Modern Quilt Month 2020 ! part 1

We're celebrating Modern Quilt Month at Q.I., and we couldn't be more excited about these quilts!  The characteristics of modern quilts may include the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast, graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, and negative space.  Here are a few modern art quilts we admire.

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Bliss by Kathy McNeil (Washington)

Kathy's modern quilt was inspired by a quote from mythologist and writer Joseph Campbell. He said, "Follow your bliss, and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls........Wherever you are- if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time."  Kathy explains that her bliss is quilting, and her husband's bliss is mountain climbing.

To us, this enthralling design looks like the photo of the planet Earth as seen from outer space: a big blue marble, lit by the sun. The ombre quality of the fabrics, as they move from deeper shades to lighter shades, gives a wonderful sense of depth and dimension.

Desert Oasis by Wendy Lopez (Arizona).  Quilted by Eunice Hill

This quilt pattern is In A Nutshell by Karla Alexander. Wendy notes, " The colors used reminded me of Sedona Arizona's red rocks and monsoon rains. Blocks were made by stacking five contrasting fabrics, then cutting freehand curves."

Wendy adds, "Different centers and rays were added for interest." Wendy's intriguing and distinctive quilt contains lots of texture and clearly defined edges, much as a rock formation might exhibit rugged texture. 

Antelope Canyon Mosaic by Kimberly Lacy (Colorado)

Third Place winner in the Abstract Quilts category at the 2020 Road to California show, Kimberly notes, "This quilt was inspired by the dramatic colors of the undulating sandstone formations in Antelope Canyon, Arizona." In addition to her website, Kimberly's work is also featured at Jacquard Products.

Antelope Canyon is an example of a "slot canyon", which is a long, narrow deep channel, with steep vertical walls that are eroded into sandstone or other sedimentary rock. Some canyons like this are only 3 feet across at the top, so the sun's rays enter at all different angles, then bounce off the walls and are reflected on opposite surfaces.  By quilting these small geometric patterns into the quilt top, Kimberly has succeeded in creating a luminous, glowing effect. She adds, " The colors of the canyon wall change at different times of day."

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2020 Road to California show (Antelope Canyon Mosaic, Bliss) and the 2020 Arizona Quilters Guild show (Desert Oasis).