Interview 2

Here are the final sketches for my next two works. I am working on them simultaneously. The dual processing has always presented challenges for me — I had difficulties keeping pieces for one work separate from the other. It was like throwing two 1000 piece puzzles together in one box and shaking it up before you tried to build them. Thanks to a revised coding system I should be able to manage two — or more works in the production stage.
The Librarian is Laura, a motorcyclist who was kind enough to model for me a while back during the International Quilt Festival in Chicago. As she stood at ease with one foot on her helmet and holding her gloves like a gauntlet, it struck me that she had adopted the perfect pose. This conquerors’ stance was something that was natural for her. While my original sketches showed her entire body, it quickly became apparent that a full body portrait, in the conquerors’ pose, detracted from the quiet grace of this young woman. With a few revisions, I got to what I believe is just the right amount of challenge and determination in her portrait.
Brigid is a young Chicago-area woman. I was struck by her calm and centered demeanor. It seemed the perfect homage to her youth to present her at ease, unconcerned about the hair falling in her face, as she contemplates her future.