“Afternoon at the Beach” is finished and on display in the Fiber Landscapes exhibit at the Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery until September 12, 2010.  This is a much more realistic piece than I normally create, but I had fun with the curved landscape piecing, the applique on the chair and the fish, and the beaded starfish and crab in the lower section. Click on the image to get a better view of the details.

At left is a closeup of the chair that shows the  thread sketching on the chair seat and back and some of the dense quilting on this piece. In an earlier post I discussed my process to create this part of the scene. There is pebble quilting in the sand sections–one of my favorite motifs–swirls for the waves, undulating lines for the ocean and cloud formations in the sky area at the top.

I think it’s a good idea as an artist to step outside your comfort zones and try something new and different every once in a while. I don’t think I’m going to give up my abstract color work for realism any time soon, but it was fun to work on this piece.

I also have some fun coaster sets in this show, one set is black and white with red accents and the other is bright colors framed with black and white. Each set has four coasters and all of the centers are different improvisational compositions. They have a bit of hand stitching for accent around the centers.

If you have a chance to visit the Torpedo Factory to see the show, the Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery is on the first floor in Studio 18 and the address is 105 N. Union St. in Alexandria.

1 Comment

  1. Eleanor Samuels on August 5, 2010 at 8:08 am

    I love “Afternoon on the Beach”. Makes me want to head over there. Good job, and the coasters are wonderful. MOM