December 26, 2017

New Work - Storm Watch

Storm Watch by Sue Reno
Storm Watch
 I am happy to share with you my latest work, Storm Watch. It's an art quilt utilizing some of the wet cyanotype prints I made while experimenting this summer. I've been keeping it under wraps, but now it's made its debut in the pages of Machine Quilting Unlimited, the Jan.-Feb. 2018 issue, as part of my article Working With Wet Cyanotype.
Storm Watch by Sue Reno, detail 1
Storm Watch, detail 1
 These prints were fun and addictive to make. I worked with plants I grow in my gardens, arranging them spontaneously on cotton sateen treated with cyanotype chemicals, and leaving them out for long exposures. The results were often surprising and always delightful. The weather was generally very hot and humid and unsettled; I even had a batch that was caught in a summer thunderstorm and actually improved by it.
Storm Watch by Sue Reno, detail 2
Storm Watch, detail 2
 So I used the meteorological theme of "storm watch" when picking out colors and designing the quilt.
Storm Watch by Sue Reno, detail 3
Storm Watch, detail 3
 The prints are quilted along the leaf veins, then surrounded with heavy pebbling that suggests rain or hail.
Storm Watch by Sue Reno, detail 4
Storm Watch, detail 4
 The sashings are all silks, of various textures and weights, and are quilted in my improvisational variation of a Greek key motif.  The quilt finished out at 49" x 49".
Storm Watch by Sue Reno, detail 5
Storm Watch, detail 5
This is an exciting new direction for my work, and I hope you enjoy viewing it as much as I enjoyed making it.
Storm Watch by Sue Reno, detail 6
Storm Watch, detail 6
If you are new here, welcome! I've been detailing and documenting my experiments with wet cyanotype in great detail; you can read it in reverse chronological order by clicking the Wet Cyanotype tab in the top header, or click here.

And a reminder that I also post on social media:
Facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/suerenostudio
Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/suereno
Tumblr: http://suerenostudio.tumblr.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sue_reno_studio/

6 comments:

Kathy said...

I've been following this and experimenting along with you, but not as much as you. This process results in amazing prints and your piece is spectacular. Hope you continue to create in this direction and thank you so much for sharing with us!

SPC Matsick said...

Great work! My favorite element of Storm Watch is the pebbled background in each of the squares surrounding the leaf impressions. It suggests a subtle organic texture almost like lizard skin. Thank you so much for sharing.

Tiiu said...

Enjoyed looking at your work and I look forward to my copy of Machine Quilting Unlimited and reading a bit more about your process.

Kristin said...

Sue Your work with cyanotype and now wet cyanotype has always interested me. This series of posts on process has been simply fantastic. The completed piece highlights some of the very best results of the experiment, in my opinion...it is a wonderful piece.
To set up for a small experimentation process here in the spring, is there a place to read what are the basic chemicals needed? and do you have a preferred source?
Thanks for your sharing of your always very fine work!
Kristin Freeman

Vivien Zepf said...

Really fun to see all these beautiful pieces as individuals and as part of this new quilt! This was an exciting and successful experiment that I hope has legs in your art practice.

Sue Reno said...

Thanks everyone for the kind
comments! It is truly my pleasure to share my work.

Kristin (and everyone interested) my two main sources for either pre-treated fabric or the chemicals needed to treat your own are http://www.blueprintsonfabric.com/
and
https://www.jacquardproducts.com/cyanotype.html