St. Paul de Vence

St. Paul de Vence, 11" x 8.5"

Here is my response to the latest 12 by the dozen challenge. Every three months each member of our group produces a small art quilt measuring 8.5" x 11" and featuring a particular colour. This time it was my turn to name the colour and I decided on "Apple Green". Choosing the other colours was just instinctive: I like the way they work together.

I was inspired by a photo I took while in the south of France earlier this fall. This little hilltop town is home to dozens of art galleries. I was happy to include the figure of the woman perusing the gallery windows: she gives life and scale to the scene.

While in Nice, I saw an exhibition of work by Raoul Dufy at the Musée des Beaux-Arts. I was intrigued by the way Dufy superimposed a black line drawing on very loose swaths of colour. 

The Casino on the Pier at Nice, Raoul Dufy
(Is that the French tricolour as a background?)

The paint applied to the background was "liberated" from the boundaries suggested by the outlines. I tried to create an effect like that with this piece, loosening the drawing from its background shapes. Not there yet.

Casino Bleu de Nice, Raoul Dufy

To see how the other 12 by the dozen members handled the Apple Green challenge, please visit our archive and blog.