Sunday, December 27, 2015

Wild Life: Maple

Wild Life: Maple ©2015

Thanks, Diane, for a great challenge and lots to think about!  I wrestled with my ideas for actual 3-D creations for a good deal of the 8 weeks we had - and ultimately came back to an earlier idea "referencing" dimension.  The weather has changed so dramatically since the beginning of this challenge, it is hard to believe I was inspired by seasonal cycles and the autumn color - brilliant leaves and warm, blue skies!

my inspiration









Gazing up through the layers of Japanese maple leaves, I wondered if I could create that sense of light and depth using a layered pojagi inspired method.  I collected a bag full of leaves in every color of red and yellow and orange to get the project started.

The first thing I did was paint some silk organza in the same colors with Dye-Na-Flow.  The individual leaves were inked with Speedball fabric ink and printed one at a time.  Once the ink was dry, I starched the organza and cut it into the small pieces that are sewn together. 

Wild Life: Maple, detail
Maple is all machine sewn.  I am looking for a nice branch to drape it over for display.  I love the colorful translucence of the backlit layers.

Check my blog for a more detailed description of the process later this week.
Wild Life: Maple, backlit

4 comments:

  1. I love that you made it with silk organza; the light through the layers gives an ethereal feeling of the changing instability of seasons. Beautifully done, Martha! And HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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  2. Great layering, works so well with the maple leaf prints also!

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  3. I love the look from the front as well as backlit. Reminds me of the way the leaves and sunlight are always changing during autumn.

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  4. Gorgeous! I love the organic edges, they add a different dimension to a luminous yet tranquil piece.

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