A New Textile: "Turquoise Folds"

Turquoise Folds, hand dyed wool on linen, 10 x 13 in.

Most of the textiles I've made over the past few years use flat abstract shapes for their compositions. A few months ago, though, I tried an illusionistic image with rounded volumes (see the first textile, Draped, in the group of three below). It was an interesting challenge to come up with an image that had both an illusion of three dimensions, and a strong design which emphasized flatness; it's a both/and element that is also in my paintings, I hope.

Turquoise Folds, detail

My textiles have influenced my paintings over the past few years, so it's fun to have the influence go the other way. When I completed the previous work in this volume series, Four Cylinders, a couple of people remarked that it reminded them of Renaissance drapery; so, I did several sketches based on those paintings, finally coming up with this, my own design. Of course the Virgin's robe is always an ultramarine blue, so I nodded in that direction with this turquoise. 

Draped, Four Cylinders, Wave

Arch and Point

I plan to continue to occasionally add to the series of volumetric images, and to the shaped textiles, such as Arch and Point, which have an illusionistic element in them. It's a way of bringing my painting and textiles closer together as each body of work develops.