Treasured Waters

Treasured Waters completed in March 2010 measures 36X48. and is my rendition of a coral reef which is done in a more fiber art style. This piece was created for a special exhibit, "Beneath The Surface" curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison of Dinner At Eight Artists. The exhibit will make its debut in Long Beach, California July 22-25, 2010 at International Quilt Festival and is sponsored by Moore's Sewing Centers and Brother International. This is my first juried invitational and I am truly honored and thrilled to be in such good company!!! If you click on the pictures, you can see a more detailed view. The background is composed of a cotton/silk blend fabric painted with Setacolor paints to show the water as it changes from a light to a dark hue. The ocean floor has sheer backdrops and consists of sea plants made from dyed lace and doilies accompanied by heat distressed plastic and tyvek to similate rocks. The coral reef is made from dyed cheesecloth that is sculpted to give a rough coral feel. I tried to blend the floor by painting with Setacolor and Lumiere paints to show the coral reef extending into the background. The turtle shell is composed of commercial and hand dyed/painted fibers that are needlefelted and further embellished with beads. The head, fins and tail are painted and quilted before attaching to the main quilt such that they appear to float over the surface. The leafy seadragon was also painted and quilted with extra layers of batting to give dimension. His leafy like structures are composed of painted lutradur. The fish on the right is appliqued with a tulle overlay. The smaller fish on the left are actual plastic play fish which have been drilled and hand sewn to the sea anenome. The sea anenome itself is a repurposed dyed "bun warmer" made of three doilies sewn together that buttons in two places to become dimensional. I love the way the clown fish are swimming in and out of the anenome. The jelly fish are comprised of textiva, tulle and sheer overlays with their tentacles made of banana fibers, yarn, cheesecloth and painted dryer sheets. This piece has taken me two months to make and was a bear to quilt due to the 3 dimensional aspect. It is called "Treasured Waters" because it speaks of the coral reefs which presently comprise 1% of the ocean floor. It is these coral reefs that house almost half of the types of marine life today. However, due to bleaching and pillaging, these very same reefs are projected to be extinct by the year 2050, a mere forty years away. Measures are being taken to protect our coral reefs but for now these treasured waters maintain a coexistence of the reefs and marine life that is unparralleled to any other. Some would say they are the rainforests of the ocean not only providing sustenance to marine life but also holding vital medicinal properties such as extracts and minerals that are currently being tested and used to treat cancer, AIDS, inflammatory disorders and many more ailments. Previously, large amounts of tissue samples were needed to extract these hormones and minerals but through today's bioengineering advances, we are able to replicate these treasured samples by using the smallest amounts of tissue. It is imperative that we protect these treasured waters in much the same way that we strive to protect our rainforests. Please visit http://dinnerateightartists.blogspot.com/ for more information.