I am inspired...

...by Marianne Burr

'Cotton Candy' (detail) by Marianne Burr, 2013

Those colours, oh those colours! - and shapes! - and layers! - and textures! How can you not fall in love with these magnificent art quilts?

'Thru the Lens' by Marianne Burr, 2013

When I first came across this extraordinary pieces on Pinterest I had to look twice. At first glance I was unsure what these intense but at the same time soft, beautiful and sometimes almost translucent coloured shapes were; watercolour? or glass perhaps...? 

'Theo's Garden' 20008

...but no, these beauties are made from hand painted silk with layers of hand appliqué and embroidery! Aren't they amazing?

'Berry Trifle' (detail) by Marianne Burr

"My work is a joyful enterprise"  is the first words on Marianne's web page - and isn't that just so evident in her work? I do urge you to browse through her portfolios, it is real eye candy, wholesome food for the soul. 

Made by Hand, Marianne Burr

I am always curious as to how artists work, that 'what is your process' question - how does these beautiful things come to be, how do they appear? 

"I start with a line drawing of the shapes.  The colours are created by mixing my liquid silk dyes. The colours are spontaneous; I try them out on a separate small piece of stretched silk before I add them to the piece.  I am brave with the colours because I can always use another piece of appliquéd silk to change anything I want.   

For me, one of the special aspects of the process and a reason I enjoy myself so much is that when I add all the stitching the colour of the ground is changed, sometimes dramatically."

I too, start my work with not much more than a line drawing and a rough idea in my mind about colours and textures. It is so nice to know I am not alone in starting things without having all the fine details planned out in advance and finding myself (mostly) happily surprised watching my work change and take shape under the needle.

I am pretty sure I will ever grow tired of looking at these. Those colours, those ever so beautiful, colours...

Hope your week is beautiful and colourful,

Anna