A Second Inspiration

Before I show you a fabulous artwork I am using as a second inspiration, here are some more components for the new quilt.  I made the mistake of counting how many components I have sewn.  Including these seven, I now how 36.  I need at least 100 before I start to assemble. *** heavy sigh**** Oh well, it will take awhile but hopefully by then I will have several more artworks for inspiration when I start to assemble the components.

So, here is the second piece I am using as inspiration.  Could be a quilt, huh?  But it is a paper collage.

LANCE LETSCHER Showboat, 2008. 

Collage on board. 74” x 50.”

A large commissioned piece by Letscher is part of The Austonian art collection. Using discarded vintage ephemera such as found paper, book covers, old magazines and record covers, Lance Letscher creates collaged compositions of astounding intricacy and craftsmanship.  Here is what one critic said about the piece:

"His compositions, driven by a piecemeal aesthetic with a meticulously obsessive sensitivity to color and content, evoke both the expansiveness of the cosmos and the complex detail of microcellular life forms. Crafted with a rich and vibrant vocabulary eliciting discovery by his viewers, Letscher’s works engage us with their poetry and intricacy."

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  I don't have a MFA so here is my look at the design elements.

1.  Again I chose a piece that has a motif.  Do notice that while the rectangles change sizes and colors, their orientation is always in the same direction.

2. Again, the focal point is made primarily by the change in color to warm color vs the mostly cooler rest of the composition.  Again, the focal point is off center but still integrated into the entire composition.

3.  I think the color range is far more expansive that I am planning or that Heather included in her quilt.

4.  Heather had a value variation from top to bottom and I don't see that here but there is a lovely value variation from left to right.  It would have been really easy to just fade into dark on the edges but the bottom right has the value coming back up to a light again.  I like that. Makes the surface look like it ripples.

5.  I love, love, love the layering in this piece.  There is real visual depth with rectangles floating on an interesting background.

6.  The one thing that really strikes me here is my need to get closer to see more details.  At the first Maine Event I discovered that really good artwork needs to be interesting at three distances.  From across the room so you want to get closer.  From about 6 feet so you want to stop and look longer.  And lastly from as close as you can get to see the secret little details you can only see when you get close.  I am sure this piece has those little secrets and I want to get much closer to see them.  I absolutely want some little details you can only see up close in my quilt.

Yep, a real inspiration for me.