Brocade Helix, On Set, and Riddle Me This

Howdy!

It hasn't been a week, yet, but, if I write more frequently, then the posts aren't such lengthy essays to read! As my older brother would say, "Doh!" Too late!

Here's some of what I've been up to:

Been working on a brocade minimalist helix:

It'll finish at about 40" x 80", and is made from polyester fabrics and polyester threads.

Here is a close-up:

I dig the butterflies and the flowers, and yes, I deliberately chose to feature the seams on the front of the quilt, frizzies and all. I know it might drive some people WILD to see such a seemingly unfinished aspect to a quilt, but that's part of what I like about it (seeing the imperfect).

Here is the initial piece, which is about 40" x 40", also made from polyester fabrics and cotton threads. I'm attracted to minimalist work (particularly Frank Stella and Agnes Martin), and that seems to be a way to go for many who call themselves Modern Quilters. I wouldn't say I'm one, but a combination of many -isms.

Then, I've been doing some background acting over the past few months and can't really post anything until after the shows/movies air. As you can see, I'm background, and look forward to the day when you can actually see my FACE, or hear my voice.

These are both from NCIS: New Orleans, the first from Episode 14, titled "Careful What You Wish For," and the second from Episode 15, titled "Festival du Mort."

Lots o' fun.

And this is what I looked like from the front, in Episode 15 (a pimpin' selfie).

Next, here is one of the three guys in a grouping of three (they'll be sewn together horizontally, with some sashing) in the vein of the other guys I've been sewing. This one features Chris Evans as Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and I'm toying with the title, "Riddle Me This: Hey X 3." Each dude is 16" x 22", of cotton fabrics.

And here is the screen capture I'm working from:

Part of what I'm doing with that whole series is exploring masculinities, current U.S. culture, my own ideas about being a man, and other fun stuff, by collaging fabrics to create fabric renditions of screen captures from shows and movies that were either, 1) influential in my life, 2) I enjoy(ed), and/or 3) intrigued me.

Choosing suggestive, symbolic, illustrative fabrics to form the men, their backgrounds, their words, and attire allows me to make statements  about the ideas I mentioned above.

Below is an example of a guy who's finished. This one's called, "I Can See Why: Edward Burns as Jake in Confidence." It's roughly 17" x 22", made from cotton fabrics, with rayon and cotton threads. I completed it in 2015.

To me, this series links to Ed Ruscha and the Pop Art Movement and Conceptual Art, in some ways.

Finally, here's something from a piece I've been working on FOR-EV-ER (that's about six years, actually). I designed and completed the background of diamonds in 2008-2009, and knew I wanted to put some kind of applique in the spaces between blocks. But, the right designs eluded me.

Mom and I went through some paper-cutting books, saw some cool stuff with animals, but I didn't render any I liked enough to use. I also thought, for  a while, that I'd hand-applique the pieces down. Well, frustrated, I decided to get off my hiney and cut a design out of Heat-N-Bond, then fused that to some fabrics I overdyed. Here are a couple of images from the work I've done fusing so far:

The piece will finish at around 40" x 70"


Thoughts? Comments? I'd dig hearing from you.