New Year, New Stuff, Volume One

I hadn't realized that it's been nearly six weeks since my last update. I have been madly working in the studio and having family home for the holidays (twice!) and having a boy with pinkeye (still, but it is almost gone now, thanks to the wonders of sulfa drugs) and fighting my own battle with the cold and temporarily losing my voice. But I feel positive about the new year and without further ado, I bring you this:

Marilyn, approximately five feet high by seven feet wide. The more I quilt, the smaller it gets, which I suppose is a good thing. I had started this piece in early October, before the AQN retreat, and had begun quilting it in late October, when it was still quite warm in the studio. Having literally sweated through too many sessions, I left it on the wall and waited for my second wind. I never really thought about why my Granny would quilt in the winter, but now I get it. Even machine quilting is hot business when temperatures are still in the 80s.


The full view, still in process ( blue tower still needs quilting; I have sequins for the background and of course it still needs binding).


Detail of yellow tower. Love that freemotion zigzag!

Marilyn is one of my pieces based on the water towers that are between The Plains and the Columbus Road exit on Route 33 leading into Athens. I have driven past these towers for almost 24 years now, seen them in all kinds of weather and light. For me, they are the haystacks of my life here (ala Monet). When I first moved here, people would still grafitti them, but that hasn't happened in so long that I prefer to show them in their unadorned glory. I played with images of the towers during my stint in graduate school, and had grand plans of a multi painting installation of the towers in all sorts of colorways, but was afraid at the time to attempt such a grand plan. Thanks to time and experience, I dive in.