Sunday 23 November 2014

Mended Door- Change of Scale



Quilt number 3 for International Threads challenge is   finally completed after several months marinating on the design wall. The theme was change of scale or large/small scale.  I returned to ideas I worked on a while ago on incorporating a photo of door within a large scale detail  as in these JQ's
The smaller scale area  is a photo of part of a patched, mended door with newer wood inserts among the old on Queen Charlottes Cottage in the grounds of Kew Gardens. The larger scale  shapes and colours are based on some of the sections of the photo, a mixture of African batik, hand dyed fabric and monoprints with acrylic paint from Jae Maries course.  I  used different weight threads ( 40 and 12) in these areas to further emphasise the change of scale.

I took this  quilt along to the Thames Valley Contemporary Textiles group meeting yesterday in Bracknell - which apart from our AGM featured an interesting  talk   by Jane O'Brien  on the history of Damask ( co-incidentally I've reading through the silk route section of the 'History of the World in 100 objects). She highlighted the damask on various Renaissance paintings, many in the National Gallery which reminded me of my drawing courses there - remembering how I struggled with the patterns on cloth  in the  Bellini painting of the Doge!  
In the afternoon, it was good to be reminded of design principles, particularly the golden section  and I couldn't resist assembling a small flock from the delightful knitted sheep the Kate Crossley had brought for sale.
 
Ian meanwhile  had been picking the last of the figs from our tree  but even he admitted this time they were seriously underwhelming in taste - we need that Mediterranean sun! 

4 comments:

Sandy said...

I saw the door up behind you when I was having my lunch, but then I was required and forgot to say something.
However, that is perfect for bringing in January for SCALE: Nature!
Sandy

The Idaho Beauty said...

I love this, partly because it is a palette I gravitate too, but it also has another color in there I wouldn't think to add - the one that is verging on maroon. But what I really love is the way you added stitch - so perfect in its unobtrusiveness, so perfect in the realistic touch it adds. I could study this for a long time, then back away and appreciate it as a whole.

Maggi said...

A great piece, so much texture. I want to touch it - without white gloves!

jude said...

love your new work