You know something impressed you deeply when two weeks pass since your encounter and you are still thinking about the object of your attention. I admired many of the quilts at the Dallas Quilt Celebration this year – but a few have stayed with me. I’d like to share these remarkable quilts with you.
Shocked – Vicki Conley – Ruidoso Downs, NM
I happen to think donkeys are about the cutest animal on the planet but that is not the sole reason this quilt impressed me. The attention to detail is magnificent. Vicki captured the quizzical expression on the faces, a donkey trademark! She captured a gleam in the eyes, did a brilliant job on light and shadow on the bodies, and her use of fabric for detail is very well done. Composition, light, contrast, use of line and shape – she captured all the design elements that make a piece not only well executed – but impressive – and, obviously, memorable!
Heidi’s Schlowers – Andrea Brokenshire – Round Rock TX
I stood in front of this piece for a long time, paying homage to the talent. I’m still spell-bound by Andrea’s ability to paint such life-like detail of light, shadow and color … to paint this AND be able to quilt it with precision – I’m in awe. The motion she captured in the use of tiny curved lines, the almost invisible veins in the pedals, and the barely noticeable but oh so necessary transition of color. Words are a shallow substitute for the gasp I uttered when I saw this piece. I am mesmerized even as I look at the picture to try to describe how magnificent I think this piece is. As a painter and a quilter, I am both jealous of Andrea’s talent, and motivated to work harder to improve my own skill.
Compart-Mentalize: Avoid, Deny, Ignore
Barbara Oliver Hartman – Flower Mound TX
I *loved* the thread work and color in this piece. The juxtaposition of thick lines on smooth, broken edged background, of lines and circles, of color and neutral values … the including the use of language in her title, Barbara pulled every element of fine art in to this work. Talent, talent, talent. Need I say more?
Primavera – Barb Forrister – Austin TX
Primavera Detail
My words are starting to sound redundant in my head, which, I hope, is no reflection on the artists I so want to promote! The things that are important to me as an artist – color, contrast, composition, line, form, texture – are evident in each of these pieces. Barb’s use of all of these fine art elements is exquisite in Primavera, and her use of texture highlights her obvious skill. If I were a collector – this piece would hang prominently in my home or studio!
Stay tuned for more from the Dallas Quilt Show. I hope to do a piece on using quilting stitches to add fine art elements to quilts in the near future and have some great examples to show you.