Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Color!

 
While another half foot of snow falls, we think of spring here in the frozen tundra.  I started keeping track of how many sunny versus cloudy days we've had since Thanksgiving, but honestly it was too depressing to know for sure.  If one day a week was sunny we were lucky. 
 
After Christmas and when the grey days began in earnest, the bright reds and glistening trees were packed away, it was so flat and dull in my house that I decided some bursts of color were needed.  It began by my putting out some spring robin's eggs I saw in the junk drawer while looking for a screwdriver to repair my reading glasses, and I suddenly knew more blue of the eggs, more purple, magenta, and even chartreuse were needed in my house.
 
 
In my sewing room I opened a cupboard door and out fell this charming doll from a student at Asilomar (thank you Ann!).  It had been put away so Oliver wouldn't eat it; the feathers were a huge attraction.  It was like a burst of sunshine!  I knew I was on the right path in replacing my typical neutrals with some saturated tones.  The doll is bright orange with turquoise bead eyes and some green shiny mesh wings.  Love it.  It made me smile.
 
I rummaged around and found a few things, but knew it was necessary to go on a shopping trip for some big inexpensive bright objects.  It was a cloudy grey damp cold dreary day, of course, but shopping was fun.  My cheeks got rosy as I went from store to store.  I came home with packages, bags, paper, and Oliver was thrilled helping me unpack it.
 
 
Success!  I found a bright blue pottery jar for some faux tulips (wishful thinking for spring and Oliver eats real flowers), fresh fruit in a brown/blue pottery bowl, Oliver's wheat grass in a deep aubergine basket, and a new spring green trivet that I don't know how I lived without.  I felt much happier already, and so did Oliver.  He knows he looks great in this setting!
 
 
When I shopped I looked at items I normally would have bypassed but this time I only looked at color, didn't matter what the item was.  Purple and green striped kitchen towels went into a soft green pitcher I had stored way back in a cupboard for a splash of much needed color on my kitchen counter.  And....I can always grab a towel and use it if necessary.
 
I unpacked more exciting bags.  New pillows for the khaki cotton couch, chartreuse and ivory ikat print; and the purple quilted circles one I already had, and a shimmery silk green pillow too.
 
 
My favorite find was an abstract art print for the dining room, with rich wonderful unexpected colors, detail below.  I love it.  I got it for a steal because of a small ding in the frame, and it's signed and numbered.
 
 
 
Below the framed print I placed some of my pottery, an old everyday platter my grandmother had, and a new vase from the National Quilt Museum's gift shop that I treasure.  It has the most beautiful blues.
 
 
And in the family room I also included some shine and color with a reflective platter and added some smooth globes that have two tones of color on each, a dark and a light, so they can be rolled about to create new combinations.  Oliver is very good at rolling them about. 
 
 
The one on the left is really more vibrant chartreuse, fantastic.  I added more color here and there, lit a candle on the mantle out of Oliver's reach, and walked from room to room, enjoying the color, the focal points.  I still love neutrals and soft tones, but adding more color made them look better too.  
 
And then I unwrapped and set up my wonderful new deep cobalt blue lamp.....sigh.  It looks so pretty with my collection of blue/white china.
 
 
 
As I went through my years as a quiltmaker I discovered much the same thing.  Use what you've always loved, but look for something new and wonderful to add, an unusual color, a new or different style of print, a glistening thread.  I still like many of the fabrics from years ago, but need more color now, and love what is available to quilters that was not in the past.  Texture, shine, saturation, contrast, cool and warm, bright and subdued.  You have so much to use to create something that will delight. 
 

 
My little doll says goodbye by showing you her back and her lovely wings.  Think about some orange or polka dots when you make your next quilt!
 
Keep quilting, keep growing.  Your work gets better every day.
Diane
 
 

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

My soul thanks you for the vibrant post! That blue/white lamp is gorgeous! The flashes of color you have placed through out your home has gotten me going....I'm off to do the same (I think our 10"+ of the white stuff is coming to an end, here in S.E. MN). So good to 'hear' from you! Hugs, Doreen

Diane Gaudynski said...

Thanks Doreen - glad you are on the same page as I, here in snowy WI. We got 6" today on top of mountains of it from last week. Hope you find something that inspires you too.

Bianca said...

... and that's what colour therapy is all about. All those bright colours help lift your spirit. And which quilter doesn't like colours?! The blue jar is absolutly gorgeous!! Not 'my' colour at all, but this one I love. Oliver made it look even prettier! (He's such a handsome guy!)
I adore colours, the more the better, but funny enough my cloths are mostly black. Why, I don't know.
I'll send some sunshine your way. We had plenty of that going around here and yesterday was the warmest march 5th EVER in the Netherlands. Today will be the same; 67 degrees! Love the warmth after all those cold months.
Bey for now. Give Oliver a big Dutch hug for me.
Bianca

Sara said...

You really went all out to make it Spring at your house! Just beautifully done! The eggs are sweet and I love that trivet and kitty!

Sally said...

Thank you for a glimpse into your "spring-ness". I think I"ll go digging in cupboards, the attic, etc., and see what I can find. I love to re-arrange things. Makes me feel as if the whole house is "new" and refreshes my soul. YOur post always makes me want to add something unexpected into my quilts.

Diane Gaudynski said...

Yes, it is what color therapy is all about - it makes a huge difference if the colors around you make YOU happy. Pick ones you love, add a dash of new, switch things around. In your quilts too of course!

Maggie said...

Thank you, Ma'am, for your bright, cheerful post. :) I luv luv luv your purple circle pillow. Looks like tons and tons of starts and stops. Yes?
Maggie

Diane Gaudynski said...

Maggie, the pillow is done with a digitized design on a commercial machine - instead of stopping, the stitching is doubled for travel to the next ring. I do the same thing when I quilt this design, but after each unit (a filled partial circle) I cut the thread and begin a new one. It gives you a break in concentration, and lets your eyes rest for a moment or two.

I hope to have a lesson on this soon; I call my design "Celtic Bubbles."

Jenny K. Lyon said...

What a lovely, cheerful post-you overcome the winter blues quite nicely! Here in northern Ca we have the opposite problem-virtually no rain and unmitigated sun-nice problem to have!

Karin said...

What a serene looking creature of a cat. Very pretty and yes, agree, he knows it too.
Isn't is funny, here in Australia we are yearning for the cold. It has been in the high 30s for the last week with the air conditioner running non-stop. This makes everything an effort but hopefully will be over soon.

Lori@TheInboxJaunt said...

Hi! I just wrote a post on my blog, The Inbox Jaunt, about your quilt books--my favorite. If you are interested..

http://theinboxjaunt.com/2013/03/08/my-favorite-quilting-books/

Thanks for all your quilting inspiration!

Jane Zillmer said...

Diane - What wonderful color inspirations!