We humans love to think we’re at the center of our cities. We believe we built them therefore humanity is the city’s beating heart.
The true Heart of the City is Mother Nature. She rules the natural world. She gives us the materials to build. She guides our minds and hands as we work. She invites all that is wild into our finished creation. She inspires our every move.
And she reminds us that the work is never truly done.
Our cities are living creatures. All that is Wild and Natural is the city’s beating heart. The city is as much a part of Nature as the raw materials we used to create it. We’re just custodians.
That’s the place I explore in Heart of the City.
- Materials: Hand-dyed cotton, cotton-polyester thread, polyester cording, acrylic paint, oil sticks, dye
- Series: American Village
- Size: 36 inches x 36 inches (92 cm x 92 cm)
- Completed: 2023
- Current location: Private Collection
My Thoughts on the Work
I used this piece as a test to see if a new construction technique would work – to approach a piece from a whole-cloth quilting perspective blended with a painter’s perspective.
In Heart of the City, I began with three layers, the top, batting, and backing. I used Queen B to create the basic picture, the coloring lines so to speak. Then, I used layers of dye to color the whole work. After I was satisfied with the base, I began adding details to give the piece more depth and highlighting.
The challenge I had with Heart of the City was in managing the balance for the whole work – there was a significant warp in several spots when I finished the edges. I blocked it, and that helped the fibers move into a more harmonious arrangement, thus eliminating the warp. Sometimes the City needs a little healing to realign with Nature, too.
