Nellie"s Needles

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Oil Paint Stick Work

I had pieced this several years ago using Ricky Tims "harmonic convergence" technique. It was prepared as the background for one of my African series quilts.
It now feels like the right time to give this piece some attention. I added gold paint to the surface today. It will have a few days to set while we're gone to Memphis.
The bottom of a plastic container was used to make angled lines. I placed the plastic piece under the fabric and rubbed across it with the paint stick to make the lines on the solid, or nearly solid, colored patches. Each quadrant has the same angle of lines in relationship to the center of the quilt.
The bottom of a pressed glass plate was used to rub branch-like shapes on the printed patches. I was very loose in technique because I didn't want the solid, uniform pattern that you see on the plate.
The same glass plate was used to make a sparse pattern of lines within the circles. I then used a bubble patterned piece of cardboard that insulates take-out coffee cups to rub small irregular circles of gold within the circles. My fingers got messy with gold and I couldn't help getting it on the background while maneuvering the fabric over the objects that were used for rubbings. So ... I coated my finger with gold and lightly rubbed it all over the dark areas between the circles. The whole surface shimmers and shines.

Come back next week to see how this piece developes. I can hardly wait to get back to my studio to heat set the paint and get on with the rest of it.

Graceland, here we come!

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5 comments:

Deb Lacativa said...

This is wonderful! I really thought I was looking at the finished piece in the first photo.

Nellie's Needles said...

If I had just taken Ricky Tims workshop, I too may have considered this piece to be finished. Come to think of it, I need to dig out the piece I had done under his guidance. I had liked it a lot in class, but knew it had to be taken further to "make it mine". I'm all for taking workshops to learn techniques, but then I incorporate it in my work with my own twist.

Anonymous said...

Nellie,
On your quilt " On the Walk After the Storm" 2001. The leaves look real!!
What talent!
Tom

Unknown said...

The piece did indeed start out looking fine as it was, Now it looks fantastic! I know what you mean about making it yours. Some individual style that is unique to you. I love the gold on this and know that it just shimmers with the light. really really like this!

Anonymous said...

A beautiful piece. I'm slapping my forehead when I hear what you rubbed the paintstick on. When I look around my house, I can't seem to find anything that has a pattern. That can't be true, it must be my lack of imagination. I'll look some more!

Hooray for you for not stopping with a "Ricky Tims" quilt--they're always interesting looking, but after a while you want more.