An online class sure keeps me busy, but busy in a fun way. (Meanwhile I have 8 days for the Paint Brush Studio project. Plenty of time–a day to make the back, two to quilt, and another to bind.)
Lesson 2 of Mod Meet Improv involved improv stitching instead of sketching. So I did.
Elizabeth gave some very general instructions which could produce quite a variety of quilts. Mine is sewn in strips, but I’m still adjusting exactly where I’ll be sewing them together. First I move one to the left, then another to the right. Etc. I’m waiting for Elizabeth’s comments before stitching any more. Once I decide where each strip goes and attach them, I’ll add unbleached muslin for enough border to get to 36-inch square. (Those slightly curved seams really shrink the final measurement.)
Then I combined homework for the quilt-design group meeting tomorrow with a project for Lesson 3. Last month we talked about Jacob Lawrence’s work. (I had associated the Harlem Renaissance with literature–was intrigued to learn it extended to art also.) One month the group talks about an artist and the next month sketches a design or makes a quilt related to that artist’s works. I’d been most fascinated by one piece in his series, The Great Migration: Panel 18, “The Migration Gained in Momentum” (here scroll down to get to it) . What intrigued me most was the composition showing the goal off canvas and the motion toward it. Since I don’t do people, I wasn’t sure how to proceed.
The current lesson involved varying a traditional block. So I started sketching possibilities using that idea. First I tried Ohio Star.
This sketch didn’t fill the bill. I felt like I should show the traditional block before I pulled out a part to vary. With the star in the upper corner, the goal was no longer off “canvas.” And the variations on the QSTs (Quarter Square Triangles) were too stable. (It reminds me of Christmas cards that say, Wise Men Still Follow the Star–without the “following”motion. Or chess pieces.)
So I shifted to Flying Geese.
A little bit better: Motion and off the “canvas.” But leading the eye off the quilt isn’t a good thing, and that is what this one does. Also the blocks are moving to the side not up.
Well, as you might imagine, there is no way to tip a Flying Goose block to the right and have it point up and right. At some point you have to let go of the inspiration and deal with the new design. I think this is that point. So here is the third try.
I rather like this one. I think I avoided leading the eye off the design. We’ll see. It hasn’t had time to get comments yet. I suppose if I were to make it, I’d call it “Flying Geese Migrate.” One trouble with liking to work abstractly is that it is difficult to keep social meaning in the piece.
knitNkwilt 
Perhaps that last one is ‘Flying Geese meet Flying Saucers’
I think the variation in color really helps lead the eye up and to the right, too. Did you consider a more directional traditional block, like a basket? Something that already has an “up and to the right” sort of shape?
Love the sketches………..
It’s always great to see your sketches and what you talk about, as well as achieve. I did think of aliens or Terrans Exit the Planet as I looked at the last one, but that’s probably because my head is usually immersed in science fiction of one kind or another. =)
I never thought about the difficulty of conveying meaning in an abstract work. I guess a lot depends on using the title for that purpose? Will have to think about that!
And there are degrees of abstraction . . .
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Getting caught up on so many interesting posts by you!