ABOUT SAILPAST

 

SAILPAST,2011, by Pamela Allen



Soon Virginia's big fundraiser will start with a bang. You might want to know a little about the work I have donated to the cause.  It's ironic that I have done a number works on the subject of sailing. It's true I live on Lake Ontario. It's true the wind is so good that they held the 1976 Olympic sailing event here,. It's true I once took sailing lessons. BUT....I was hopeless at actually sailing a boat. Not only could I never tell which way the wind was blowing but my one adventure on the water I forgot to put the center board down and was drifting all over the inner harbor much to the amusement of everyone on shore!

Still there is something elegant and romantic about sailing. This particular one was a test piece for a class I was teaching. I was going to ask the students to make a small narrative art quilt, then ( heavens!!!!) cut a fragment from it. They were then to enlarge the fragment into an entirely new  composition but without slavishly trying to match all the fabrics. Of course it is only fair that I try a couple myself to make sure it was doable.

So , the smaller piece is the fragment I started with...a detail of another quilt. You can vaguely see it in the finished piece on the right. Different but the same. Makes for an interesting slightly cubist rendering.  I hope someone likes it enough to pay the BIG bucks for it.  But not to be greedy, the lesser  donation is welcome.

AND...You might win the humongous grand giveaway prize too.

Thank you to Virginia, and all of you who intend to participate.