I’ve been wanting to use an idea that I saw in a book of Jose Guadalupe Posada’s work. A grid of small squares, each with an image of one thing. They’re prints for Loteria, a game similar to Bingo. Yesterday when I looked at my quilt with the lace tree on it, hanging on my wall, I thought the “Loteria” idea would work perfectly.
I used my own images, my visual vocabulary and things that were right in front of me as I sat in my studio drawing. My sewing machine, an outlet, a goddess, a donkey, a chair. Each square, its own little world.
This morning I hung the quilt on the back wall of my studio. I needed to see it from a distance. I sat in my chair and looked at it, waiting for it to tell me what needed to be done next. What it called for was something that I hadn’t drawn.
So I started going through my stacks of fabric, looking for the right thing. I was thinking snake, but found a dragon with the movement I wanted. His mouth was open, teeth bared and by the end of the day I knew he was breathing not fire, but flowers. Just enough to embrace my Snake Goddess.
Is still have to sew the dragon and flowers down, but this is what the quilt looked like when I left my studio tonight.
I have enjoyed watching this quilt be reborn, Maria. I like that the dragon is breathing flowers just as you have breathed new life into the formerly tired quilt. Each day I open your blog with anticipation and you always amaze me. Thanks!
Yes, Laura, I suppose it is the same isn’t it.
The visual language at the bottom is like the foundation for the larger archetypes to emerge and I love the idea of a flower breathing dragon.
oh that’s a nice way of seeing it Sparrow. I was thinking of it in parts, like the dragon was emerging from the underground. Although pictorially it’s not so literal.
The dragon is perfect… love how the flowers cradle the goddess. It makes me think of the mythical concept of a dragon or demon that guards an underworld, maybe subconscious, realm. One has to face it and make friends with it and then it becomes your ally. Something like that. The dragon breathing flowers is certainly a sign you as the snake goddess now have an ally. Powerful stuff.
You’re interpreting it like it’s a dream Tiina. Which I guess is how I look at my work after it’s done, but I never thought of it that way before for some reason. I’ve been thinking of the dragon as the “necessary dragon”
Incredible! It’s fascinating and amazing to see your quilts emerge as you add your dragons and goddesses and your Self. This one is very special!
Wonderful – I saw a dragon print today, with the usual fire and fight depicted – and said to myself, a dragon can breath love and flowers (since we are the dragons). I googled flower breathing dragon for fun, and up came your great idea and creation!! I wonder if you would be interested in creating a drawing ?
Nora
That’s pretty wonderful Nora, I love that you got here through the Flower Breathing Dragon. I don’t see making a drawing right now, but now that you’ve got me thinking about it, Ill see it if takes. Thanks!