Last night I worked on the center right area - the light area in the center. I made a few overlapping trees and rearranged some of the tree blocks.
For example in the photo above, the two trees on the lower left. Both have very light trees. I need to move change the one on the far left. I like the background, but that light print has to be replaced with a medium value not as busy print. Those two very light trees, and the one above them, draw your eye to them, and I don't want them to grab too much attention. (Especially near the edge. You do not want a high contrast area near the edge of a piece of artwork because you risk your viewer's eye going there, and then going right out... and never coming back.)
Similarly, in the row above them are four almost olive trees with dark backgrounds. There needs to be more variation there. I remember something Mary Ellen Hopkins told me over 35 years ago, "You have to have lights in your darks and darks in your lights." In other words, you should never have a perfect "run" of fabrics blending into each other. (Because it isn't as interesting to look at.)
And I just saw something else... In the bottom row, the four trees on the right all have orange trunks. Yup, those have to be changed also.
And right now I only have red trees in the top section. I need one in the bottom row, especially since that part of the quilt will be the most visible area when I have the quilt on my table. It will be like a mini piece of artwork visible from many parts of the house, and I want that part to be able to tell a short version of what this quilt is all about.
My son and I were talking about the little details like this in my quilts once. "Mom, you think about every little thing?"
Well, if you want to make super amazing drop dead awesome quilts (and I do), then, yes.
7 comments:
I did look, and I agreed with one of your changes, but down here time is short, or the days too long, or packing up is too tiring and exhausting. Not to mention trying to find another home!!! I do like the idea of them facing outwards, what will you have in the centre? or has that plan changed?
Not sure about your neck of the woods but here (KY) we also have shrubs that change color. How would a row of shrubs in the middle look? One that stands out to me is the Burning Bush. They are gorgeous and prevalent here. Just a thought that came to my mind while thinking on what would look nice down the middle that you would see the same from each side.
Rondi
I love that you share your thought processes while you design your quilts! It's like a mini class every day. I don't consider myself an artist like you, but I do think of myself as a quilt designer because I make every quilt my own by changing details to suit my vision. I always say I need an idea of what I want it to look like before I can be satisfied with a quilt. The vision can change, but it's vital for me to be satisfied.
Yesterday you showed the highway clogged with leaf peepers in their cars, and today's post caused the thought of a parking lot in the middle of your forest of trees to float through my brain.
On the way to super amazing drop dead awesome...….!!
I've been absent from blog reading for a while, and came back today to see your tree quilt in process. Love it. Just - nothing -- speechless with awe! I get the idea of fall foliage (Midwest native, we have that too, gorgeous) and I love the idea of the trees marching around the edge of the table. How inspiring! And green is my favorite color. Perfection.
ALL your quilts are unusual, which is why I'm a loyal follower and read every post. Don't comment often in print, usually just in my head, but I love how you pay attention to the details AND explain your thought processes for us. Very interesting as well as educational, my favorite combo. I didn't care much for the trees in the beginning, but was sure you'd soon make them interesting, as you are doing.
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