Evolution of an Artquilt

 I have taken many classes from Nancy Crow over the years and this piece was the result of a series of design exercises I did in a recent class. First we worked with black and white fabric and created several compositions following different criteria. In my designs I was playing with triangles, touching corners and overlapping shapes.  I liked the diagonal arrangements and positive and negative space created. Next we were to translate one of those designs into a value study and ultimately a version using full color.  I struggled with those two steps, starting over several times and finally broke away and created a totally new composition working directly with bold color. I did a few sketches first then began laying in colored fabric on the design wall.  I loved the dynamic shapes and was very excited when it started to come together. I auditioned many different colors until I arrived at a combination that worked, with saturated analogous hues and warm neutrals. Although I didn't follow the assignment, I was very happy with my "break away" piece. I loved working with the saturated colors and was challenged to create the sharp intersections I wanted in this design. It is one of my favorite pieces and will be the first in a series.