World Painters Challenge / 2

If you were asked to create a work of fiber art representing a work of a famous painter, or to make a design of your own choice in the style of that painter, what would you create?  This World Painters Challenge was issued to groups of quilters in Japan, France and the U.S (for details, scroll to the bottom of this post.) This outstanding exhibit is touring AQS QuiltWeek throughout 2016; here is Part 2.

Pablo Picasso

Jan Potter, Oregon  

Jan Potter selected a portrait that Pablo Picasso did of  his friend, the photographer Dora Maar, in 1937. Jan tried to feature the simplicity of style that Picasso used in creating two aspects of the face simultaneously: both facing the viewer and in profile. Jan's techniques include raw edge applique, hand and machine stitching, textile paints, stamping, and surface embellishment.  

Claude Monet

Mireille Schaal, France

In this interpretation of Monet's "Water Lilies", Mireille Schaal focused on placing bright spots of blue and green hues, with a touch of pink here and there to capture the look of blossoms on the pond. Mireille's techniques and materials include silks, laces, ribbons, tulle overlay, free motion quilting, machine applique, hand embroidery, and acrylic paint.

Alphonse Mucha

Linda M. Steller, Oregon 

Linda M. Steller writes, "I chose Dance from Mucha's The Arts series. As a longarm quilter, I love the long flowing lines of many of Mucha's works, especially the hair of many of his female subjects. I used powdered pigments mixed with fabric medium for the base painting and then shaded in with Derwent Inktense Pencils.  I love how the color blooms when those pencils are exposed to moisture."

Edgar Degas

Bethanne Nemesh, Pennsylvania

Bethanne Nemesh states, "Many of Degas' ballerinas were painted at practice, at rest, or when they were socializing before a performance. My ballerina captures this same feeling in her resting stretch. I used a two tone wholecloth approach: one to capture the ballerina and the other to place her, as if she were actually.....a painting, in a gilt frame. The fabric is silk dupioni with polyester and silk threads. "

Utagawa Hiroshige

Maki Shimada, Japan

For her subject, Maki Shimada chose the cherry blossoms featured by the artist Utagawa Hirosige. Because Maki lives close to the house where Hiroshige used to live, she feels as if she and the painter have seen the same cherry trees. Maki notes that in creating this work, she felt the superb elements of nature.

Kanou Eitoku

Kuniko Saka, Japan

Kuniko is impressed with the ability of the painter Eitoku, who lived from 1476 to 1559 and created Chinese-style figures of lions. Eitoku was an artist on retainer to two warlords, Nobunaga Oda and Hideyosi Toyotomi; and his works flourished in their service. Eitoku was given both Oda's and Toyotami's crest of family in appreciation for his work. Kuniko admires the heroism of both warlords in this turbulent time in Japan's history.

Marc Chagall

Daphne W. John, Oregon

Daphne W. John explains, "I begin a project with a specific idea or theme in mind. The final result may be quite different as the fabric has a way of shaping itself and saying to me, 'Nope - try it another way!' I find it very difficult to define 'art'. If pundits throughout the ages haven't been able to agree on a definition, why should I try? My hope is that my work will cause the viewer to think, to laugh, to feel something!"

Joan Miro

Ginny Steller, Oregon

Ginny Steller says that although some of Joan Miro's artwork is childish with a sinister twist, she wanted to represent his work in a lighter moment. She used dark lines, solid colors, and defined shapes. Ginny wishes a very happy day in the garden to the kitty cat shown here.

Paul Cezanne

Yolande Guibert, France

This work by Yolande Guibert features the French post-impressionist painter Paul Cezanne, who painted  Mount Sainte-Victoire, in the Provence region of southern France.

Raoul Dufy

Chantal Gruais, France

Chantal Gruais wanted to highlight the tastes and themes of the French painter Raoul Dufy, who liked to depict music, horses, racetracks, and open-air scenes of nature, such as golden wheat fields.

The World Painters Challenge

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2016 AQS QuiltWeek in Phoenix, Arizona.

Best of the September quilt show! Day 3

Welcome to a new season of quilt shows ! We had a wonderful time at the Diablo Valley Quilters' show in California.  We wanted to share a few more of our favorite pieced and appliqued quilts from this fun show.

Tahoe Sunrise by Charlene Dakin

Charlene Dakin says, “I designed this quilt from a photo I took (the bears were not in the photo!) I took Gloria Loughman’s class at Asilomar on tiling landscapes. Her class was very enjoyable and well worth the cost.”   Charlene created a beautiful watercolor effect of the sunrise, using Gloria's mosaic tile process.

Happy Days by Linda Reid

Happy Days refers to the fact that Linda Reid completed this quilt! This is one of the prettiest Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilts we've ever seen. Linda Reid says, "I had finished 2 years of Civil War fabrics and needed something bright." We love the color combinations of turquoise, apricot, teal and pink, and the beautiful print border.

In addition to quilting in the ditch, each block was quilted with a scrolled or spiral pinwheel design.  The blocks are based on The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt: 55 Letters and the 111 Blocks They Inspired by Laurie Aaron Hird. 

E Komo Mai by Ellen Eller, quilted by Elaine Beattie

“E Komo Mai” is Hawaiian for “Welcome – Come In”. The quilt is a representation of a welcoming door mat, upon which visitors place their slippers/flip flops when entering. The surprise comes when you look carefully at the flip flops and see that they are three-dimensional.  The straps stick out from the surface of the quilt, just like real flip flops!

Ellen says,  "I made this for my son when he moved into his home on Maui. It’s one of my first quilts."  She says that the pattern is by Pattern Adaptation; we found it online at the Maui Quilt Shop.

Happy Cow, ~30 x 30", by Faith Andresen

This happy cow, created with Kaffe Fassett fabrics and other prints, is based on the Jersey Girl pattern by Barbara J. Jones (you can see this fun pattern at BJ's Designs).  We admired the fabric selection and the beautiful machine applique work with blanket stitching, as shown in the photo below. 

Yoyoville by Maryann Maiorana

Hooray for yo yos (and houses) !  Maryann Maiorana says, "Two years ago, a friend introduced me to this pattern [by Bunny Hill Designs]. It was love at first sight. It was so much fun finding fabrics for the almost 200 yo yos."

The border of whimsical houses, punctuated with yo yo trees and flowers, really makes this quilt!  Maryann says,  "Appliqueing the yoyos and houses made for great armchair handwork. My granddaughter, Natalia, has laid claim to it. We shall see."

Lily Pond by Catherine Jarett

The yummy colors and restful shades of blue and green really drew us to this quilt.  Catherine Jarett says, [This quilt is] “my interpretation of the mood evoked by Monet’s water lilies paintings, with some modern quilting sensibility mixed in.” 

The center medallion is made from a print fabric that was quilted with wavy vertical lines.  Catherine did a wonderful job piecing and quilting the outer rows of snowballs, as shown below.

 Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

California Fall Quilt Show: part 1

Welcome to the 2013 Diablo Valley Quilters Show ! We had a great time at this Northern California Bay Area event where there were so many gorgeous quilts on display.

All Because I Bought a New Rug, 68 x 68", by Kathy Quinn Arroyo

This quilt was featured on the cover of the August 2011 Quilters Newsletter. Kathy says,  "New rug for the dining room- therefore, new quilt for the table. "

Center Medallion, All Because I Bought a New Rug by Kathy Quinn Arroyo

The vivid contrasts of the warm and cool hues give this quilt a sparkling, dynamic appearance.

Close-up,  All Because I Bought a New Rug by Kathy Quinn Arroyo

For her background, Kathy used a solid chambray blue denim. We have never seen blue denim used as a neutral tone before, but in this case, the results are spectacular. The Bethlehem star pattern and the surrounding whimsical flowers really "pop" against the softly muted background.

Monet’s Garden, 53 x 37", by Barbara Brown

Barbara notes, "I was inspired to create this quilt after a trip with my niece to Monet's Garden in Giverny, France.  I took a class from Freddy Moran who taught us how to glue the pieces in place before quilting. "

Close- up, Monet’s Garden by Barbara Brown

Barbara did a wonderful job of creating a  very pretty three dimensional effect by loosely attaching the leaves and  tiny flowers to the exterior of the house.

Purple, 85 x 96", by Jerry Theobald

This design is Facet Diamonds by Kaffe Fassett, page 107 in the book Simple Shapes, Spectacular Quilts.

Close-up, Purple by Jerry Theobald

Jerry notes,  " [I was] inspired by a class of different blocks using Kaffe Fassett fabrics." Jerry has made excellent use of a split-complementary color scheme of greens, blues, and purples, contrasted with eye-catching clear, vivid orange.

A Matter of Morris, 80 x 80", by Mary Mix 

This is the "Flowering Urn Medallion Quilt" pattern by Rosemary Makhan from the book Floral Abundance: Applique Designs Inspired by William Morris.  The quilt artist writes, "I have always been intrigued by the Arts and Crafts Movement and the  fabrics that were a part of that time.  In recent years, there has a resurgence of interest in the quilt world,  as well as the availability of many wonderful Willliam Morris fabrics. I found a lovely, yet challenging pattern ...  that was a perfect fit with the fabrics I love. I enjoy applique as well as piecing; and this pattern mixed the two so well with these fabrics. This quilt was a joy to create despite the time and challenges it presented."

Close- up, A Matter of Morris by Mary Mix 

In the center medallion, it's easy to see the graceful and lovely symmetry of  this well-balanced design,  enhanced by echo quilting on the pure white background. We especially enjoyed the cheerful and sprightly bluebirds.

Meet Ellie, 59 x 76" by Debbie Pryor

The "Ellie" stained glass elephant pattern is by Barbara Jones at BJ Designs and Patterns. Debbie Pryor added colorful print borders to turn the wall hanging into a quilt.

Center Medallion, Meet Ellie by Debbie Pryor

The quilting design, which enhanced the African theme, reflects the rays of the sun.

Close- up, Meet Ellie by Debbie Pryor

Batik fabrics with a silky patina and varied foregrounds of both larger and smaller prints give Ellie's creative face both personality and dignity.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration

Monet's Garden: Impressionism and Quilting

Claude Monet was one of the best loved Impressionist painters of the late 19th-early 20th century. He painted many scenes of his gardens at Giverny, in the northwest of France, which is shown in the photo below.



Monet was fascinated with the way that bright light fell from the sky and diffused upon the trees, grasses, and water surrounding him. He painted the effects of light in nature with rapid, deft, brushstrokes and broken patches of vivid color. Today, we are featuring four landscape quilts which celebrate Monet's garden and his brilliant "plein-air" style of painting.

Monet, by Darlene Sweetwood



Darlene Sweetwood has created a beautiful quilt, awash in light and shadow. This work focuses on the water, bridge, and sunlight that Monet saw as he painted. Darlene used diamond piecing to portray the quick, energetic brushstrokes of Impressionism. The lilypad and dragonfly perched on the border draw the viewer's eye into the gently rippling azure pond. For more information on Darlene Sweetwood's quilts, visit Quilters Fabric.


Serenity Bridge, 48 x 48, by Marinda Stewart for Michael Miller Fabrics



"Serenity Bridge" was designed by Marinda Stewart for Michael Miller fabrics, using a solid fabric panel in the center to portray the graceful bridge over the lake. The quilt is constructed by using watercolor piecing techniques around the lake and background trees. The shimmering blue, green and white prints lend a light-dappled warmth to this cheerful scene.

Monet's Garden Walk, by Lenore Crawford



"Monet's Garden Walk" beckons us to wander up a flower bedecked path to experience a rainbow of floral color. Lenore Crawford has used precise fabric painting, so that the Impressionist tradition of using both warm and cool hues of nature takes full effect. One of Lenore's passions is painting the landscapes of France. She has captured the garden as Monet himself must have seen it in springtime, burgeoning with fresh grasses and blossoms.

For more information on Lenore Crawford's award-winning artwork, visit her website and blog. Lenore also teaches workshops on her fusing and fabric painting techniques.

Monet's Garden, Giverny, France, 48 x 60, by Joan Jamieson



Joan Jamieson was commissioned to create this quilt by a couple who had just returned from Giverny and who wanted a reminder of their wonderful vacation. She used an endless number of tiny pieces of blue and green fabric to construct this delightful scene. In order to add contrast, she created delicate pink flowers for the lily pads on the lake and added beautiful pink clouds to the sky. The graceful willow tree provides an intricate focal point, as she has lavished it with thousands of perfectly placed stitches to give it added texture. You can see a close-up of Joan's beautiful applique and quilting in the image below.



For more information about the creation of the above quilt, visit this webpage; and to see more of Joan Jamieson's quilts, visit her online galleries at Quilted Views.


Photo Credit: Photo of Monet's Garden, by Michael Scaduto at Wikimedia Commons.