Katydid, a fabric interpretation

I finished piecing my fabric interpretation of my friend's abstract painting, and had some interesting thoughts in the process.  Once again, here's Katy's painting:

Abstract painting by Katy Vigeland

And my fabric interpretation:

"Katydid" on a black background

When I told Katy I was using her painting as an inspiration for an art quilt, she said "I've never been anyone's inspiration before."  (Isn't that the name of a song??)  She may need to get used to it, because I enjoyed this process very much and can't wait to start another one!

What I learned:  I began the project as a literal interpretation, but when the lower right-hand section turned out a bit off-kilter, I liked it even more.  Most of the other parts were already constructed, and I didn't want to re-make them.  So this first attempt actually is more of a fabric interpretation rather than an exercise in creating a piece inspired by an original painting.

And now, how to quilt it?  I'll have to let the ideas percolate before deciding.  I do know that I definitely want to do more like this, while allowing myself more latitude in the process.

Thanks, Katy!

A summer Sunday afternoon

How do you decide what to do with hours and hours of free time on a beautiful summer Sunday afternoon?   There's an art fair in nearby Silverton, a small town nestled in the western foothills of the Cascades.  But since I want the day to be both enjoyable and productive, I've narrowed down my choices:
1.  Sewing: Continue work on the small piece I started last week, which is a fabric interpretation of an abstract painting by Katy Vigeland.  Katy's a friend from the other group I'm in, the Salem Art Group (SAG).  I instantly fell in love with these two abstract paintings that she brought to a meeting last fall:

Abstract painting by Katy Vigeland.

Another of Katy's abstract paintings.

This is the first of Katy's paintings I chose to interpret in fabric.

The start of my interpretation of her first painting above.

Some of the other fabrics to be fit into place and stitched.

 2.  Dyeing: A great option for a warm (but not too hot) sunny day!  I mixed up a flour-paste resist and scraped it across this white fabric (taped down to a foamcore board covered with clear Contac paper).  While it was still wet, I scratched some wavy lines into it with an "Afro pick" comb, then used a bamboo skewer to draw other shapes and doodles, plus a bit of writing.

(Dried) flour-paste resist on white PFD fabric

Words and textures scratched into the surface.

A bit more doodling.

My next step is to remove the tape and scrunch up the fabric to make the dried flour-paste crinkle and crack.  Then mix up the dye solutions and apply.  The dye will only penetrate where the fabric is exposed (through the scratches and cracks).  It's always exciting to see the surprises that result from using resists!

I'll also add some thickener to some dye colors for deconstructed screenprinting.  After the thickened dyes are dribbled down the back of the screen,  textured objects are embedded into it and left to dry.  More on the process (and my results) in the next post.

3.  Find new design inspiration:  I played around with some watercolors last week with the goal of then using two L-shaped cropping corners to find what Katie Pasquini Masopust calls "the heart of the image," an area that can be used as the design basis for an art quilt.  (This is just one of the great ideas I've rediscovered while looking through Katie's book Design Explorations for the Creative Quilter.)

My first page of watercolor play -- not very interesting.

My second effort was more exuberant and probably has some areas of interest.

I choose dyeing!  I'll post my results later.