Friday, March 30, 2012

A really productive week at the easel.

Next week I will be quilting, quilting and quilting.
I have two paintings finished.  Of course there will be some working back into them with more water color paint, inks or pencils once the quilting is completed.
In thinking of my painted quilts, I have decided for at least these three pieces that I want to stay very close to the look of traditional botanical drawings and paintings, which is to make the flower the focal point and present it simply and colorfully on a background that is not demanding of the views attention.
I am trying different ways of handling backgrounds and tried my hand with a "washing" technique in the second and third piece pictured below.

 
 I like the muted look of this piece, especially the background, but as I look at it here on the screen, I think the yellow needs to be knocked back some.  Right now it is hung on my design wall so from time to time during the day I am seeing it but not studying it and in real life the yellow is not as demanding of my attention.  When I get to the quilting, I'll see if thread mute it some.  If not a little wash of color will do it for sure.

 Still have to paint the flowers on the one above.  When I went to bed last night I wasn't sure what color that would be.  Woke this morning thinking because the background is a pale yellow the flowers should be painted a purple hue. 
All of these pieces as painted measure about 44" wide x 48 -50".  I'll lose some in the quilting and trimming. I'll show you what each one looks like when it is quilted. 
I will be off to do a trunk show for a guild north of Tampa on Tuesday evening and I will make the drive back on Saturday to teach a class.   
Along with that, I will be packing  and returning the artwork in the "Faces of Color" exhibit next week too. 
With all that on my calendar, I plan to spend the next four days at the easel.   I have two more painting I want to get done before the other parts of my quilt life or life in general intervene. 

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