It was my turn this time around to give the prompt to our group, and I’ve known for a long time what I wanted everyone to interpret. The theme of “Anatomy” came into my head as soon as we selected the overarching theme of “Structures” for our current round of prompts.

I have always been fascinated by anatomical charts, dissection and cross-section illustrations, so that was my inspiration for the piece I made. It also fits into a larger series that I’m working on which looks at the brain and its inner workings. For this piece, I wanted to emphasize the skull and the protection it brings to our brain. I have had some experience with brain trauma in my extended family, so this is a theme that is near and dear to my heart. The skull forms the cavity that houses our brain and protects it from injury. It cushions impacts and is ingeniously designed to shield the brain from forces that could harm it. The impact of sports injuries like concussions shows us how fragile the human brain is and that we should take care of our skulls by wearing protective headgear and helmets when necessary.

I printed photos of an anatomical drawing of a skull (bought) onto organza and adhered it, then emphasized the protective shape with echo quilting. I made a freezer paper template and used oil paint sticks to paint on the brain outline.

To design imagery that is reminiscent of neuronal brain cells and similar structures I used surface design methods like screen printing, block printing and stamping.

Finally I hand stitched a gently curved line echoing the pieced line that reminds me of the cradling function of the skull.

Protecting the Brain
Regina Marzlin
Dimensions: h40″ x 34 ”

Material: hand dyed and commercial cotton, organza, paint, embroidery floss, metallic and other thread
Technique: screen printing, photo transfer, stamping, block printing, piecing, machine- and handstitching