Looking at Light

Several months ago, I talked to you about art show themes. I also shared three reference photos taken in early morning light. Here they are again.

These photos were my inspiration for creating a piece for the Chasing Light show. I combined the three images and used three different sizes, resulting in a compelling composition. I call this piece Looking at Light. It is 46 X 41 inches. Light is what defines the shadowy silhouettes. Without the light there would be no form. 

I created another piece on the Chasing Light theme. It is called All New and is 22 X 34 inches.

The forms here are more three dimensional than those in Looking at Light. The people are back-lit, giving them halos. The mysterious container is aglow and holds treasures to explore. For a baby, all is new.

A closer look at these two contemporary art quilts will show you that fabric choice and quilting add a lot to the look of the art. I have also used small amounts of fabric crayon and markers. Can you spot the scribbles and circles?

I end each blog with a recipe.  Lemony Coleslaw is easy to make and perfect to take to a pot luck gathering because it can sit at room temperature with no ill effects. (In fact, it improves with a couple of days in the fridge.) Lemony Coleslaw:  Combine chopped green and purple cabbage, grated carrots, chopped apple, and fresh dill in a bowl.  (Fresh dill makes the recipe a real winner.) Add olive oil and a generous amount of lemon juice. Add a little salt and a little sugar. Enjoy.

New Combinations

  Are you one of those silly people?  – A person who thinks your house can only hold a finite number of artworks?  There are a lot of you out there! It turns out that art can expand and contract and change, just like other things in your house and yard. For example: walls, paint… Read more »

Spring Calling

  I have created an artwork make over. The new piece is Spring Calling. In last month’s blog I shared an image of an applique picture that I created in 1988. I am showing you that image again. Girl on the Slide is 24 X 40 inches. At that time I used trapunto in a… Read more »

March Miscellany

Some of you live in Gillette Wyoming, but you might not know about the wonderful venue for contemporary art quilts at City Hall. Take the stairs, and see my artwork from various vantage points! I change out the quilts in Spring and Autumn. There are four new pieces to enjoy. Evolution, 43 X 53 (above)… Read more »

Art Show Themes

Art shows often come together better if there are parameters. These might be subject matter, concept, color palette, size, medium, or some combination of these things. There are no guarantees that artists will respond to a call for art by submitting strong artwork. A theme that you thought was wonderful, might be greeted by a… Read more »

Show and Tell

In December I had the pleasure of hearing Transendence: How Humans Evolved through Fire, Language, Beauty and Time, read by the author, Gaia Vince. She follows the story of homo sapiens from their beginnings until now, and her full research and excellent storytelling make this book of non-fiction a real page turner! I was listening… Read more »

Light and Dark Harmony

It turns out that you’re never too old to learn! Five months ago an artist buddy introduced me to the art principle of Notan, which is a Japanese word meaning light and dark harmony. Had I gone to art school, I would already have known about this way of looking at composition. How pleasing is… Read more »