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| Sedge Wren |
About three years ago, I had taken a picture of a Carolina Wren, and the curving lines of the branches and vines around it caught my eye. I realized how shrubs that are nondescript to us, are important shelters from the birds' point of view. I had done several small sketches and practice mini-quilts from that picture.
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| Carolina Wren |
Since that first Carolina Wren picture, I have gotten other pictures of wrens and sparrows sheltered within branches. I thought a series of them as a wall hanging would make a great project for our theme, but I only finished this one small square.
The original photo had composition issues, with branches taking up the majority of the space, and blocking the view of the wren, so I simplified it to turn it into this quiltlet.
I painted dye on the corners of an old linen napkin and machine quilted lines to suggest the leaves. I printed the wren on inkjet printer cotton and appliqued her on. The white area I had left for the tree branches was too white and plain, so I added some color with fabric crayons. To emphasize the lacy gray-green lichen around the bird, I stitched some rayon braided ribbons and pique trim in loose loops.
I will post more of the details on my blog Deep in the Heart of Textiles.
I just love this! It's so interesting to read about both your inspiration and natural research to your mixed media usage. And yes, to keeping spaces and vegetation friendly to wildlife. A few dead trees left where they are no danger of harming someone in a fall are a tremendous benefit. Kudos to you. You inspire me!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI am a Texas Master Naturalist and one of the lessons we are trying to convey to everyone is that we can help wildlife even with small wild areas as you said!
Our yard is really a personal nature preserve. The Carolina Wren have been enjoying my meal worm feeder all winter. This is such a gorgeous piece. The color and quilting is so perfectly done. Loved your commentary on creating the piece.
ReplyDeletexx, Carol
Thank you so much.
DeleteI love the idea of your yard as a personal nature preserve. I believe that image has given me another idea! :)
Oh I think this is lovely! You were so adventurous in using all your different techniques and it's resulted in such a beautiful and atmospheric image. The little wren comes alive in the middle of it!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I love your description of it as atmospheric. That gives me a firmer idea of what I would like to work towards to establish a "voice". :)
DeleteWhat a great start to a series, your little quilt is beautiful and a wonderful tribute to a tiny, and often overlooked, bird!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I love your choice of the word "tribute" and I think it will help me focus on what I want to express about nature in future pieces.
DeleteI was very interested to hear about all the techniques you've used and I especially like the effect you've achieved with the rayon and trim. The end result is enchanting. It makes me smile just to look at your captivating little wren and I love that this actual bird you encountered with your conservancy group has now been immortalised in a piece of art :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, I am glad to bring her attention. I have the feeling she would love that! :)
DeleteHow lovely, she looks so comfortable in her nest. The textures are very successful and it just goes to show how a photo can be a good starting point for a quilt and you have simplyfied and improved it
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words! I did enjoy trying to translate the photographed textures into quilted ones.
DeleteThis piece is definitely heart felt art. I feel I could almost touch her. Quite lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you, I enjoyed the time I spent with her -- a few minutes in the field and a lot of hours afterward. Thank you for the lovely description of "heart felt art!"
DeleteSuch a lovely vibe to it, natural and very pretty - great texture too!
ReplyDeleteGwen--so glad to see you are a part of this group, as I love your work in this little art quilt. You've captured it so well, and I love the green-ness of the setting. Terrific!
ReplyDeleteSimilar to Carol, our garden is a wildlife garden.
ReplyDeleteWe have always gardened with nature in mind. We have about six bird feeders, many water bowls and a natural pond (no fish) to encourage the birds, and a few corners left to grow wild to encourage insects, bugs and slow worms.
I so enjoyed reading about your conservation group and the Sedge Wren. It’s very reassuring to meet others with similar nature ideas.
I found it very informative reading about your colour experiments for your beautiful quilt (as I used paint for my quilt too) although painting for quilting is such a new idea to me.
Barbara xx