underwater Fantasy Archives

Marine Life in Art Quilts

Deep Blue Sea,37" h x 24" w

Lime sea dragon art on a throw pillow, 14" x 14" — Lime sea dragon art on a throw pillow 14″ x 14″ 35cm x 35 cm

Marine Life in Art Quilts

Above all,marine life is front and center in my home town of Santa Cruz,California. For example,this is where three young princes of Hawaii first surfed in North America on July 19, 1885 on large redwood boards. In addition,Santa Cruz is at the top of the Monterey Bay with the world class aquarium just an hour away. The area is also home several national marine research facilities. Surf City, U.S.A takes its marine life seriously.

Art Ranks High too.

However,Santa Cruz is also listed as fifth in the nation as an artistic destination. That is to say that many artists live in the county. That is to say that marine life and art come together in this newer genre of art quilts. Come be inspired to try it yourself!

A Visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium

In the beginning when I first started making marine life art quilts, I visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium. In other words, I wanted to observe the fish. What do their mouths look like? What shapes are their tails? My intention was to create a accurate picture of the sealife. However, that idea went out the window very quickly. In conclusion,there is no one way that a fish’s mouth looks. The variety of shapes and forms is endless. My underwater fantasy portfolio was born. In addition, I was free to create an animal in any way I wanted because there was probably a fish that looked that way somewhere.

Deep Blue Sea,Marine Life in Art Quilts 37" h x 24" w blue and rose colored underwater fantasy with fish and plants — Deep Blue Sea,37″ h x 24″ w 94cm x 61cm

Sea Dragons at the Aquarium

Similarly, I saw my first sea dragon at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was that a plant? Was that an animal? It was impossible to tell. I was fascinated. Ever since that day, I have been incorporating sea dragons into my art.

Technically,sea dragons are cousins to the sea horse. What? It is hard to believe. Sadly for us humans, the sea dragon display is not longer at the aquarium. Happily for the sea dragons, they have been returned to their natural habitat in the waters of the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. However, they may be on display at another aquarium.

Swimming With Sea Dragons, an art quilt, 26" h x 22"w Pink seadragon swimming with kelp and fish light blue background — Swimming With Sea Dragons, an art quilt, 26″ h x 22″w

https://www.annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/03/fabric-layering-technique-another-look/

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/https://montereybay.noaa.gov

Color,Texture and Movement lead the Way!

I explored creating marine plants and animals using the fabric layering technique. In the same way, I added texture and movement to each piece! Color,texture and movement lead the way! Lots of thick decorative threads add texture and life to the underwater rocks. In addition, in Sea Dragons in the Golden Kelp, I created the animals by thread painting on Sulky water soluable fabric stabilizer.This thread painting technique creates lacy and leafy animals. Use one’s imagination to see animals among the plants.

Seadragons in the Golden Kelp 32" x 22" 81cm x 56cm on a deep purple background — Seadragons in the Golden Kelp 32″ x 22″ 81cm x 56cm

Marine Life in Art Quilts — Life Among the Seaweed, 26″ h x 22 ” w 66cm x 56cm

Violet Seascape,33″ h x 26″ w
84 cm x 66 cm

Furthermore, underwater fantasies lend themselves to the use of sheer fabrics. Who knows what shadowy beings are lurking in the depths? Shiny, reflective fabrics cut into the shapes of fish and marine life add a dimension that often only becomes visible is a certain light. What a surprise! What fun!

Large Spotted Fish, 17 " x 17" blue and orange art quilt with decorative threads — Large Spotted Fish, 17 ” x 17″
43cm x 43 cm

In Conclusion

In conclusion, underwater seascapes lend themselves to different colors, textures, and techniques. Create a fun marine world!

In addition you may read more here about the actual fabric layering technique I use. Follow the step by step procedure to make your own underwater seascape.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/03/fabric-layering-technique-another-look/

https://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/https://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

These sites may be of interest to you also.

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

https://montereybay.noaa.gov/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

Have you seen these Unique Decorative Mouse Pads?

Sea Turtles mouse pad — This whimsical underwater fantasy on a mouse pad includes sea turtles, seadragons, jellies and kelp.

Decorative Mouse Pads

Decorative mouse pads and mouse pads in general serve several important purposes. If speed and precision are important, then a mouse pad will help. Of course,gamers fall into that category. In addition,pads also keep your desk scratch free. The repeated actions of the rubber or plastic feet of your mouse against the surface of your desk will leave marks regardless of the type of surface one has. A mouse pad also keeps dust out of the interior of your mouse .

Enter the Artful Mouse Pad

Above all,an artful mouse pad is an affordable way to add a bit of beauty or uniqueness to your desk. Express yourself. Here are some examples of my art that I have had digitally attached to a mousepad. Each of my portfolios- Mexican Inspired, Nature(trees and underwater fantasies) and abstract art is represented. What a creative conversation starter!

Beautify for Your Desk At Home or Work

La Danza de Los Viejitos, Danza de Michoacán, México

This decorative mouse pad is the male regional dress for Michoacán, México. In La Danza de Los Viejitos(the Dance Of the Little Old Men), young costumed men wear masks and fringed hats. The dancers wobble with canes onto the stage imitating old men.

Then a dance competition ensues to see who completes the liveliest dance steps. Dancers try and knock each other over with their canes. In the end, the dancers all wobble off the stage again.

A brightly colored Mexican inspired mousepad of a woman off to go shopping.

Nature Art on Mouse Pads

Another fun underwater fantasy full of plants, animals and fish.

Trees are one of my most popuar themes. Multicolored leaves overreach the borders.

This tree has a lot of activity and variation in the background.

These artful mouse pads are available for $32. with free shipping from my etsy shop.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/12/artful-fabric-business-cards/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/11/mexican-inspired-fabric-collages/

The Joy of Following your Heart

blueVirgen de Guadalupe

The wisdom of the art world says that an artist should develop one identifiable portfolio of work. The audience should be able to recognize the work as work from the artist. At a later date, the artist may move in a different direction.Yet, isn’t following your heart why artists make art?

Following your Heart

My soul directs me to do something different. I must listen. So I have three portfolios that I take turns making; Mexican Inspired Fabric Collages, Nature Art Quilts and Abstract Art Quilts. Usually I make five or more pieces before moving on to another portfolio. The work remains fresh and new to me in this way.

Mexican Inspired Fabric Collages

Mexican themed fabric collage inspiration for listening to myself — De La Sierra, fabric collage

Mexican inspired fabric collages drew me to begin my art career. I gather fabric, details and found objects that I identify with the Mexican experience to use. The art pieces are mostly machine pieced together. Some embellishments require hand sewing. Whimsical, unusual effects are fun to include. To not make them would prevent me from following my heart. I draw on my knowledge of Spanish. I learned so much from my experiences dancing with Los Méxicas, the University of California at Santa Cruz’s Mexican folk dance group. Other influences include my travels to Mexico and my thirty six year elementary school teaching career working mainly with children of immigrants from Mexico. Following your heart takes many forms.

Abstract Art Quilts

an abstract art quilt in pale blue, light green and cream colors — Sandy Shore, an abstract art quilt

“Ann Baldwin May’s quilts are like abstract paintings.” Dave de Give
“Oh, I didn’t realize that the art was a quilt.” I thought it was a painting. A visitor commented during Open Studios art tour. She had only seen a small photo of the abstract work in a catalogue.

No fabric squares or blocks. No patterns. I create color, texture and movement using tucks, decorative threads and fibers with undulating quilting stitches. I use pieces of mostly redirected fabric to create my abstract art quilts. Art quilts free me to use a wide range of colors. Art quilts free me to experiment with unusual fabrics.

Nature Quilts

Tree Along Creek, art quilt, inspiration for listening to myself — Tree Along Creek,art quilt,32″ x 27″ 2019

My third portfolio is my nature quilts. I make trees, landscapes, seascapes and underwater fantasies. These fabric landscape and seascape collage art quilts use the fabric layering technique. I cover them with tulle and free motion quilted together. The tulle remains to hold the pieces in place but it is often invisible. Sheer fabrics and synthetics add a watery effect to the scenes. The art quilts are often colorful and whimsical. Some pieces I call underwater fantasies .

You may be interested in reading more about the techniques I use to create these art quilts.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/03/fabric-layering-technique-another-look/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/04/an-abstract-art-quilt-sunset-through-the-forest/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/11/mexican-inspired-fabric-collages/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/12/coming-into-my-own-as-an-art-quilter/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts

/https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2023/02/see-unfinished-projects-in-a-new-way/

Know Thyself? Myself, the Artist

De La Sierra

Myself, the Artist.I am an artist. The tools I use are fabric, threads, batting and a sewing machine. If you look in my studio, you would see a sewing machine, cutting boards, rotary cutter, scissors and tools generally found in a sewing room or fabric studio. However, the items on the walls are quite foreign to a sewing room. Underwater fantasies, abstract art and maybe a Mexican inspired collage adorn the walls of my studio.

Myself, the Artist

How do you do that?

Sometimes it is hard for people to understand what they are seeing. Perhaps they recognize a fish swimming though kelp. “How did you get it to look like the light is reflecting off of the water? What? It is covered with what? I don’t see it. ” Myself, the artist explains the fabric layering technique. I lay the backing down on a table.Then I lay down the batting (soft center of a quilt). Next, create the scene. Finally, I cover the whole piece with tulle netting. After free motion quilting the layers together the tulle netting disappears. The tulle netting remains on top but it can’t readily be seen. Some nettings have extra sparkles on it that reflects the light like water.This answers the question,what do I do?

Traditional Blocks

Quilt blocks (squares) sewn together to create tradional bed quilts. Those blocks are made from patterns. The patterns may be new or a hundred years old. Myself, the artist comes from that world. I love the charming bed quilts that I have made. I just don’t do that anymore.

No more Patterns

I no longer use commercial patterns. When I buy a pattern, my expectation is that it will be correct. If if is a pattern for clothing, I pay attention to the measurements on the back. I expect the pattern to fit. Since I have been sewing clothes since high school, I have used many patterns for myself and my children. Sadly, more often than not, the clothing made from following these patterns carefully did not always fit.

The last straw for me was when my daughters were 3 and 4 years old. I was working full time. Yet, I wanted to make them each a dress with a pinafore. The pinafores were the same size as the dresses. The pattern had not adjusted them to be bigger to allow them to fit over the dresses. I was so disappointed. The dresses and pinafores were wore separately and loved to death by my daughters. I never bought another pattern after that.

Who created the Fabric Layering Technique?

Laura Fogg created the fabric layering technique. Meri Vahl learned it from her. I learned it from Meri Vahl. We are all art quilters located in Northern California. I create my own landscapes and underwater fantasy scenes from fabric. While the techniques are similar, each art quilt is unique.

An underwater scene including sea dragons,Myself, the Artist — Swimming With Sea Dragons, an art quilt,This is what I make.

Abstract Art Quilts

Abstract art quilts are also visible in my studio. The abstract pieces I make are designed on a design wall. My design wall is a large wall covered with white flannel. The fabric pieces stick to the flannel. I can move the pieces around until they find their spot. High end redirected fabrics from interior designers add a unique quality to my art. I choose solid colors but also fabrics with texture and movement that appeals to me. This answers the question,what do I do?

an abstract art quilt black and white with bits of color,Myself, the Artist — Gridlock II, art quilt This answers the question,what do I make?

Mexican inspired Fabric Collages

Mexican inspired fabric collages add whimsy to my studio. They reflect my love and respect for the Mexican culture. I love playing with the bright colors. Three dimensional found objects may also be hand sewn to the finished top.

whimsical art fabric collage,This answers the question,Myself, the Artist — Shopping With Ladybugs and Lizards, art quilt

Other articles that may be of interest to you.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2017/07/underwater-fantasy-art-quilt-a-work-in-progress/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/12/coming-into-my-own-as-an-art-quilter/

More about my process of making my abstract pieces.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2018/05/work-in-progress-winter-sky-sunset/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

Sea Dragons? Who Doesn’t Love Them?

Seadragon with Yellow Fish

See Sea Dragon Exhibit at Birch Aquarium

Sea Dragons Exhibit at Aquarium,Birch Aquarium,San Diego.

All things considered Seadragons & Seahorses, Birch Aquarium’s new permanent exhibition that brings seadragon conservation to the forefront. Above all,the exhibition is home to Weedy Seadragons and several species of seahorses and pipefish.

For the first time ever, Birch Aquarium has successful bred Weedy Seadragons behind the scenes of this exhibit. In short,only a handful of aquariums around the world have bred these unusual fish. The babies are not on display, but you can learn more about their exciting birth on our Seadragon Breeding Program page.

Sea Dragons Exhibit at Aquarium — Birch Aquarium,Scripps San Diego,CA

Why Seadragons and Seahorses?

The husbandry of seadragons is increasingly vital due to the impacts of climate change, warming oceans, and illegal collection of wild populations, whose numbers are still widely unknown.

Birch Aquarium has been successfully rearing seahorses in captivity for nearly 25 years. Similarly, that makes us a leader in the field. Furthermore,we hope this new exhibit will result in our first successful seadragon breeding.

Weedy Seadragons

Surprisingly,these seahorse cousins use their bright coloration and seaweed-like appendages to hide among the kelp-covered rocky reefs of temperate southern Australian waters.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

From the first time I saw sea dragons at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I was fascinated. Was it a plant? Was it an animal? Seadragons and sea horses are surprisingly cousins. Unfortunately, for the interested public the Monterey Bay Aquarium exhibit is no longer. The sea dragons returned to the wild as the Aquarium often does.

I have created several art quilts inspired by the sea dragons. However, nothing is quite like seeing the real animal. That is why I was so excited to hear of this new exhibit and the excitement that it is generating.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/01/collider-event-displays/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

Try a new Technique-Fabric Layering

The art quilt is completed.

Fabric Layering Technique of making Art Quilts

The fabric layering technique of making art quilts uses a table rather than a design wall. In short, I create a scene and then cover it with tulle netting and free motion quilt the three layers(back, batting,top) together. I use this technique for my Nature portfolio; underwater fantasies, trees, landscapes. The photos in this post are of an underwater fantasy, more impressionistic than realistic.

To Begin

To begin, I choose the top fabric. I prefer to choose a fabric with some dimension already on it, light and dark spaces. If I choose a dark background, then I will choose lighter colored materials for my plants, fish, rocks and other items . If I choose a lighter background, then I will choose darker color to create the scenery.

Step 1

The back fabric is flat on the table. A piece of batting is laid on top of that. You can see the white batting hanging a bit over the edge. Then I laid a piece of moddled commercial fabric on top. The piece is about 14″ by 14″. I let the fabric’s different shades of coloring do part of the work in creating interest and depth in the piece. I lightly baste the layers together with an Avery glue stick.

Step 2

For this piece, I cut out light colored rocks and placed them in the foreground. I cut out irregularly shaped dots of different colored batik fabric for the jellies(formerly called jelly fish). I place the jellies as if they are swimming in the current. An art trick or rule is to have an odd number of items, three, five or nine objects.

Step 3

Next, I cut out plants and place them between the rocks. I add decorative threads for the tenacles of the jellies being aware of the movement of the water. When everything is in its place,I baste the pieces in place with a light dab of glue. One can use different brands of glue. Test before hand that the glue does not discolor the fabric and make a mark after it has dried.

Step 4

Next, I cover the scene with tulle netting and pin the tulle in place.

Step 5

Then,I free motion quilt the three layers together. I lower the feed dogs on my machine to allow me to move the piece however I want. The quilting creates another level of movement.

Step 6

I finish the piece by zigzagging the edges twice. For larger pieces, I often attach a facing and turn it to the back and stitch by hand.

Here is a photo of the back of the piece where you can see the machine stitching easier.

the back of the piece fabric layering technique

Laura Fogg,https://laura-fogg.squarespace.com/ first developed this technique. I learned it from Meri Vahl, http://meriartquilts.com/meri-henriques-vahl/ who had learned it from Ms. Fogg.

A bit about Free Motion Quilting

Free motion quilting is at the apex of skill for quilters. The technique takes a lot of practice to master. Before I took Meri Vahl’s class, I had been practicing. To be honest, I was so frustrated that I had almost decided to give up. Luckily, I didn’t. The fabric layering technique is a forgiving way to practice the skill. I highly recommend it.

Here are my suggestions for success in free motion quilting.

Use Aurifil brand thread. It can be found in fine quilting shops or online. It is totally worth the higher price. The thread is strong yet thin. I once pieced and quilted a double sized bed quilt using only one spool.

“Fast feet, slow hands.” This is the mantra for free motion quilting. This means that one pushes the pedal of their machine so that the throttle goes quickly. With the feed dogs down, the quilter slowly moves the quilt with her hands. This does take a fair amount of practice.Practice using the fabric layering technique. Begin by outlining your figures with the free motion quilting.

Have fun practicing with this technique! Let me know how it goes for you! I hope you have as much fun as I do using this technique.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/04/marine-life-in-art-quilts/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2022/08/add-sheer-fabrics-to-create-a-surprise/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/03/fabric-layering-technique-another-look/

http://annbmayartquilts.etsy.com/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2018/06/video-of-art-display-2/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/04/birds-in-art-quilts/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2022/01/frequently-asked-questions/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/some-newer-pieces-2020-2021/

Marine Life in Art Quilts

Art Ranks High too.

A Visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Sea Dragons at the Aquarium

Color,Texture and Movement lead the Way!

In Conclusion

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Decorative Mouse Pads

Enter the Artful Mouse Pad

Beautify for Your Desk At Home or Work

La Danza de Los Viejitos, Danza de Michoacán, México

Nature Art on Mouse Pads

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Like this:

Following your Heart

Mexican Inspired Fabric Collages

Abstract Art Quilts

Nature Quilts

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Like this:

Myself, the Artist

How do you do that?

Traditional Blocks

No more Patterns

Who created the Fabric Layering Technique?

Abstract Art Quilts

Mexican inspired Fabric Collages

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Like this:

See Sea Dragon Exhibit at Birch Aquarium

Why Seadragons and Seahorses?

Weedy Seadragons

Monterey Bay Aquarium

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Like this:

Fabric Layering Technique of making Art Quilts

To Begin

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

A bit about Free Motion Quilting

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