Boldly, always caring and looking to depth of colour as I seek my Connection to the palette.

For me, I went straight to my stash, connecting my plans with a focus toward stepping into a new quilt, and in this case ‘Turning Point III’. It is simply a strip-pieced, hand-dyed artwork quilt with a strong commitment to getting back at the machine with all of the recent “Pathways and Possibilities” in mind. The focus came from the amazing friends and support that we enjoyed at the SAQA 2023 Conference in Toronto. Devoted to making things right on my own artwork schedule and with a keen eye for colour and texture, I have just made it to the finish line for this art quilt. April into May 2023 has been quite a journey…

Depth of colour and using up my own ‘dye-play Instructor’s’ huge stash of cloth to create new quilts have always fascinated me. I have tons of strips cut and ready to go at a moment’s notice. A habit, I suppose, and especially after we have all likely had a busy and focused, arts-filled spring this past few months, I set to make this quilt for the last days here before writing my post for Prompt 3-12, CONNECTIONS and posting here for Cloth in Common’s Round Three.

Vertical lines and connections to previous works have kept the project comfortable for cutting and layout as the many individual pieced rectangles evolved, and my quiet and focused matchstick quilting gave me time to sit in front of the Lake Ontario window in my studio and just feed the cloth through the machine.

I have learned a lesson recently about NOT finishing each quilt as a ‘framed artwork’. This project has related differently from my focus over the past few years, and the experience taught me so much about exhibitions that travel. I had walked into the habit of framing my quilts like paintings, wrapping them around a wooden frame, and connecting the artwork more toward the collector than the Art that could be called for traveling. Inexperience perhaps, and missing the amazing opportunity to send along my work to Taiwan, has brought me to a new place as a maker.

A love of brilliant colour never seems to leave my dye tables… detail

Connections are all around us… in the work we create and the sharing of the excitement of having a plan and staying on track as we move forward in our many different paths through life. Walking the forest trails is my passion as I age, and just seeing the various strips and tall lengths of the woodland’s tree bark, the logs that have fallen, and the movement in the creeks… all have an influence on my current work.

My submitted piece above reflects the brilliance of a summer sunset with the depths of the evening moving into the brilliance of the day. I don’t know if the piece below was a call to action, seeking new colours and remembering darker days… but that is what important and often unexpected ‘connections’ with nature, the world around us, and simply as a mental signature as we work as artists shares – or just a reflection on speaking through the cloth.

I tried the quick piecing of a second, deep blue palette above and will use this piece another time. For now, blue reminds me of darkness, not the bright and encouraging colour palette that I wanted to bring to Cloth in Common in this 3-12 sharing. ‘Turning Point IV’ will await its turn in my studio … perhaps for a collector who loves the depth of blue.  It is always amazing when we discover a ‘connection” with a friend/collector who might be fond of passing by evening light as they turn a corner in their home.

THANK YOU to all of our Cloth in Common Artists – those who will be leaving us at the end of this Round will surely be missed. I have learned and so enjoyed all of your beautiful work. And to our new artists, a warm welcome and I am so excited about being with you through 2023 into 2024. See you soon here and along the way.

TURNING POINT III, Connecting to the Colour Palette

Bethany Garner

Dimensions: 40h” x 32w”

Technique: Machine pieced and quilted. Sleeved and ready to hang.

Material: Hand-dyed cotton lawn for top and facing, canvas backing.