A New Textile: "Shield"

Shield, hand dyed wool on linen, 19 1/2 x 14 in. 

While doing some thumbnail sketches, finding ideas for new textiles, I kept coming up with separate panels, two or 4 part pieces, either related or attached. Then, with the diptych idea above, came the notion of pulling the two panels together by adding a shape behind, something like the curved form of a shield. I liked the way it added a new element to my way of composing. The color is  red/yellow/blue, but not pure hues. 

Shield detail

When I wrote above of the "shape behind", it is only illusionistically behind, since all the hooking is on the same plane, on a flat surface. The two squares seem to be floating on top of the dark red background shape: by having their edges overlap the dark red, by hooking the wool in different directions on the shield and inside the squares, an illusion of depth is created. Fun!