Amy Irwen's Mini Art Quilt

[Thom Courcelle]

Hmmm... There's a theme here between the wash tape on Amy's envelope and her fabulous quilted piece inside. I had to double check my calendar to make sure it wasn't time for Halloween greetings!

But, no... the motif of bones and skulls were a pervasive theme in a historical context. The Middle Ages and the Renaissance were full of recurrent imagery of several Tropes or "Triumphs" (read the poetry of Francesco Petrarch or Giovanni Boccaccio or Marcilio Ficino). DEATH was one of those Triumphs...being an all too common theme in those ages with the plague and all. But it wasn't just meant to forbode doom; it was meant to convey the philosophy of change and the cyclical habits of life (in the seasons, the days, evident in the feast of summer and the famine of winter). Change was always something to deal with—something that defined what it was to be human—something to always bear in mind. Wisdom even in our current times...

Death isn't an end...it's just a cycle. The perennials—depicted in Amy's quilt—come up again with the turn of the season.

The Trionfi (Triumph) of Death sparing no one with his sickle.

The back of Amy's mini quilt shows the batting that makes it a "quilt" as such. She has expertly attached a hanging cord/thread so that it is easily displayed (which it shall be...it's the perfect size for a mini altar). She even attached a little provenance tag, and on it she decided to name this piece "Sacred Ground."

It's wonderful. Thank you so much, Amy!

[Amy Irwen]

Thank you Katerina!!!

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Amy always has us in stitches,in the most fantastic way!

[Amy Irwen]

Wow...your blog maybe Better than the quilt...thank you for your kind words and some history on the motif. So happy that you enjoyed it and in this piece I really liked how the back stitching is art in its self.

Have a great weekend Thom!