Desert Spring

I just completed this piece today. It's called Desert Spring, and the finished size is 23.5" x 34.5". Every piece of fabric (cottons, linen, rayon, raw silk) was hand printed, painted or shiboried. Here are a few closeups:

I really enjoyed making this piece, loved the challenge of quilting all the pattern lines on the fabric.

I'm drawn to the desert, and it's interesting that a few of my pieces recently have evoked some aspect of desert life. In considering names for this quilt, I thought about Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire, an account of his seasons as a ranger at Arches National Park outside Moab, Utah. Abbey reflects on the nature of the Colorado Plateau desert, on the condition of our remaining wilderness, and on the future of a civilization that cannot reconcile itself to living in the natural world. It's a terrific book, highly recommended if you haven't yet read it.

I've been thinking a lot about Mexico, too, recently. Possibly my next vacation will be there, but I take them so seldom that I may have to wait a few years! What's most appealing to my psyche right now is dry heat, sand, laying in the sun baking, and the ocean. I'm thinking maybe Puerto Vallerta or someplace else on the west coast. Of course, this mix of components could be found in any number of wonderful places in the world. But Mexico is about all I could afford if I were going to leave the country anytime soon.

Instead, though, I am attempting to live my life on permanent vacation while making art!