Of Art and Quilts and Such

One summer day, not so many years ago, I sat at a round table in a banquet room watching my younger brother and my new sister in-law beam from ear to ear while getting to spend a little time with an aunt and uncle I rarely get to see.  I am not the best conversation starter...my mind sort of goes blank and I can't figure out what to say, but there is one definite area of interest I share with my uncle: art.  My uncle is an artist--he has been painting for many years.  I, as you may know, am a quilter...and occasionally I get the chance to spend some time on the more artistic side of quilting.  I love being creative, and seeing other people's creativity.

This particular summer day held a conversation that went something like this:

me:  So...I still don't have one of your paintings...
uncle:  well I still don't have one of your quilts...
me: hmmm. good point.

[insert thoughtful pause]

And that's how the deal was struck--he'd paint me a painting and I'd quilt him a quilt.  He thought--hmm, she likes trees...and I thought--hmm, his paintings often have high contrast colors...and finally, much time later, the deal has been completed, and I am so very happy with the results.

The painting:

The quilt: