An umbrella was one of my first shelter ideas. Then, it was mentioned in all the banter about shelter, and so I decided to go in another direction. You can see the other shelter piece on my blog.
I remembered seeing a photo taken from above, of a red umbrella on a rainy sidewalk, with just a pair of boots showing beneath the umbrella. That was my idea. I kept making umbrellas from different silk fabrics, trying to get just the right one.
As I was playing with the pieces, I had an epiphany that a trio of umbrellas would make a more interesting composition. I bought rain drop shaped beads and different paints as I was going to try to make the whole thing look rainier, but in the end, I could not muck it up. I decided that the hand-dyed sidewalk fabrics would be enough to give the feeling of rain and the addition of beads just seemed trite.
Isn't it interesting to hear how so many of us have made test pieces for this theme and then rejected them for something simpler?
ReplyDeleteI love your umbrellas and the beautiful sidewalk pieces. Such a lovely satin stitch, too. It adds just the right amount of definition.
It doesn't need the beads or other rain at all. The colors and umbrellas say it all. I'm glad you went ahead and made this one -- I think it is a more elegant solution to the challenge.
ReplyDeleteHi Gerrie! I nearly made umbrellas too! I had a vision of rows of tiny umbrellas in all different colours. Your three are much more grownup than mine would have been!
ReplyDeleteI have sketches of umbrellas too! Mine was only one big one though. I love the bright colors against the cold, wet concrete.
ReplyDeleteI have sketches of umbrellas too! Mine was only one big one though. I love the bright colors against the cold, wet concrete.
ReplyDeleteOh, how funny -- I sketched umbrellas, too. (They're such an inviting shape, after all, and great vehicles for color. Maybe that's why so many of us thought in that direction...) The contrast of bright color against the grey is so striking, Gerrie, and I love the graphic simplicity of this. I'm glad you nixed the beads and elaborate stitching -- good use of "less is more!"
ReplyDeleteIt is the perfect "Portland" piece--you are now a native! Beautiful composition--the magical power of three. I am struck by how compatible, in style, our two pieces are and we thought we were polar opposites stylewise! I love this one.
ReplyDeleteCool! It looks exactly like the day I'm goig to have here today. I just need to buy an orange umbrella.
ReplyDeleteI like your background fabrics a lot.
Francoise - Go for red or pink instead. The light coming through the orange would make you look ghastly. Green is the worst.
ReplyDeleteI love this piece Gerrie! I've always love the view from above of colorful umbrellas and this has captured it very well.
ReplyDeleteThis quilt leads my min dto many posisble stories - who is under the umbrellas? Three gossiping women who met for accident? Or three nannies waiting for their charges to leave school? Three little girls comparing new school bags? Or maybe, since we can't see any part of the owners ( which given the angle we look at is surprising) maybe the brollies have been left to dry out ... so where have the pople gone?! A great tool for a creativity workshop this one.
ReplyDeleteGerrie, I love the sidewalk fabric right off the bat and then these gorgeous umbrellas really look like they are splashed onto the surface. Great use of color.
ReplyDeleteYou guys rock!!
ReplyDeletegreat work I mostly love the lanterns and the umbrellas.
congratulations.
Carmen