Saturday, March 31, 2012

CQJP 2012, Block 3

Here is the block submitted for March. It is the home where my grandmother was raised. Is is located about a mile or so from where I was raised and is no longer owned by the family. The home is nicely maintained though.



I thought you might enjoy seeing my paintings before they were converted for use on the block. This is the painting I had done of the home in the country. This was reduced down in size and converted to sepia tones. It was then printed onto printable fabric and added to the block.



I don't really remember my great grandparents. Their son, John, moved back to the area some time after WWI and ended up living in the home in Iowa that my great grandparents moved into after retiring from the farm. Uncle John used to come visit us a lot on our farm and seemed to always bring dad grapes he had grown in the yard. That is the reason my WC painting below is surrounded by grapes. After John died my dad's sister Lois owned the home and rented it out until she finally sold it. When Aunt Lois bought it it still contained furniture my great grandparents owned and several layers of wallpaper.





The final painting that was added to this block is of the ship my great grandparents travelled on when they made their voyage to the USA from Germany. This is part of my "Keys to The Past" watercolor series. They were married a year after arriving here.





I must say these blocks have been a joy to work on, full of old memories and new ones. I haven't painted since started all my monthly challenges, but hope to get back to it one of these days.

9 comments:

Elizabeth Braun said...

Nice work, Connie! It's one of the few CQ blocks I've seen that didn't appear to me to be far too cluttered.=)

Lovely paintings too!

Suztats said...

Wonderful paintings, Connie! Your block is beautiful, and each element adds to the warm feeling. I like the red ribbon through the lace that gently echoes the colour of the flowers, bow, and the cardinal. Too, the reds nicely wrap around the pictures, and the lace softens everything and adds to the feeling of time passed.
The key unlocks the doors and the history.
Is there a particular reason a cardinal was included? Just wondering.
A gentle, lovely block.

Lorraine said...

Another masterpiece! Enjoying the progression of these blocks.

Marjolein said...

Lovely block!
Quiet background with bright colors that pop out. Love it!

Createology said...

Your paintings are wonderful. Your addition of the house in your CQ really transforms it into a family heirloom treasure to pass on for generations to come. It is truly stunning. Blissful stitching...

Laurie said...

What an amazing job, Connie. Your paintings and block are so beautiful.

scarlett clay said...

Beautiful! I hope you get back to painting, too, you have a lot of talent. Love seeing these types of projects..precious keepsakes made by hand.

magicmoonmusings said...

Exquisite block, and paintings.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

It's amazing to see how you are putting your paintings together with your stitching, and also including family history too. This is going to be a heirloom when you are finished, for sure.