Happy Friday! I don't work on Friday's so all Friday's are happy for me. I should write an ode to the flex schedule!
Today I thought I'd write a post about something I'm in the middle of working on. This began as a result of a call for entry for pieces about arthictecture. I was not able to get this started, much less finished, in time for the entry deadline, but I'm still working on it. I decided that my love of Gothic architecture was a good place to start and I began working on this piece about gothic windows. Here is a picture of an early stage of the piece:
These are pieces of painted Lutradur. I have painted, stamped, and stenciled designs in my chosen color scheme and arranged the pieces in order. One small piece is missing, but it shows up later. The next photo is further along, after I have stitched all the windows and quilted the whole thing:
As you can't see, the quilting isn't very visible so I may go over it again to make the stitching bolder. This is the point where I decide if I should bother continuing. Actually, I've been wondering that for quite a while as I worked on this piece. Most of my work hits this stage where I just don't feel like it's going well. I think most people can relate to going through this difficult process! I took a mixed media workshop with Lynne Perrella last year and she said that if you don't like what you have done so far on a piece, then you haven't done enough. Of course, she is a "maximalist" so more is more! A philosophy I totally agree with. I decided that part of what I love about Gothic architecture is the busy ornateness. Since I'm not satisfied with this piece right now, I plan to keep going! At the moment I'm working on bas relief gargoyles in polymer clay. When they are far enough along I'll show them to you!