Seagulls

During my recent trips to Europe, I saw many seagulls, including in the historic center of Rome, Italy. They seem to follow the Tiber river.

Exploration: Draw the Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina with a wet erasable pen on cellophane wrap, spray water on it, and press cotton fabric onto it. The result?

Well, I had hoped it would show abstract outlines of the piazza, but it didn't. Just looked like a big splash to me.

Based on my photos from Ireland earlier this year, I sketched these seagulls and painted them with acrylics. Usually, I work from the background to the foreground.

Quilted them by machine and "Splash" was done.

I like it, but it's too generic for the "Piazza" series.

So, I'm starting again: this time I'm sketching with the wet erasable pen directly onto the cotton. Inventing a balustrade on which a seagull can land - and painting this art quilt in the same color range as "Splash".

After the painting in acrylics, a few final touches are done with textile pastel; then it's ready to be machine-quilted (all in free motion on a simple home sewing machine).

At the top of this post you see them: Gallery-wrapped onto wooden stretchers, ready to go into the world.

P.S. I added metallic (golden, silver, copper) dots or splashes on the sides to have a more harmonious transition, in case a collector wants to hand them as they are - rather then framing them.