One of the groups I belong to is the International Freeform Crochet Guild. Each year the group poses a challenge to its membership. The object being to create a freeform fiberart piece within the parameters of the challenge.

This year it is to create an interpretive piece inspired by a favorite artist or artwork.  Some of my guild friends are choosing to interpret music, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what they create.

Last year I was too busy to participate in the challenge, but I am really hoping to participate this year.  When I first heard of this year’s challenge my mind went immediately to 2 of my favorite inspiring artists from the late 1800s early 1900s.  Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret Macdonald. 

I had known about Charles Rennie Mackintosh before I found this book written by Alan Crawford for the World of Art series by the publishers Thames and Hudson Inc.  But the images of artwork created by his wife Margaret intrigued me even more.

Mackintosh was a Glasgow Architect with such buildings as the Glasgow School of Art and Miss Cranston’s Tea Rooms to his credit.  He and Margaret collaborated on a number of projects and I’ve always loved the melding of Art Nouveau and Art Deco I see in many of the images of their work.

This painting by Margaret has appealed to me for a very long time, so it is my inspiration for this challenge. 

The photos of our challenge pieces are due to the organizer between April 2 & 15.  So hopefully the online exhibit will be up only a few weeks after that. In the meantime you can take a look at previous year’s challenges at the International Freeform Crochet Guild site.