Art Quilts · Beading · Designing Quilts · Quilting · surface design

Un-like!

quirksltd

I’m trying to get my magenta and lime tree project finished up, but I’ve run into a little unexpected problem. I had decided to add lines of beads for short branches and have my leaves then dangle from short lengths, rather than try to dangle long lines of beads from which to hang the leaves.

Got quite a bit done in one branch area and wasn’t too sure. I decided to hang it back on the design wall and try to analyze what was making me unhappy.

My first thought was too many leaves. My next thought was too many beads…but that thought was quickly followed by figuring that I would just add more beads to the rest of the tree!

I’m most likely going to take all this stuff off and start again. The picture in my head is of very few leaves dangling from these almost bare branches. What I have just doesn’t convey that, so back to the drawing board.

The lessson: don’t hesitate to try something different if you are not happy with what you have!!!!

I mean, if I don’t like it, how can I expect anyone else to?

12 thoughts on “Un-like!”

  1. Although I love these colors, I think your background is so intense with bright complementary colors that it fights whatever you are trying to do with your subject of tree and leaves. Try using that tree and leaf with beads on a different quieter background so you can SEE them. I would use this background for an abstract piece and not add too much more to it. I would also recommend reading Lyric Kinard’s book Art & Quilt. She addresses all these design problems in a wonderful user friendly way, so you don’t have to re-invent the wheel 🙂 !

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    1. Dark and intense is what I wanted with this piece and just the background alone was not enough. Adding the tree gave me more of that feeling, but these bright leaves and beads are not. I have an idea to try when I get back to the studio tomorrow…another technique I haven’t used before, so at least even the experimenting will be fun!

      I have that book by Lyric, as well as a couple of other good ones, but do you think I remember to consult them in times of problems? Oh, heck no…that might make my life too easy!!! Thanks for the reminder to use the resources I have!

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  2. I think what is bothering you is that you had your composition balanced and adding a focal point so low in your composition, caused it to become unbalanced. You might consider moving it all up to a higher level on the composition.

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    1. There are two branches higher up that were going to get the same treatment as those lower ones. I’m reconsidering all my options now, from fabric, to placement, to technique. I feel almost like a real artist trying to get to a specific goal in my creative process! And I thank you all for your helpful comments!

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  3. Kathy,
    The piece strikes me as being really busy and the eye doesn’t have a resting place. I find having the leaf fabric as the same as the strips really creates a fight visually. Just my opinion…
    Kay

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    1. Aaah…it is very busy and probably doesn’t need more visual ‘activity’ with things dangling, no matter what color they are. You all are giving me lots to think about…invaluable to me!

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  4. Love the concept. The leaves are getting lost because they are the same fabric as the bright stripes.

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    1. Yep–more of the lime is not what is needed…has nothing to do with how many leaves I have there. It’s just the wrong fabric.

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  5. I love the fabric you used for the leaves but it may be a bit to “matchy matchy” for this one. You can barely see them in the photo. But I love the idea of the leafs hanging from the beads. It looks very cool. Maybe just some different fabric for the leafs.

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