| Quilters have an incredibly long attention span, I have found. We have the ability to look at one amazing quilt for the longest time, appreciating and dissecting every little stitch, every color choice, every shape and proportion. Do we do this when we look at a painting by a master artist in a museum? I hope so. The same principles apply. We can go to a quilt festival and spend hours looking at every single quilt, reading the artist statements, taking photos, wandering up and down the aisles, eavesdropping on others’ comments about our favorite quilts, and taking mental notes so we can bring inspirations home to our own quilt making. But sometimes, it is wonderful to just go into a quilt museum, be stunned by one quilt that totally captures our imagination, and just sit down to absorb what it is that has grabbed our attention. It is these quiet reflective moments that perhaps will nudge us to our next level of artistry, creativity, and mastery. It might be that ‘Aha!’ moment when we realize…..that’s the kind of quilt I want to be making! (And if we are lucky, we have the chance to study with that artist in a workshop someday.) Having the luxury of time, to sit and take a long deep look at a remarkable quilt, is one of life’s great pleasures for us. It ranks right up there with sitting on the beach watching a sunset, wandering through a fragrant flower garden buzzing with bees, or gazing at the Milky Way on a moonless black night. When our eyes and hearts and souls are filled with beauty and wonder, creative inspiration can’t be too far behind. It is our goal to give you that kind of visual creative inspiration in eQuilter e-newsletters each week, but we also hope that you can take the time to visit museums, galleries, and exhibits, to constantly be watering your own creative garden. This photo is from my recent visit to the International Quilt Museum, where I observed this quilter sitting and soaking up the details of this master quilt: Forest Flowing, by Karen Perrine, from the John Walsh “Water” Collection. Sharing your love of fabric, Luana and Paul Quilt/Travel/Sponsor Calendar: Dec 1-2 – Clinton Presidential Library Feb 22-25 – QuiltCon – Atlanta See Luana’s Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, watch our videos, or follow us on Facebook. Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter pages for Color and Design ideas. |
