Something to Ponder

I've had this photo for several years. The juxtaposition of the concrete forms caught my eye. I've left it in a folder on the computer where I see it often. Yet I have not been struck by a flash of inspiration telling me how to use this in a quilt design.

I've been pondering it more actively for the last month or so, foremost on my mind that I didn't want to just render essentially a duplicate of the photo in fabric - always a hazard when working from photos. What to do, what to do?

And then this thought came to me: Take the ordinary and make it...interesting.

Yes, that is the challenge all artists face, when you come right down to it. We all look at the everyday world surrounding us and try to record it or capture its essence or elevate it or distill it using our own unique filters. We hope the result will resonate with others, make them nod in agreement, puzzle for a moment, smile or laugh or cry along with us. We hope, I think, to encourage them to take a second look at the ordinary in their own lives, discover the richness that lies within.

Once this thought crossed my mind, I couldn't help jotting down more words to describe what I might turn the ordinary into. Take the ordinary and make it:

• memorable
• exciting
• different
• extraordinary
• special
• remarkable
  

I still don't know what to do with this image, to make it any of the above. I know it will come to me eventually, or else it was never meant to be more than an interesting photograph. However, I find myself extremely curious about how someone else might use it to create an original work of art. And so, I challenge any of you who may be interested to use my photo as a jumping off point. Use any medium - I'm not restricting you to textile art - post your finished work to your blog or on-line photo account, then leave a comment on this post with the link to your photo by the end of January. Note what medium you worked in and share as much of the process you went through as you would like. Remember that if you sign in anonymously, you'll need to add your name to your comment. If you don't have an on-line place to post the photo, you can e-mail it to me at idahobeautyquilts@yahoo.com. If there's enough interest, I'll make a bit of a contest of it with some kind of a prize to the one deemed the most interesting, memorable, exciting, different, extraordinary, special, or remarkable interpretation of my photo. Tell your friends and let the creativity begin!