It was really hard to settle on a picture to represent steps. Way too many ideas. In fact two are still on the drawing board and I hope to finish them.
This is based on a picture of a salmon ladder that I took on a trip to Alaska a few years ago. Salmon always swim upstream to spawn. Hatcheries have developed along the coast to aid this process. The eggs from the wild salmon are hatched and the fingerlings are returned back to the ocean at an age where they have more of a chance of survival. Hence the ladder effect with the water flowing from the top to the bottom and the salmon leaping over the barriers to get to the top.
I used a base of indigo fabric from our summer workshop, then drew the "steps" onto freezer paper, ironed it onto fabric, ironed on fusible web, cut it out, and then ironed it onto the blue. Lots of stitching, painting and a little applique finished it off.
A step that I did made me feel a little like David Hockney. I took a picture of the in-process piece with my ipad, popped it into a drawing app, and then played around with the beach and the foliage as I just wasn't getting the composition right. But it was fun to do, and gave me a sense of where I wanted to go with the design.
and this is the original photo.
Wow Dianne, you have really captured the essence of the photo. Great perspective and love those leaping fish.
ReplyDeleteAmazing subject Dianne. I love how you simplified the background areas and their treatments.Beautiful composition and colour choices!
ReplyDeleteI love this piece, Dianne. The simplified lines, the dynamic diagonals, the beauty of sky and sea and the lush vegetation in the background. An inspired choice!
ReplyDeletewhat a creative way to interpret our theme of steps and it works so well. i love it. perspective is great, as is composition and variety of techniques.
ReplyDeleteDitto to what's been said. Great interpretation of the theme.
ReplyDeleteWow I really had to go back and forth a few times between the picture and your piece. A true piece of realism!
ReplyDeleteA sideways view of steps is so difficult to put in 2D but you achieved it beautifully with perspective, color and composition...even down to the railings! Excellent!
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant idea. A one off unique interpretation. Love the composition and the salmon jumping - both line and movement.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to hear of your use of the iPad app to sort out the composition.
Hilary
Nice!! Love the slight changes you've made to the composition, and you've got fish in again. The colours work well together and It's nice seeing some of the indigo fabric being used.
ReplyDeleteI too kept jumping back and forth between photo and quilt. Such a difficult subject but so well portrayed.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with everything everyone has said - your interpretation and composition is fabulous and your have got the perspective just right - it is amazingly real - also love the jumping fish!
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