Regatta

This project is the result of a watercolor painting class exercise—to be inspired by the work of another artist. I chose to work with a piece by Patrick Lynch, entitled "Wooden Sailboats." After making three paintings, with each stepping away from his style into my own, I decided to try it in fabric. I used curved piecing, free motion quilting, free-form appliqué, and hand quilting. The water in the background is all improv cut and pieced curves. The sailboats are free-hand cut from quilting fabrics. I prefer not to use interfacing or fusible for my appliqué—the stitching experience is better without fusible products, and I enjoy the small amount of texture provided by the unravelling edges of the fabrics.

This piece reminds me of a special day my husband and I had. We were boating and found ourselves on the outer edge of a sailboat race. The experience of all of the boats maneuvering around a buoy while almost completely silent was shocking and beautiful. It was magical.