Autumn is almost here…

Today I watched as two golden, yellow leaves flitted and danced in the wind, from treetop to grass – the first leaves of Fall.  It doesn’t feel like Fall yet, as the air isn’t crisp, there aren’t piles of leaves burning, or fires to keep the chill at bay, but as surely as the sun will rise tomorrow, Fall is on it’s way.  Before I have to stop quilting to rake leaves, I wanted to enjoy the moment…savor the last vestiges of summer – warm blueberries that you eat like candy, laundry snapping on the clothesline, and an unexpected garden visitor. Many of us simply do not breathe as often as we should – take a deep breath – enjoy where we are – live in the moment.  Now as an artist, what do you hear?  What do you see?  What do you smell?  What are you touching?  And how can you use these things filling your senses in your next project?  What inspires you?

Food for thought:

I love the plump, curvy nature of the blueberries, warm from the sun, fragrant and glossy, with their luscious colors/hues of blues…bursting when you bite into them…

Last of the summer blueberries

The outdoor amphitheatre in Charlevoix, Michigan has a GLORIOUS staircase…are those quilting lines… 

Stone Staircase with organic lines

Can you say, ‘Future Line Study’

A harmless fellow, although he startled me, as his black/yellow body is about the size of my thumbnail…and his legs add another 2” to his size…

Some kind of Orb Web Weaver

So, what everyday items or moments or events inspire you?  When I first started quilting and was taking classes or workshops, I found that for the next 6 months, everything I did ended up looking like ___________.  So bless Jan Krentz, Katie PM and many others, but after their workshops, literally everything I did was some strange twist on THEIR work, and not my own voice.  Art is a journey, and maybe quilting even more so, since each step, from design to binding, gives each of us an opportunity to express how we feel, what we are thinking, what motivates us, what we hear, see, smell, and touch and even taste.

Happy Quilting,

Beth

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