beyond the seen

Now I am not sure why I am fascinated by deserts. There is something so essential and subtle.  Rock and sky.  Plants that stand as statements against the harsh climate. The colors constantly changing in the light.  So simple and yet so complex. The promise of mountains. Humbling and awe inspiring.

As you may remember I have been piecing a quilt to convey these feelings. Complex subtle colors changing and haunting. The blocks flowed out of me to create a whole. The backdrop for the scene. I wrote about it here: http://annbrauer.blogspot.com/2012/05/wind-up.html But was this sufficient?

I stand in the back room and squint. Best way to get a new view of the quilt from a distance. Figure out what I am doing. Yes, these colors are lovely but do they sing?

I add the hint of purple mountain. Play with the colors. Not red or mauve. Too harsh for this quilt. But a bright almost blue purple. Such a small difference but so big.

Love how this breaks up the quilt and tells a story. See how bright the colors are. Warm but not hot.

I sit and sew other things. Pace the studio. What do the tourists in Shelburne Falls think of this mad artist at work? Do I care?

I try other solutions. All purple. No not right. I have lots of lines in this quilt already. Then I remember I have been fascinated with stripes recently. Decided to see what I thought of a pillow pieced in thin strips that reverberate. Is there some energy there that conveys this promise?

Sure it needs to be played with. All those tiny little details. But isn't this the energy of the desert? That song that is unsung. What do you think? Do you have places of the imagination? Don't you love it when a quilt falls together?