So yesterday I get a notice over on Instagram that I've been tagged in a post. I go over and this is the image I see. And suddenly it all comes rushing back in my brain. Back in 2015 during my Fanfest presentation about Fan Art I mentioned that someone was planning on turning my Art Print Series into a quilt. In fact, you can see for yourself around the 23 minute mark in the video:
This is that quilt. Natalie made this for her husband and it took a little longer than she anticipated. Which she tells me was fortunate because the technology has come a long way in the years since. Which is good news. It isn't like the quilt took 3 years of hard work to produce, although I'm certain it took some doing.
They even managed to make one of the squares with my character avatar on it.
I've done and experienced a lot of truly amazing things in my life and my career, but I have to be honest here and say this ranks right up there. (I don't actually "rank" events, it is only an expression) I'm humbled by the fact that someone enjoys my work enough to even want something like this. How could you not be? Not only to think of something like this, but to actually take the time, effort, and creative energy to execute it. And I'm honored that it was my art that inspired them to do so. Truly mind-blowing for me. I struggle with a tremendous amount of insecurity when it comes to my illustration/painting work and this just blows my mind.
Like my wife said last night, anytime I start to feel depressed or insecure about my illustration work going forward - all I have to do is remember this quilt. I don't mind admitting I get very emotional just writing this post. And no I didn't actually cry, c'mon, I'm the Pirate Lord.
It's moments like this that remind me of just how powerful and creative the Eve Community truly is. Thank you so much for sharing this with me Natalie. I sincerely hope that you both get years and years of enjoyment from this amazing quilt. And that you know how much it meant to me that you did it.
All I can say is Wow, thank you.