Degas horse - Day6

I thought it would be fun for you to see  progression of painting the horse with the jockey. I love the impressionistic style of painting. I wonder what Degas would have thought…

Degas horse - Day5

One of the Hill-Stead's hidden treasures: Theodate Pope's riding boots. Ms. Pope was the heiress of the estate and lived a dynamic life that included many interests. She and her parents acquired paintings from impressionistic painters in the 1800's.

Degas horse - Day4

Painting gesture into the horse and his rider, and then adding the background sky and hedge row, really make the whole landscape come alive. Giddyup!

Degas horse - Day3

It's such a thrill to block in the immediate foreground color and begin the main figure... In this case, I chose one of the several jockeys in the Degas painting.

Degas horse - Day2

Choosing fabric sets the stage for the artwork. The fabric must have the right atmosphere of the painting. Notice how it begins to tell the story.

Degas horse - Day1

My version of instant gratification is collectiong my sketches, resources, and sometimes the frame of a piece. I then take a collage photo. It gets me organized and gets me excited to start. The inspiration for my artwork is a pastel of jockeys on their horses by Degas (1886; hillstead.org). This is a part of my series “Mastering the Masters”.

Hill-Stead Museum Portrait: A whole cloth quilt - Day11

Finally! The finishing touches are done in ink. This medium is translucent and using it to add just a few detailed hints of landscape is effective. This technique is much like when the Impressionists wanted to make a ‘suggestion’ on the canvas for the eye to complete.

Hill-Stead Museum Portrait: A whole cloth quilt - Day10

The quilt work is making the piece come alive!!! And now I just have to detail the sidewalk and rock wall. The piece is shown draped over the canvas substrate.

Hill-Stead Museum Portrait: A whole cloth quilt - Day9

Stitching intricate leaves, texture into the sky, and the grassy foreground...now I feel like the piece is really coming to life.

Hill-Stead Museum Portrait: A whole cloth quilt - Day8

I love the contrast between the straight lines of the architecture and the painterly strokes of color.  I can’t wait to sew tomorrow!

Hill-Stead Museum Portrait: A whole cloth quilt - Day7

It was so satisfying to paint the house, but I couldn't wait to get into the landscape! Sometimes when I work, there is a critical wave that comes and goes: “I like it, I don't like it, I like it…” However, every step of this project there is a new level of excitement and I have “liked” it all along the way! Every day when I finish working in my studio, I can't wait until the next day to work!