I'm working on my 12 x 12 x 12 Series, which consists of making one 12" x 12" piece each month of the year. For my January 2009 piece, I am inspired by a building under construction near the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston.
This picture is one side of the building, the one that I thought was most interesting. While the colors are pretty muted, except for the orange construction fences near the edge of the open floors, I like how the white covering is sometimes in front of the structure, and sometimes behind. I also like the tannish beginnings of the facade.
To make a 12" square piece, using vertical imagery as inspiration, meant I have to shrink the vertical down so I could fit the "important" parts (for me). Because I'm trying not to spend the whole month on one of these pieces, it's important not to overly obsess about the details.
Above is what I consider the front side of the painted fabric, or at least what I consider the front at the moment. Below is what I think is the back side.
I have to pick which side I'll use face out, before I do the stitching. It's always something to ponder. In my mind, I consider which side does a better job of representing what I way to convey. With this painted fabric, it's a bit tricky to decide. The "back" side (above) has better/stronger color, when paying attention to the tannish facade of the building. But the "front" (second above) has a certain kind of subtle range of black/grey/white that I like, and I think I can enhance the tannish facade with thread to get the effect I want.
I hope to use this building as inspiration for a larger piece some time, so I can have more pattern and detail than I can with a smaller piece. If/when I do, I think I'll use the "back" side of the fabric as my guide when painting. I will definitely want the tannish facade to be more obvious in a large piece.
You can read past posts about my 12 x 12 x 12 series, while in progress or completed, here on my blog.
