In looking through some old pics today I found this photo of an art quilt I made for a commission, in Denver CO, towards the end of 1993.  My husband and I were preparing to leave the USA to return to Australia, getting the house ready to put on the market, and managing children with different needs in different parts of the world. Altogether there was a lot going on in my life as is usual for me.   I always have time for a commission, though, and love the challenge, but I’m not often asked.

An interior designer asked me to meet her in a house and discuss ideas for a quilted textile art work commission. The owner wanted a sunset theme work for the living room, where the wall on which it was to be hung included a large 3″ deep alcove with curved top.  We had a discussion about whether to make (a) a rectangular shaped piece the length of the alcove from the point where the curved shape starts, to the foot of the shape; or (b)  to make a piece shaped to fit into the curved shape of the alcove.  I submitted both ways, but with everything going on in both of our lives, at least one of us got crossed wires about the final decision; and the look of astonishment on her face when I unfurled the work saying “Are ready for this?” is something I’ll never forget.  When I looked back at the paper work, on the whole the agreement/contract was vague in places and if I were to read it today it would be glaringly obvious, I’m sure.  I offered to make another, rectangular,quilt, but Cindy’s client wouldn’t hear of it and paid up.  I don’t know who stuffed up, but it didn’t matter once the client said he was happy anyway.  I hope he still is – I never knew his name.

Apart from the title – an inspiring and optimistic ‘Sunset 1’ , there is no info in my computer, but I’m sure I have paper work on it back in Australia.  From memory it is/was about 36″ x 42″.  I don’t have a detail shot of it – and have no recollection of what hanging apparatus I supplied – it was a long time ago!  I see nothing around it to suggest the alcove, so the photo must have been taken against a plain wall – probably in our own home.  To me now it is rather gauche, and I can see a lot wrong with the sky background to the wandering strips that by then had become part of my signature, but at the time I thought it was a pretty good fit with the rest of my work.

Years later, I did another sunset piece on commission, “Marshland Sunset” 2007, documented in a series of posts on this blog entitled “Anatomy of a Commission” between March 11th and 27th, 2007.  At that time, I was blogging on Blogger and having troubles.  When I began blogging on my present website in 2008, the older posts were imported, but some irritating things happened in the crossover , so I’m sorry if you find things a little odd on your browser, as I did just now when checking out those posts.   The finished piece is 2′ x 3′.  Several fabrics were supplied by the owner and incorporated.  My technical abilities with strips had changed – I like to think improved.  The piece was machine quilted with gold thread.  I hope it is still happily housed in Florida, USA.