I'm back from Montana and things have settled down to a dull roar. Unfortunately, while I was in Montana, I was unable to upload photographs. I thought about posting without photographs, and decided to ditch it until I got back. So, I'll probably be posting more than one post for the next while in order to catch up.
While I was out there, I helped with harvest, visited with my family, saw a little bit of Montana I had never seen before, got caught in a dust storm, made four aprons, a table runner, a small wall hanging and finished this wall hanging which I am entering in a show in Gainesville, Florida. All of this in a mere 12 days, 4 of which were spent in travel.
This piece I call Great Blue Heron at Sunset. I raw-edge appliqued the background with pieces cut from various pink prints. I used a decorative stitch over the tops of the curves.
The heron is machine appliqued. I cut each individual wing feather and turned the edges using freezer paper. These were then stitched down on the base fabric. I chose to do it this way so that the feathers would be distinct and have texture.
You an see here on the head, I did some thread painting on the eye and first part of the face, and painted the back ground for the neck with acrylic paints.
I must admit, my original vision for this piece was going to be all BLUE and not realistic in color at all. However, I think I'm just too much of a realist at heart. I couldn't do the neck without painting it. Of course, I love to paint, so I shouldn't be too surprised.
The feathers on the birds back are little bits of individually cut organza and crepe sheers in white and pale blue. I had thought about this and talked to Melani Kane Brewer about her pieces via email. I decided to do it my original method rather than how Melani does hers...but I think the effect is very similar although I'm no where near as good as she is.
The piece measures 36 1/2" wide x 26 1/2" high. You can sort of see the random quilting lines I did with a variegated Valdani thread in pink.
Hopefully, this will make it into the show. For once, I just have to block it and then put the sleeve in! Yay!
I didn't take the original photograph from which I drew this piece. The kudos for that one is to Alan D. Wilson who took it at Rockport beach park, Rockport, Texas. The Wilson's graciously allow their photos to be used in adaptations or for educational purposes as long as you give the proper credit. You can see the original photo here. Elaine and Alan Wilson's galleries are well worth the visit because they are really luscious photographs.
Your thoughts on this piece would be greatly appreciated....I think if I had it to do over again, I would piece the background rather than applique it....and while it was fun..I think it is a little more traditional than I had in mind.
7 comments:
Welcome back! I love the bird. It's head says "Yeah, I'm flying fast!"
I love your heron piece. I can't offer any advice being that I don't quilt well but it is a beautiful piece.
Thanks so much Shady and Jessica! Hopefully, it will make it into the show. :)
It's good to be back and working on other things...although housework is the pits!
the heron is gorgeous but I wonder how he would look against a more earth-from sky view background. The shapes you have are wonderful and reminiscent of all the lovely abstract shapes of fields and rivers seen from the air
lol..Yes, I know the pink is a little unusual. You have to understand, I'm NOT a pink person. However, I intended this to be part of a series which would be sort of tongue in cheek--that is, I'd be doing a SCARLET ibis, and INDIGO bunting, a BLUE goose....you get the picture...and use the purer colors, rather than the natural colors.
One of the comments that one of my quilting co-horts made was "I never thought I'd see you do a pink quilt. You're not a pink person."
So, here was the challenge. I couldn't really do a blue background for either sky or water because it would be too close to the color I was using in the body of the bird.
I couldn't really use greys or even greens....unless I used like chartreuse because I felt the value would be too similar to the colors I was using in the bird.
Then, I happened to remember a fantastic sunset I saw in St. Petersburg, FL one December, the evening my sister-in-law got married. It was a fabulous sunset in pinks and oranges and even the water seemed to take on those colors, and I thought, aha! I'll do it with those colors.
I'll probably do another view, with a more realistic background as you suggested....that would be really fun.
Good Lord, Lisa--When do you sleep??!!
Beautiful work, and I really enjoyed your garden photos. Hope all is well w/your daughter and her running.
Keep up the good work,
Linda Laird
quIltLady aT saN dOt rR dOt Com
The heron quilt is great! I can't wait to see it in person. I'm surprised that you did the background in pinks also, not really what I expected. Hope you (we) make it into the Gainsville show. Love to see your work. Don't know where you get the time to do it all.
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