Wednesday, May 9, 2012

More Thoughts on Sand

I'm back. I returned to the tranquil province of MulticoloredPieces after six weeks in the States visiting family and meeting blogger friends (more on that in later posts). It was a blast, but, living out of a suitcase leaves much to be desired. Basta!
         I found a great deal of garden work as summer approaches, and so, I'll be busy outside for the next few weeks. For the moment, I'd like to return to my diatribe on the beach. Even though I'm thankful to be back in Tunisia, the beach remains as unappealing as ever. Probably because of the sand. Sand is useful for making glass, I suppose, or for adding to the clay in my garden. Beyond that…?
         Well, yes, beyond that: 
At the beach, the vistas are spectacular with the melting of the blues of the sea with the blues of the sky at the distant horizon. "Sea, Sand, and Sky" (March 1995, 56"x64"/1m40x1m62) reflects my attempt to capture that.
The irregular log cabin blocks of the background are constructed in brocades, satins, and other fancy fabrics along with some cottons, in order to give a bit of shimmer to this piece. The colored, raw-edged sections are cottons from used clothing. That uneven bottom edge presented all sorts of technical problems--a beast to do, but well worth it. Admittedly, then, the beach is good inspiration.

20 comments:

Jodi said...

WOWZA! SUCH A GORGEOUS PIECE!
Good to see you posting again, and that you had a good trip to the States!

MARIA CRISTINA said...

The beach has been a great source of inspiration!
You are a wonderful artist!
I like the contrast between the luxurious fabrics and cotton ...
Hugs!

Nifty Quilts said...

Beautiful quilt. Love your use of raw edges. Adds a nice texture to contrast with the smoother pieces.

Nellie's Needles said...

Glad to hear you're safely home and getting back into the routines of your life .. of gardening and more importantly, creating art. Fond memories of your visit keep popping up ... especially when I look at the beautifully hand carved gift from you.

Your interpretation of "the beach" is awesome. The form, the textures, the colors, the feeling of sensory experience are beautifully presented.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous!!! I love the sensation I get of boat sails.

So glad you had a nice long chance to visit your family. That is so important.

Cheers!

Mary

Happy Scrappy said...

LOVE it !!

Rachaeldaisy said...

This is beautiful!! And really does captures the colours and feelings of the sand and sky. It's one I wish I could see in real life.

Carli The Quilter said...

Gorgeous quilt Nadia, love it, like the close up large image. Welcome home!

Sujata Shah said...

I like those wonky log=cabin blocks a lot. They truly represent the warmth of a sandy beach. Shades of sunset and blending of the blues... Pretty!

Katell said...

Merveilleux!! J'aurais aimé le faire, me permets-tu d'en faire un petit article sur la Ruche des Quilteuses ?...

Diane J. Evans said...

How beautifully tranquil and wonderfully inventive -- not only do you have an amazing creative vision, but an easy and relatable style of writing to describe your vision. Your blog is a joy to read.

Diane

Nat Palaskas said...

Welcome back. Glad you had a lovely time away. Yes living out of suitcase is not my favorite part either. I didn't unpacked everything I took (weather didn't permitted!). I love the 'Sea, Sand and Sky' piece. Thanks for sharing - Hugs Nat

Ellen said...

Wat heerlijk zoon inspiratie bron ,zand zee,zon ,wie houd daar niet van.Erg mooi!!
Gr Ellen

The Artful Diva said...

This is an amazing quilt. I have yet to make an irregular shaped quilt. You have inspired me to try (one day - hah!)

Come visit me in Naples, FL. Our beach is quite nice!

sweetypie said...

cor blimey, woman, you have been busy, love it love it...

Merilyn said...

What a spectacular piece of work!!!! I just love it!!!! I wish I could do something like that!!!!

Sandy said...

It is truly wonderful. Log Cabin is such a great technique. Thanks for commenting on my blog.

Sandy said...

Absolutely gorgeous! Very uninhibited...this is a show piece!

Micaela Fitzsimmons said...

Lovely pieces - this and others I've seen on your site. Thanks for stopping by my site recently and for your comments. I can see the reflection of "waste not want not" ideal in your work. I look forward to visiting your blog regularly.
Cheers,
Micaela

Poppyprint said...

I love this piece!! I couldn't agree more about the usefulness of sand and rarely visit the local beaches (in Vancouver, British Columbia). For me, the beach is one that is visited on holiday. When, at the end of the day, you do not need to shake out your towels before bringing them into the house but merely throw them over the line so they may dry for tomorrow. Your colour choices, combinations and structure in this quilt seem to beautifully represent some of the beaches I've vacationed on with my family.