, not real lips. I’m not Hannibal Lecter, people. (You’re welcome for that reference, brother.)

SAQA has a Call for Entry out for an exhibition entitled “Layered Voices”. When I think “layered voices”, I think of tons of people talking over each other. And I think of the multitude of voices that clamor from the timelines on Facebook and Twitter and across the internet and out of the television screen, dissenting opinions dominating the feed. All those voices drown out the voices of those who need assistance. There are so many people crying for help on this planet, probably more than are on social media worldwide, yet that voice, that largest voice, is drowned out by the demands of all the people who think their opinion is the only correct one.

I usually keep my opinion to myself. Because it is just that — an opinion. But here’s what I believe: media has become pervasive, over-arching, and contaminating. So much so that opinions are formed based on whatever Media tells us to believe.

And I’m over that. How about we listen instead to that voice buried under the nonsense?

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I created ten mini lip quilts, in varying sizes, to complete Cacophony. Each “mouth” speaks. All are basted to a felt background, purely for presentation. If this piece doesn’t get into the “Layered Voices” exhibit, I may just dismantle it and hang all the lips together from extra-large puppet handles.

As always, constructive critiques are welcome.

Cacophony (link to poem)

Cacophony