Saturday, March 29, 2014

Back to thinking about canal houses

Several years ago while taking Elizabeth Barton’s Series class as QU I drew out a canal houses sketch from a photo taken in Amsterdam.

final
This was my original sketch. At the time I was thinking of doing this in blues, browns, and oranges and I used watercolors to try out that idea.



More recently I have been debating about making this a night time scene and only have one set of windows lit up to make that the focal point. The idea here was to make you wonder what time of the night it was since all the other windows were dark and to make you wonder what was happening in the one with the windows that were lit up.

Canal houses I drew it out a long while ago in EQ to test out fabric choices and decided to get it out to play with again with the nighttime theme. Boy am I really liking EQ to try out fabric ideas.


Does this make you wonder about what is going on in that 3rd floor apartment? Are they getting home really late or are they getting up really early for work? Are they having a late night party? Are they getting up with a sick child?

This might work out if EB gives us a focal point lesson.












My line quilt is starting to grow on me. I pinned it to another quilt that is hanging on a narrow wall in my upstairs hallway just to see how it looks there.  The quilt that is already there is a small patchwork quilt that I won years ago at a local quilt show. I am beginning to think that this might be the place to hang the new quilt.


Between the Shadows

I did offer the quilt to my daughter for her apartment, but she is pretty picky. I will let it hang there pinned to the other quilt for a while to see if that is where it belongs. On the other wall in the hallway is my cardinal quilt. The two quilts do go together nicely…one realistic and one abstract.

Midwinter Visitor

Thanks for reading. Now to check out your blogs.
Chris

7 comments:

  1. I love the new direction of your canal quilt. The night time coloration with just one set of windows lit up... genius!! Yes, it does make me wonder what's going on in that one room. I can't wait to see it finished!

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  2. The 'canal quilt' will be beautiful as a night scene...and yes, intriguing too. And I'm glad the B&W piece is 'growing on [you]'. :-)

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  3. Hi Chris, I love your Cardinal, and Between the Shadows is a wonderful linear piece! They do go nicely together! I love the canal houses too and can't wait to see how your piece develops. I am almost ready to publish your interview write up - just another read through for final. hugs! deborah

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  4. Hi Chris, I love your Cardinal, and Between the Shadows is a wonderful linear piece! They do go nicely together! I love the canal houses too and can't wait to see how your piece develops. I am almost ready to publish your interview write up - just another read through for final. hugs! deborah

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  5. The canal houses is a great composition to work from. So different in each rendition. The night one works the best - for some reason the last two houses on the right look out of place/distracting, as if they need to be cropped out. But the sketch works perfectly in your night version. Just love it.

    So I'm wondering if you see the link between the cardinal piece and your lines piece. If I did not know otherwise, I'd say Cardinal was the original quilt you took your inspiration from. I think they compliment each other so well, make such a nice pair to hang near each other. Glad you are warming to the new abstract piece. I has such sophistication.

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  6. I like all 3 of the canal quilts but particularly the strong colours of the night-time - the collections of blues goes very well together and the orange windows contrast and lifts it all - and yes, adds intrigue. I've not met EQ before, so I gather this is a virtual mock-up of the quilt that you want to do?

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  7. I love those bright orange windows- they're definitely a fabulous focal point that would be lost if more were lit up.

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