SAFARI KNIGHTS, A SILK-SCREENED ART QUILT
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This silk-screened quilt is made of an assemblage of cloth panels with images of zebra heads, representing the knight of the chess game. The backgrounds of the panels are embellished with variations of color and design.
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Six panels are made of three types of cloth: four of all-white fabric, two of a black-and-white checkered fabric and one of a zebra-skin patterned fabric. All of the panels are initially painted with a light, transparent layer of fabric paint in various colors. The use of transparent paint is to ensure that the panel design variations, yet to be added, will show through.
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A large knight chess piece is hand-drawn with zebra motif for later use in photo silk-screening decoration of the panels. A smaller knight image was used for background colorations, including a chessboard floor motif that enabled the formation of a multi-colored photo silkscreen.
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Panels containing the second image of the small knight is oriented horizontally, while all others panels are vertical. This poses a construction problem that is resolved by piecing together two horizontal panels to make them more vertical, with one of two small knights above the other.
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Fabric paint is used for silk-screening and for air-brushing as well. The technique of air-brushing fabric paint, not heretofore done, is found to be a useful innovation.
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After image transfer and embellishments for each panel are completed, the panels are ensembled and stitched together. Panels are bordered in colored cloth strips.
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Various chess piece templates are air-brushed to create multi-colored imagery in the background areas surrounding the knights. Chess shapes are also cut out of the same fabrics to be used for applique work.
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After the design phase is completed, the quilt is made by sandwiching quilt batting between the decorated front panels and a black back cloth. Multi-colored threads machine-stitched the three layers of the entire quilt in a detailed pattern. Hand-stitching the outer border finished the work.
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Date: 2012.
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Size: 39.0" x 24.5".
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Available for purchase. Price: $550.
ENLARGED VIEWS (Details)
CREATIVE PROCESS
- Several cloth panels, made of white, checkered or zebra-skin pattern, are cut to size.
- Backgrounds are embellished with various free-style colored designs, using fabric paint. Design motifs include other chess pieces.
- Techniques used for this purpose include fabric painted on fabric, photo silkscreened images made from pen and ink drawings, airbrushed negative imagery and appliques of chess pieces.
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- Colored cloth strips are added as borders for each of the panels.
- When completed, the bordered panels are assembled into a full quilt.
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- The large assembled panels are backed by a layer of quilt batting and a cloth backing.
- The work is thus ready for intricate patterns of stitching.
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- The patterns of machine stitching with multi-colored threads are delicately detailed in the background areas to finish the quilt.
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- After image transfer and embellishments for each panel are completed, the panels are assembled and stitched together. Panels are bordered in colored cloth strips.
- Various chess piece templates are air-brushed to create multi-colored imagery in the background areas surrounding the knights. Chess shapes are also cut out of the same fabrics to be used for applique work.
- After the design phase is completed, the quilt is made by sandwiching quilt batting between the decorated front panels and a black back cloth. Multi-colored threads machine-stitched the three layers of the entire quilt in a detailed pattern. Hand-stitching the outer border finished the work.
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