Saturday, August 1, 2009

Process

I really enjoyed making this quilt. It was experimental but deliberate. I tried new things and included old stand-bys. Now that I look back on the process, I realize that's where passion is for me: in the process.
Passion Flower Interpretation

The subject matter is obvious: it's a passion flower. I decided to interpret the flower rather than try to represent other meanings of "passion." I started with the great photo taken by my friend Connie right in her own yard.

I stamped green circles on the green background and began auditioning and cutting fabrics and papers to create a collage. I added paint to some of the elements including those white tips on the blueish filaments. I finished with some free motion quilting, hand embroidery and a bit of beading.
Passion is a very interesting word. It has so many meanings and possibilities. I think this crazy flower with all it's alien-esque parts is as complicated and beautiful as the word itself.

12 comments:

Terry Grant said...

A very cool kind of passion! Your passion flower is wonderful--so delicate and fresh. It almost quivers with life! Love the bits of text peeping from behind the petals in places. This is very happy and dance-y!

Kristin L said...

I love all the layers you've created here and how they still manage to stay light and airy. I love the flower of course, but the blue outlined flowers and the red blocks of quilting -- oh, perfect details. While emotional passion is definitely more visceral, what's not to love about a gorgeous flower that just happens to be named passion?

Oh, and the minute I saw this I gave you a flower sister high five across the Pacific. ;-)

Gerrie said...

So whimiscal and delightful and playful. I love all the textures and the paint accents, the variety of fabrics with the text. It is fun to see the two interpretations of this. I was going to do a Passion flower and now I am glad I didn't. I am loving yours and Kristin's so much better than what I had in mind.

kirsten said...

You have made wonderful fabric choices, particularly the text printed fabric. It adds so much.
I love those gorgeous red lines of quilting, too. Very clever little quilting lines, they are!
The fun you had making this quilt really does show in the finished piece.

Linda Robertus said...

This may be my favourite among the passion quilts. Love the colours!

Minka said...

Love it!

Terri Stegmiller said...

Your interpretation of the photo is awesome. It's a beautiful flower and one that I have not had the pleasure of viewing in person. I like everything about your quilt and especially how you mimicked the shape of the flower with several outlined, smaller versions.

Brenda said...

We used to have a passionfruit vine in our Sydney garden. The flowers are exquisite and both you and Kristin have captured their beauty. I'm not sure how you managed to resist the purple and green colour combo but the blue, green and grey tones in this piece give a vibe that is thoroughly modern and vaguely retro all at the same time (maybe it's the 30s teacup print that I'm picking up on). The more I study this piece, the more I see. Wonderful.

Diane Perin said...

Oh, Deborah, I really like how you've not only shown us passion in the flower literally, but then addressed your passion in the process. And still in your distinctive style and colors. The various elements work so well here and I especially like the stripey bits you've stitched in. Lovely!

Nikki said...

I, too, was tempted to explore the Passion Flower, especially when I printed out a picture and set it next to a purple and green fabric bowl I had just made. My favorite colors were calling me. I agree with Gerrie. I like yours and Kristen's so much that I'm glad I didn't go that route.

I love all the details and keep finding more every time I look. I'm ver drawn into the center of your "alien-esque" flower, but saved again by the stitched outlines and beading in the corners. Beautiful!

Karen said...

I too, love the layers and detail, and the colors! Wow

Françoise said...

What a fun piece. I like the colours and textures, and all these little details you've added.