Friday, March 1, 2013

Transformation Journey

Sorry I am rushing & didn't crop my tile floor background from my images. I am posting my Transformation art quilt top-in-progress plus 2 collages I have done in the past couple weeks. I began last November thinking I would make this piece about the on-going transformation my 21 year old daughter has been going through this past year to overcome some serious challenges. I imagined a combination of my painted canvas, stitched work that incorporated a PS-stylized image of her face somehow faintly on the piece along with the other paint. I bought PS 11, but am still poking my way through using it. Plus my trials of using various transfer methods over my painted canvas didn't work the way I want. Yet. Anyway, I realized in the last few weeks, this is and should be all about my own transformation in coping positively with the pain of her challenges. I believe in this quote by Dylan Hoffman," If we truly want to embark on the journey to psychological wholeness and spiritual transformation, we will have to enter some dark and dangerous lands, and encounter some grotesque and terrifying creatures." I actually stumbled on these words in an magazine I happened to pick up 2 days ago after having already painted & sewn. The universe brought them to me as I work on this piece and myself!

I have only painted canvases, cut them up and zz-stitched them together. Under some layers of paint is the message, "It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end." Next I will be adding some hand stitching lines & marks, then making the batting/backing sandwich, then machine quilting. So I'll repost when it is finished.
I also am doing 2 collages to donate to a local organization called Redeemed Ministries that supports young women who have been victims of the sex trades/ human trafficing. The collages will be part of a silent auction fund-raiser. The girls are referred to as Sparrows. One collage is finished. The other will be done when I add the text title "His eye is on the Sparrow" and I have that one framed. I am thankful this is not one of the problems my daughter has had.

Best wished to all. Looking forward to seeing your pieces and hearing your news.

4 comments:

  1. Each of these has such strong emotional depth. I particularly like your use of that shade of blue in your challenge piece--such a contrast to the black and suggesting bits of blue sky perhaps in the midst of a storm but yet conveying a meditative feeling as well. And that red in your second piece that references beauty and horror at the same time. Are the bottom two done in paper? Whatever the medium, all three are impressive.

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  2. Thanks for comments, Madelene. The top collage (oriental one) is on canvas. The sparrow one is on heavy wt. watercolor paper. I still have to add the words 'His eye is on the sparrow" and have that one framed or mount on wood panel.

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  3. Hi Sher,

    I'm impressed by your multimedia/surface design work. Amazing that you discovered the quote after you'd finished the piecing...they seem to correspond beautifully. The challenge piece conveys the fluctuating nature of transformation in the color gradations as well as the varied sizes of fabric pieces. The collages are visually interesting and appealing despite the obvious angst attached to the inspiration. Nice work!

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  4. Wonderful pieces Sher! I can't say enough........you are doing wonderful work.......integrated and meaningful! I'm enjoying watching you!

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