Why grey?

Truth be told, I did not intend to make another grey quilt. After all, I have one. It is spectacular. Big and complex with colors that glow. I need a quilt in bright jewel tones. Something to draw people into my booth at the Baltimore Craft Show--can you believe that it is coming in less than a month? February 22-24 to be precise.  (Do check it out at http://www.craftcouncil.org/baltimore)

Indeed I would wake up in the mornings thinking of lovely intensely blue quilts--the colors of the sky and the ocean. Full of dreams of water and light. Joyous quilts. Maybe a complex red quilt--now that would be a statement--wouldn't it? What about the colors of the rainbow again? A friend had even noted that she thought my work was looking too serious recently. "Was I OK?" she asked kindly.


I tried. I really did try to start such a quilt. But when I got to the studio. That day when I decided I just had to make the quilt to see what it looked like it. Well, you guessed it. I made the row that I knew. The one that I wanted to make. It just happened I guess.

Sure I would put a bit of light and color in the quilt. Notice that little promise I pinned up to check it out. And then I kept going.

Those deep rich greys were calling me again. Becoming more complex as the colors progressed. Wonderful rich navy. Hints of the warmth of the mauve. The sky as night progresses.

Why did I want to work in these colors again? What was it about them? Why was I drawn to these soft colors of slate and mist, mauve and taupe? Was it the trees in the winter? Their bark against the fallen leaves? Or the sky just before a snow storm? Those deep rich colors? Or just wanting to contrast these dark colors against clouds of light and promise?

 Indeed I am not sure there is even an answer. Does it even matter? Does this ever happen to you? Can you control the colors you work with? And when will I ever finish this quilt?