Secret Garden 2026
AQuA 2026 “My Secret Garden”
Members Choice: Dee Harwood: Whispering Portals
Linda Colsh Juror’s Statement:
My initial look at the art quilts of “My Secret Garden” submitted by members of AQuA carried me away not just to places of color and flowers, but also to unexpected places. The photos to jury arrived when my own garden is bursting with mature vegetation and full color. The corn in the farm field behind my garden is now thick and high and fences my garden like the wall of a secret garden. My curiosity about where other artists find their secret gardens was answered with 24 very individual private places. Congratulations to each artist for thoughtfully interpreting the theme with excellent craftsmanship.
What did I look for? In addition to good design, originality and execution, I hoped to be transported to unique places of floral imagination. That wish was beautifully fulfilled. I examined each art quilt for good design, a composition that works and moves the viewer’s eye around the piece, depth when the scene called for it or limited space when the artist focused on specific items. Elements such as color, texture, balance, scale, line and shape factored into my evaluations.
Many of the scenes dazzle with bright hues while a few choose a more limited palette dictated by time of day (midnight) or weather (drought or the extreme cold where ice roses grow) or setting (a cloister or underwater gardens). Surfaces gain texture and sheen from construction materials (carefully selected fabric patterns, wool roving, glitter, mirrors and more) and techniques (hand drawing and painting, masterful machine and hand stitching, the illusion of moving wind or flowing water in quilted lines).
I thank all the AQuA artists for opening their special secret gardens to share with me.
