Holly Berries
I love nature, and finding a specimen that really speaks to me of the rhythms of life -- maturity, death and new life. The holly tree is very considerate in providing fruit in the dead of winter for the birds and me. While creating an image that conveys the form is nice, it does not convey my deep appreciation and wonder that this is a living, breathing, life-giving form.
The above image is before quilting and some hand embroidery details are added. Nice, but nothing special in my eyes. The image below is after the piece comes alive with the addition of quilting and embroidery. I never know what a piece will really look like until it is quilted. It never ceases to amaze me what quilting adds.
Holly Berries
To me the quilting line conveys that sense of a living organism that changes, matures, produces fruit that not only gives birth to new plants but sustains the life of many that partake in it. Quilting to me, along with hand embroidery details, take the image into something extraordinary beyond what painting of an image can do. The sculpting of the fabric with thread and needle, the contrast of the quilted areas with the unquilted areas is like bas relief sculpture. Art quilters have created a new art medium that brings a new richness to imagery whether realistic, abstract or non-objective.
And that is why I work in the quilt medium to create my art.
Your comments on this observation would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for looking
Nancy
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