Journeys

The past four and a half years with Viewpoints 9 has been quite a journey! I can’t believe it’s the end of the third cycle already. This group has helped me to grow and to push my limits in my art, in my thinking and in what I demand from myself. Thank you all!

For this challenge and my theme of water, I used rusted fabric to make an old map I call “The Journeys of Sir Richard” (30.5” H x 40.25” W). 

I wanted to stretch myself to not only use my undesirables, but also use elements of all of the challenges this cycle. Here’s what I did:

• Challenge 1 – Use thread in a new way for you – Well, I finally did some hand stitching! Sir Richard’s island forays are stitched by hand. Note to self: budget more time when doing hand work.
• Challenge 2 – Neon – I used neon blue paint for the water.
• Challenge 3 – Unconventional fabric – I tore and cut a piece of leather and burned lettering into it for the “sign plate”. In addition to the leather, the rusted fabric includes linen and canvas, two unusual fabrics for me.
• Challenge 4 – Tradition – The quilt is made with traditional block piecing.
• Challenge 5 – Dimension – (Hopefully) I created depth in the water with the use of color and contour. 
• Challenge 6 – Natural Dyes – I used rusted fabric pieced together in 2.5” squares.
• Challenge 7 – Monochromatic – Does brown qualify as black? I only used blue paint and the natural rust/black color of the fabric.
• Challenge 8 – Text – Areas of the map are named and the entire map is labeled with text.
• Challenge 9 – Undesirables – My rusted fabric counts for two of the challenges! I may have to rethink the undesirable part.

The Undesirables

I’ve never met an artist without a stash. This trend of collecting transcends art and extends to all passions. I have spoken to friends in all arenas: fishermen who have their special stash of lures, triathletes with their stash of equipment, surfers with their “quiver” of boards.

As a novice art quilter I was thrilled by all the things I saw. As my eyes opened to new techniques, my stash of “tools” expanded. I confess, at the beginning I was more of an acquirer than an artist, but the fire of technique is born of the flame of passion. And so my passion for all things quilting led me onward.

Unfortunately, and inevitably, the process of collecting favors some items and leaves others behind: the undesirables. For art quilters it may be a fabric or tool or component or technique. Something that seemed perfect in the moment but not so perfect later. It may have been tried and discarded or never used at all.

In cleaning my closet recently, I came across many items that caused me to ask “What was I thinking?!!” I had beans – yes, dried beans that someone said made nice beach rocks – and thread waste – yes, discarded thread that someone said would make a nice bird’s nest – and…well, you get the picture.

What are the undesirables in your closet? Fabric? Rubbing plates? Embellishments? I challenge you to dig deep into your early days of learning and acquisition and unearth something you previously cast aside. Use the undesirable to stretch yourself and to create something you’ve not imagined before.

The vertical dimension (height) should be 30”. The width is your choice.

Words cannot express...

How do you depict Joy?

I love words: their shape, their meaning, their sound. So much contained in so little, but somehow, never enough. I cannot imagine this generation will not learn the beauty of cursive writing and how creating the flow and shapes of words is artistic and calming.

As a writer, this challenge thrilled me. I often use words in my quilts and I’m continually seeking the best methods and tools to represent them either explicitly or implicitly in my art. My husband would say I’ve wasted lots of money chasing the perfect way, but I’d say I’ve learned a lot!

The words in the background of this quilt were written with white Liquitex paint via a small bottle and 9mm tip. The technique was loosely inspired by an article in Quilting Arts Magazine June/July 2015 issue by Sue Bleiweiss. The actual words tell my story as a high school swimmer and the joy of the water and the discipline of training.

Water is my theme for this cycle and I had this picture of a dear friend’s daughter from a Christmas card years ago. I was captivated by the total joy in her daughter’s face and asked if I could represent it in a quilt one day. Alicia’s challenge was the perfect opportunity to combine the inspiration of words with the raw emotion of this beautiful child. 

“Joy” measures 29” W X 40” H. It is whole cloth painted using Liquitex soft body acrylic paints and Derwent Inktense pencils. It is quilted with cotton and polyester threads. 

Original Photo

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Writing Detail

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.

One Color, Two Attempts

Monochromatic pieces can be so powerful. I have long admired the work of a local artist Derek Gores who specializes in magazine collage and whose pieces are often monochromatic. His works are compelling to me because of their balance of intricacy and simplicity.

"I AM"

Lisa-Marie Sanders © 2011

I took a class from Derek years ago and created the art piece of which I am most proud. Although I was most concerned with translating tiny pieces of magazines into a dimensional image, I also enjoyed the use of a single color. It was my first and, until Kate’s challenge, only monochromatic endeavor.

the inspiration: my mom

To see how attempt number two turns out, check out the V9 reveal next week!

red, red wine

Blame it on the wine. When I washed my natural dyed fabrics, everything came out dingy. The cabernet colored Color Catcher was a dead give-away. It was the deepest colored piece in the entire wash. Apparently, even three Color Catcher sheets weren’t enough to stem the spread of the tannin dinge. 

No worries. That turn led me down a different path and I decided to try for an impressionist look to my quilt. I figured I could fit my blurry flowers in somehow. I found a marvelous piece of Carol Eaton’s ice dyed fabric I had purchased at a SAQA conference in DC. I was originally drawn to it because of its variety and subtle colors missing from my super-bright stash. 

It was the perfect piece for “Misty Melange”. I randomly pieced the background with 1” and 2” strips to create a watercolor effect. I added strips of green hand dyed fabrics and accented with wine colored pieces of linen, cotton and Color Catchers (polyester?). I also raw edge appliqued strips around the edges to create a more symmetrical top. Though I thought I would use the flower-pounded fabric, I opted to omit it. Instead, I added flowers to the quilting motif. 

It was a fun challenge, especially playing with the whole family. I would have to say I remain perplexed at why the “dyes” I used will stain my favorite shirt forever but will come out in the wash when I want them for an art quilt. Mordants, molecules, binding…perhaps I should’ve paid more attention in chemistry class.

Misty Melange is 33.5” W by 42.5” H, quilted with cotton and polyester thread.