Side By Side Lake Pieces

The first one is Lake #31. Lake #32 is built off its right edge ... continuing the scene.

There is actually a more noticeable difference between them than is shown in these photos. #32 is more intense. It's a challenge to make separate pieces with the intention of their being connected. It's easy to continue the lines, but difficult to get a suitable contrast between them. I have some thinking to do before continuing in this vein. I do like a challenge.

Aargh! I copied small sized photos and positioned them side by side in the edit version. I'm sorry they don't show up that way here.

Another "Aargh"!! This piece was pinned together on the work table for two days. In all that time I didn't think to take a photo of it in progress. It occurred to me after the quilting was finished. Aargh!

Macatawa

Thank all of you for the comments about our fun cottage furniture. There is one painted piece in our Tennessee condo. It's an art piece by Jan Miller, a funky tiered end table from the 1950's painted with lizards.

We have fun painted furniture here at Macatawa because this is a summer cottage. Most of the furniture is cast-off by previous generations of family or purchased at thrift or resale shops. It would be mighty dreary if these pieces were not jazzed up. Besides, my husband and I want to present a fun summer retreat to our family and friends. This greets our visitors. It is hours of driving to get here from anywhere. Our sentiment is printed over the bank of windows in the livingroom.

This place is filled inside and out with whimsy, humor, and art. We encourage all who come to play and create. We are most pleased that our nephew, Peter, has honored us with a number of painted surfaces. Here's the storage closet doors he painted just after he returned from years in Poland where he received his masters in art from the University in Warsaw.

"The Baba Cupboard"

Then there are ongoing projects, such as this mirror. It is decorated with found, broken, or left over objects from projects.We consider ourselves to be this generations caretakers of a place that has been magical for so many people throughout the years. Our grandchildren are the fifth generation.
We invite you to view an album of photos about the cottage and our typical activities. It is posted in the sidebar. Just click on the photo of the cottage quilt. Pictures are worth a 1000 words. However, I've included captions.

Painted Furniture

Several days ago Martha posted about a delightful piece of furniture painted by her sister. The polka dots prompted me to write about the sideboard in our cottage dining room.My friend, Alicia, and I painted it last summer. First we applied a hand-made paper and then had fun with acrylic paints, sponge brushes, and marking pens.In the fall I decided to add polka dots and stripes to the ten dining room chairs.My husband, Lee, had painted parts of them various colors about 20 years ago.
To view other pieces of furniture painted by Alicia and me in my studio go here. All the painted pieces are finished with two coats of acrylic medium.

A Real Sunset

These photos were taken less than an hour ago. I noticed the sky was getting more beautiful and intense after the sun had gone down at 9:30. This first picture was taken through the trees as I walked down the stairs from the the livingroom.
When I got out to the deck overlooking the beach ...
and then it kept getting more intense.
So, the many colors I put into my lake quilts are not so far fetched. It's the culmination of seeing hues like this on the lake for 40 plus years that I draw from within myself when making each quilt in this series.

Larger Lake Piece

Today I made the first larger lake piece. The next twenty in this lake series will be 17"x 14" instead of the 13"x 11" to 12" that are the size of the previous pieces in this ongoing to 100 series of lake quilts.

Lake #31 - 17"x 14"

Also, the horizons and shorelines will be the same distances from the top and bottom edges. I'm excited and interested to see what comes of these perimeters I've added for myself as well as for their possibly being combined in a larger art piece/installation. They are being trimmed to size, but not yet finished on the edges to give options in case I choose to attach some, or all of them together.

For once I took a photo of a piece at the beginning of its construction. I begin at the horizon and lay down all the main pieces to cover the batt, which for these quilts are old blankets ... right now an army blanket.
Then I churn through my bags to find just the right scrap, or ort, to fill in the details. I'm especially delighted if they're crumpled or wrinkled.

Here's a detail of the water

and a detail of the waves rolling onto the shore.

I extend a special welcome to the more than 100 viewers from Hungary who have visited today. Thank you, Monika, for posting about my weblog in your quilter's chat room.