Award: Members' Choice: First Place Award Judge's Choice Award (Mark Lipinski)

Artist Name: Carol Poole

City/Town: Rockledge
State/Province: FL
Country: United States

Materials and Techniques: This quilt was made with hand dyed batiks and silk batting., using burned fabric and raw edge applique techniques. My inspiration was a painting that I saw, in 2015, by deceased artist, Mildred Thompson, while visiting Emory University's Michael C. Carlos Museum, in Atlanta. I manipulated the image several times on my computer, to achieve my desired effect. I then made a cartoon that divided my 16 x 16 size into 16, 4" x 4" squares, which made it easier for me to focus. I constructed each 4" block with what I wanted within that block, completing the 16, before beginning to sew them together, building 2 by 2, 4 by 4, then the 2 halves together. I used my seam ripper for something besides unsewing. I held the metal point over a candle until quite hot, then punched holes, to create the burned holes in my fabric, simulating the small burnt holes in my memories. Hand seed stitching helped create the movement within the quilt., using various thicknesses and colors of embroidery floss.

Artist's Statement: Having been diagnosed with early stage Alzheimers, I wanted to visually depict how my voice is changing. Once my thoughts, ideas and words were bright, quick, well-formed and easily articulated. They are becoming harder to express and even forgotten, at times, singed around the edges. The vortex expresses what my voice is and what my voice is becoming: less busy worked more reflective and thoughtful. I am slower to anger and am grateful of love.

Size: 16" x 16"