New Work in Progress -- In Dreams I Saw the Colors Change

I have several new works in progress for my River series, in the same theme as my recently completed In Dreams I Flew Over the River.  This one, In Dreams I Saw the Colors Change, is making me very happy as I work on it.

It’s all silks and wools, with needlfelting and piecing.  I am being just completely extravagant with my use of materials and it’s very liberating and exciting.  I am folding and crimping and letting the silk go where it will, falling into pleats and creases.  I am using a lot of wool roving and silk snippets to build up layers of color and texture, and as these teaser details shots show, it’s very textural and inviting.

Really good silk, the only kind I use, is difficult to come by.  Many of these pieces were purchased on my trips to India, or brought back by family members (thanks!).  When I buy it here in the States, it’s expensive.  So while I use it often in my work, it’s usually in a measured fashion.  (A recent exception would be Ginger, where I also went a little crazy with the silk.)  But here I’m throwing caution to the wind and just reveling in the beauty of the materials, and the impact it has on the story I’m telling.

In Dreams I Saw the Colors Change will be part of my upcoming show in November at the PAE Gallery at Marketview Arts in York, PA. More details on that exhibit are pending.

If you are a regular reader and it seems to you like I have a lot of works in progress, that’s because I do.  I’ve had a great year so far for ideation and creativity, and am churning out the quilt tops at a record pace.  Soon enough I will settle down, light the coal stove, and spend the colder months quilting and finishing.  At least that’s the plan.  Stay tuned!