Environmental Quilts

My quilt samples for the educational display at our quilt show are completed. Now I need to write up some text to go along with the display.

I have a piece I made a few years ago which will fit the theme of the exhibit since it’s made mostly of repurposed materials, but I’m also thinking about a current piece that would go with the environmental theme.

I went to take some photos of Arrowhead Marsh just up the road at a shoreline park in Oakland. The colors from the late afternoon sun were quite spectacular at about 4:30 until the the sun dipped below the horizon twenty minutes later.

The origins of the marsh are a bit of a mystery. It wasn’t there in 1855. They think perhaps it is the result of silt washing down the creek from construction of the Lake Chabot Dam in the late 1800’s. The resiliency of nature despite the carelessness of man resulting in something so beautiful fits the theme of the exhibit quite nicely. Although to be honest, I am more interested in the gorgeous colors than making a quilt with a strong statement. I think there could be several quilts to be made just from the images I captured this week.

Pincushion Wildflowers

I was surprised to find large drifts of purple wildflowers in the local hills. They are mostly dry brown grass by June. I think these are a variety of pincushion flowers. This spot is just a short drive away, and was a nice weekend stroll.

Succulent III

Another Succulent quilt is completed for the Fast Friday Challenge.

My first idea of flower stalks reaching upwards was abandoned, since the only flowers blooming on my succulents right now seem to be the sorts that bend downwards. And the stalks all seem to be at awkward angles. I was having trouble getting a composition I liked. So I settled for leaves reaching upwards.

The original intent was to edge the larger leaves with bright red the way it is in my garden. It was to be my “zinger” color to fit the theme of the challenge. But now I think I should leave well enough alone. I don’t think it needs the red, and I’m afraid to overwork it now that it seems done.

The original photo was backlit with strong light along the edges of the back leaves. I may go back and soften some of the white edges and make the white blend into the green more.

Out in the garden, some of the succulents are blooming.This succulent was received as a gift, and was one of a variety of succulents planted in the one large pot. It was beginning to crowd out some of the other succulents, and was looking rather crowded itself. So I made some cuttings from the potted plants, and a succulent garden was born. The potted plants are still only about ten inches tall, but it took off right away when it was freed into open ground. The tallest plant stalk is now nearly three feet tall, and the leaf rosettes about a foot across. It will likely become part of my succulent series some day.

Abstracted Garden Challenge

This month’s Fast Friday Challenge – create an abstract based on a photo of a garden. I’m getting started a bit late, as the guidelines for this month were announced last Friday, but I suppose now is as good a time to start as any.

I have wanted to create another piece based on this photo. Is it too much of a stretch to call this a water garden on a grander scale? Anyway, I've decided to use this photo again.

The original quilt I made from this photo is blogged about here: A Bag of Stuff, Sérusier, & a Thought for a New Quilt.

A year after I made the original Grab Bag Quilt, I made this whole cloth painted silk piece. I’ve never quite decided how I feel about this one. It ended up a bit more surreal or other-worldly than I had originally intended.

So now I will make a third attempt at abstraction with this photo. Now I need to go cut some fabric and see if I can make it look as good as the image in my mind.

Olive Hyde Textile Art Exhibit & Spring Arrives

Last week I delivered two pieces to the Olive Hyde Art Gallery in Fremont. Afternoon Snack and Withered Rose will be part of their 40th Annual Textile Exhibit. The exhibit will run from March 21 – April 19, 2008. The opening reception is this Friday from 7-9PM. More information about the Olive Hyde Art Gallery can be found on their website www.fremont.gov/art/olivehydeartgallery.

I drove home off the highway along the foothills. Spring is definitely here. We went for a short hike through the same hills later that afternoon. These hills will only stay green for a few months.