A little Klimt

A Little Klimt 12" X 12"

 The Art group studying artists and using texture, STAT chose my favorite artist, Gustav Klimt to study this month. I love his work for the detail, the graphic nature, the organic swirls and the gold among other reasons.
Just to remind you, there are six of us in the group, each has chosen two artists to be studied, and we meet every two months with a 12 inch square quilt done in the style of the artist with a focus on texture.
These are the materials I chose to work with this time. There are four hair fabrics including copper silk, the background came from one of those upholstery sample books and was a sheer, three shades of tissue lame' including copper for the binding. I used misty fuse to adhere the metallic lame' but is still wanted to fray and melt. I did the whole thing on peltex, used metallic and rayon threads, prisma color pencils to paint the face.
I fused baguettes for the earring, and used a trim for the bottom after turning under the top to finish the edge.

It seems like the people in his work have sumptuous surroundings so the fringe seemed appropriate somehow. I was surprised that the gold sheers covered the lovely curves of the under hair, but the reflective properties must have trumped sheerness. I couched a heavy thread between her skin and the klimt like fabric I've hoarded for years. 

The crown was done with Golden medium with mica chips, spackled onto fabric covered peltex cut into the shape of a tiara. I hand tacked it to the finished piece.
As far as quilting choices, I outlined where I wanted a strong line, and swirled where I wanted hair, zigged and zagged now and then.

The interesting thing to me was that I liked my sketch better than the finished project.
That's just bizarre! I am not a trained drawing person. When I start with faces I just leap in to fabric and pencil/pen and so sometimes I get proportions a bit off. Oh well, it's my process, and while I could change how I approach things, too much planning drains me, and making mock-ups takes the fun out, and well, it's how I work so I accept the occasional misstep as part of the payment.
Now if someone could tell me how to get the stupid watermark off the bottom of my picassa files, the stupid one that says 2011 I'd be thrilled! I got it on, the smartest engineer and I, one day, and now neither of us can figure out how to remove it from picassa.
I am on to the next artist, Toulouse-Lautrec. I've done two sketches, and like them both.
This group is like doing a bi monthly challenge quilt, and I love a challenge, don't you?
LeeAnna