I'm taking a new class in quilted collage. I had taken this class before, but love the sense of community in working with others as we build our individual collages and watch them grow into embroidered and beaded wall hangings. This time I'm especially enthused about my subject matter.
I went through my various sketchbooks and found some drawings I had done while touring Greece a few years ago. I studied ancient Greek culture and language in college, so this is a subject which is dear to my heart.
I had taken many photos of statuary in Greece, and made note of the hair and expressions on the faces.
I decided to do Athena, who was the goddess of war. Although she is usually depicted with a helmet and shield, I left those items out and tried to give her a regal pose.
I did some reading and learned that Athena had a young owl as a pet. This delighted me, as I'm currently obsessed with owls. I found a photo of an ancient Greek coin with an owl on it, so that was a nice jumping off point.
I did several different drawings, refining the image a bit more each time. The drawing at the top of this post is what I ended up with. I spent an hour in a fabric store today looking for materials and was rewarded with some good finds, including ribbon with a Greek key design, which will make a nice edge. I'll post photos as this piece progresses.
Autumn is definitely in the air here in New England!
Thanks for visiting -
Hope you're having a great weekend!
