This quarter's theme for Four in Art was chosen by Elizabeth. Our annual theme is Light, and the quarterly sub-theme is 'Stained Glass Shadows". I found the shadows above in the National Portrait Gallery, but Elizabeth posted some very beautiful inspiration pictures on her blog here.
I don't have much to say about my contribution - there's not much to explain, except to say that I was fascinated by the way the shadows in Elizabeth's photos read as purple and made use of this colour in my quilt. I thought for a long time about the challenge, but what I could not find a way to capture what I really liked - the quality of light which she neatly described as 'powdery' - in fabric.
In the end I decided just to try to reflect the saturated colour, and the way that the 'shadows' cast by stained glass lose the definition of the original and become blurred, with colours merging into one another. I also like the sharp edges and gaps that you see when the 'shadows' fall on a shaped surface.
The beautiful colours of shot cotton are as close as I could get to the quality of the colour and light, and I tried to blur the lines of the shapes with heavy variegated Aurifil thread quilting.
I wouldn't say that this quilt uses any exciting or novel techniques but I have tried to express what I find beautiful in the light cast by stained glass and reflect my response to the theme.
The other Four in Art members can be found below - please do visit them to see how they were inspired by the theme.
Janine http://www.rainbowhare.com
Nancy http://www.patchworkbreeze.blogspot.com
Rachel http://www.rachel-thelifeofriley.blogspot.com
Simone http://quiltalicious.blogspot.com
I love the texture in your piece, as well as your use of colour!
ReplyDeleteP.S. The link to Elizabeth's blog isn't right, it takes us to a Glasgow dairy...
Absolutely beautiful, the colours are perfect. Have you tried Pojagi patchwork, it creates a stained glass window effect?
ReplyDeleteYour piece is lovely. I,too, could not find a way show the powdery blurred effect of stained glass. I thought pastel paint stick might have worked but didn't want to try it. The quilting does blur your colors. Good work.
ReplyDeleteThis is gorgeous. I especially love the quilting. :-)
ReplyDeleteNice! I usually tend to match quilting thread to color of piecing, but in your case, the yellows overall is perfect.
ReplyDeleteI think you and I are on the same wavelength. I, too, couldn't find a way to get that tactile/visual representation in fabric, so did the improv piecing with lots of thread. I love your quilt--the idea of purples is brilliant and I love that glowing focal point in the center. Well done, Catherine-- I love it!
ReplyDeleteSo lovely. I love the saturation of the colors, and i do think the stitching helps to create some of the blur. Im sure in shot cottons it looks even better in real life.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful. Your colours are gorgeous and the quilting helps to blend it all together perfectly :)
ReplyDeleteOh, Catherine, how you captured this one! Between the colors and the shape, which shows movement to me, I see so much. It is even dreamy, seriously! Well done!
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful Catherine and very much your style! I think the combination of the shot cottons and the quilting DO evoke that powdery quality of the shadows...SO lovely!
ReplyDeleteThe colours of this piece are gorgeous and shot cottons are a great way to add a layer of subtlety and to play with the effects of light. I like this a lot.
ReplyDeletethe shot cottons really reflect the light, and the quilting adds so much to the texture. Well done
ReplyDeleteThis is unique and very beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSorry I am so slow to write a comment. I really loved your color choice and that you used variegated thread to blur the shapes. You also have some really wonderful photography skills.
ReplyDeleteI always love reading about your Four in Art quilts, knowing the thought and process behind each one of them is fascinating and this one is no exception!
ReplyDelete