Dad鈥檚 Amaryllis
Posted: Thursday, 20 December 2007 |
Earlier this year I did a , when finished I wanted to try the idea as a quilt, I loved the blue flowers and green/blue background so used it for the amaryllis quilt which is based on drawings I did of my fathers Amaryllis,
H 160cm x W 120cm (63鈥 x 47鈥),
I am not satisfied with the quilt and wonder if it is just that it does not work as well with the amaryllis as the sunflower, I think the sunflower worked so well because of the contrast of the dark centre and white petals which an amaryllis does not have,
I had a lot of problems painting the background and finally gave into the fact that I was not going to get the same effect on cotton fabric that I had on paper, the background is more blue than it shows in the photo, I tried to get it right but the green insisted on dominating, to begin with I wanted to leave the amaryllis white but that did not work, eventually I painted some lines and lightly coloured the centres then used couched thread and beads for the stamens, I am still not entirely happy,
I know what I am doing is unquilterly but that is because I wanted to try some less stitched work, just to do it, see it and how I feel about it, there is some quilting on it but I do not think it shows, the stems and leaves are outline stitched in deep blue and there are curving lines down the background 5 inches apart in blue/green variegated thread,
I have been asked why I didn鈥檛 do it on canvas, the reason was because I didn鈥檛 think of it, I have never worked on canvas, I am interested in knowing more about paper/canvas/board art, I think I will do a small version on canvas,
H 160cm x W 120cm (63鈥 x 47鈥),
I am not satisfied with the quilt and wonder if it is just that it does not work as well with the amaryllis as the sunflower, I think the sunflower worked so well because of the contrast of the dark centre and white petals which an amaryllis does not have,
I had a lot of problems painting the background and finally gave into the fact that I was not going to get the same effect on cotton fabric that I had on paper, the background is more blue than it shows in the photo, I tried to get it right but the green insisted on dominating, to begin with I wanted to leave the amaryllis white but that did not work, eventually I painted some lines and lightly coloured the centres then used couched thread and beads for the stamens, I am still not entirely happy,
I know what I am doing is unquilterly but that is because I wanted to try some less stitched work, just to do it, see it and how I feel about it, there is some quilting on it but I do not think it shows, the stems and leaves are outline stitched in deep blue and there are curving lines down the background 5 inches apart in blue/green variegated thread,
I have been asked why I didn鈥檛 do it on canvas, the reason was because I didn鈥檛 think of it, I have never worked on canvas, I am interested in knowing more about paper/canvas/board art, I think I will do a small version on canvas,
Comments
i like the concept but it seems a bit cold with the green background, i think i would have picked a burgundy, just a thought! Your work is inspiring and i am still stitching away myself. Merry xmas.
jas from under mia's paw
It's looking pretty good ! I think what it needs is some form of shadow on the petals to help bring form into them, the flowers appear very flat against the quilted background, some shading would really make them bounce out and have the effect of filling the flower heads up to make them appear 3d. Canvas is fun to work on to try out idea's before you commit them to fabric, esp when you can use gel mediums to thicken paint & use it to mimic the effects created by quilting & couching. Art board is good too & cheaper, all it needs is a coating of gesso. Play, have fun, dont be put off by what seems a mistake, work with it.
Angela from Chained to the kitchen for the next 4 days
"unquilterly"? That's a good one, IT! I've never seen a white amaryllis but I know you can get pink ones as well as the usual red tones. I has one once and it was the most amazing thing to watch it grow. You could almost see it growing. Merry Christmas!
Jill from EK
thanks for comments and merry christmas, the painting and quilt are predominately blue (believe me in the real the quilt is more blue) because I love blue and never find it cold but relaxing and calming, blue skies aren't cold, Angela the drawings I did some are tonal and I was thinking of giving a slight blue shading but I don't want them too 3D I am happy for them to be flattish, thanks for the encouragement with the painterly art stuff, like the sunflowers I was not aiming for a realistic flower or colour, what are you stitching Jas?
island threads from lewis
jas's comment about "cold" is correct, I think. Also, as someone who unfortunately finds it easier to criticize artists than to create, aren't the stems really too long, and isn't the impression too overwhelmingly up/down? Just asking and trying to further my education ...
mjc from NM,USA
My answer to the above is no and no. The whole idea, surely, is to produce the individual artist/crafter's impression of the flowers and not to reproduce them photographically. And colour is a very personal thing...
Flying Cat from in bondaweb
Mjc.. Amaryllis have seriously long stems, makes them look a bit wierd esp with the smaller flowered varieties.
Angela from still in the kitchen
having ignored handicrafts for over 14 years (strange what having a family does to you...) i'm starting off easy and doing a x stitch of a multitude of moggies, just getting my eye in again and following a pattern. Hopefully at some point i'll be translating one of male staffs photos of waves into a tapestry, however i have also to complete a thunderbird jacket for my mother, which has been sitting on the needles for too many years as well.....
jas from under mia's paw
mjc I know blue is on the cold side of the colour wheel I was just expressing how I like blue and I have never heard anyone describe a cold blue sky which puzzles me as blue skies are more often associated with clear and sunny, nothing to educate art is aesthetic, we all like some, dislike some and are indifferent to the rest, the reason for the height in this case (I did consider the quilt with the widest as the width but did not like it) Amaryllis do have long strong stems and it also holds for me memories of my father who was 6' 2", it is a personal work which was made for me not for sale, the Amaryllis are not meant to be realistic, happy holidays.
island threads from lewis
IT, it seems that artists are their own hardest critics. I'm sure we mortals would love to have your quilt of Amaryllis to welcome us to bed each night. Calm, peaceful colours just right to sooth one's mind into sleep. A very personal memmorial to your tall father! Keep threading and stiching into 2008!
Barney from Switiiod full of admiration
well i did reply earlier to say i was stitching a multitude of moggies and contemplating finishing off a jacket with a huge thunderbird on the back (which has only been about 12 years in the making!), but it seems to have disappeared into the aether - either that or i have not got to grips with this new computer yet! Hope you had a good xmas and that the new year is successful for you.
jas from under mia's paw
New computer, Jas? What on earth for? Consumerism, that's all it is Jas. FC got a new computer, and now you do too. Why not me? If only my computers would give up the ghost ...
mjc from NM,USA
mjc, the old computer was failing fast and not always open to persuasion (even with a big hammer!) so I had to grit my teeth and part with some pounds sterling. Personally I'm blaming it on mia, she's too furry for the good of my household (it'll be the hoover that goes phut next, just you wait and see....)
jas from under mia's paw
Actually the design makes me think "Art Nouveau" (I think late 'teens style of it) - I like it. As for "cold blue sky," of course Lewis isn't exactly desert country! - but in the winter in the desert, yes, you can get a clear, sunny day and VERY blue skies - and it is not a warm, springlike blue!
Sandy from Texas, USA
Textile Artists Notebook, 
RSS Feed