More so as a kid—though always, really—I’ve looked like my father. The genes are strong: we all look a little unusual and our family resemblance is strong. However, more than any sibling or cousin, I resemble my father. The look is in the big but happy dark eyes, the rounded-but-shapeless nose, the full lips and the pinch-able cheeks. But a few years ago, all of a sudden, I started also to look like my mother. An uncle commented about this to me then. And he seemed kind of shocked to notice it too: sort of more intense dark eyes, a more sculpted nose bridge, sharper cheekbones, well-defined lip shape, and a point-y chin. Rounded looks became more sharp. (Before you ask: nope, no change in weight. Just aging.) And I still look just like my dad too.
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Is this a weird way to introduce a quilt?
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It seems most artists turn to the self portrait as topic for a while. I’ve shied away for lots of reasons, but some recent embroidery made me think my self-confidence and technical textile skillz were up to a first stab at the exercise. I opted for an abstract approach this time, seeking to illustrate the shapes–as observed above.
Technique-wise, this applique is inspired by the stencil quilts of Dan Rouse. I have never taken his classes nor asked him for guidance in how to do it. Would love to get a lesson in it someday if I ever get back to San Francisco or if he ever comes to the other coast. I have long admired his quilts and the subjects he chooses.
Okay, here are the photos already…geez.
Sorry about that sun flare…
Design: improv patchwork with monochrome contour self portraits
Materials: kona snow, muslin, osnaburg cotton; various calicoes
Techniques: machine applique (both regular and reverse) and machined pieced; machine quilted; and hand-bound
Finished size: 36″ square
Started: October 2012
Finished: November 2012
This is just so great. I seriously love everything about it.
So wonderful.
Really great.
Very cool.
I was eagerly watching you make the self portrait squares in wait to see what they’d become. This might be my favorite….like surpassed the F**k quilt even. :)
this is beautiful. I love your work, it’s very introspective
I’m really blown away. Not only is it beautiful, but I feel like you gave yourself a pretty tough assignment and really did amazingly (Worst sentence ever???). The SPs are wonderful and I love what you have done with the negative space.
Also, this line made me chuckle: Is this a weird way to introduce a quilt?
This is so, so cool. Everything about it.
I’d love for you to talk about how you created the stencils.
So fantastic! This one is amazing. I never think of calico fabric in any other way than Half-pint & little house on the prairie. Love how you took it in a completely modern looking piece.
super cool.
I love this SO MUCH.
It’s one thing for us to look in the mirror, another thing entirely to examine ourself this way. Kudos.
And kudos for a great finish to the quilt too.
Fabulous! Lovely, evocative, innovative work.
I don’t know which I love more – your quilt or all the preceding comments.
Wow, this is amazing.
Awesome! (Iwas a bit creeped out by the scissors on you nose, but quickly got over it.) You have an artist’s eye and imagination. I love following your journey. Thank you.
As someone who fears being in front of the lens I give you props. Way to make calicos look contemporary. Beautifully done.
Damn, C, this is amazing!I love everything about this – the limited palette, the use of negative space, everything is so beautifully balanced.
I love that you are doing this. And since I first saw it, the panel on the right gives me a kick b/c it looks like you’re mouth is taped/covered/gagged somehow, which I think is a great (unintentional?) irony, what with your continued outspokenness in your exploration of craft and voice and change. Your work inspires me every day.
Remarkable. Your talent is astounding.
Wow!! You nailed the technique whatever you did and you nailed it all quite well!! Beautiful composition. Beautiful art.
(I got a little wistful while you were mentioning your resemblences to your father. Being adopted I never met my birth father and I would love to know what he looks like to see if I look anything like him. I have met my mother and we have some similarities. Interestingly enough I very similar to a birth sister although we don’t share the same father.)
I’ve loved seeing glimpses of these in progress. And the complete quilt is gorgeous. Can’t wait for your return trip!
Incredible. This is the post that made me stop wondering how you do it and just appreciate the fact that you do. Seriously marvelous!
It is funny, the mash-up dance our genes can play on us.
Then there is our adopted family: you & Dan, sister & brother of fabric.
Well done.
This is a great bold style. I’ve found it scarey at time to see my parents in my own face but more so to hear their voices ;)!
You have a very fasinating creative mind. I am a huge fan!!!!!!!
Stunning piece of art.
I don’t think that’s a weird way to introduce a quilt, nope. I am in awe of this, C. It’s stunning. incredible.
love seeing this come together. and you.
who you are…….thank you!
what an excellent new direction.
You are truly an artist C! This is just wonderful.
I keep coming back to study your quilt. It’s wonderful.
Gorgeous and striking (you & the quilt)! Count me in as another person who loves your use of calicoes in this application—I think I got soured on them a little while hand-piecing a ton of very old-school 8″ blocks with muslin for the background, but these ones look very fresh. Other loves: the variety of neutrals, the splash of red calico in the binding along the bottom, reverse applique, all the contours!!
Well done! I really like the restrained palette and the combination of the simple portraits with the simple, abstract piecing. Very tasteful and quite effective. Kudos! (Makes me want to try some self portraits too, especially being an artists and all.)
Super-cool, C! I too looked like one family member (my dad’s mom) and then at a certain age, all of a sudden, looked like my mom.
Wow, this is terrific.
You are so brave and talented and amazing! Really. I love this. All of the portraits are stunning but I am so completely drawn to the red one on the left of the quilt. Just beautiful.
I love how individual and interesting we all are, while carrying our ancestors around in our very existence. Every time I look at my kids I am struck by how they got this or that feature from me or my husband and yet they are so completely themselves.
this is seriously inspiring and so amazing! i love the look of it, the colors, the introspection and chance to look at yourself from the outside. well done all around! i aspire to your level of art craftyness!
Wow. Stunning. Beyond all the other technical amazements, the boldness and courage to create it (I don’t even know if I have that many photos of myself, much less would be willing to engage them in such an intense way), and that the finished product is so very very lovely, I will ALSO say that I love that you’re in there in your hoodie. Like many others, I hope you will post even more detail shots of the quilt and more about the technical process – just because I want to revel in it even more.
incredibly interesting work. As always, I am inspired.
i love you! period. end of story!
This is completely amazing. You’ve produced so many beautiful and creative pieces, but this may actually be my favorite. Not only does it show your creativity, but it shows your courage. Visually, it is such an appealing piece. Well done C!
I love this.Great challenge:-)
I really love the colors your chose and how the farther away the photo of the quilt the more in focus I see the images of you. It’s a very cool technique.
marvelous.
I am awestruck. Once again you inspire me.
Wow. This is a really incredible quilt. Another incredible quilt. You really are an artist. Do you think you will exhibit someday?
Absolutely fantastic! I love your quilt!
As usual, a stunning quilt. This is just beautiful.
Wow. I really love this quilt. It reminds me of a more updated/modern version of a quilt my grandma was making for my brother in the mid 70s. My bother had traced his profile on construction paper at school as an art project and my grandma decided to transfer the profile onto black fabric and applique it onto off white blocks and make them into a quilt for him. A sort of snap shot of his 1st grade profile. Well, she got all the fabric cut and appliqued and my brother thought his head looked too big (we all have big heads and big hair!) so she shelved the project for years. Finally in the late 90s she got the blocks back out, and replaced the head blocks with blocks that reflected my high school activities (orchestra, ballet, math and science school, etc) and I got the quilt for high school graduation. Long story short… I love your quilt.
I LOVE This C! You are so creative. Beautiful, just beautiful!!!!