textile arts – Page 2 – Joni Beach

Sunday Stroll in Retiro Park

Today’s piece is another work from the Visions of Spain series and is currently on exhibit in Lifeweavings: A Creative Journey, at Eucalyptus Massage Center Gallery. It is entitled, Sunday Stroll in Retiro Park (Madrid). One of my photos had lines and colors that inspired me. I loved the way the guy’s shirt and the boats just happened to match…the lines the walkway and the wall made with each other to provide the perspective and depth to this scene…along with the accent of the row of bright red boats resting along the shoreline. A nice afternoon stroll…

Sunday Stroll in Retiro Park (Madrid), 17 3/4" x 19 1/2", rayon and cotton on cotton. Applique, free-motion quilting, piecing, threadpainting, © 2014 Joni Beach. — Sunday Stroll in Retiro Park (Madrid), 17 3/4″ x 19 1/2″, rayon and cotton on cotton. Applique, free-motion quilting, piecing, thread-painting, © 2014 Joni Beach.

To create this piece, first different fabrics were auditioned to see which ones could create the image I wanted.

The background was then composed…

The boats and the guy were constructed separately as appliques before applying them to the background.

Thread-sketching and thread-painting was used extensively to add details and shading. The machine is used similar to the way you would draw with a pencil~~viewing the original photo as a guide, while drawing lines and shading.

Dense-stitch quilting was used on the background elementsthe lake, trees, sky, ground and walkwaysto add texture and dimension. Using heavy threads and embroidery floss, two cables were added to tie the boats together.

You can see this and other pieces in this series, Visions of Spain, on my website Art Gallery!

Available Artwork May Be Purchased Through: Eucalyptus Massage Center Gallery.

February 18, 2014

A Different Perspective

After a snowy weekend I am back in the studio. Winter has really shown itself this year and we are digging out of 17″ of snow. Though, it is beautiful while it falls and white snow brightens the gray days.

Today’s photo is of the piece, A Different Perspective. I loved creating this design…A photo that I took in a backyard garden was the inspiration. I loved the vivid colors and the composition of the small flower as seen from the bottom. I thought the unusual design it had from this angle gave a different perspective, or view, from how we normally look at flowers. And of course, what could brighten a February day better than this!?

A Different Perspective, rayon on cotton. 45" x 45", © 2014 Joni Beach. Pieced, free-motion quilting. applique, threadsketching.($2000) — A Different Perspective, 45″ x 45″, rayon on cotton , © 2014 Joni Beach. Pieced, free-motion quilting. applique, thread=sketching.

The photo was enlarged and a size was selected. I used the copy as a guide to make the individual pieces and assembled the flower on batting. This was shown in an earlier post...See Here! A glue stick was used to “tack” the design together. This allows for moving pieces and making changes as I work. After the basic flower was formed, details were added and layered on top.

The background was then placed around the central design. Extensive thread-sketching was used to finish the raw edges and bring out the sections of the flower. Thread-painting was then used to add contouring and shading. I used dense-stitch quilting using free-motion techniques on the background, which gives dimension and accents the flower. A facing was added to finish the edges and a hanging sleeve was added to the back. I try to remember to always sign and date the wall-hanging in thread, using free-motion quilting!

You can see this and other art quilts in my website’s Art Gallery!

Available Artwork May Be Purchased Through: Eucalyptus Massage Center Gallery.

February 15, 2014

Visions of Spain

Visions of Spain is a new series I began this summer, which are expressions inspired by the amazing country of Spain. Its sights, sounds, art, history, vistas, food, and music…In this piece, The Present Through the Past, one looks through an arch of a Roman Aqueduct and gets a view of the wonderful city of Segovia with the snow-covered mountains in the background.

The Present Through the Past (Roman Aqueduct, Segovia), rayon and cotton on cotton. © 2014 Joni Beach. Applique, threadpainting, free-motion quilting. ($975) — The Present Through the Past (Roman Aqueduct, Segovia), rayon and cotton on cotton. © 2014 Joni Beach. Applique, thread-painting, free-motion quilting.

On this piece I enlarged one of my photos and printed it in black and white in a few different sizes. Sketching the desired size onto interfacing to use as a guide, I used 3 photos as inspirations and to compose the design. Here is a picture as I began to cut and place the pieces of the center scene.

After the center was pieced and some of the details were thread-painted, I began cutting and placing the stones, surrounding the middle.

I experimented and improvised to discover what the materials would do and which fabrics would give shading, depth, and the look I wanted.

After the arch was pieced, it was put in place on the interfacing around the Segovia scene. Additional free-motion thread-painting and quilting added to the texture and gave the scene more details and dimension. I added a facing to finish the edges and liked the results for this wall-hanging.

See this piece and others in this series, Visions of Spain, in my website Art Gallery!

Available Artwork May Be Purchased Through: Eucalyptus Massage Center Gallery