Friday, January 16, 2015

Lemons

Lemons. We all make them, I think. And, then if you're like me, you try to save them. Turn them into something sweet.

I have added a *lemon* label for my blog. I could do a *lemon of the month.*

It all started with such promise. I fell in love with this skyline idea. I believed it would make a lovely layered art piece with the skyline as the base.

In fact I loved the skyline above the skyline. So I appliqued it down. And I used a bleach pen to create subtle little windows in the buildings.

Then things changed. I began to see the problems but I continued. After all, I was still a little in love. And painting is quite exhilarating. Oh, that shiny, shiny gold and that silver! I wanted more, more, more.

The quilting was terrific fun and the quilterly effects were vaguely pleasing. Also nearly invisible.

Eventually I admitted that something was off.

interesting in a dark way

I liked the back better than the front.

calmer, lighter

I photographed it and printed lots of pictures to cut and re-arrange. I added a large old-fashioned Texas wind mill. And removed it. I put it aside.
  • I drew in my sketchbook.
  • I made a jacket from a pattern that I love.
  • I made and ate brownies.
I began to chop on it. Now I have...
  • a purse with a covered snap
  

  • a new glasses case
  • a case for my rotary cutter
  • a case for my shears
  • a phone case to wear around my neck *

  • and finally a piece I like:
33 x 23 quilts on a quilt

I learned some things about my preferences for color, balance, simplicity and composition. And though learning is fun, here's hoping I can stay away from lemons, at least for a little while.

7 comments:

  1. Aww, well not a total lemon; those are some pretty neat finished goods! :)

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  2. What a great post! I loved it before and after.

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  3. What a fun journey from one to many pieces. Sometimes it's not fun to rework a piece, but you persevered with this one and it really paid off! I like all of what you did!

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  4. Well, you ended up with many beautiful pieces, so it's hard to see the "lemons" here. This is a lesson for me to make creative use of my mistakes.

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  5. Wow, I love how you reworked that quilt! Really impressive!

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