View From the Turret
size 30″x24″
This building in Prague looks like it has weathered so many storms. The stone designs of the walls are weathered and warn. Tourists walk the floors and lean out through the ancient arches imagining what that view much have been centuries ago as others did the same.
I used hundreds of very small pieces of fabric fused and stitched to created the complex carved facade of the building . If it wasn’t for Wonder Under this process wouldn’t be possible as the scraps of fabric would shred and crumple before they could be attached to the background.
Arch of the Star
size 23″x30″
Arch of the Star is a unique arch built in Caceres Spain. To accommodate road traffic arch was built with the pillars at an angle to each other. At the pinnacle of the arch is a sculpture of a saint holding a glass star, thus the name. The stone design is a pattern unique to the area around Caceres. The photo reference for this piece was made by my son-in-law Pepe, who grew up there. I made the piece for them as a house warming gift as they are moving back there this summer after almost a decade away.
I used the subdued colors of the area. Mostly artist dyed colors and similar looking commercial fabrics. All fabrics are fused and stitched to the under cloth. After they are attached I add a thin batting and a backing and quilt them together adding detail to the finished design.
Walking The Walled City
size14″x44″
For this piece I choose the use the far left side of the image used in ARCH OF THE STAR and change the colorway into a very warm tone. It’s amazing how the atmosphere changes from a bright midday scene into a late evening hot humid one. I like to play with the color of the piece.
Ceseras is an ancient city and like most from it’s time it was surrounded by a high wall for protection. Just inside the wall is a road where the military could move as well as shops. This scene is near the entrance to the city as you can see from the larges view in ARCH OF THE STAR as the arch is at the entrance.
Once It Was the Opera House
size 20″x39
Like many town, built in the late 1800’s, Yakima was built around the prosperity that the railroad brought. The Opera House is located in the historic district of Yakima facing the the railroad depots, We no longer have passenger service here but the area has been preserved lovingly. The story of the Opera House was short lived. It was only used for performances for a short time and spent most of its life as a storage building. Today there are shops along the ground floor and my friend, who owns the building, lives in part of it and enjoys to city life.
Looking East from Here with Grapes
size 36″x28.5″
This photo of the view from my property went way over the edge on PhotoShop. After I removed the shading and the colorway I colored it into flat blocks of color and then hit a wall as to where I would go from there. It was one of the few pieces that went into hibernation before it got to fabric. After about a year I decided to start working on it and now am pleased with results.
The view is looking from my place, east over the Roza canal, which is so deep that you only see the bridge that crosses the road. From there I see land full of Hop yards and orchard all the way to Rattle Snake Ridge and then there is sky that goes on for ever. I love it out here.
For My Next Song
size 33″x18″
My property is on a flyway taken by the robins in the spring. Only the males come early and scope out their territory. I get to watch them all summer as they raise a family, teach them to fly and then plan their trip south for the winter. I so enjoy watching and listening to them. My imagination goes wild sometimes. I wonder what they are saying which is where this image comes in. Someone has to teach singing don’t they?
I used hand dyed fabric for everything except the black. The flowers were cut from cloth that I had heat pressed with actual flowers.
Ballet in Pink
size 40″x29″
Flamingoes are strange birds but so beautiful and graceful. When I was designing this piece I just kept adding more flamingoes to the line until I had the chorus line from some old film. I could imagine them in lock step dancing to the music.
Made with my hand dyed fabrics to give it a variation of shades in each color. The sky and water are whole cloth and quilted before the birds and birdbath were added.
Perched
size 19.5″x 24.5″
Sorry but I love making pictures of my cat Mimsie. Last fall as I was out cleaning up the garden I looked up and saw her slung across the crotch on the Crabapple Tree. I thought she wouldn’t be able to climb up a tree after she had lost her claws on her front paws. Was I ever wrong.
Like most of my work I have done this in hand dyed fabrics with just a wisp of Paint Stik on the trunk.
Power to the People
size 22″ x 27.5″
This is part of a series I am doing highlighting the ordinary things about Yakima WA. I pass these power poles every time I drive out of town. After thinking about the intricacies of all the power lines that are strung between the poles I decided that it would be a good subject.
I had to follow my pattern precisely so that all of the lines flowed pole to pole. To get this image I had to drive back to the busy street where they were, park my car in an open lot and walk back up hill to the location. The most difficult part was not tipping over as I pointed the camera up into the sky. I think it was worth the work.
Contemplations
size 20″x26″
This photo was taken by my son-in-law, Pepe, of his som Rafa as he sat on the bank of a stream.I don’t know about you but I can watch water pass me for hours. It is a very meditative experience.