Haiku and color inspirations

Hawaii sunset in January

Aqua skies streaked pink,
Lavender quilted fields float
through greens of summer.

-- Sherrie Spangler

Haiku accepted in "Eye of the Quilter"

Technically, this verse doesn't meet all the criteria for a haiku, but that's because I wasn't aware of all the rules when I wrote it. (I didn't include a "cutting" word.) Nevertheless, it was accepted into a photography/haiku exhibit called "Eye of the Quilter," which will open next month at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. The idea of the exhibit is to give viewers a glimpse into 

what inspires quilt artists.

Beautiful greens and lavenders of our summer garden ...

... and greens, lavender and soft blue in my hand-painted silk

Color is obviously what inspires me, especially colors from Nature. Sunsets, clouds, fields, water, lichen-covered rocks and mossy trees, deserts and flowers. I don't care much about realistic interpretations of Nature in my art. I like to just wallow in the color.

Shimmery fabrics in this quilt mimic watery reflections below

Sunset reflections in Gig Harbor last summer

And winter sunset reflections in California

I painted silk organza in watery blues and greens and suspended it in a window. Transparency and light are partners in my art inspiration, as well as color. It's a pretty good color match, though unplanned, with the photo below that I took last winter on my first trip to Hawaii.

Clear turquoise water in Hawaii against a steely sky
and black lava beach

Turquoise and a peachy coral is a luscious combination. Blue and orange are complementary colors -- opposite each other on the color wheel -- that make each other sing. Imagine the orange clouds below with the turquoise sea above.

 

 Gig Harbor sky, above, and water, below,

on different days.

 

The color that really makes me light up is a glowing yellowy green, like these leaves that I snapped near Hilo, Hawaii.

Brilliant green and purple is a common color pairing in nature,

one I often use in quilts to give them energy. 

Shots of fuschia and blue keep the eye moving

over this green quilt that I made years ago.

My furry "grandson," Marty, loves spring-green grass as much as I do. He's frolicking here in a dog park near Madison, Wisconsin. Black and white doesn't do much for me artistically, but it sure makes a cute dog. I think he needs a lime green and hot pink bandanna.

A note about my photographs: I don't like diddling around with camera settings or digital manipulations, so nearly all of my photos are taken on automatic with no further changes or "enhancements" except for an occasional crop.

Have a colorful day!