This piece was inspired by a 1926 pen and ink drawing that features an elegant couple standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. The man is wearing a tuxedo and top hat. The woman is enveloped in a graphic, black and white coat. That coat would make an interesting quilt, I thought. “Focus” is a departure for me given its monochromatic palette and contrasting shapes. The piece is meant to look improvisational, when in fact a single pattern is used for four panels. Machine quilted to accentuate the sharpness of the triangles, the viewers’ eyes are drawn in different directions. The bullseyes are quilted in amorphous squiggles. Both elements compete for attention without clashing.
