This little art quilt is on its way to The Museum of Art at Grants Pass, Oregon for an exhibit called “Concrete and Grasslands.” I was so surprised when it got in the show, because I had entered larger and (what I considered) more complex pieces — and I only added this as an afterthought. It just shows that you never know what judges are looking for… and, as artists, we just don’t have the ability to judge our own work.
In fact, it was a fluke that this piece was even created! I had been working on a large black and white project, happily strip-piecing away, and this was a leftover fragment. I noticed the fence image and put it back on the wall to see if anything would come of it. After weeks of hanging out in my studio it was ready to become more, so I added a simple white line to suggest the hillside. And that was it — on to QUILTING!
In contrast to the stark design, I chose vibrant greens and blues and quilted it densely in long curving lines. I loved quilting this piece! Can you imagine the horse that is just about to wander in and start grazing?
So, the lesson from this story tells us that a lowly remnant that narrowly escaped the trash can be transformed into a beautiful, interesting art piece… and that an artist cannot be creator and judge at the same time!
Soon “The Country” will proudly take its place, hanging at Grants Pass Museum of Art during the month of March! From there, the exhibit will travel to as-yet un-named destinations. Isn’t art amazing?
Sharon Casey Art Quilts 