This week I’m continuing the project I posted about last week.

The project is a 3-panel quilt depicting a split landscape view: fish below and birds in the sky above. Last week, I had worked through several composition options and had begun the create the monotype background for the underwater portion.

This week it’s all about fish.

I created a large stencil with all of the fish cut out and stenciled it with a glue resist. Then I over painted with wonderful watery phthalo blue, mixed with a little burnt sienna to bend it towards teal. When everything was dry I washed out the glue resist.

Now: green fish swimming in blue-teal.

I was letting this evolve, so I did not know exactly how it would look. My first reaction was disappointment. I guess I had hoped that the overprint of the blue would be enough to create the underwater mystery. But it wasn’t.

***Here is one panel after the fist blue overprint. A bit weak. Promising, but definitely not there yet***

I looked at these panels a long time and finally decided to introduce some other shapes – geometric shapes that would not actually occur in an underwater scene. That would, I hoped, transform how the images work. It will be a way to play with value and contrast and also take away the thought that this is an actual photographic reproduction of fish underwater.

I just want it to FEEL like being underwater.

This is as far as I’ve made it this weekend. There are now a lot more layers and – I think – some sense of depth.

I have one panel glued to its fabric-sandwich backer. I am hoping it will be dry enough tomorrow to start some surface stitching. I am excited to see how that functions with the painted scene.

Just a “how-to” note: I can add more surface design after stitching. That is likely to happen. So, surface design – then stitch – then more surface design is possible. I’ve just got to see where this goes.

Meanwhile, in other adventures… This week I am scheduled to have my first cataract surgery. The second one should happen in June. I can’t wait! Threading needles is turning into quite a challenge. Friends tell me that one experiences color altogether differently after the cataract surgery. Who knows, next week I may have to report that the underwater scene isn’t at all like I thought it was!

For all the artmakers: Happy creating
For all the art lovers: Happy appreciating

Thank you for reading. I always enjoy questions and comments.
--Bobbi

bobbi@bobbibaughstudio.com

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