Creation of Mother Earth and Father Sky

1987

Mother Earth - 69" x 31" (left panel)

Creation - 69" x 45" (center panel)

Father Sky - 69" x 32" (right panel)

Cotton cloth, machine pieced and quilted

This was made immediately after a trip to New Mexico in the American southwest.  The title refers to a Tewa Indian prayer:

O our Mother the Earth, O our Father the Sky,

Your children are we, and with tired backs

We bring you the gifts you love.

By working very long hours I pieced the "Mother Earth" panel in one week from fabric that I had at home.  I realized that I had memorized the colors and forms in the landscape as I rode in the car.  "Father Sky" followed.  Several months after I finished "Mother Earth and Father Sky" an artist friend remarked that the two panels needed another panel in the center.  After thinking about it, I agreed.  I decided to have small sections of earth and sky.   Several of the fabrics used in the "Mother Earth" and "Father Sky" panels were not available.  I had used all the cloth for the previous two pieces.

Art Quilts by Barbara Moll