Articulating the Process

Another week spent in the C&G studio...and two more assignments mailed off to Linda, my wonderful tutor.

"Activity #3" was the creation of a Project Brief for my final Assessment Piece.  I struggled with this for my first AP, but less so for this one.  It requires selecting a phrase from a list in the materials, using it as a theme for designing your piece.  The Objectives of the rest of the Module are clear: "To research a personal source of inspiration, reference a phrase from the list provided, develop a collection of ideas, resolve a final design, sample technique and produce the quilt."

In the Brief, however, we have only to list possible references and techniques, estimate a reasonable time-frame, and estimate a budget/cost. This last bit is always challenging for me, because so much of my materials has been stashed for years, and there's a stack of it that's simply been given me by those who no longer want or need it.  I decided this time 'round to estimate the 'wholesale' cost based on estimated finished size, discounted 40% from 'retail'.  I priced it as I would a commissioned retail piece (by the square inch) and then backed out 40% to take it back to "wholesale".  The percentage just fit, and gave me a nice round number.  I like to keep things simple!

"Activity #4" was my focus for most of this week.  It involved taking my selected phrase ("Just one line?" -- emphasis mine), some inspirational photos, paint, glue, scissors, my sketchbook...and creating a couple of spreads (across two pages each).  Here's how I described the work to Linda:

- First, my inspirational photo, a stand of trees (aspen, birch) bordering an empty lot near my home.  Notice the horizontal lines (big sky, green grass, brown grassy sward) and of course the wonderful vertical ones of the skinny tree trunks.

"Fibonacci Trees"

Next, my first 'brainstorming' spread, "Fibonacci Trees" -- using the colours from the photo (but brighter), in an exercise from Sandra Meech's Contemporary Quilts.  I repeated a 1,2,3 sequence across the pages vertically, then added 'brainstorming' notes, sketches and snips from photos. The circular shape on the lower right is from a close-up photo of a spruce...perhaps something to echo in the scarring of the trees, or as a quilting technique.

"Tree Line - view 1"

To the left - my second two-page spread.  I began by painting across the pages to emulate the background of the inspirational photo.  I then applied strips of card that had been scribbled on with a round-point black marker...random thoughts on creativity and my approach, but you can't tell from the sliced words.  I thought it very effective as the bark, and am pondering how to do it in fabric for the best effect.

"Tree Line - view 2"

Before I did "view 1", I'd traced outlines of the trees directly from the photo.  After I finished "view 1", I taped the tracing over the painting, to get an idea of how I could quilt the piece.  Alternatively, I could stitch through a layer of sheer fabric...

I've also been pondering adding some stitch to the grass, and creating an impression of leaves using a smattering of beads and French knots.

Now, on to the next assignment!