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MOROCCO

A View of Morocco 2004

My travels around Morocco were greatly influential in forming this work. All my senses were on "high alert". I was aware of amazing colours around me : the seemingly infinite variations of terracotta and earth colours; the blues of the Tuareg men and the sky; the dark, rich colours in the ancient, medieval souks.

Media / Materials: Hand dyed and commercial cotton fabrics

Techniques: Machine pieced, hand quilted by Inge Lailvaux to design by Odette Tolksdorf

Size: 95 x 50 cm SOLD

Lost in Marrakesh 2002

I never did manage to get lost in Marrakesh but there were times when I felt it was imminent.
This work conveys some of my impressions of the city of Marrakesh and of Morocco - the ancient medinas containing the labyrinth of souks, the startling blues in the Majorelle Gardens and also the blues worn by the Tuareg, the walls throughout the land in a great variety of terracotta earth colours, and lastly, the silence of the Sahara.
The dark grid is taken from a street map of Marrakesh and I've taken some - actually a lot of ! - artistic licence with it - I don't think anyone could find their way around using this map ! The quilt is shaped slightly narrower at the top than at the bottom edge to give a feeling of perspective which in a way challenges the two-dimensional street map.
Hand dyed and commercial cotton fabrics, silks and cotton mix fabrics,
Fusible web applique, machine pieced and topstitched, machine quilted

Size: Top width 61 cm (24”); Bottom width 74 cm (29”) x 109 cm (43 “)

Dye vats at Fez 2003

SOLD

In Fez, Morocco, I stood on the Terrace des Tanneurs overlooking the ancient leather dyeing vats and gazed in wonder. The colours and shapes and human activity was fascinating. The fetid smell of curing leather soon became part of the whole experience. This work is a response to the repeated circles and colours I saw at the dye vats from my elevated viewing site.
This was the starting point to engage in the never-ending pleasure I get from working with shapes and spaces and colours to interact with each other in really interesting combinations.
Some of the circles have been stamped with star-like motifs which I made using simple stamps made from matchsticks.
Hand dyed and commercial cottons, Fusible web
Machine pieced and top stitched,
Hand quilted by Inge Lailvaux

Size: 76 X 76 cm

Morocco – Majorelle 2002

My visit to the Majorelle Gardens in Marrakesh was a glorious surprise of colours, shapes and textures. A magical atmosphere created by the plants, pathways, architecture and the use of “Majorelle Blue “, added a sense of mystery. The silent drama in the garden is portrayed in this work. The folded triangular shapes on the edge of the quilt represent the spiky parts of the cacti and succulents.
Hand applique portrays the rounded shapes of the plants. The hand quilted stitches are large and made with thick cotton pearl thread so the stitches become an embellishment on the surface.
Fabrics : hand dyed and commercial cottons, silks;
Machine pieced, hand applique, hand quilted with pearl thread

Size: 64 x 89 cm