Controlled chaos

I find comfort in visual order. Balanced groupings, geometric precision. But, I also like riotous fun. The way Kaffe Fassett puts patterns together in his quilts, a slightly overgrown flower garden, carnival rides. So this year, I am working on developing my own color and inspiration book. I began by culling through my photos for the ones I snapped simply as a response to the color. I have discovered I am frequently drawn to grafitti, peeling paint and old shop buildings. This is a fun exercise for me, especially since the days are rather gray and drab. The photo to left is of an old roadhouse bar I pass each day, I am planning a quilt using light blue, red and white so I stopped to grab a few shots for color inspiration. The road is actually state highway 268 between Elkin and Wilkesboro, NC. This used to be heavily travelled when races were held at the Wilkesboro Speedway. I wonder what kind of wild times occurred within these red, white and blue walls?