I think I needed this 3-day Rosalie Dace class to be a 5-day class. I feel like I'm just starting to get it. Even though I put aside my inspirational photograph late yesterday, I remember what it depicted item by item -- sand and shadows, a collection of seaweed and kelp on the beach, a certain Dijon mustard colored leafy shape here, some bright green seagrass there, some golden tubular stems, some twiggy brown things entangled throughout. My left brain spent much of today trying to figure out how to piece, fuse, couch, apply covered cording, or appliqué those particular details in various sections of the piece. My thinking was leading me towards representational portrayal of the parts, rather than abstract impressions of the whole "still life in seaweed." It wasn't until late in the afternoon that my right brain became more engaged in the process, desirous of communicating the feeling instead of just depicting than the scene. I'm posting a photograph of part of what I had on my design wall at the end of the day. I don't think it will be anything like the finished result I'm just now starting to envision. Even that will undoubtedly change as I proceed. (But I'm including it anyway--for some reason. Just bear in mind that it's a "Before" that should not be judged, please. It is very preliminary.)
The next time I work on this, I will think about repeating a certain shape to create rhythm and repetition. I will work from this pictured focal area out, building up more layers. I want to make sure the texture I add comes together in a clump as it was when I photographed the seaweed, rather than looking like there's a little pile of it here and there. I'm grateful to Rosalie for helping me see what's needed and giving me help on how to approach it. I'll also reevaluate the composition for balance, unity, value, and other design principles and elements. I will add three-dimensional embellishments, particularly using cording and threads and couching. And most importantly, I will take a very conscious approach to where, how, and in what threads I quilt, embroider, and embellish the quilt, applying what I have learned from Rosalie, as well as Hollis Chatelain, Pamela Allen, and Experience.
Persistence, Accountability, and Creative Time, I need you! Rosalie has asked me to email her a photo of the finished quilt by mid-July. I really would like to meet that goal. Now I've put it out here in cyberspace. A creative summer would be a wonderful gift to myself!
A recommendation: Rosalie is a wonderful teacher. Each person's work in the class reflected the quiilter's own design and style. She's going to be teaching in the U.S. for months. Take a class of hers if you have the opportunity and are interested in trying to be more abstract in your work.
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