New Work

Here's a smallish fiber collage I finally finished up. It's another in the arch series, though the arch is more subtle this time. It's 14.5 x 9.5 inches and it's titled (tentatively) Patina of Radiance. All kinds of stuff going on here: old key, fish charms, paint, beads, wire, image transfer, sheer fabric.



I started with the image transfer on the top. Last year, I printed out several small pictures from a big copyright free directory that I have. This image is one of my favorites. I love the bronzy color and angle and the idea of a face with a radiant crown.

Then I picked fabrics in a similar color family with a bit of common theme -- the dark colors, the leaf shapes, the contrast of the shiney and bright bits with the dark and cloudy bits. I rummaged around in my bead, button and charm bins and gathered stuff that might be incorporated. I put all that in an old Godiva chocolates box.

I knew I wanted to try fusing sheer fabrics. So I had to go buy some. Twist my arm. I chose purple. Surprise. The fusing worked great. It needed to be quilted over, but that was fine. I wanted to incorporate some quilting which I hadn't done on other fiber collage pieces. In fact, that's why I pieced that black area -- to spotlight the quilting.

After piecing the background, sewing some elements on the top and quilting, I got out the chocolate box and started to add other embellishments. (This is through the top and the batting.) I extended the arch at this point. Originally it only went down to the top of the black section. I think it needed a longer line there.

In fact, after I finished most of the beading, I felt like the longer line still needed to be emphasized, so I added the washers. (In fact, I had to go out shopping for those, too.) Then the washers were too shiney, so I squirted out some black, green and gold paint and mixed it up a bit with my finger and dabbed a bit over each washer. Then over the fish and the sun.

I think it still lacks a bit of a focus point, but that's ok. I like the combination of all the elements and I think the eye is drawn equally to each.

(I'm working on being able to speak effectively about my art. So, how was that?)

I really like working small. I don't feel moved to make anything big at the moment. Why is that?
In the meantime...
I've got about 50 more pages left in The Da Vinci Code which I started last week. It really is a snappy little story. I guess I might the last to actually read it. In fact, I'm off to figure out where they will finally find the code to solve the cryptex to find the keystone and unveil the identity of the Teacher?!