Be Not Afraid

Dimensions: 55 x 40 inches

Technique: Hand dye-painted with thickened fiber reactive dyes

Materials: 100% cotton fabric, wool batting

Artist Statement: 
There is a place, south of the Sahara desert, where faces seem to grow out of granite boulders..... These enormous faces were carved by an artist who thought they would look appropriate in the landscape. My husband was working on a project nearby, and he photographed children playing among these sculptures. The contrast between the innocent children and the huge faces captured me because it made me think of the fragility of a child against the force of mankind. I re-enforced the surreal effect by painting it in the monochromatic orange and then quilting it with realistic colored threads.