Blog

Journal Quilt Project 2009

Cynthia / , , /

For this year’s Journal Quilts I’ve been working in a way that is really pretty unfamiliar to me. The thing which is tying this series together is the use of grids, as you can see in the in-process photo above.

If you look at most of my work, you’ll notice that I tend toward what is generally thought of as “organic” shapes. I don’t use a lot of straight lines. Even things that are themselves straight in real life, usually intentionally appear a little bit out of plumb in my work.

The piece below from my Richest Hill Series, Bricks, 520, is a good example of this. I like the movement and almost-softness conveyed by this way of representing hard, manufactured objects.

However, I had several pieces in mind that document my life this year and that lent themselves to being laid out in grids, while still being quite distinct from each other. So I’m working out of my comfort zone, and it’s a little scary! There is something about the idea of grids that is making me want to be much more rigid in my approach to the work. I’m hoping that I can convey the patterns caused by grids, yet still retain the movement and sense of messiness that is inherent in life.

The finished pieces will be available for viewing in mid-October, once the online Journal Quilt exhibit has opened.