Greenland

I love icebergs. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the Sunshine State; who knows? When I was younger, I was surprised to learn that icebergs are a luminous turquoise, not white. I’d always associated turquoise with the Caribbean and sandy beaches, not frigid navy blue water where you could not see the bottom. 

Blue is my favorite color and any shade that evinces thoughts of water is the most prized. So color is part of my fascination. As is the water - my theme for this cycle. And of course, the hidden part: the part beneath the water that has become a metaphor in all walks of life including business management, branding, risk assessment and human potential. The symbolism speaks to me too.

So this Florida girl likes icebergs despite having only seen one in her life. I saw it while returning from a family vacation in Iceland. Odd, I’d have thought I’d seen one in Iceland, not flying over Greenland. But I was told the Vikings intentionally named their lush home Iceland so no one would come, and they gave Greenland its name to entice visitors there instead. When travelers discovered desolate, frozen Greenland, they would surely never venture to its neighbor Iceland. Or so the legend goes. 

So I saw the green rolling hills and rocky cliffs of Iceland without glimpsing a single iceberg. It wasn’t until the flight home over Greenland I saw my first (and only). It’s on my bucket list to see more. One day I will visit Alaska and photo them until my heart is content. Until then, I have my imagination and my art.

“Greenland” is a wholecloth quilt painted with Setacolor soft body acrylic and Jacquard fabric paints and enhanced with Shiva sticks and Derwent inktense pencils. It is quilted with cotton and polyester threads.

Due to some unexplained brain malfunction, my piece measures one inch longer than it should. Of course I didn’t discover my error until today. So…Greenland measures 41” H X 30.5 W.