Fancy

The idea for this picture evolved during a conversation on a roadtrip between Florida and Arkansas. I was telling my husband how I wanted to 1. make a series of pictures, 2. incorporate text into my work, and 3. make a picture that didn't need to have a mat when framed.

Eventually I came up with the idea of having an adjective, specifically one that ends in 'y', and an animal subject that embodies the chosen word. 'Fancy' was the first word I thought of, and what animal is more fancy than a peacock?

This picture is the first in a series of animals and adjectives. Every picture in the series has the same dimensions, border, font, text size, and appropriate '-y' adjective.

Transformation

I had taken a break from my passion for fabric for seven years so I could focus on earning a paycheck with my graphic design career. I finally couldn't take it any more and knew I had to get back to my own art. But after seven years, I was intimidated to try again, especially because I'd also lost my confidence in my ability to draw free-hand.

I've always enjoyed finding ways to optimize my workflow, and my fabric process is no exception. I thought it might be easier for me to make a design if I used Adobe Illustrator, which I'd become very comfortable with during my years as a graphic designer. The template for Fancy was tentatively designed in Illustrator. I say "tentatively" because it wasn't as detailed as my templates usually get, but it was a first for me and a step in the right direction.