Just a reminder

remember how cold it was only a few months ago?!

Potted sketchbook

the above and following images are from my sketchbook. i have become interested in the 'detail' of graffiti such as the shape of brush strokes, marker pens, drips and layers visible through these marks. and have been trying to see the unusual and quirky such as the dorset buttons above influenced by the rivets in the door (above left).the white brush stroke is painted on acetate over torn tissue and watercolour wash.
i love lace, and a number of years ago i learnt how to make bobbin lace, although i no longer make it i am still very influenced by and involved in lace on a daily basis! seeing the many graffiti tags out there i was drawn to how 'lace like' the structures are. above i have used a tag and repeated its image and cut-out a paper overlay.
still with the lace cut-out this image above is a graphite rubbing on handmade paper (its amazing what you can do with old xmas cards) made over a thicker cut-out/stencil. the voids to the right were stencilled and shadows added to give a 3d effect.
again using the same 'lace' image i layered various papers,stitched and then cut back to reveal lower layers.
getting into layers i worked 5 pages as a series. based on the first image in this post i took the brushstroke theme and worked downwards and staggered the layers to reveal edges.
the final layer, sequins was based on the flat surfaces produced by spray paint and how it can dazzle. some years ago ron arad chose various artworks to exhibit at the V&A one of which was a life size kitchen by liza lous completely covered in bugle beads, cereal, pots and pans kitchen sink, the works. it was amazing! perhaps i could do a whole wall in sequins!
i have also been working with arrows and again layering to catch glimpses below. above burnt out arrows.
finally, more layering but with stitch imitating 'tongue and groove' wood panelling. going back to lace, last year brugge put on a city wide exhibition called 'the face of lace' concentrating on artists/craftspeople who use the influence and structure of lace to create new, modern works such as wire fences, wallpaper, chairs, lighting etc.

'There's the good stuff and then there's the rubbish'

a quote from a mother at my son's school! just shows how graffiti is still very much looked on partly as an eyesore. however, if you can overlook this, most is quite beautiful. I came across this sometime ago, what a wonderful idea.

Today is Chapter 7

stitched sample based on arrows with 3d shapes of pelmet vilene trapped under the lower layer. cotton organdie and silk organza are randomly stitched to secure them in place.
halos and circles of paint. trapped pieces of paper and textile between cotton and plastic window from chocolate box. holes made with joss stick.
detail of above
barcodes. strips of cotton, newsprint, paper coloured with chalk pastels stitched with rayon thread and fishing line.
lettering with various strips of fabric anchored by tacking and machine stitched letters.

arrows worked through handmade paper, cellophane and silk organza.

brush stroke, again using handmade paper and threads couched in lines.

i have chosen to use mainly natural fabrics and fibre reactive cold dyes. A few years ago i was lucky enough to attend a workshop with Carole Waller at University College Falmouth. it was a great pleasure to have the use of their excellent facilities, unlike the kitchen table! Carole is very inspiring and i like her way of directly painting the dye onto fabric. So although some of my fabrics i have dyed the 'conventional' way most are painted.

i have based my stitched samples on arrows, halos, which appear quite often on graffiti, barcodes, tongue and groove wood panelling and brush strokes. i have used cotton, silk, handmade paper from recycled Xmas cards, cellophane wrappings paper and newsprint. Mainly handstitched but with some machine stitching.
I haven't put any measurements with these but most are A5 ish (i have a tendency to work small)!

Inspiration

to make a long story short, i am drawn towards graffiti for a number of reasons, namely, its fun its colourful, i like the drips of paint and the lace like quality some of the tags have.

'New kid on the blog'

Well here goes! Over the next few days/weeks i want to give a potted history of what i have been doing so far in Module 1 of the Diploma. i chose for my 'research for design' GRAFfITI. i can be seen hanging around the streets looking at the many and varied walls covered in street art and tags. it is great that this week the Banksy exhibition at Bristol has opened. waiting impatiently to see it soon.