Inspired by the Galapagos

I'm always on the lookout for shapes, textures, colors, ideas, and objects that provide inspiration for some future quilt. I hit the inspiration jackpot on our recent trip to the Galapagos. By the time I got home I had ideas for 4 new quilts in my inspiration noteboook.

One of the most exciting adventures we had in the Galapagos was a hike over lava fields at Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island. The eruption occurred sometime in the 1890's - just a short time ago in geological time.  The lava was still "fresh" - it had not eroded very much.  Here is a video made at the same field I visited and with the same guide and tour company - just a few years earlier!

I was amazed by all the different textures. There were ropes, popped bubbles of varying sizes, and some that looked like a particular chocolate frosting I make. My first thought on seeing the lava fields was that this would make a great quilt!
I am envisioning a quadritych (OK I had to look that up on google), each one with a different black or grey batik. I'm not sure that I will even piece or applique anything - I think what would be stunning is a whole cloth quilt with the quilting as the star. Each of the four pieces would be quilted and thread painted to look like a different kind of lava - a rope, some bubbles, and other textures that I don't have words for yet. 
I'll have to really practice my free-motion quilting to get them to look like the lava, but it will be fun. 

If you're curious about the Galapagos, I can highly recommend the National Geographic tour. It was a trip of a lifetime! More inspiration to come.