For most of us in the Northern Hemisphere, May signals an explosion of color and fragrance in our flower gardens, filling us with inspiration that can be translated into future floral quilts and sewing projects.
Sometimes I meet a flower that has an effect on me for years. Here is a photo of one such flower. I photographed it last August in the gardens of Crathes Castle in Scotland. It was such a perfect shade of Salmon Pink, with a few dewdrops sparkled in the morning sun…and I was smitten!
If you look closely, you will see the tinges of Mauve on the outer tips of the petals, and the glow of sunny yellow towards the center of the blossom. The more I looked at this flower, the more inspiration was revealed. Sometimes a walk in the garden is not enough. We have to stop and focus on that one perfect blossom, and as we bring our consciousness completely into that moment, the secret of the flower will show itself.
This is a type of creative meditation that brings us into an empty inner space that allows us to see things that were otherwise hidden. Allowing ourselves to slow down and just "Be" is one of the secrets of the great artists. The more you gaze quietly, the more you see.
Then we take a deep breath and dive into the process of creating!
Do you have a favorite place in Nature that opens up your creative senses?
Be sure to check out our new videos filmed at the DAR Museum in Washington DC…. 2 out of 3 are now up on our video page.
Upcoming Quilty Travel:
May 16-18 Quilt Market
June 11 Quilt Canada, Ontario
July 15 Quilt Colorado
July 24 IQCAfrica, Johannesburg South Africa
Sept 19-21 Quilters Take Manhattan
Sept 27 Quilt Exhibit, US Embassy, Rome
Oct 13-19 Polar Bear Tour, Churchill
Nov 14-16 Color Marketing Group, Orlando
Jan 2015 – Quilt Symposium in Manawatu, New Zealand
