Detail from "Rain Dance," an original quilt by Sherrie Spangler

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Colors we don't like

I made grey and brown blocks. It was hard not to add sunset strips.

My art quilt group, STITCH, issued a little challenge last month: Make something with our two least favorite colors. We revealed the results yesterday, and they were heavy on grey and brown. I'm not sure what I'm going to make with my blocks, but I'm pretty sure they'll be combined with something more uplifting that involves brighter colors.

Janet and Judi dressed in grey and black.
Janet and Judi both dressed in grey and black to continue the theme, although in this photo Janet's vest looks brown. It's really grey.

Judi translated her B&W waterfront photo into fabric.
Judi started with a black and white photograph that she took of the waterfront and translated it into a quilt. She does a lot of nice work with photographs, but most of her photos are glorious colorful shots of sunsets, birds and flowers.

Janet did this geometric study in black and grey.
When I think of Janet, I think of beautiful, clear colors in her crazy quilts. These black and grey pieces are very different for her, but they're striking.

Janet's brown tree in a very grey-black-white landscape.

Anne doesn't like brown and pink, but I love this piece.
Anne, who hosted the meeting and therefore got to name the challenge, doesn't like brown and hot pink. She made this quilt based on the Cat In the Hat book and said "It makes me smile because it's so ugly." I don't think it's ugly! Most of Anne's quilts are very painterly.

Pat didn't like this batik, but we like her fabric Valentine postcards.
Pat actually had to go out and buy a piece of fabric that she didn't like, but she brightened it by zinging it up with hot pink and glitter. She made fabric postcards with it for Valentine's Day. Normally she works in wild and crazy brights.

Carol used purple and a dark green that she didn't like.
Carol used this purple background that she had dyed and didn't like. She combined it with some olive green that she also didn't like. I'm liking the direction her plant piece is taking. 

Delaine didn't like this orange ...
Delaine is our queen of glitz, and she started with two dull fabrics and added tulle, glittery sheers and bright appliques to make this gem of a purse.

... nor did she like the color of the purse lining.


Barbara's challenge was working with brown.
Barbara doesn't like brown, but she pulled out several brown prints to make her interpretation of the Cain and Abel story. Normally she works with traditional blocks, so she said this was a real stretch for her to work in an abstract style. 
 
Lois doesn't like to use brights, so this was a real challenge for her!
Lois, meanwhile, is our only member who likes to work in subdued colors, including brown. So this gorgeous, vivid red rose was a real challenge for her. The reds and green GLOW.

Next month's challenge will have to do with spring poetry, so stay tuned for those results.

Have a colorful day

3 comments:

Judy Sall Fiber Art said...

I love the results of your challenge! It's always good to stretch and go outside our comfort zone a little... looks like you all accomplished this!

Marti said...

Interesting concept: Colors I don't like. You are all braver than I am and I love the results!

The Idaho Beauty said...

Well, this is pretty funny. One person's hate is another's love. Yes, I rather love your grey and brown quilt, my dear, but that should come as no surprise. Will be fun to see how you jazz it up as you put those blocks together.