Shelia of the Desert ...

  Wow, where has the summer gone?  With Fall just around the corner, I am very glad the hot and humid days of our Las Vegas summer are now turning to cool evenings and brisk mornings.  The days are still hot in the higher 90s, but the humidity is back to it's low normal.  Based on this summer's weather, my most recent art piece seems to be reflective of my state of mind.

  From mid-August to mid-September, I have been working on a landscape picture.  For interest I added Shelia, a bearded dragon lizard which I thread painted.  Shelia's relatives can be found in the central deserts of Australia where temperatures and climate vary dramatically depending upon the time of year and rain fall. 

  Quilting Shelia and the desert landscape was a delight.  I learned more about the formation of mountain and rock contours by viewing photos on the web. Surprisingly, the inner frame created using half square triangles was the most laborious to construct.  I like the look of the traditional squares juxtaposed to the semi-realistic landscape and the personified lizard smiling in the quilt.  Click the pics below to see an enlarged version.

  I am taking a color class at the community college.  Having enjoyed a five day Color Class with Hollis Chatelain in June, I returned home wanting to learn more.  The depth of a twice a week semester class is remarkable.  It is just what I needed.

Shelia 20 by 21

Shelia - Detail

Mountain Detail