Monday, October 1, 2012

Unbranded



For the longest time the only thing I could think of for Maverick was Tom Cruise in Top Gun.  It must have been because he was my only big celebrity crush growing up.  I was just the right age when the movie came out.  I had poster hanging above my bed all through my early teen years.  But there was no way I was going to attempt a portrait!  I started to get a bit desperate as the weeks (ok months), so I headed to the dictionary. Maverick: an unbranded calf, a lone dissenter, a rebel.  I took those ideas and went abstract.  

My quilt definitely doesn't scream Maverick.  It whispers with its soft colors.  I have my field of branded cattle and the big unbranded steer.  The lone dissenter in the sea of conformity.  Ok, that may be forcing meaning on the quilt.  Those were the thoughts I had beginning the process, but in the end it doesn't feel like a rebellious quilt.

When I really think about it my quilting style is actually quite Maverick.  I don't follow any of the traditional rules or practices.  I approach the whole process backwards, starting with the the quilting, then adding color and finishing with the piecing.  I skipped the binding.  The whole thing isn't even square and I have loose threads hanging on the edges.  I'm sure I drive the quilt police crazy, or they don't even consider my work a quilt. Even with all that, I don't feel like a Maverick.  How could I feel like a loner with all the support of this group?  

10 comments:

Kristin L said...

At least it's pretty! I think your concept is quite similar to Brenda's, and while it might not scream Maverick, I think it does convey the message (albeit quietly). :-)

Deborah Boschert said...

You are so right about BEING a maverick and not FEELING like a maverick. I love the last paragraph of your description and I think it's an interesting idea to consider. I wonder if part of being a maverick, like Dan Choi or Muhammed Ali, is not necessarily choosing intentionally to act radically, but just following one's true calling.

I love your green and purple grid! Every color seems so carefully and perfectly place. The colors flow wonderfully across the piece.

Gerrie said...

Your thinking out of your pieces and staying true to your style always fascinates me. You and Brenda both have a knack for keeping things simple and yet telling the story of the theme.

I think each one of the twelves has a bit of the maverick. The support and trust we feel as a group allows us to show that streak.

Diane Perin said...

I know you were worried that your piece wasn't really "mavericky" enough, but I think it's terrific! I love seeing how you incorporate you incorporate your painting/piecing style to create that beautiful background of squares. That big round piece doesn't fit -- and yet it does. Without that, the piece would be flat and uninteresting. So it's a good example of why we need mavericks... without them, life would be boring.

It's interesting that you and Brenda both worked with the square vs round imagery!

Brenda said...

I may be biased but I think you nailed the theme perfectly!

Now if I swapped my odd square for your odd circle, it would fit right in but neither of our pieces would be as interesting. The world needs mavericks,even quiet unassuming ones.

kirsten said...

The last paragraph spoke to me, too - I think our quilts are sisters in spirit. Mine, too, is uneven with loose threads and has only partial binding. I don't think most mavericks are deliberately maverick!

Karen said...

Kirsty is right about about you being sisters in spirit, I see a lot of similarities in style here. And then there's the square/circle similarity with Brenda. We all seem to have some maverick spirit in us

Terri Stegmiller said...

I totally agree with what all the others have said here about your quilt. You should keep on doing it your way. I love the colors and grid structure you have used and then that one large circle screams "look at me, I'm different".

Unknown said...

I feel quite sorry for that big circle. He just doesn't belong. He's like a big ungainly teenaged boy trying to be cool and fit with the gang and they are not making space for him. Being a maverick can be tought but I am betting he will grow up to be talking about his success on TED!

Terry Grant said...

I would have loved to have seen the circle in orange or something equally contrasting to the soothing harmonious colors of the squares! This piece looks scrumptious. I would love to see it in person and run my fingers over all that wonderful texture!