One of the reasons I love having a studio open to the public is that I get to test public reaction to my new quilts as I finish them. Now of course I don't always listen but sometimes it is reassuring when customers are immediately drawn to a new quilt. That happened this week-end with my quilt "suddenly spring" which I just finished. Aren't the colors wonderful?

suddenly spring--32 x 48"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2019

And hanging in my studio in Shelburne Falls.

suddenly spring--studio shot--ann brauer 2019

Just like life, some quilts change depending on how you look at them. There is no right way and no wrong way, it just is. Which do you prefer?

visions of autumn-1--40x40 inches--ann brauer 2018--photo by John Polak

visions of autumn--1--40x40 inches--ann brauer 2018--photo by John Polak

visions of autumn--1--40 x 40 inches--ann brauer 2018--photo by John Poal

Ta da. The quilt is done and sold. It was one of those orders I had been fretting about over the winter. At 30 inches wide by 70 inches long it was a strange shape meant to go in the staircase. You know that long blank wall that you see as you walk down the stairs.

I wanted it to tell a simple story with the sun rising at the bottom. A color study that was also of a time and place. One of the challenges was to use the measurements to add to the story. Shouldn't the sky be dominant? Rising far above the mountains. And yet it shouldn't be just a color--with that size I wanted there to be a continuing interest and development. Again there needed to be a complexity to the colors.

Of course the only way to get the quilt done was to begin. I always tell myself to start with what I know and trust that the quilt will develop as I grow into it. But what a bulk of fabric this was to work with. Still I knew the sun and started.

mountain sun--detail--2018

What colors should I put in. After all, these would determine the colors throughout the quilt. How quickly should I have the colors progress through the palest tans and greys into colors with more substance and texture. How hard it was to be patient.

Still I kept sewing. The only way to get the quilt done was to move forward and trust that it would come together.

mountain sun--detail--ann brauer
Was the quilt getting too busy? As I worked I knew I wanted it to have those splashes of color and light. But still it was important to maintain the calming feeling that I knew the customer wanted. Still all I could do is keep moving forward. Notice how I added a bit of the horizon to give me some guidance as I kept piecing.

Finally though it was done. Don't you love the complexities of the colors?

mountain sun--30x70"--quilt--ann brauer 2018--image by John Polak

Don't the hints of blue sparkle against the tan while the colors move from light to dark and then back to light again seeming to echo the horizon and meadow. At least that is my thought.

And here is a detail. I love how the gently radiates its light against the grey of the mountains.

detail--Mountain Sun--quilt--Ann Brauer--photo by John Polak

I hung it in the studio so I could study it a bit.

mountain sun in studio--quilts--ann brauer 2018

And sure enough a couple dropped by to consider fiber art for their home. Maybe if I made another one in plum to coordinate....  Wouldn't that be lovely. Now that order has not come through yet but it does lead me to think. First though I do have a few other quilts I must complete. Isn't that how it works. One quilt inspires so many more. The only question is what to make next. I guess that's high class worries.

Only 14 days to spring. I guess the weather wants to get all the snow in now while it can. At least that is my theory. Why not?

Meanwhile my next quilt is one I love. Perhaps it is a bit more intellectual than some of the others. I think of it as a quilt about quilts. Indeed I carefully created the colors in the blocks by choosing the fabrics to make coordinate but stand out. Just look carefully at all the different prints I used. Don't you love how the blocks stand out against the black bindings.

One of the hardest blocks was the grey with the pink. I tried to make it different from the "solid" grey block but also co-ordinating with it. There are by the way more than 40 strips of fabric in each block. It took forever to sew this quilt.

pink butterflies--detail--quilt--Ann Brauer

I also love how the bright spring green in the detail below echoes the darker green while adding its own life. The various whites in my opinion calm this quilt and let the other colors stand out.

pink butterflies--detail--quilt--Ann Brauer

Of course I signed the quilt. Don't you love its name--pink butterflies. I hand finished the bindings and added looped tape on top and bottom for hanging.

pink butterflies--detail--quilt--Ann Brauer

I see this quilt in a modern room maybe with a simple sofa and coordinating pillows. Or it could be stunning with a changing display of flowers. Have fun deciding.

Because I have had this quilt for a couple of years I decided to include it in my Count Down to Spring collection. Therefore, I have reduced the price from $800 to $575 at least temporarily. To see more info you can check it out on my Etsy shop here.

There is an apocryphal but oh so true story that I have heard for years--probably you have heard it also.

An artist is asked what she would do if she was given a million dollars. The answer of course is to keep making art until she ran out of money.

Isn't that the way it goes. Always there is another quilt to make. Another show to prepare for.

Next up is the Baltimore Craft Show February 23-25 at the Baltimore Convention Center. www.craftcouncil.org How I love this show. This is another large show with six hundred artists and lots of customers who are searching for an escape from winter. For me it is the first chance to define my work for the coming year. How can I create a body of work that carries on from what I have previously done, allows me take advantage of the insights from last year and reads as a cohesive whole. One friend noted that all of my square quilts reminded her of school bus windows. Interesting thought. Do I need to make more quilts that are other sizes? Another friend whose work I respect said she preferred my more abstract pieces. Hmmm. And of course there are all those who make comments about psychedelic colors. I hear these and put them in the back of my mind to gel.

I look at other art to feed my soul and to help me see new possibilities. What inspires me. What am I trying to say. I sketch lots of quilts that will probably not get made just to see if I could make them. After all,  I am not making quilts just to make quilts--I  want to make quilts that have a purpose. Although it can be important to understand the technique until it becomes my language, technique is not the content of the quilts--at least not for me. I want to speak with the viewer. What am I trying to communicate.

And I make lots of potholders and place mats as I think about it. There is no point in sitting idly by and fretting too much. That does not create art. Instead I sew and play with the fabrics.

This year I have decided to feature my quilt "mountain sunrise". I love the colors and the joy of this piece. So happy and confident. Definitely it will be a focus. But my booth is large and there are 600 exhibitors at the Baltimore Show. I need to WOW the crowd.

mountain sunrise--40x40"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2017--image by John Polak

I make a long quilt--it's a new day. Not large enough to be a showstopper but still it was a quilt I wanted to make in a shape that could look great over a sofa or bed. Size does matter sometimes.

it's a new day--17x63"--Ann Brauer 2017

I look at other quilts I have made. I love the triptych in notes from twilight. That could make a strong statement in my booth.

notes from twilight--40x80"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2017--image by John Polak

And I start sewing with a purpose. Yes this is a quilt that I want to make. A quilt that will look great. And a quilt that should dominate the booth. Now there is just the long slow road to completion. One tiny bit of fabric at a time. I'll try to keep you posted.

And you--how do you choose what to make? How do you create a body of work?

OK--I know that my next show is the Baltimore Craft Show February 23-25 right when people are thinking the bright happy colors of spring. Indeed many people even now want the bright clear colors of hope and light. And I have several orders lined up ready to be filled.

And yet sometimes I just have to see what will happen. Color after all does reflect the depths of my soul. (Yes, that sounds maybe a bit profound but it still can be true for me.) Winter is just starting here in the North East and it is dark and cold. The holidays are over and so I decided to create.

What do I need to make? What intrigues me? For some reason it is the complex nature of browns in all their glory. Soon I know I must begin anticipating the season and moving on to light and warm days but I couldn't resist. Interesting how color can just lead me on.

brown flame--quilt--Ann Brauer--2017

Don't you love all these fabrics? Can you see what I had so much fun?

detail--brown flame--quilt--Ann Brauer

Does this ever happen to you? For more information on the Baltimore Show check out their web site. I'm in Booth 1309. https://craftcouncil.org/shows/acc/american-craft-show-baltimore And of course I listed it on my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/annbrauer

OK--this is not the largest decision I will make today. Not
the largest one I will make in the course of creating this quilt. But still--it matters. As everything about the quilt does create the effect of the whole. And if I get it wrong, I can guarantee you that I will not know about it in time to change it. So of course I spend time thinking about it and trying samples.

Let me step back for a moment. This time I am working on a quilt that portrays the eclipse. It is a custom order and the purchaser knew what he wanted. Indeed he told me the colors and the concept which luckily is a concept that I was eager to pursue. Dark red/black center--white corolla--surrounded by deep blue sky. What a great concept. So much power in this quilt.

eclipse of the sun--ann brauer 2017--quilt

Now coincidentally I am loosely studying some of the landscapes of Marsden Hartley. I am not sure I will make it to the see the retrospective at Colby College this summer but I am drawn to the simple power of his paintings and looking at reproductions of this work did influence this quilt.

But now the question at hand is what color should I use to quilt the work. Now the color of the thread adds just a bit to the piece. There is a slight tinge from this stitching. There is also the decision as to how much I want the quilting to stand out.

My technique to decide is simple. I hold up the possible thread colors and step away from the quilt. How do the different colors relate to the quilt? Based on my experience with other quilts, what will the effect be on this piece.

My first choices were either blue, yellow or red.

eclipse of the sun--quilt--Ann Brauer 2017

I have used yellow a lot on my quilts but I think this time it will stand out too much against the dark blues and reds. The blue would look great for the two outer colors but I worry about it against the red which I want to look dark like the whole in the sky the sun became when the moon passed over it.

OK--that may lead me to check out different reds.

eclipse of the sun--quilt--Ann Brauer 2017

Not bad--although I fear the dark red will become totally lost in the center and the brighter red may stand out too much against the blue. Mmmm. Something to ponder.

I look through my thread colors again--what am I missing. Suddenly it occurs to me--red and blue combine to form purple. How would that work. Certainly it would keep the two prominent colors balanced and would tie them together with lines that would show against the white.

eclipse of the sun--quilt--Ann Brauer

What an interesting concept. I'll think about it overnight and then decide. After all, I want to finish this quilt. My mind has been planning so many more quilts and I still have four craft shows to do.

What do you think? How do you choose what color to quilt with? And have you seen the Marsden Hartley exhibit?

Overnight it seems the world has changed. The sun is bright and clear. A fresh dry air mass has moved in bringing the eagerness of the new day.

What more can I say? What more need I say?

summer dawn--40x40 inches--quilt--Ann Brauer--photo by John Polak

Interesting how place can affect the quilts that I make. When I lost my studio, I was fortunate enough to find a space I could rent across the river. It too had large windows and high ceilings. There was a charm about the building. However the view was different. This time when I looked out the window I saw the geometry of the Iron Bridge. Beautiful in its own right but splitting the sky into brief snippets of blue. The train whistle was more distant but I could see the might as the gate came down and it roared through town.

My life too was different. I could see the hole where my studio had been.  I could feel its absence every day. And yet in order to go on, I needed to divide my life into sections just like the Iron Bridge did. I needed the calm certainty of sewing and creating. One seam after the other. What more could I learn from the log cabin pattern? How much further could I push it? The "hearth" or center of the block offering a hope against the lines of the steps. Methodical meditative work.

Am I over-writing this description? Probably. But that was the origin of my quilt--visions. Yes, it was quilt as you go for those who want to be technical with all the threads tied off. Picky absorbing work. What more can I say?

visions--38x38"--quilt--Ann Brauer--image by John Polak

detail--visions--quilt--Ann Brauer

Finally I am half way through this project. I was chatting with a friend while getting my morning coffee recently and she noted how ambitious I was to post 36 quilts for 36 years. Yes, that is a lot of quilts. And a l-o-n-g time.

I do love this quilt though--it is a large version of my piece "october sun". At 96x96 inches it was meant for a bed or a large wall. Of course each block was different although also the same.  Needless to say the center of the quilt came together easily but the two outside rows seemed to take forever. When I made this quilt I did not have my large design board so I had to remember the colors to get the whole to work. That was a feat in itself but don't you love the subtle but defined change of color so that the whole seems to almost pulse with life. What do you think?

october sun--96x96 inches--Ann Brauer

Finally the weather is warm. The sun is shining. What a perfect day to come to Shelburne Falls if you are in the area and enjoy all the activities celebrating the river.

july!!!--about 24x50"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2016