This week I’m in the beginning stages of a new quilt dealing with the subject of light. (I will hope to submit this to SAQA global exhibition about LIGHT due at the end of November.)

Light is not so much a color as an experience.

Light is not s much a thing to depict as an effect on the things it touches – or does not touch.

Light is ethereal and changing.

I am returning to a favorite photo of vines and light and shadow viewed through the window of an abandoned house. (I shot this image in rural South Carolina.)

My vision is to create original printed and painted fabric to enhance the feel of that light and to serve as transitions from the photo to a section of darkness.

(I know. This is a pretty ethereal vision. But I’m all in now!)

I’m beginning with a translation – changing the experience of light into a hue. Working from the photo, I’ve discovered a pale celery-green with a tinge of golden yellow that I want to work into my coordinating fabric.

Here’s the palette set-up: Black + Yellow+ white.

Black + Yellow = olive green. Go heavy on the black and it’s deep olive green. Add white to that to get a range of  celery tones.

Black + yellow with a heavier concentration of yellow = mustard yellow. Add white to that to get a range of creamy yellow tones.

I’m going to sponge this onto muslin to get an all-over tone. Then the texture and pattern will be created by subsequent layers of a slightly different hue.

Just a thought about entering exhibitions: I find this very inspiring. I like responding to a specific theme, and I even like it when there are specific size restraints. (This one’s pretty open. I can be from 30”-46”H x 34-60”W.) But I have learned from experience only to enter exhibits in which the piece I create is one that would have interested me anyway. It should fit into a body of work or have other interest to me in case I am not accepted, or if the work comes back to me after the exhibit.

Just a thought about repeating elements from one quilt to the next: I’ve decided that I like doing this. I have returned to the photos of the vines in the windows for several works. Each time I use it a bit differently. Because it’s an original photo, I now consider it part of my working vocabulary, like a favorite hand-cut stencil or relief print bloc.

Here are two other previously created quilts that incorporate this photo:

This is the Way to Get In” This quilt was in Florida Craftsman’s Contemporary Fibers Show earlier this year and is now in the Q=A=Q exhibit at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, NY. On my website, HERE

“Something Else Will Grow There.” I created this as part of my  “Home is What You Remember” show at Arts on Douglas in 2018 . On my website, HERE

Just one more thought about Exhibitions: Sometimes they bring nice surprises. I was thrilled this week to learn that my quilt “Overlooked” (below) won FIRST PLACE at Material II Fiber Exhibit at d’art Center in Norfolk, VA.  (Whooo-Wheee!) The gallery made a nice video of judges remarks so I was able to watch watch on You Tube.. You could learn more about this quilt on my website, HERE

THE WEEK AHEAD: Early voting begins in Florida this week. I  signed up to volunteer as a poll-watcher. I’m looking forward to being a small part of the whole process.

Stay well. Happy creating.

Thank you for reading. I always enjoy questions and comments.
Bobbi
bobbi@bobbibaughstudio.com

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