In the Studio, art has been “in progress” and the top is complete for“Field at Toledo” (Spain)!
The next step is to lay the top flat on the cutting table and spot glue any places needed to secure all the pieces. Then I will layer with a thin, cotton batting, plus a backing fabric, before any stitching and quilting is begun…
Top Finished for “Field of Toledo” (Spain)
I like to choose a fabric for the back of the piece, which compliments the overall design. After all of the stitching is complete, many times the back results in an unexpected, spontaneous design of its own! Always fun to see what develops…
Close-up of “Field at Toledo” (Spain)Close-up Detail of “Field at Toledo” (Spain)
Today’s piece is another work from the Visions of Spainseries 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 walkwayand 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…
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 elements~~the lake, trees, sky, ground and walkways~~to add texture and dimension. Using heavy threads and embroidery floss, two cables were added to tie the boats together.
This past weekend we traveled home to North Carolina. I love going in the summer for many reasons but among them are the fresh garden vegetables and fruit. We visited a produce garden selling in-season fruits and vegetables.
After shopping in boutiques and eating lunch in town and driving past my childhood home, we ended our day out. The rest of the evening was spent with family…and supper included chilled watermelon and sweet iced tea. (Since it had topped 99° F on Saturday, nothing was better!). A quick wind and thunderstorm ended the fishing in the pond. But, all in all it was a great day.
This produce is ripe much earlier than where we live in the mountains. Not only did the farm we visit have patty-pan squash, zucchini, green beans, early cling peaches, they still had strawberries we could pick! Mom added the homemade blackberry jam (with seeds!). Yum!
I bought a new coffee mug…and we enjoyed talking with the artist in his gallery. One day I would like to own one of his crystalline glazed pots…the yellow ones are so unusual in color and very delicate looking. They remind me of Japanese design.
Viewing the artistic creations of potters always inspires me. To learn of their stories, methods, and to get to visit their studios and galleries provides an artistic perspective from a medium different from my own. It gives me new ideas on color and the design process.
And, on an extremely hot and humid summer’s day… there is nothing like watermelon and sweet iced tea!
Joni Beach 