Friday, February 27, 2015

Inner Glow



Cathi Bodine Water Lily

My husband has told me more than once that “we’re not models”. Usually this is proffered in response to some disappointment with my appearance or an ill-fitting outfit. He reminds me that beauty emanates from the inside: how we think, how we act, what we say. Sure something can be beautiful on the outside, but lasting beauty is from within.

I was reminded of this when I decided to create “Inner Glow”. At first I couldn’t explain my fascination with my friend Cathi Bodine’s photo of a water lily. I have never wanted to make a flower. Even though this flower is beautiful, flowers just aren’t my thing. But the image was so compelling! Eventually, I realized it was the glow emanating from the center of the lily. I really wanted to capture the essence of the flower more than the structure.

Inner Glow

For months I stared at the photo, certain it was beyond my capability. When Diane issued the challenge to swing for the fences, I knew my time had come to attempt this piece. In addition to the subject matter, I stretched myself with the quilting. 

I typically use a single color thread in the bobbin when I quilt. It’s also not unusual for me to create an envelope binding where the quilting is not visible from the back. On this quilt I decided to reflect the front on the back by using the same color thread. I guess it could be considered a variation of the inner glow, but my true motivation was to swing for the fences by going beyond my norm.


Inner Glow - Back
To create “Inner Glow” I painted a piece of white cotton muslin with Dr Ph Martin’s india inks. I used a variety of polyester and cotton threads for the quilting. I got carried away in the process and went beyond challenge dimensions (divisible by 9). My apologies. The piece measures 41” W by 24 ¼” H.


10 comments:

  1. Wow, Lisa-Marie! This is fantastic, both front and back. Great decision to change the bobbin colors as you went along. The back especially brings out a "warm glow" from the center of the flower.

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    1. Thank you Kate! I used up every bobbin I own, but it was worth it.

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  2. Lovely piece and image, Lisa Marie! I agree with Kate about the back and the "warm glow". Beautiful thread work!

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    1. Thank you Martha. I really had fun with the stitching.

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    1. Thank you Alicia, I am glad the piece accomplishes the glow I set out to portray.

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  4. Lisa-Marie, all I can say is STUNNING, STUNNING, STUNNING! You have outdone yourself with this one, LOVEIT!

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    1. Thank you Andrea! I really did push my boundaries on this one. I'm so glad you like it.

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  5. It's simply wonderful, Lisa! It certainly glows. Well done!

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    1. Oh Diane, thanks for the challenge! I felt enabled to play and push at the same time. I hope I can "swing for the fences" in all that I do.

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