The very, very, very, beginning of a new art quilt or a series of quilts is like a flash. Almost like something out of the corner of the eye. I don’t always know how these start. I might read a word that sticks in my brain. Or I see a shape or a color. Or I remember an event. And the wheels of “I think there’s an artwork in that” begin to turn.

The next step is the sketching – very rough. Just recording the concept.

Then, generally, I draw it over and over to put together concept with composition.

Then . . . I’m ready to start some thinking about logistics. Size. What fabrics I need to create. What photos might be involved. Beginning ideas about a palette.

That’s where I am in the studio this week.

The project is the first of what I hope will be a series of incorporating some still life objects into large quilts, which will also contain elements of memory and dream images that are a more familiar vocabulary to me.

I have a first sketch.

This will have the suggestion of a traditional still life. The elements will be in the foreground, in front of a window and sky and limbs beyond the window. But I am not composing it as a strictly representational scene. There will be other elements and it will be divided up a it.

I took this into Photoshop to get an idea of what size the parts would be. This allowed me to get my paper laser copies enlarged and printed to transfer at final size. Here are the photos transferred to fabric.

I taped together some big sheets of paper and drew the composition final size on my easel. (It’s about 40”W)

And I’ve started creating some of the fabrics I’ll want, using the stencils of leaves I created recently.

I sponged a pale mustard gold onto the background. (Cadmium yellow + Burnt umber.) Then I stenciled the middle layer in a green made by taking my base mustard mix and adding a tad of blue. Then I added a third layer using the same stencils, rearranged so they would hit in different patterns, in the color for the middle layer made a little darker with black.

When it was done, I decided to have two versions of this – one that maintained the mustard background, and one with a light blue wash over the whole surface to enhance to greens.

That’s as far as I’ve gotten on this project. I’ll write more as I get more done.

I’ve created some smaller framed versions of the still life concept recently. It’s how I worked out some of the ideas. If you’d like to see them, they are on my website HERE.

 . . . .

Don’t forget – for folks near Central Florida, our DeLand-area studio tour is just two weeks away. It will be a wonderful event. Please stop by and say hi. I’m at Stop #2. Click on image below for maps and artist information. www.ArtsTours.org

For all the artmakers: Happy creating
For all the art lovers: Happy appreciating

Thank you for reading.
I always enjoy questions and comments.
--Bobbi

bobbi@bobbibaughstudio.com

How I keep in touch:

BLOG POSTS  - once a week:  Mostly about what I am creating in the studio. If you would enjoy receiving blog posts by e-mail, please subscribe here:  I post and send by e-mail each Sunday evening. BLOGS-BY-EMAIL

NEWSLETTER – about once a month: Mostly news of exhibits and my way of introducing new work. You’ll get FIRST LOOKS at new artwork and members-only discounts. You’ll hear from me about once a month.  NEWSLETTER