The Donna Reed filter

Each morning when I get into my studio the light from the east-facing window spews across the tables. It catches little vignettes that are quite magical. The color of this quilt melds perfectly with the pins and felt of the pincushion. And I love the repetitive circular elements.

It looks like the lens on my camera has some gunk on it that smudges the focus of elements within it's gaze. We (those of us in the ad biz) used to call this the Donna Reed filter, because every time Donna Reed (for those of you too young to relate please google the name) came on there was this gauzy soft focus image of her that made her look smooth and glowing. It's a look that should come with a soundtrack. I know I am always looking for a little vaseline to smudge on the lens when someone points a camera in my direction.

For now, I will leave the smudge in place. Because a little blurring of the edges seems right to me.

You can never have too much orange

Serpent, 2012, Paula Kovarik

I'm working on a series using wonderful tangerine colored linen napkins. Each napkin is a completely different 14" x 15" composition that allows me to experiment with stitch patterns. This one is called Serpent. This detail does not show the spiral configuration of the drawing, but that early morning light that grazes across my desk each morning shows the wonderful texture. And, of course, you can never have too much orange in your life. After seeing a copperhead snake in our lily bed I have been more interested in the snake shape, its meaning in mythology, how to identify them and why people are so afraid of them. I find snakes elegant and solitary creatures. This spiral-designed version was inspired by a series of pre-columbian pottery I was looking at last week. 

back from the photographer

Just got the final professional image of the tablecloth quilt from my friend Allen Mims. He did an incredible job shooting it (see his spectacular portfolio here). Here is a detali for your curiousity. I can't really show the whole quilt pending my decision to send this the judges at Quilt National OR FiberArts International. As of today I am choosing FAInternational because it will allow me to show the piece in my Memphis show in November. Breaks my heart because I really feel a great loyalty to the QN competition and this is my strongest piece this year.

©2012, Paula Kovarik

There's those clouds again!

clouds

Recently I spoke at a local quilt guild about my artwork. I showed how my drawings inspire the patterns and quilts I create. One woman asked if I ever found myself repeating myself with the motifs that I create in stitching. I can answer that with an emphatic yes. I use arrows, sunbursts, flower petals and leaf shapes a lot. Lately I have been fascinated by clouds. With our current drought affecting more than my homely little vegetable garden we watch the skies each day with anticipation. The clouds (very puffy white and gray pillows) march across and around and through Memphis with regularity, without a splash of water. 

Here are some of the explorations I have created using those shapes as inspiration.

A doodle:

A seamless pattern:

A woodcut by EtchPop:

and in a quilt:

Each stage of these explorations adds more depth and fun to the shapes. I think they will haunt me for a while.

light trick

light trick, 2012, Paula Kovarik

I am always happy to enter my studio in the morning. There is a big east-facing window that spews light across the surfaces of my tables. This piece was in the direct beam so I grabbed my camera to shoot it. Little did I know that the camera would further distort the image because there was so little light for focus. I love how the shadows on this piece create the illusion of a cliff right under the eyes.