Looking at Structure and Form

Form and Function

“Form follows function—that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, ,joined in a spiritual connection.”

                          Frank Lloyd Wright

         I like to play with form. Most of my paintings begin with curvy lines, spirals, triangles or dots. In making quilts, I like to use odd angles with curvy lines overlaid in appliqué or embroidery. I keep working until it feels balanced to me. Most of my hand-work has a function. I like making baby quilts embroidered with happy faces or wall quilts that express the essence of the place or person for whom they are made. Lately, trees have become a prominent feature in my wall hangings and I like to make seasonal banners for my church. At the moment, I’m working on one for Pentecost. The photo above is of a painted floor mat. Form and Function for me as an artist go hand in hand. I’m no Frank Lloyd Wright, but I do see the spiritual connection between the two.

         I like to walk in winter when the leaves are off the trees, and look at forms that I can’t see in summer. Outside my window, the black branches of trees press against a lavender morning sky, clouds are bunching up and moving slowly; no wind. From my front windows, I see the skyline of Birmingham, dark brown rooftops, glints of glass; lights at night. In winter, I can walk in the woods without being attacked by verdant undergrowth, or in Alabama, poisonous snakes. I love the trunks of Crepe Myrtles, almost pink, and smooth, like skin. There is an old building downtown that has one outside wall covered in various shades and sizes of terracotta tiles, a haphazard mosaic, and another with a ring of cherubs under the eaves, the wisps of concrete fabric dancing around them, green with accumulated algae.

         I wonder whether you pay attention to these sorts of things. Do you walk around your winter landscape and look at the shapes and textures of the world in which you live? I’m not a particular fan of cold weather, but all seasons have beauty, and winter offers an uncluttered field of sight. We’re having unusually warm temperatures in most of America right now; it’s a good time to visit the season in relative comfort. Try it today.

                                  In the spirit,

                                  Jane