Will do...thanks

I took a week long class with David Taylor last summer. He does pictoral quilts of animals and landscapes. He doesn't make any with people. He was an excellent teacher, and he travels around the country. Perhaps you could hook up with him somewhere. Unfortunately my bird is not far enough along to share with anyone yet!

Cindi, that is an amazing likeness to someone! What a magnificent work of ART!

I also live near Rochester, NY. Have you heard of the Genesee Valley Quilt Club? They have a large membership, and are very active. There may be someone there with similar interest and experience that would give you some pointers.

You can take any line drawing or a photograph and trace the changes in color onto plastic. Then you apply straight lines to make your pattern.You could start with applique patterns and practice straight lies.

Mostly landscapes...I did buy the book you are mentioning and like a lot of the content. Thanks Dog HouseMom for mentioning them...it makes me think I am on the right track. Also being fairly new to quilting and a guy, who does not know how to navigate into Pinterest and all the various sites and teachers, I appreciate and follow up on every suggestion. One of you mentioned an upcoming quilt show in my area, and while I do not usually attend due to "comparison depression"...I was shocked to find Cynthia England is actually teaching near me and I paid for that class yesterday. Thanks for the heads up and please suggest others...even if they have a great CD...I am eager to try landscapes.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]506897[/ATTACH]Here is a picture I completed using various shades of blue and cut out 1/4 inch squares, using a June Taylor ruler, and a www.hakidd.com cutting mat - so I could cut both ways without moving the fabric, then placed the small squares onto a 30 inch piece of iron-on interfacing, and touched each piece lightly just to hold it in place, until I was certain the colour would work, and if not could remove it easily, then pressed on with with the iron (no sewing). Had it framed for my daughter and SIL.. Took a picture of the child, and using black and white picture, used the pixel pic to differentiate from white, then lightest to darkest pixels in the pictures and using the chosen 24 shades of blue, along with one white, - light blue, medium blue, and dark blue. There is a CD you can order from the following URL: www.cutworkportraits.blogspot.ca/
for about $20.00

Thank so very much for this information...I greatly appreciate the advice, which I will definitely follow up on this very afternoon. I also want to send KUDOS galore to you on this splendid fabric portrait. I was told if you have a photo reduced to black and white either at your home computer and printer or take it to an office supply...they can do that and blow it up. Then you take a piece of ruby plastic and view your color choices through that "lense" and that process eliminates color and shows only values which might make the kind of thing I am headed to doing...easier?

As for trying to join a local guild. Maybe being a guy and not really knowing if I might "fit" or not they never replied ...so I just do my thing. I also know when I took my one and only class, everything in the way of dynamics in the room changed ...the jokes, inclusionary language and eyebrows said volumes.

Well shame on them basketman.

I hope I did not make it sound all bad...they were very cordial and all, but you could see I was truly a rarity. However, that dynamic can be "played both ways"...there is always someone, or maybe even two or three that take pity and you can learn a lot more than just the project at hand. :thumbup: