"Aotearoa Quilters hold a 12 x 12 Colour challenge every year, in the past they have just stated a colour but this year decided to change it to Colours of Spring. This, of course, left it wide open for interpretation. What are the colours of Spring?
As I looked through my photos of Spring, the colours of spring changed over the three months of the season and there was every colour evident in my photos. In my typical way of working I created two pieces that spoke of spring to me and neither were a 'traditional' response of spring colours. I showed both responses to my family who said neither of them spoke of spring colours to them. The one I chose to enter my son said it reminded him of coral in the sea. I wasn't upset by their responses; rather it reminded me of how we can all see things so differently and that is the power of art.
I am happy to say that my entry "Spring Forth" won a Merit award in the colour challenge and when I look at the four entries that won awards they all speak to the colours of spring in different ways.
Artists Statement for Spring Forth: In early Spring the first bulbs burst through, braving the still cold temperatures to add colour after the dormancy of Winter."
My second response to Colours of Spring was very different, although the idea came from a similiar place - the bursting forth of new life and blooms. The inspiration came from the idea that nature doesn't wish to be confined and contained and often in Spring you can see flowers and plants pushing through fences as they burst into life after the winter dormancy.
The appliqued flowers were from a black and white surface pattern design I had created and had printed by Spoonflower. Prior to appliquing them onto the background I hand painted them using Lumiere paints. The black background strip fabric is a beautiful Mallee fabric piece that perfectly added to the art work.
So, what do you think? What says colours of Spring to you? Let me know...