Milkweed: Marianne Parsons

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Marianne Parsons
Note: Marianne's partner withdrew
and Marianne created both pieces.

detail

Representational 

Milkweed
Representational

Marianne Parsons

In summer, the milkweed plant blooms among the tall grasses, blending in quietly.  In fall, the grasses droop and suddenly the sturdy milkweed plants become sentinels, with their broad twisted pale leaves and exploded pods filled with white froth.

Representational process

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Abstract

Summer Milkweed

Marianne Parsons 

(Marianne’s  partner withdrew, so, Marianne decided to challenge herself with the abstract version)

The milkweed plant in summer stakes out its claim, standing tall amid the grasses, with globe-like blossoms promising a

haven for the monarch butterflies.

 

Process:

 When my partner and I first agreed on doing the milkweed, picturing the realistic form was easy.  I found great hand-dyed and ‘experienced’ fabrics and played away.  I spent a little time trying to imagine an abstract piece based on mine, and failed, but I thought it was someone else’s challenge.  

Then when a week before the deadline, word came that my partner could not finish her piece in time and was withdrawing, I was forced to produce or have my work left out of the show. 

I usually work in a realistic or semi real manner, so it was a stretch to visualize in abstract what I had depicted in realistic detail.  Some milkweed plants were still blooming along my walking path, so I had a chance to get close to the real thing. They were quite different from the twisted and dried pods and leaves of the original design, and I couldn’t picture abstract seed fluff, so that gave me a new starting place.

It felt like colour and plant structure could be the uniting elements, with a difference in seasons setting them apart. To compete with the large scale of the first quilt, I kept the shapes simple, bold and graphic, just what was needed to get it done in a hurry.

I like irregular edges, so that was a big factor in the design process. The small “tiles” were the easiest way to get edgy in a hurry.