Joan Brailsford – Book #4
Rock Art
I have included another book in this genre, ‘Art on the Rocks’, as well as those I am already using, I have chosen to depict the pictographs and petroglyphs which were created by ancient tribes. In this case all the art is from various sites in Utah. The images depicted include human and animal forms, as well as masks and abstract designs, and in all cases the true meanings are a mystery to modern day researchers.
The background is hand dyed cotton. In the upper portion, the large figures are inspired by those in the Great Gallery (Canyonlands) are all silk paper, with the smaller ones made from silk fibres and the large one made from cocoon strippings. The words are included vertically to complement the standing figures. For the hand quilting in this section I used running stitch and adapted the curved shapes from the rock art to give the lines.
In the lower portion I included a selection of figures inspired by the Rainbow panel (San Rafael Swell) and Newspaper Rock (Newspaper Rock State Park). These smaller solid figures are hand dyed fabric fused to the background, and the smaller images, the details and the lines are all hand stitched using chain stitch and whipped stitch. In this section I used seed stitch to suggest the picked marks which form the designs.
Detail views:
FIFTEEN BY FIFTEEN 
I really like this, there is so much attention to detail and the colours you have used have worked so well. Well done!
An interesting and well designed composition with the well chosen colours and big attention to details. Bravo!
This is an impressive piece ! the background fabric and the ones you used for the different figures complement perfectly. You have created a perfect atmosphere of a cave with pictographs and petroglyphs. Bravo !
Joan a great interpretation. I like your use of stitch, and fabric to bring to live these ancient pictographs and petroglyphs our forward runner to the written word. Marvellous
Such a beautiful quilt. I am fascinated by petroglyphs, yours are incredible. Your colours are so harmonious and your composition is sublime. Bravo! Bravo!
So many details in this piece; I see new things every time I look at it. Well done!
This is a beautifully detailed piece and the hand stitching and colors are perfect. Love the intricate and perfectly designed images you have created. Well done.
I’ve seen some of these images while traveling through the southwest portion of the United States. You have brought them to life with your color choices and composition. Very nice!
Wow! Your work is very delicate, the colors are perfect, it gives me a feeling that I am standing in front of the petroglifs once again. I’ve beem to the Newspaper Rock and I also have seen them at the Arches park in Utah. Bravo!
Goodness! A great design with so much to look at. The shapes and stitching are so detailed. well done.
The choice of background is very suitable for the theme of signs and characters from the past. You put a lot of details into the work and the stitching are perfectly.
I am really in awe with your work. I love petroglyphs and have seen them in different part of the worlds. It brings back so many nostalgic memories.
Your interpretation in stitch and colors is just wonderful, with so much to look at. The background fabric is so suited for this work. Very well done!
What a lovely piece with so many details to look at. Your execution of the petroglyphs is stunning and it is indeed like standing in front of them! Perfect stitching! Bravo.