While searching for something in my many stashes of ‘stuff’, I came across some UFO’s from the past that I had totally forgotten. I put a few aside in the hopes of finding time to work on them. So, this week some time opened up and I seized the moment.
One project that I worked on was part of a series on an icy river in Colorado that I had photographed and played with in Photoshop. Last January I wrote about another in the series that I had finally framed and was really pleased with the result.
Now as I decide how I wish to finish this piece in the series, I am playing with two different options. The first crops and mats the art quilt. Here it is with some white mat that I had available but a darker color would be another possibility.
The second option is uncropped. It could also be matted.
Hard call, isn’t it? I would love to hear your opinions!
Linking to Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Friday blog.
They are both good choices. I like it better not cropped because of the lines of water flow in the lower left. Even though they lead the eye off the piece, I think there is enough interest elsewhere to keep the viewer coming back.
I confess I like the matted choice. It defines the space, keeps all that white in the upper left from dominating too much somehow…you might audition a grey mat, but I think a black one would be too harsh.
I too prefer the matted layout…..as marginmirror suggested…….a grey mat might be a good compromise……. Innovative subject and as always, so well done!
The quilt is wonderful…think I lean towards the mat as it contains the piece.
Seeing the cropped first, I loved it, it has a formality and sets off the sewing very well ; then, I saw the uncropped….wow, it has soo much energy, delivering quite a statement. Very powerful. Difficult choice.
Judy, I really like them both. The cropped piece has the rock as the focus. In the uncropped, the water becomes the focus. I love the movement of the water, so I am drawn to the second. I also like the areas of opaqueness and translucence of the water in the uncropped one. It adds more texture to the water and the picture as a whole. Whichever you pick, both are really nice places to be.
The are both lovely but I think I prefer the uncropped best. Grey mat would be great.
I like the uncropped best because of the variaty in color and movement which makes it more dramatic I would try a little crop though just a narrow strip in the left and maybe at the top too.I guess if you had placed a mat over this too you would have had other reactions.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Seems like getting some ufo’s done is up in the air right now 😉 I love your piece – and I just thought, hm, could you “not” crop it, but add a bigger mat nevertheless ? In the cropped version, you almost loose the second stone on the right, and to me, that would be a pity.
I like the matted onebest, but they’re both stellar!
Well done! I prefer it cropped, but not as tightly as you have it. Those textural lines at the bottom are too good to cover up!
Uncropped and unmatted! The piece is strong and powerful. I don’t think it needs to be contained. I envision it hung and do not see a mat. That’s just me!
It is a hard choice, both are great – I think I like the uncropped with grey mat. Is this piece a photo printed on fabric and then quilted? It’s stunning.
I’d go with uncropped and matted at a larger size.